Drummer, greatest and so...

[Peter]

C'mon, let's have a "who's the greatest drummer" flame war.
I say, Gavin Harrison.

[PH]

C'mon, let's have a "who's the greatest drummer" flame war.
I say, Gavin Harrison.

Gavin! Absolutely!!
Nick D'Virgilio is a good 2nd.
Then, probably Mike Portnoy (at least for all his involvements in the many fantastic bands).
And then everyone else.

There are a lot 'undiscovered' talents. Tomas Lejon of A.C.T for instance. Or Morgan Ågren of Kaipa.
But Gavin Harisson is my obvious choice.

Nice topic.

[Nicky007]

OK Cap, if you say 

I have a fave bassist - Billy Sheehan - and two fave guitarists - John Petrucci and Jeff Loomis - but no fave drummer(s), singer or keyboardist.

Top drummers: definitely Mike I & II from DT, and Terry Bozzio - the rhythmic section on Explorers Club's Age of Impact is a monster 

Gavin is definitely a fine drummer - gotta check him up some more ..... 

- Nicky

[Teunis]

C'mon, let's have a "who's the greatest drummer" flame war.

My favourite drummer isn't alive anymore, Jeff Porcaro from Toto. He had such a special groove, unbelievable. His successor Simon Phillips does a great job too by the way. Also like the drumming of Scott Higham (Pendragon, Caamora, Alchemy, Shadowkeep). It's so much fun to see him play! And I found the drumming on the new Nosound album very special. Chris Maitland (Porcupine Tree, Guilt Machine) is responsible for that. And indeed, Mike Portnoy is an animal too behind the drums .

[Peter]

My favourite drummer isn't alive anymore, Jeff Porcaro from Toto. He had such a special groove, unbelievable.

Agreed. At that time though, I would have had a hard time to decide between him and Curt Cress, the latter being better known in Europe. So you're probably right.

[PH]

I might have posted this before, but this is a nice video of Gavin Harrison about drum fills. His ideas on being a subtle drummer is mostly why I think he is the best drummer.

[maddox]

You want a list?

Here goes nothing...

• Terry Bozzio
• Mike Portnoy
• Gavin Harrison
• Marco Minnesman
• Martin Lopez (ex-Opeth)
• Nick D'Virgilio (ex-the mighty Beard)
• Neal Peart
• Virgil Donati
• Bill Bruford
• Jeff Porcaro
• Carmine Appice

Just to name a few.

I don't really have just one favourites, sometimes one of these guys stands out with the rest of the drummers but it could be different tomorrow.

[PH]

You want a list?

No.

C'mon, let's have a "who's the greatest drummer" flame war.

We want a flame war!



From your list I don't know who Carmine Appice is.
Oh, and it is Marco Minnemann (minus the 's' and an extra 'n' at the end). An excellent drummer by the way. He shows so much joy (from what I've seen in videos). He loves drumming.

Bill Bruford is really good too. And why don't you add Phil Collins while you're at it. I love what he did to "Cinema Show", "In The Cage", "Robbery, Assault And Battery" and so much more.

[Nicky007]

Here goes nothing...

Got some mighty good drummers in there, Mad - and with Terry Bozzio and Mike Portnoy at the top, ya can't go wrong 

I was just wonderin: Where did Mike II get lost ?

- Nicky

[PH]

I was just wonderin: Where did Mike II get lost ?

Where do you know Mike Mangini from (apart from DT's latest album)?

[Nicky007]

Where do you know Mike Mangini from (apart from DT's latest album)?

We smoked joints together 

No, from DT's latest album 

OK, Paxi, from Annihilator and Extreme, two of my pantheon groups, and from the concert in Copenhagen 2012 - so I kinda know him quite well 

Definitely one of the best drummers in the world 

- Nicky

[PH]

We smoked joints together 

No, from DT's latest album 

OK, Paxi, from Annihilator and Extreme, two of my pantheon groups, and from the concert in Copenhagen 2012 - so I kinda know him quite well 

Definitely one of the best drummers in the world 

- Nicky

Ah ok. I don't know Mangini that well. I only know him from "A Dramatic Turn Of Events". And on that album he played what Petrucci wrote for him. Petrucci programmed all the drum parts.

[Nicky007]

"A Dramatic Turn Of Events". And on that album he played what Petrucci wrote for him. Petrucci programmed all the drum parts.

What !!! 

Where does that come from, Paxi ?  Are you sure you aint thinkin about Lady Gaga or somethin ?

- Nicky

[PH]

What !!! 

Where does that come from, Paxi ?  Are you sure you aint thinkin about Lady Gaga or somethin ?

- Nicky

I'm sure I read it in an interview somewhere. I'll try to look it up for you. Petrucci programmed the drums and thought them out. Mangini then recorded the real drums.

[PH]

Here it is.
Taken from Ultimate Classic Rock:

How did the recent lineup change affect the songwriting responsibilities?

We didn't write the music with [new drummer] Mike Mangini. We decided to go in and just write it amongst ourselves without a drummer [to] get more in touch with the intimates of the compositional process that every guitarist, keyboard player and bassist does when they're sitting around in a bedroom or hotel room or studio. Just writing and pulling out the best music that you can, exploring different areas. We decided to do it that way, which was great — a really great environment for being creative.

So, did you end up writing things that were really hard for him to play?

It's funny that you say that, because I programmed all the drums with a program, which was a lot of fun. I came up with some wicked stuff. When we finished, I sent it, asking "Is this something that you can actually play? I don't know, I'm not a drummer, is this a physically possible thing?" But then he came in a couple of months later, and here he was, a human being doing this stuff. I was blown away. It's fun doing that kind of thing because you can just come up with stuff that's beyond your wildest imagination, drum-wise, and then make it happen in real life.

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/john-petrucci-dream-theater-interview-2011/

[Nicky007]

OK, interesting, Paxi 

I take it that Mike took off from Petrucci's ideas ... and then added a lot ... and lots more.

These are two old friends, so they know each other well and work out stuff together.

Dream Theater remains the flagship of progrock, and has replaced one great drummer with another 

- Nicky

[maddox]

No.

Well, thanks for being honest. 

From your list I don't know who Carmine Appice is.

Can't blame you for that since he's not really known in the prog-universe, whatever that may be ( ) but he did quite some work in music land.
Started off as the drummer of phsychedelic band Vanilla Fudge in the sixties, but also played with Jeff Beck's Power Trio, Rod Steward (in the song Do you Think I'm Sexy? it's his drums you hear), worked with Paul Stanley (Kiss, aka the band that never retires and always will play their farewell-tour), Ted Nugent, Ozzy Osbourne (Bark at the Moon) and was one of the band members in acts like King Cobra and, one of my personal favorites, Blue Murder.
His playing is somewhat raw, like a lumberjack actually, but very skillful.
His playing often reminds me of Jon Bonham, from Led Zeppelin.
He has a younger brother, Vinnie Appice who has worked with Dio, Black Sabbath and Heaven and Hell.

Oh, and it is Marco Minnemann (minus the 's' and an extra 'n' at the end).

I typed this on the tablet so I kinda knew that this wasn't really accurate, but you know who I meant.
Thanks for pointing me on this. 

An excellent drummer by the way. He shows so much joy (from what I've seen in videos). He loves drumming.

Absolutely! 
Must confess that the first time I heard from him was during the auditions for a new drummer in Dream Theater.
His work with Steven Wilson for instance is very good!

And why don't you add Phil Collins while you're at it. I love what he did to "Cinema Show", "In The Cage", "Robbery, Assault And Battery" and so much more.

No, I won't.

Simply because I don't think he's that special.
Sure, he did some good work for Genesis, but I really dislike the drum-sound, one you can recognize from a million miles away.

[maddox]

We smoked joints together 

No, from DT's latest album 

OK, Paxi, from Annihilator and Extreme, two of my pantheon groups, and from the concert in Copenhagen 2012 - so I kinda know him quite well 

Definitely one of the best drummers in the world 

- Nicky

And on James LaBrie's solo album, Elements of Persuasion.

[PH]

Well, thanks for being honest. 

I do like these kind of lists! But Peter said he wants a war. He wants us to fight!
(I'm just being a fool.)

Can't blame you for that since he's not really known in the prog-universe, whatever that may be ( ) but he did quite some work in music land.
Started off as the drummer of phsychedelic band Vanilla Fudge in the sixties, but also played with Jeff Beck's Power Trio, Rod Steward (in the song Do you Think I'm Sexy? it's his drums you hear), worked with Paul Stanley (Kiss, aka the band that never retires and always will play their farewell-tour), Ted Nugent, Ozzy Osbourne (Bark at the Moon) and was one of the band members in acts like King Cobra and, one of my personal favorites, Blue Murder.
His playing is somewhat raw, like a lumberjack actually, but very skillful.
His playing often reminds me of Jon Bonham, from Led Zeppelin.
He has a younger brother, Vinnie Appice who has worked with Dio, Black Sabbath and Heaven and Hell.

No wonder I don't know the guy. He's totally out of my listening range.

I typed this on the tablet so I kinda knew that this wasn't really accurate, but you know who I meant.
Thanks for pointing me on this. 

I'm sorry for being such a spelling crusader. Of course I knew who you meant.

Absolutely! 
Must confess that the first time I heard from him was during the auditions for a new drummer in Dream Theater.

Me too. And he was amazing there. From that little part of the auditions I 'fell in love with him', so to speak. Really liked his attitude.

His work with Steven Wilson for instance is very good!

Yes, absolutely!
He also is/was the drummer for Paul Gilbert. And the Aristocrats (but I do not know them).

No, I won't.

Simply because I don't think he's that special.
Sure, he did some good work for Genesis, but I really dislike the drum-sound, one you can recognize from a million miles away.

[Nicky007]

phsychedelic band Vanilla Fudge in the sixties

Mad, you look like you'r a bit phsychedelic 

"Psychedelic" is rather narrow for such a groundbreaking group 

I and my childhood family listened a lot to their second studio album "The Beat Goes On" in them days.

Wiki: "The album doesn't contain any real 'songs', but rather a sound collage featuring many different elements: the voices of world leaders past and present, the band reciting pre-written mantras and reflections, and excerpts of songs (done 'Vanilla Fudge style') by The Beatles and Sonny Bono."

Solidly progressive, is how I would characterise this album.

And then their wonderful third album Renaissance - vividly melodic and much to rocky to be just "psychedelic".

Wiki: "The band has been cited as 'one of the few American links between psychedelia and what soon became heavy metal'".

And on James LaBrie's solo album, Elements of Persuasion.

Wasnt too hot on that one 

But Peter said he wants a war. He wants us to fight!

Not gonna join a war on drummers, don't have a sharp enuff ear for that.

I know I get turned on by Mike I & II, Terry Bozzio, and Scott Travis 


However, with guitarists I do have opinions 

I'v worked a lot with that instrument myself 

- Nicky

[maddox]

Mad, you look like you'r a bit phsychedelic 

"Psychedelic" is rather narrow for such a groundbreaking group 

I and my childhood family listened a lot to their second studio album "The Beat Goes On" in them days.

Wiki: "The album doesn't contain any real 'songs', but rather a sound collage featuring many different elements: the voices of world leaders past and present, the band reciting pre-written mantras and reflections, and excerpts of songs (done 'Vanilla Fudge style') by The Beatles and Sonny Bono."

Solidly progressive, is how I would characterise this album.

And then their wonderful third album Renaissance - vividly melodic and much to rocky to be just "psychedelic".

Wiki: "The band has been cited as 'one of the few American links between psychedelia and what soon became heavy metal'".

Well, just like you, I get a lot of info about bands that I don't know, from the massive Wiki-factory.
If they claim it's psychedelic, then psychedelic it is.
If they say it's metal, then... well, you get the idea.

If somebody say that it's otherwise, then it's their fight to fight (flame wars, remember?  ) with the Wiki-factory. Not with me.

In other words, I never heard a tune of Vanilla Fudge, so my knowledge is limited. 

I do, however, trust you on your word about the band and that you have a different opinion, that's fine by me. 

Personally I think C. Appice is one hell of a drummer. 

Nice bridge, huh? 

[Nicky007]

Well, just like you, I get a lot of info ....

That's quite a jumble you got yerself into, Mad 

I'm not arguing or discussing with Wiki or anythin, I know Vanilla Fudge well so I just decribed'm shortly for you guys.

I'll have to get back to Renaissance soon .....

Personally I think C. Appice is one hell of a drummer. 

Yeah, I'l check him up more .....

Nice bridge, huh? 

They could'v painted it 

- Nicky

[Peter]

... but I really dislike the drum-sound, one you can recognize from a million miles away.

Actually, that would rather speak in favour of his drumming, as it seems to be THAT special, so you can recognize it from that far away, methinks...