The Greatest Drummer of All Time

[fsquid]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

Lars

[pk500]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

We're talking rock, right? Wow, that's a toughie. I can make a short list, but picking one ... eeshk.

Short list:

-- Neal Peart, Rush
-- Keith Moon, The Who
-- John Bonham, Led Zeppelin
-- Carl Palmer, ELP, Asia
-- Stewart Copeland, The Police (amazingly underrated)
-- Alex Van Halen, Van Halen

If forced to choose, I would go with Bonham. Perfect mix of power, technique and feel.

Peart is amazing, but his playing is mechanical and lacks emotion. Same with Palmer.

Copeland has amazing technique and great range, but I never considered him to be much of a power player.

Moon was just nuts. Technically, the guy wasn't very good, as both Daltrey and Townshend have said The Who never could have played in time without Entwhistle's rock-steady bass because Moon was all over the place and couldn't keep time with a drumbeat. But Moon was so unique, so powerful, so insane that you have to call him one of the all-time greats. Somehow, he made his mess of a technique just plain work.

Take care,
PK

[Skerik]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

Copeland has amazing technique and great range, but I never considered him to be much of a power player.

Moon was just nuts. Technically, the guy wasn't very good, as both Daltrey and Townshend have said The Who never could have played in time without Entwhistle's rock-steady bass because Moon was all over the place and couldn't keep time with a drumbeat. But Moon was so unique, so powerful, so insane that you have to call him one of the all-time greats. Somehow, he made his mess of a technique just plain work.

Take care,
PK

Re: Stewart Copeland, have you heard his work on Oysterhead's CD? It's basically a power trio with Trey Anastasio (Phish) and Les Claypool (Primus) and Copeland really lays it down. If you don't think he's much of a power player, I highly recommend this CD.

Re: Moon, I agree with what you said. I've heard Townshend described as the brains of The Who and Daltrey described as its heart, but Moon was the soul of the band. He added so much emotion and enthusiasm to The Who and really encapsulated everything the early Who stood for in terms of the notion of youth gone wild. More than any other drummer I've heard, he really pushed and drove the rest of his band to become a primal, wild force. Technically he clearly wasn't the best, but he could definitely hang.

[CM1847]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

I just want to throw out ?uestlove from The Roots, the man is a human drum machine, really amazing some of the stuff he does. Probably not the greatest, but wanted to throw him out there anyway.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

If we're just throwing out some names, I'd like to throw out one.

While certainly not the greatest of all time, Matt Cameron is perhaps the best drummer from Seattle.

And to keep this going, favorite drum solos:
1) Do What You Like by Blind Faith
2) Moby Dick by Led Zeppelin
3) The End by the Beatles

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

If we're just throwing out some names, I'd like to throw out one.

While certainly not the greatest of all time, Matt Cameron is perhaps the best drummer from Seattle.

And to keep this going, favorite drum solos:
1) Do What You Like by Blind Faith
2) Moby Dick by Led Zeppelin
3) The End by the Beatles

Better than Dave Grohl?

My buddy would say the best drummer is Eric Singer. If I am being bias I would say it's Jeremy Taggert. But I am siding along with Neal Pert.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

Better than Dave Grohl?

Yes.

[RockinDaMike]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

I'm not sure if i would call him the greatest, but the best i've ever heard live is Carter Beauford (sp) from the Dave Matthews Band. I"m not a dmb fan at all really but man is this guy amazing.

I gotta give it up to Ginger baker for the greatest....

[elicoleman]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

I know this is a bump but I have to say Neil Peart.

I've really been getting into Rush lately, and finally come to appreciate him.

Checking out Keith Moon also, and certainly couldn't have gone wrong there either.

[tyronebiggums35]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

Bonham
Peart
Jordison
Van Halen
Moon
Ulrich


in no order

[RAZRr1275]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

Bonham
Peart
Jordison
Van Halen
Moon
Ulrich


in no order

Add Buddy Rich and Chad Smith (RHCP) to that and that's my list.

[Brandon13]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

Maybe not the greatest, but he's up there:

Danny Carey of Tool

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[RAZRr1275]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

Maybe not the greatest, but he's up there:

Danny Carey of Tool

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That's pretty nice. Also add System of a Down's drummer to my list. I just listened to Toxicity and that was awesome drumming wise.

[Beantown]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

Moon.

[Adam Dayton]

Re: The Greatest Drummer of All Time

Ringo Starr. While he was never flashy like a Keith Moon and was not technically as great as some of the other names mentioned here, in terms of writing his own drum beats to accompany the music, he was in a league of his own. Starr had a genius sense of music whose pieces could chameleon themselves into the song and yet offer their own signature as well. This can best be illustrated through his drumming in songs such as A Day in the Life, Strawberry Fields forever, Helter Skelter, etc. Starr was extremely versatile and definitely had one of the best ears of any drummer out there. It is a shame that because he was not as flashy as most big name drummers that he is often overlooked when it comes to the elite drummers of the 20th century. I see someone mentioned The End as one of their favorite drum solos. Starr was actually very particular about not showing off and refused to do solos. The rest of the group had to beg him to perform his piece in that song.