Philosophy Discussion Forums

Greta wrote: ↑August 10th, 2020, 5:49 am When it comes to prog drummers, I like Bill Bruford. He was kooky, adventurous and his snappiness always lent a clarity to anything he played, even when the vocalist is struggling

I've seen a few prog drummers over the years, and Bruford is the best of them. I can't argue with your choice.

I first saw him on King Crimson's 1973 (1974?) "Starless" tour, and several times since. Happy days!

Pattern-chaser wrote: ↑August 12th, 2020, 1:14 pm

Greta wrote: ↑August 10th, 2020, 5:49 am When it comes to prog drummers, I like Bill Bruford. He was kooky, adventurous and his snappiness always lent a clarity to anything he played, even when the vocalist is struggling :)

I've seen a few prog drummers over the years, and Bruford is the best of them. I can't argue with your choice. 👍🥁🙂

I first saw him on King Crimson's 1973 (1974?) "Starless" tour, and several times since. Happy days! 🙂

Lucky you! We in Australia have we missed out on seeing many of the great bands and musicians. Worse, in Sydney, big bands are sent to die in that acoustic graveyard, The Sydney Entertainment Centre, guaranteed to ruin the sound of any band that dares to be intricate. Even Steely Dan sounded harsh and muddy there, and they are famed for immaculate sound.

If Bruford is King then Billy Cobham is the emperor of the Universe.
I saw him at Ronnie Scots' on my 50th Birthday.
He's so damn clever its like he has four hands.
When he was an infant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1rX9E8NuRw

WHo's gonna beat this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNyYzfkn4yc

BC was another of my drum idols back in the day (along with Aynsley Dunbar, Lenny White, Steve Gadd and Chester Thompson). Few players have BC's technique and, especially back then, precious few. Check our Billy's performance on You Know You Know.

One was Narada Michael Walden. When he first replaced Billy Cobham in Mahavishnu Orchestra people wondered how anyone could follow such a player. After the first track, all doubts were dispelled - another hugely gifted player capable of creating that similar intense sense of transcendence that McLaughlin was seeking in the band's music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3PJCrOaF6I

These days there are a ton of jaw-dropping virtuosos out there, thanks to much greater access to video footage and lessons. However, most don't have that same X factor. Typical of the modern age, the technical aspects seem to be absorbed better than the ability to create atmosphere.

Seriously though let's not forget Bonzo.

What made his special was his great ability, but what made him different was that he reverse the pyramid between guitar and bass. Instead of the Bass and Drums forming the base he brought the drums up to the guitar above the bass, which brought in a sort of tightness and urgency.
You can hear him matching the guitar in "When the Levee Breaks", "Kashmir" and others.

Sculptor1 wrote: ↑August 12th, 2020, 6:07 pm If *** is King then ### is the emperor of the Universe.

Honestly, I have great respect for all of these great drummers. But if we're looking for the best ever ever drummer, we must return to King Crimson. Michael Giles is the most incredible drummer I've ever heard. His timing is incomparable.

I love drums, the sharp crack of a rimshot, the gentle note of a bass drum (when it's not damped), a raucous crackle of a cymbal....

P.S. a brief mention of Guy Evans of Van der Graaf. Like Keith Moon, his drumming style is symbiotically linked to the band he plays in and with. But his playing is admirable, and worth seeking out, if you like prog.

Her's a useful link. It's an advert, and I know that not really encouraged, but it's free, so there is no commercial aspect, and I hope that makes it OK. The link takes you to Gizmo's Freeware, an invaluable resource in itself. The online radio is pretty good, good enough that I just spent quite some time listening instead of posting it here. There's a nice French jazz station I found....

So John Henry Bonham even finds his way onto philosophy forum pages :) Darned drunken lout, ha! While a super flamboyant player, it was still always surprising to find out how much he kept in reserve. In his later career I was amazed to hear him play a Billy Cobham fill in Achilles Last Stand and version of a Purdie shuffle in Fool in the Rain.

PC, my favourite Mile Giles performance was the extended version of Cat Food - fantastic!

One of those times the cover is better than the original: