Essential Drummers

Drummers are my fave people in the world, the only exception being Jamie Oliver. In my humble oppinion, these are the drummers who I most value... (arranged in no particular order)

Neil Peart

If you need to ask who this guy is then you really are on the wrong site. Neil is the drummer and songwriter for the best band in the world, Rush (Canada). Neil plays just about every percussion instrument as part of the band's brand of progressive rock, his patterns are inventive, never ordinary and compliment the superb playing of his bandmates Alex Lifeson (Guitar) and Geddy Lee (Vox, Bass and Keyboards).

I first listened to Rush in 1987 when Strat played me a tape of YYZ - the instrumental track from Moving Pictures (1981). I was utterly blown away, and Rush, as pointed out by Geddy Lee in a recent interview, became the soundtrack of my life. They have followed me into the Royal Air Force, to University and out into work.

Life has been hard for Neil in recent years; his daughter and wife tragically died within a year of each other, leaving Neil alone and unsure of how to carry on. His recent book, Ghost Rider - Travels on the Healing Road, describes his 'healing' journey across the USA and Canada. Upon reading it, I discovered that Neil not only knows a fair bit about drumming but also personifies Grace Under Pressure (no pun intended!) - it was a pleasure to read.

3 Essential Tracks -

YYZ - Moving Pictures 1981 - A solid instrumental with a showoff break for each member. The live version from Exit Stage Left (also 1981) contains the definitive NP drum solo - listen and feel ordinary  - but inspired....

Xanadu - A Farewell to Kings 1976 - Recorded in the garden @ Rockfield Studios, Wales, this 12 minute epic sees Neil use just about every weapon in his arsenal - wind chimes, xylophone, cowbells, tubular bells, temple blocks and the drumkit. Throughout the many changes, Neil remains precise and inventive....

Red Sector A - Grace Under Pressure 1984 - a masterclass on how to mix electronic and acoustic drums on one track - this is best demonstrated on the live video for the Grace and A Show of hands tours (1985 and 1987) - Neil plays from the reverse of the kit (where his electronics are sited - using the top and bottom end of his acoustic drums as accents in the middle 8 - lunacy......

Alex Van Halen

I listened to Van Halen a lot in the summer of 1985. Jump had been a massive hit the previous year (ironic as the band had decided against releasing it a few years previous) and this was the way my musical taste was going - guitars and plenty of them. I recorded Jump onto a cassette that I took with me on a school canal holiday and I cannot think of canals without hearing Van Halen.

When I finally got hold of a copy of 1984 (the album from which Jump was taken) - I had to get it from the Library in Runcorn, Shopping City - the performance of Alex was just superb - this is very strange as most people remember VH for the guitarist Eddie Van Halen (brother of Alex). The drumming on this album is loud, loud, loud - and is right at the top of the mix - you can almost hear the toms ringing.

I have included Alex for his skill - but mainly for his MASSIVE stage drumkits - the one you see above would be quite small by his standards (why he needs 4 bass drums remains to be explained)- the drumkit used on the 1984 tour was even bigger. He also deserves a mention for being one of the ugliest men in rock - not that he cares - he has had groupies in every corner of the globe.

3 Essential Tracks -

Hot for Teacher - 1984 - 1984 - I once read a copy of the sheet music for this track and it just said - drum solo - ad.lib. Yes, the genius of starting a track off with a drum solo - just before breaking into a drum free first verse. This is Alex and Eddie VH at their finest....

Jump - 1984 - 1984 - myself, Goffy and Strat were so impressed with this track that we attempted a cover - minus guitarist (it helped that Goffy had practiced the keyboard break endlessly). This has everything - great hook, great drumming, a guitar and keyboard solo to die for - and great lyrics....almost twenty years later and I am still impressed

Baluchittherium - Balance 1995 - an instrumental track from VH's 3rd outing without lead singer David Lee Roth (everyone predicted they would sink without trace with Sammy Hagar on vocals...). Luckily, Alex had already dumped the electronic drum pads he used on 5150 (they don't really suit metal) and he attacks his acoustic kit on this complicated break - complete with a drum machine supplied click-track just to complicate things - the track never seems to get going - making it all the more fun....

Phil Collins

OK - so it seems the done thing to be nasty to Phil - he seems to incur the wrath of everyone (even my dad hates him) - NME, Q etc hate him for his alleged blandness, Gabriel era Genesis Fans have a problem with him for selling out, so it is easy to overlook just what a superb drummer and inventive musician and songwriter he is - and I don't care what anyone says - I like him so there....

Phil has used just about every trick in the drumming department - playing along with prehistoric drum machines (Roland TR909) on lots of his solo material, using a gated reverb (you can hear this on Mama recorded with Genesis - and also on In the Air Tonight on his firs solo album) and making use of electronic drums when they were still pretty rare. That is before we have mentioned his 'ordinary drumming' before he became the front man of Genesis - inventive, tight and often very tough to play (the silly outfits that Peter Gabriel wore were a bit distracting as well).

Also - he can sing and act a bit.....a real smart arse

3 Essential Tracks -

Apocalypse in 9/8 - Foxtrot 1972 - this forms part of the epic 'Supper's Ready' piece. Played in an impossible time signature (that gives the track its name), the difficulty of this track cannot even be hinted at - unless you get hold of the 'Seconds Out' live version and discover you have been playing it wrong all the time...

In the Air Tonight - Face Value 1981 - Phil has a go at just about anything he wants on this album - Motown, Gospel and even an obscure Beatles cover. This track is the real stand-out - using a soft drum machine rhythm that chugs along nicely until he launches into 'that' drum break - complete with the gated reverb - that scares the hell out of everyone...

First and Second Home by The Sea - Genesis 1984 - this is a real gem of a track - part one complete with gated reverb and etheral rimshots, part two is basically just an extended middle 8 - this one backed by a very loud set of Simmons Electronic Drums - good way to check out the bass response on your hi-fi.......

John Bonham

In the 1970's, British Rock Bands ruled the planet - Led Zeppelin being the best of the lot. The best band needed a serious drummer - and Bonzo was his name. Powerful (Ludwig had to strengthen their hardware so he could use it), inventive and a complete loony, John was also legendary for his off stage antics, carrying on the tradition started by Keith Moon. However, John was also a dedicated family man, staying with his childhood sweetheart until his early death (he also persuaded Ludwig to build his son a mini replica of whatever kit they had just built him).

Led Zep form the cornerstone of my Record Collection and the drumming sends them right over the goal line as far as I am concerned. His drumming is just so powerful - he once quipped that he never thought about feel or rudiments, he just wanted it to be mega loud. I would disagree - his work is also very clever - not just belting the shit out of the drums....

3 Essential Tracks

Moby Dick - Led Zeppelin II 1970 - the JB Drum Solo - complete with bongo drums and the band leading him in and out of the track. Bonzo uses just about every trick he knows in this one - also check out the live version...

No Quarter (live) - The Song Remains the Same 1976 - in the studio this was a pretty ordinary album track, but the live version was an epic - and just goes to show what happens to a track when the band members could play it with their eyes closed - many sections clearly evolved from out of nothing - the guitar solo just goes all over the place. The fact that this version also includes use of the timpani and gong is a bonus....

Rock and Roll - Symbols 1971 - fairly simple by Zep standards - just about every garage band must have attempted this at some time. Included due to the fact that it includes a drum solo at the end...

Nicko McBrain

Nicko provided the beat behind Iron Maiden when I discovered Heavy Metal in the summer of 1985. You must remember that at this time, everyone else was listening to INXS, Sade and the Style Council. Nicko is just so fast and loud - in pretty much the same way his fellow band members are.

Nicko played BIG kits - but really played them - no straight ahead 4/4's for this man. Every track includes massive fills, complicated beats and the famous 'Birds Eye' bits where everyone goes mad at the end. It may surprise you all to know that Nicko has recently discovered religion - strange from a band once demonized by evangelists. I'm not going to say anything nasty as he is a big lad. In the plus column - he has started using Premier Drums (fly the flag) and is a very down to earth bloke.

I went to see Nicko once at A1 Music, Manchester (now called the Academy of Sound) See my images page for more on this.

3 Essential Tracks -

Aces High - Powerslave 1984 - a track about the Battle of Britain and possibly the only track to include a reference to me109's. Apart from being soooo fast, this included some massive drum fills that still impress all of this time later

Where Eagles Dare - Piece of Mind 1983 - this was the track that Steve Harris (bass) demonstrated to Nicko and scared the hell out of him. Starts off with a perhaps impossible drum break - worth listening to for the machine gun shots during the guitar solo

Powerslave - Powerslave 1984 - only Iron Maiden could do a track about an Egyptian god and get away with it. Nicko scores well on this one as he just pushes the whole thing along in no nonsense style, with massive fills and that brilliant drum sound (Sonor Concert Toms)

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