Friday Five

[ericcoleman]

I'm going to try to post a top five list every Friday, if I remember. I think that the first few weeks will be musicians. After that, who knows. If there is anything that you would like to know my top five of, feel free to ask ... this week though it's ...

Top Five Favorite Rock Drummers
1 - Keith Moon - The Who
2 - Philip "Fish" Fisher - Fishbone
3 - Levon Helm - The Band
4 - Tim Welch - Paul K & The Weathermen
5 - Bun E Carlos - Cheap Trick

Some of these could change in an hour ... But the top two are in there pretty much permanently.

Comments

[mike46.livejournal.com]

I would have to agree with Keith. Kind of surprised - a little - that Bonham isn't on there, but it's nice to see Bun E get some recognition.

[ericcoleman]

I don't particularly like Led Zep ... He's a great drummer, but his band doesn't interest me.

Bun E is a monster, I've been watching some live stuff from the 70s, and he's amazing.

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

Mine would be Keith, Bun E. (phenomenal!), Max Weinberg, Bonham, and Ginger Baker.

[ericcoleman]

Neither Max or Bonham would make a list of mine very often. Bonham for the reasons above, and Max ... well ... he's an amazing drummer, but he's always seemed more of a jazz drummer in a rock context to me. Ginger however ... he could make the list very easily if I had been listening to Cream recently ... especially the live stuff.

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

Thought you might also find my "All-Asshole Band" list amusing. A band that might very well make really good music, but I would not want to be in the same room with ANY of these people!

Guitars: Yngwie Malmsteen & Ted Nugent
Bass & vocals: Gene Simmons
Vocals: David Lee Roth
Keyboards: Patrick Moraz
Drums: Carmine Appice

[ericcoleman]

DLR takes himself a lot less seriously than people think. I would LOVE to be in a room with him, especially if he was in the room with any of the rest of these. He would make fun of them, abuse them, bother them ... it would be hysterical.

[tlunquist.livejournal.com]

If as Eric says, DLR is not asshole enough for the vocals, and if you don't mind an 80s groove sneaking in, you could always use Adam Ant. I have friends who have met him and I assure you, he is indeed a jerk.

[awfulhorrid.livejournal.com]

I like Mickey Hart, particularly on his Däfos release. I almost blew a speaker several times playing that one ... like when the drop The Beast. BOOM!

[ericcoleman]

Amazing drummer, but I despise his regular band with a passion beyond reason ...

[awfulhorrid.livejournal.com]

Well, they're not exactly on my list of favorites, either. I like some of their songs, but a little bit goes a long way in my opinion. (I really can't understand following them around the country like that!)

[budsharpe.livejournal.com]

As a drummer, I suppose I should chime in with my list (in no particular order):

John Bohnam - Led Zeppelin
Ringo Starr - The Beatles
Matt Cameron - Soundgarden, Pearl Jam
Patrick Wilson - Weezer
Dave Grohl - Nirvana, Foo Fighters

[powersalad.livejournal.com]

Having just recently watched "The Kids Are Alright" again for the first time in many years, I'd concur with Moonie, he really forged his own style, and somehow really managed to hold down a groove without resorting to straight or "traditional pattern" timekeeping. He basically soloed through many tunes, and yet didn't get in the way.

On the other end of that spectrum, though, I feel that Ringo is waaaaaay underrated, and very unfairly maligned. Wherever his infrequent fills might fall, they were always spot on in propelling the song/performance to the next section. And his TIME was impeccable, you could set a clock to his groove. A drummer does not need to be technical or flashy (Peart, Weckl, Wackerman, tho I love 'em too) to be a great drummer. One small example of Ringo's intuition in taste, is in the last chorus of "Real Love" (1995) - Whereas most drummers would crash on the downbeat of the chorus to signal the change in section, Ringo crashes on the "2nd" bar downbeat (right after the world Love) - enough out of the norm to make one's ears perk up - I caught it the first time I heard it and it's always stuck out for me as an example of Ringo's taste.

I also like Pierre van der Linden from the Dutch progressive rock group Focus. He did more with a simple snare/mounted tom/kick set than many drummers with tons of toms and cymbals. Same with Doug "Cosmo" Clifford of Creedence Clearwater Revival. It's all down to taste.

YMMV!!!

[ericcoleman]

I was going to take Moving Waves with me in the car today ... but I left it at home. I need to put it on my IPod ... I'm a BIG fan of Pierre van der Linden's playing. Cosmo was one of the best pocket drummers of all time, right up there with Ringo as far as I'm concerned.

[lickintoadz.livejournal.com]

Adding honorable mention Jason Bonham.

[ericcoleman]

You may if you wish, I reserve the right to not mention him at all.

[lickintoadz.livejournal.com]

Oh poo, why you not like Jason? :(

[ericcoleman]

Because 90% of his "career" could be defined with the phrase "I play with dead people". UFO? Foreigner? And his own band was hopelessly generic. He's a decent drummer, but there are hordes of decent drummers out there. The best thing he ever did wasn't even a real band, and even then he didn't play on everything.

[lickintoadz.livejournal.com]

Meh...I liked him with Foreigner. Saw them at Mohegan Sun a few years ago. But then again, I was really drunk at the time. They may just well have been shitty, I doubt I'd have noticed. HA HA HA.

[ericcoleman]

That may be the only way they would be any good ... I know I'd have to be pretty hammered to sit through a Foreigner show ..

[lickintoadz.livejournal.com]

Sh, don't tell anyone...I have Foreigner's Greatest Hits in my car. I listen to it when I'm driving around ALONE. Few people know it exists.

[ericcoleman]

You have my deepest sympathies ... but at least it's not Boston

[lickintoadz.livejournal.com]

BMG randomly sent my a Boston CD a few years ago. Which was double odd, as I wasn't even a member of BMG. I gave it to some chick at work. I can't name any song I like by them. At all.

[ericcoleman]

Did you not like her?

[lickintoadz.livejournal.com]

I thought the bitch was shady. Turns out she HAD been embezzling. *shrugs* Fuckin' Boston fans.

[ericcoleman]

Then she deserved the gift of Boston ...

[mike46.livejournal.com]

*** channeling gundo ***

Boston RULZ!!! woo-hoo!!!

[ericcoleman]

And like Gundo, you're drooling while you say it ...

[fredhuggins.livejournal.com]

What, no Neal Peart?

[ericcoleman]

Yes indeed, no Neil Peart ... I don't mind Rush occasionally, but he doesn't do a thing for me.

[wyngarde.livejournal.com]

Where's Doctor Ted Nelson of "THE NICK ATOMS"? ;)

[ericcoleman]

He's in Minneapolis ... I mean come on ... you've been to his place ...

[tlunquist.livejournal.com]

You are aware, I trust, that Bun E Carlos is Dave McCarty's uncle?

[ericcoleman]

I knew he was the uncle of someone I knew ... but I couldn't remember who.