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Greatest Rock Drummers

Given the subject line many names come to mind such as  Ginger Baker, Keith Moon, Phil Collins and Carl Palmer but, is Neil Peart the greatest rock drummer of all time?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSToKcbWz1k
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tostadosunidos's avatar
tostadosunidos
1,197 posts
 
Which brings to mind the versatile Zak Starkey, son of Ringo, who has played with The Who and Oasis, among others.  Vastly different styles and yet he's their go-to-guy.  Supposedly both bands offered to make him a full member and he declined.
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
 I love it! “drummers are musicians too” 
johnto
1,023 posts
 
bdp24 thanks for all the insight, I went back and saw your mention of J.Gordon. How lucky you are to have on of his sets.
aniwolfe
760 posts
 
Recently I have been listening to Vinnie Colaiuta a lot. He has such a great feel and plays some of the most difficult drum patterns effortlessly without sounding mechanical. The recent cds I acquired are Jeff Richman "Hotwire", Frank Zappa "Chicago 78" and Jeff Lorber Fusion "Hacienda". On Hacienda they perform a cover of Zappa’s King Kong with J L Ponty...very cool stuff.

But when it comes to Rock Drummer Only...my favorite is Neil Peart. But I love pretty much all the drummers mentioned. Bruford, Phil Collins, J Gordon, Jeff Porcaro, Baker etc
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,795 posts
 

Yep tostadosunidos, Zak Starkey is doing a great job in The Who. I saw them with Keith Moon live twice, and he was a possessed madman. But Zak is actually a more powerful, muscular, player. He doesn't play with the humour (an overlooked quality in musicians) or individuality of Moon (who played unlike anyone else), but ya can't have it all. Keith gave the best answer to an interviewer I've ever heard; when asked if he could play in The Buddy Rich Big Band (the question intended to put him in his place), Keith replied "No, and Buddy Rich couldn't play in The Who".

aniwolfe, Vinnie is also Jeff Beck's drummer on the road. Insane chops, as good as anyone alive. Apparently that style drumming is what Jeff prefers, as he had Carmine Appice in his band for awhile. Porcaro was SUCH a good drummer; like Gadd, a Jazz-trained and proficient technician who played very musically. Too bad he wasted his talent playing schlock music in Toto ;-) .

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