Top 3 Drummers: Mike Portnoy, Neil Pert, Buddy Rich

[RiseAgainst]

Who would make your list of the top drummers ever.
Mike Portnoy, Neil Pert, Buddy Rich.

 

[turbo]

John Bonham.

 

[mgb_phys]

animal

 

[russ_watters]

Phil Collins

[no, I'm not]

 

[quantumdude]

There's Bonham, and then there's everybody else.

 

[turbo]

There's Bonham, and then there's everybody else.

My sentiments exactly. I'm a guitarist and vocalist and tend to "key in" on those, but Bonham commanded my attention each and every time. When I listen to Led Zep, I always hear Bonham. If the question had been "who was the best rhythm section", I'd have to go with Mick Fleetwood and John MacVie. Peter Green named his band after them for a reason.

 

[Chi Meson]

We all know who Buddy Rich would say.

I think it might be Buddy Rich, but I'm going to say Dave Grohl.

 

[durt]

Rick Allen, hands down... errrr... hand down .

 

[Gokul43201]

What comes to mind: Bonham, Keith Moon (The Who), Ian Paice (Purple), Peart (Rush), the Dreamtheater drummer, The Police's drummer, Niko McBrain (Maiden), Ringo, Lars Ulrich, Nick Mason, the drummer for Queen, Ginger Baker, John Densmore.

I'm certain I'm missing out a few more good ones.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

You can't top buddy rich. He had a left hand roll that obliterated most two hand rolls.

 

[turbo]

You can't top buddy rich. He had a left hand roll that obliterated most two hand rolls.

Have you heard the tape "Buddy thanks the band"? Buddy was good but not even a fraction as good as he thought he was. I do have a copy of his drum battle with Roach and it is a really good CD. Still think Bonham is tops though.

I had a full set of Fibes drums, which Buddy favored, but he couldn't get a fat endorsement off them. He played Ludwigs for the endorsement, but always kept a Fibes snare behind the kit for the punch. I swapped a $150 brass snare for a vintage Fibes snare, and loved it!

 

[Chi Meson]

Have you heard the tape "Buddy thanks the band"? Buddy was good but not even a fraction as good as he thought he was.

http://www.cis.rit.edu/~ejipci/buddy_rich.htm" with a transcription of some of the famous Buddy "flip outs." It is wild. A must read. Be sure to read the "positive note" that precedes it. When you get a chance, listen to the audio of these rampages.

 

[turbo]

Paul was not drummer, but he was as big a jerk as Buddy was on his best day. The guys get shirts! Can you slash like a hammer?

http://www.noisetank.com/integrity/

 

[Vanadium 50]

Peter Erskine.

 

[rcgldr]

If I remember correctly, Sandy Nelson was the last popular drummer not associated with a particular band, back in the 1950's and 1960's. I think that was the end of the drummer as a solo act era. I barely recall hearing some of his stuff at a friends house back in the late 1960's. There's a wiki link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Nelson

 

[redargon]

Lars Ulrich is pretty good, Bonham definitely, how about the drummer from Meshuggah he definitely has some interesting timings, sometimes it almost sounds as if he's off, but then a couple of bars later you realize that it is in time, strange, but pretty cool. There is also Joey from Slipknot, as entertainment goes, you can't beat his uside down drum solos, plus his double bass kicks are awesome.

 

[Helios]

Given that Nirvana rules the known universe, I will naturally say Dave Grohl.

 

[kronon]

Dave lombardo

 

[Georgepowell]

how about me?



naa that guy from "Dream Theatre" is the best.

 

[Georgepowell]

Given that Nirvana rules the known universe, I will naturally say Dave Grohl.

He was alright, and is definatly a talented musician. But Best? no way.

 

[Kurdt]

He was alright, and is definatly a talented musician. But Best? no way.

He's certainly a popular drummer for hire.

 

[Chi Meson]

He was alright, and is definatly a talented musician. But Best? no way.

Excuse me, but you dismiss Dave Grohl immediately after proffering Mr. Portnoy of Dream Theatre? No, not a terrible drummer, but hey, I don't think a huge kit and a double bass makes the best drummer either.

Let's both face facts, neither can hold a dim candle to the likes of Buddy Rich, but I know either one would probably be more fun at a party.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erE8WTngaAY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfGd53pmiZs&feature=related
(if you are short on time, skip to about 4:00 into the second link there. Any doubt?)

 

[dlgoff]

Okay. I couldn't resist.
Back in the day, there was Gene Krupa. I'm sure there are some old people around here that has heard of him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Krupa"
He was my idle when learning percussion as a kid.

 

[turbo]

Okay. I couldn't resist.
Back in the day, there was Gene Krupa. I'm sure there are some old people around here that has heard of him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Krupa"

Oh, yeah. Still can't stack up to Bonham, IMO

 

[dlgoff]

Well since those times turbo, I've seen tallent in music exponentiate. Yea, no way to compare him with todays drummers.

 

[SticksandStones]

I'm a fan of Matt Aveiro:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rfDvpfC2bw&feature=related

 

[turbo]

Well since those times turbo, I've seen tallent in music exponentiate. Yea, no way to compare him with todays drummers.

Sometimes you've got to get in the groove,and pick one. I've heard people say pretty stupid stuff putting down Hendrix or Clapton, and have had to give them the blank stare.

 

[dlgoff]

I've heard people say pretty stupid stuff putting down Hendrix or Clapton, and have had to give them the blank stare.

Wow. You sure are passive turbo. I would have to , well show my bad side.

 

[SticksandStones]

Sometimes you've got to get in the groove,and pick one. I've heard people say pretty stupid stuff putting down Hendrix or Clapton, and have had to give them the blank stare.

Someone dissed Clapton? Where's my wooden crosses, looks like we need to have an old fashioned crucifixion...

 

[bassplayer142]

In no particular order

Billy Cobham
steve gadd
vinnie colaiuta
dennis chambers
buddy rich
mike portnoy
neil pert
john bonham
lenny white
tony williams
...
how can you honestly choose one?

 

[jreelawg]

Check out the Royster.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPncumXZExo

I think it is kind of a difficult question to ask who is the best. There are those who play simple, and don't go too crazy, but make the song sound good. Then there are those who like to show off technical skills while butchering the song as a whole. There is technical skill, there is soul, there is creativity, etc. Just because someone can hit more drums per second doesn't make them better.

I think jazz drummers are the best drummers, although I don't really like jazz that much. Often jazz drummers are held back by slow boring songs. But, when a drummer incorperates
jazz drumming skill into metal/rock/alternative etc, then you've got something.

Here is an example of one of those drummers, maybe my favorite drummer? Martin Lopez who plays for the swedish metal band "Opeth".



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI8w_r9mvBw&feature=related

Learning to play jazz is in my opinion the door to being the best. With jazz, you learn 4 way independence, discipline, and dynamics. That is why, even though people who don't know much would like to diss jazz drumming, the jazz drummer is usually the most skilled.

 

[turbo]

Wow. You sure are passive turbo. I would have to , well show my bad side.

It's hard to fathom, dlg. People who claim that Hendrix was "making noise" seem to have no idea how his music evolved from his time with the Isley Brothers, nor do they seem to appreciate that he was one of the finest rhythm guitarists ever - let alone lead guitarists. Hendrix opened a lot of doors. I'm convinced that Clapton's present musical output would have been very different if it were not for Jimi. During his time with the Yardbirds, Mayall, and Cream, he favored fat-sounding humbucker-equipped Gibsons, yet his signature sound these days is that of a Stratocaster played through a simple amp modeled on the old Fender Tweeds. Like Jimi (who favored Strats played through Marshalls) he is willing to make some trade-offs in noise to get the tone he wants.

 

[rcgldr]

Jimi Hendrix ... like Jimi who favored Strats played through Marshalls.

A bit off topic bit of trivia here. Jimi played a right handed Strat, but strung it for left handed play. This reversed the string to pickup relationship, the base strings located over pickups meant for treble strings and vice versa, reversing whatever strategy Fender was implementing with the pickups.

I looked up Sandy Neslon on youtube, and was suprised to find a few hits. Although he's about 70 years old now, he's still playing. I recall seeing his name on the marque at some club a while back wondering if it was the same Sandy Nelson from the 1950's and 1960's, and apparently it was.

It's hard to say who "best drummer" is. I mentioned Sandy Nelson because he seemed to be the last of the popular drummer acts, marking the end of an era in music history (one that pre-dates when I started to listen to music myself).

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=677E32F08F03DFF7

Sandy from 48 to 70 years old:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmS5y4tZAAE&fmt=18

I recall seeing Buddy Rich and his band at Disneyland in the Carnation center quite a few years ago, playing swing music which was popular at the time. I recall the name Gene Krupa, but don't recall seing any movies of him until I did a recent search at youtube.

 

[Darkiekurdo]

Ginger Baker.

 

[bassplayer142]

Check out the Royster.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPncumXZExo

I think it is kind of a difficult question to ask who is the best. There are those who play simple, and don't go too crazy, but make the song sound good. Then there are those who like to show off technical skills while butchering the song as a whole. There is technical skill, there is soul, there is creativity, etc. Just because someone can hit more drums per second doesn't make them better.

I think jazz drummers are the best drummers, although I don't really like jazz that much. Often jazz drummers are held back by slow boring songs. But, when a drummer incorperates
jazz drumming skill into metal/rock/alternative etc, then you've got something.

Here is an example of one of those drummers, maybe my favorite drummer? Martin Lopez who plays for the swedish metal band "Opeth".



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI8w_r9mvBw&feature=related

Learning to play jazz is in my opinion the door to being the best. With jazz, you learn 4 way independence, discipline, and dynamics. That is why, even though people who don't know much would like to diss jazz drumming, the jazz drummer is usually the most skilled.

It's very true. Ask any old Rock drummer to play rudiments and they give you a blank stare.