Your favorite drummers and their best performances

C

CrimsonKing

Junior Member
Hi everybody, I'm new here and this is my first post. Who are your favorite drummers and which are their best performances on a song.

Mine Are:

Bill Bruford - Red, One More Red Nightmare, Indiscipline, Lark's Tongues In Aspic pts 1 and 2, The Talking Drum (King Crimson), Close To The Edge and Heart Of The Sunrise (Yes).
Billy Cobham - One World, Celestial Territorial Commuters, Noonward Race, Vital Transformation (Mahavishnu Orchestra), Spectrum, Red Baron, Quadrant 4, Skunk Funk, Bandits (Billy Cobham) and Right Off (Miles Davis).
Jaki Liebezeit - Vitamin C, Mushroom, Halleluhwah, Pinch and Bel Air (CAN).
Vinnie Colaiuta - Five-Five-Five, Central Scrunitzer, Keep It Greasy, Joe's Garage (Frank Zappa), Palladium (Karizma).
Terry Bozzio - The Black Page, Dancin Fool, Friendly Little Finger and Ms. Pinky (Frank Zappa), Tragic and Black Light Syndrome (Bozzio Levin Stevens) and the whole album of Danger Money by Uk.
Michael Giles - Pictures Of A City, In The Court Of The Crimson King and 21st Century Schizoid Man (King Crimson).
Steve Gadd - Aja (Steely Dan), Humpty Dumpty and Sicily (Chick Corea) and all his work with Al Di Meola.
Dave Weckl - Rumble, Got A Match? and the whole Light Years album (Chick Corea), Tower Of Inspiration, Tiempo de Festival, Mud Sauce and High Life (Dave Weckl).
Tony Williams - Walkin, Agitation, Joshua and Hand Jive (Miles Davis), Sister Cheryl, Vashkar, Red Mask, Fred, To Whom It May Concern and Proto Cosmos (Tony Williams).
Neil Peart - YYZ, La Villa Strangiato, Cygnus X1, The Spirit Of Radio, The Camera Eye and One Little Victory (Rush).
Elvin Jones - The three parts of A Love Supreme, Afro Blue, Chasin The Trane, The Drum Thing and Giant Steps (John Coltrane).

What do you think?
 
Last edited:
Oh dear, CK. How could you neglect Bill Bruford's performances in Thela Hun Jingeet and Frame By Frame! Solo, I love his playing in Sample and Hold

Also on matter Crimson, Michael Giles playing In The Court of The Crimson King and Cat Food.

Stewart Copeland - Walking On The Moon, Driven to Tears, Demolition Man

Ringo - A Day in the Life, Tomorrow Never Knows

John Densmore - The End, Peace Frog

Pierre Moerlen - Chandra, Cat in Clark's Shoes

Mitch Mitchell - Little Wing, Manic Depression

Phil Collins - Something in the Air
 
Last edited:
Pollyanna said:
Oh dear, CK. How could you neglect Bill Bruford's performances in Thela Hun Jingeet and Frame By Frame! Solo, I love his playing in Sample and Hold

Also on matter Crimson, Michael Giles playing In The Court of The Crimson King and Cat Food.

Stewart Copeland - Walking On The Moon, Driven to Tears

Ringo - A Day in the Life, Tomorrow Never Knows

John Densmore - The End, Peace Frog

Pierre Moerlen - Chandra, Cat in Clark's Shoes

Mitch Mitchell - Little Wing, Manic Depression

Phil Collins - Something in the Air
Click to expand...

For Mitch mine would have too be Fire,if 6 was 9,third stone from the sun,spanish castle magic

and yes Bonham is my fav. and Moby Dick from the Royal Albert Hall is may fav performance from him but I also like achilles last stand,sick again,good times bad times,
poor tom & bonzo's montreux.

Bonzolead
 
bonzolead said:
For Mitch mine would have too be Fire,if 6 was 9,third stone from the sun,spanish castle magic

and yes Bonham is my fav. and Moby Dick from the Royal Albert Hall is may fav performance from him but I also like achilles last stand,sick again,good times bad times,
poor tom & bonzo's montreux.

Bonzolead
Click to expand...

Hard to argue, BL. Great tracks all. I can't pick a fave Bonzo track; he was pretty amazing all the time. Loved the studio Moby Dick where he used his hands with snares off - super-tasty!
 
Oh my, I could be here all day.. but a few:

Mike Portnoy: Pull Me Under & Under a Glass Moon (Dream Theater), For seem less going through time signature changes, and playing totally over the top, while still maintaining the feel.

Mark Zonder: A Pleasant Shade of Grey (Fates Warning). he plays some mind boggling parts, at times you think it's a fill until it repeats and you realize it's the beat, yet still knows when to lay out and let the music breath. How he isn't a household name in the drummer world is beyond me.

Steve Smith: Captured (Journey) Seamlessly blending jazz ideas with heavy rock and pop, a great solo, and one of the better live tones on record.

Larry Mullen Jr. The entire Boy and October album (U2). I just love the way he doesn't just play beats and then fills, but he makes his parts rhythmic hooks that become just as much of the song as the guitar riff and melody line.

Scott Travis Painkiller (Judas Priest), while he may have more technical performances with Racer X, on one song, he brought drums back to the forefront of heavy music, with a cool drum intro, switching up the subdivisions with his double bass, and tons of cool fills, all without stepping all over the guitars and vocals.

Neil Peart 2112 (Rush) He didn't just play drum fills, he made tom rolls an intricate part of the song, and showed chops on a big kit can support the emotional aspect of the song and not just an excuse to show off.

Stan Lynch Greatest Hits (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers); Such feel. Even when he's just playing basic rock beat #1 out of any book, he makes it sound like the most impressive drum beat ever.

John Bonham When the Leave Breaks (Led Zep) Pretty much the standard to which all other songs are compared to when when trying to make something feel just right.

Keith Moon The Real Me (The Who) One of the better examples of how his seemly wild-off-the-wall drumming was actually supporting the vocal line.

Terry Bozzio Sex and Religion album (Vai) Terry Bozzio's unique style is applied and matched concept to concept to Steve Vai's guitar playing, going totally over the top, while still leaving room for the vocals.
 
There are so many...

Roy Haynes Now He Sings, Now He Sobs (especially Matrix) (Chick)

Elvin-- Coltrane's A Love Suprene, Transition

Vinnie-- Shut Up and Play Your Guitar (Five Five Five), Joe's Garage

Tony- Miles Live at the Plugged Nickel, Lifetime, Filles de Kilimanjaro, Miles Smiles

Gadd- AJA

Max-- Live at Basin Street

Blade--Footprints Wayne Shorter Live

DeJohnette- Kenny Wheeler Gnu High, Gary Peacock Tales of Another

Stewart Copeland- Walking on the Moon

Bonham- Good Times Bad Times
 
Pollyanna said:
Hard to argue, BL. Great tracks all. I can't pick a fave Bonzo track; he was pretty amazing all the time. Loved the studio Moby Dick where he used his hands with snares off - super-tasty!
Click to expand...

I'm with ya PA I really don't. have a favorite Bonham track I like em all and yes I love the studio Moby Dick as well.

Correct me if i'm wrong but Bonham first played drums with his hands on "How Many More Times" not "Moby Dick" if you listen too the middle section you can tell.

Keep Swattin'
Bonzolead
 
Watched Steve Smith's Jazz Legacy in the MD 2006 Festival again today, doing "Night in Tunisia". I can't get enough of it. Definitely my favorite performance of his.
 
bonzolead said:
I'm with ya PA I really don't. have a favorite Bonham track I like em all and yes I love the studio Moby Dick as well.

Correct me if i'm wrong but Bonham first played drums with his hands on "How Many More Times" not "Moby Dick" if you listen too the middle section you can tell.
Click to expand...

That makes sense, now that you mention it, the toms are pretty mellow in the middle part. HMMT - fun track, great drumming.

Some more:

The Who - I Can See For Miles

Gene Krupa - Sing Swing Sing

I left off SG's Aja because someone else was sure to mention it :)
 
Pollyanna said:
That makes sense, now that you mention it, the toms are pretty mellow in the middle part. HMMT - fun track, great drumming.

Some more:

The Who - I Can See For Miles

Gene Krupa - Sing Swing Sing

I left off SG's Aja because someone else was sure to mention it :)
Click to expand...

aja what a great album it came out in the 70's so I call it a album LOL

How about good ole "Frankinstein" by the Edgar Winter Group
"Radar Love" by Golden Earring great jazz feel even though it's a rock tune
I love Mooney "I can see for miles" is a great one also but I've always admired Moon's clave work on "Magic Bus" our band does "the real me" great song also gives me a good workout.

Bonzolead
 
Chuck Blackwell, Sandy Konikoff, Jim Keltner, and Jim Gordon on Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen album (I'm not entirely sure who's playing what and when). It's as if angels are whispering in my ear every time I listen to that album.

Bill Eyden on "A Whiter Shade of Pale", it's not heavily complicated or anything, but the rolls are just soooo even, smooth, and well placed.
 
Virgil Donati on On The Virg - Serious Insects

Gary Novak on Chick Corea's Time Warp and Allan Holdsworth's 16 Men of Tain

Keith Carlock on Oz Noy's albums and on Steely Dan - Everything Must Go

Vinnie on Sting's Ten Summoner's Tales and....maybe Karizma - Document (live)? (many to choose from :) )

Jojo Mayer with Depart and with Nerve

Mike Bordin on any Faith No More album

Gavin Harrison with Porcupine Tree and 05Ric

Dave Weckl on Synergy

Probably forgot some...

Ah yes: André Ceccarelli on Enrico Pieranunzi - Seaward! Wonderful drumming, wonderful music!!
 
Last edited:
bonzolead said:
aja what a great album it came out in the 70's so I call it a album LOL

How about good ole "Frankinstein" by the Edgar Winter Group
"Radar Love" by Golden Earring great jazz feel even though it's a rock tune
I love Mooney "I can see for miles" is a great one also but I've always admired Moon's clave work on "Magic Bus" our band does "the real me" great song also gives me a good workout.

Bonzolead
Click to expand...

Have you seen "The Drummers of Steely Dan" website? They had such a slick array of drummers - Jim Hodder, Jeff Porcaro, Rick Marotta, Bernard, Steve, Jim Keltner ...

Frankenstein was great. I find it strange that there aren't more rock instrumentals. I guess the vocalists would get bored :) I was nuts about Radar Love when it came out.

A couple of obscure ones - Prairie Prince on The Tubes's first three albums before they had to settle down in order to pay the bills. Also Billy Cobham on Mahavishnu's You Know You Know. What a trip!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top