Who is the greatest underrated (or unrated) rock drummer?

[Beware the Beast Man]

I'm listening to Kyuss's first CD "Wretch," and damn if Brant Bjork isn't one of the best drummers around. He went on to play with Fu Manchu, not to mention dozens of side projects, solo discs, and collaborations.

Who's your pick?

[meegbear]

1. Roger Taylor - Queen

Solid rock drummer with an excellent style. Knows when to play hard and when to just keep rythym.

[tuvor]

2. Alan Meyers of Devo.

People smarter than I about these things have heaped lots of praise on him.

I think he's pretty good, too.

[chickenscratching]

126. way to be into devo

i just wanted to say that, it doesn't seem like anyone listens to them anymore.

[Joe Power]

3. Levon Helm

Kind of understated, but amazing if you listen to what he does.

[Ryano42]

30. There was a Demon that lived in the Air...

And he did such a great job in The Right Stuff! :D He even got in a drumstick twirl! :)

[mitchum]

60. Helm is hands down the best musician turned actor

no contest

[BigMcLargehuge]

4. Bun E Carlos

[peekaloo]

11. second

[Pool Hall Ace]

37. third

[Tikki]

45. "Fourth"

[RandomKoolzip]

47. Hell yeah!

[underpants]

5. Mitch Mitchell-but it was pretty easy to get out shown in that band

I always loved Mitch Mitchell's drumming

[H2O Man]

34. Good choice. n/t

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

118. He was great - but I don't think other drummers underrated him

although perhaps the general public didn't recognize him as much as he deserved.

I started playing in rock bands during the late 60s. All the drummers I knew preferred Mitch Mitchell to Keith Moon, or Ginger Baker, or anyone else in rock at the time. He wasn't just a slam bam straight ahead rocker who played on the upbeat. He had a very soulful jazz downbeat feel and the way he played with the rhythm, as did Hendrix gave the Experience their unique sound. In my opinion he was the best at bringing out the best in Hendrix. When Hendrix had his brief flirtation with Buddy Miles, the contribution Mitchell made to the entire Hendrix universe became very apparent.

[H2O Man]

133. Good points .....

I liked him in the December 1968 "Rock 'n' Roll Circus," playing with John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards.

[ghostsofgiants]

6. I dunno how "underrated" he is, but Danny Carey from Tool is a genius

[Divameow77]

43. I agree Danny Carey from Tool

is the best. My husband also loves the drummer from Rush, I don't know his name.

[doublethink]

95. That would be Neil Peart of Rush ....

and John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, two of the greatest, but neither underrated. :headbang:

[xmas74]

115. Peart and Bonham are a drummer's wet dream.

I used to hear about them all the time. "They are wonderful" "They are brilliant", "I want to be just like them", etc.

They are (or were) excellent, but everyone knows that they are/were some of the best in the field.

[underpants]

7. ANIMAL!!!!

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

123. I don't know about that....

I think if Animal had played his cards right, he'd be in the R n R Hall of Fame by now. Word has it he and Piggie were having an affair right under Kermits nose! Mr. Teeth tried to force him out of the band after he punched Janice in the face! Fuckin' Animal...

[doublethink]

128. F ... ing Animal !!

I never trusted my drummers around my chics either. F...ing Animal, I knew it, him and miss piggy huh .... geesh ... :wtf:

[Magrittes Pipe]

8. Lamont Thomas.

Damn right.

[FreepFryer]

9. Terry Bozzio - Zappa, UK, Missing Persons

[ProfessorGAC]

19. Awfully, Awfully Good

I saw them live back in the day. He was superb. Actually, the whole band was smokin' hot! Four absolutely wonderful players.
The Professor

[Kat45]

94. I agree with you, Prof.

I saw them back in the day too.

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

21. Terry Bozzio may be a great drummer...

but that guy's a tool.

[FreepFryer]

72. Ginger Baker of Cream.

[bbernardini]

10. Nick D'Virgilio (Spock's Beard, Tears For Fears, Mike Keneally)

NDV is one of the greatest unknown drummers around. The man writes and plays things that constantly stun me. He's also quite a vocalist and guitarist.

[peekaloo]

12. Clem Burke of Blondie

[johnnie]

26. I agree

He is hardly noticed, but is one of the great drummers out there today.

[Jamastiene]

114. Bingo.

He's great yet never gets enough attention for his talent. I'd also say Marky Ramone would be a close runner up.

[DelawareValleyDem]

13. Jim Gordon

Damn shame about those demons in his head.

[mitchum]

61. A wonderful pianist also

the coda is the best part of "Layla"

[XNASA]

14. Philip Selway

He's brilliant.

[Beware the Beast Man]

32. Yes. He's another one of my favorites.

[LynneSin]

15. I would have to go with the late great John Bonham

But then again, I'm the biggest Zep fan around, would you expect me to choose someone else?

[johnnie]

28. But I wouldn't call him underrated

I think most people think he was one of the best.

[Chomskyite]

88. Wooo is that ever stretching the term "underrated"

Everyone I've known who had any taste in music revered that guy.

[LynneSin]

120. Yeah but unfortunately he never got the press that Page & Plant got

:eyes:

[mark414]

16. Brendan Canty

not exactly rock, but...:shrug:

[mark414]

48. *sigh* does anyone else even know who brendan canty is?

[RandomKoolzip]

51. Yeah! Fugazi!

I like him, but I think without Joe Lally anchoring the bass pole, he wouldn't sound as good....Fugazi are one of those bands that need all components in place to sound as good as they do. Replace one player and the chemistry gets fucked up.

Another good choice:

Rey Washam (Jesus Lizard)

[mark414]

52. ah i figured you'd be the one to chime in

and a second on jeff nelson and jabo starks

[bobthedrummer]

17. The unknown drummer was the most underrated of them all.

O8)

[cassandra uprising]

18. will calhoun of living colour

but then again, i'd give the entire band the title of greatest underrated rock band ever. they have been a long time favorite of mine, check out their latest release, collideoscope. it rocks the hiz-ouse.

[AntiCoup2K4]

108. Shit yeah, that entire BAND is under-rated.

Wish they would have stuck around longer the first time. I think they might have got the credit they deserved. Not a lot of people know they're back together. And I confess I haven't found the new album yet :(

[cassandra uprising]

134. here's a link to buy the cd

http://www.cduniverse.com/sresult.asp?HT_Search=Title&HT_Search_Info=collideoscope&B1=Find+it&frm=lk_lcsite

also here's a link to their website

http://www.livingcolournet.com/lcbio.html

they just finished the european leg of their collideoscope tour. but if you live in the new york, ct, mass area, they do do random club shows all the time.

i saw them in new haven, ct about five years ago and it was one of the best live shows i've seen, ever.

[xmas74]

116. Great band that deserves more attention.

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

122. Shit...

I went out the other night to a nightclub who has a list of all the national acts they've hosted. Living Colour was on the list. This girl next to me (who is probably about 25) HAD NEVER HEARD OF THEM!!! Now, I'm not the world's biggest LC fan but I know who they are . Sheesh...

[RandomKoolzip]

125. Ah....Nashville.

:eyes:

[Mike Daniels]

20. Dave Mattacks of Fairport Convention and session work

Perhaps not underrated per se but definitely deserves more credit than he gets for developing the trad-folk rock drumming style, not to mention surviving working with Andy Partridge of XTC and not killing him.

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

22. Austin Hall....

He's a monster drummer. He's better on bass though.

[cassandra uprising]

23. you, you are good

:hi: :hi: :hi:

[RandomKoolzip]

46. White boy!

I hope I don't catch your disease.

What about Troy Stone? He's a great "show" drummer, anyways.

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

62. Those were the days, huh?

When we had the guy from White Cross bangin' the skins for us. He had unfortunate hair though.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

119. Nice sig line but you screwed the lyrics up!

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

124. Ungrateful bastard!

:)

[disgruntledloner]

54. Great choice- Mattacks is fantastic.

Liege & Lief era fairport had so much talent packed into the band it's all to easy to overlook his work.

[silvermachine]

24. Mike Giles

...of early King Crimson. His drumming on "In the Court of the Crimson King" and "In the Wake of Poseidon" stands alone.
He did ace session work for many others as well i.e. Gay & Terry Woods, Hunter Muskett, etc.

[tigereye]

25. actually I think most drummers

are underrated. Drumming takes years to perfect, and picking the right balance of understatement, accuracy and precision, plus forging your own style, is quite a skill.

I think that great drummers are the ones that you don't notice, as opposed to the bombastic ones.

[silvermachine]

31. What more can we do?

;-)

Never was into the whole Neal Peart/Bozzio thing.
Just like give me Paul Kossoff or Peter Green over Eddie Van Halen/Vai/Satriani, et al anyday. But that's another discussion.....

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

35. Whoa....

Kickin' some knowledge. I agree!!!

[silvermachine]

39. Thanks!

I admire technical proficiency, but it's not the most important thing about playing, by any means....

[tigereye]

40. since I played drums for many years

without any lessons, and then started taking lessons last year, I have a different appreciation for how deceptively complex drumming is.

[sendero]

78. Interesting pick..

... I definitely find the drumming on the whole "In the Court...." album to be exemplary. It was a style that was only briefly popular, but nobody did it as well as he.

[leftofthedial]

27. Charlie Watts

Too many rock drummers never met a 32nd note they didn't feel they had to fill with a cymbal crash or a tom fill.

[dbt]

29. One more for Charlie Watts!

[jandrok]

41. Put me down for Charlie Watts as well

The man puts on a clinic every time he hits the skins. The whipsnap snare, the muted and always perfect tom. Sheer perfection.

More isn't always better. Charlie never misses a beat. He helped to define the Stone's signature sound.

[leftofthedial]

111. his original calling was to play jazz

If I recall correctly, he took the Stones gig because he needed the money (we're talking a few pounds for a club gig) and planned for it to be a temporary thing.

Nearly 50 years ago LOL.

[AntiCoup2K4]

103. Hell yes!

Charlie - doing it longer than any of em and still better than most.

[bobthedrummer]

33. Cindy Blackmon

[peekaloo]

36. Maureen 'Moe" Tucker

[Joe Power]

50. Great choice *nm*

[RandomKoolzip]

38. Doug Clifford of CCR....

[saltpoint]

42. Michael Shrieve -- for the work with Santana and also --

-- since.

A brilliant percussionist.

[chaska]

91. Automatic Man!!!

Love his solo work too.

Edit: Automatic Man was a band.

[chaska]

93. Cozy Powell.

[saltpoint]

102. Hi, chaska. I'm so happy somebody likes Michael Shrieve --

-- around here.

To have been 15 years old at Woodstock!

My god.

[SmileyBoy]

44. Chad Channing - Early drummer for Nirvana

[RandomKoolzip]

49. Here's some more I think deserved more props then they got/get:

Christian Vander (Magma)
George Hurley (Minutemen)
Steve Jordan (session drummer, Keith Richards, etc.)
Jeff Nelson (Minor Threat - YOU try playing clean that fast!)
Kenny Aranoff (of course)
KIng Coffey (Butthole Surfers)
John French (Capt. Beefheart)
Scott Krause (Pere Ubu)
Rob Youngberg (Lotion)
Dave Robinson (Modern Lovers/The Cars - cleanest drummer EVER)
Jabo Starks (James Brown)

[jpgray]

57. John French rocks my socks (nt)

[GOPBasher]

53. Neil Peart of Rush.

He gets a lot of recognition, but it still doesn't do justice to how good he is, IMO. He's the best rock drummer ever, IMO.

[Emops]

59. Exactly...

It pisses me off when people refer to John Bonham as the greatest rock drummer of all time. Neil Peart can actually make a drum solo interesting.

[GOPBasher]

65. I agree. Bonham doesn't come close to Peart. n/t

[AntiCoup2K4]

104. Why would you compare the two? (Bonham & Peart)

Different approaches entirely. But nobody can match Bonham for power, and nobody can match Peart for technique. And then there's Keith Moon - who's an entirely different category altogether.

It just sucks that only one of the three is still around :(

[Emops]

109. They're both hard rock drummers.

We're not comparing them to Buddy Rich or anything.

[GOPBasher]

127. I agree with your point, but I still think one can compare them

overall. I still think Peart does more amazing things than Bonham. But Bonham is outstanding, I agree. I confess I don't know much about Keith Moon, but I've heard he was great.

[Rabrrrrrr]

63. He's my choice, too - definitely underrated

even though he gets his nods and kudos and respect at times, he never gets enough, and never what he deserves.

How many other rock drummers take time off to take drumming lessons, to learn new ways of drumming? Not many, and Peart is one of 'em.

[GOPBasher]

66. You hit the nail right on the head.

"even though he gets his nods and kudos and respect at times, he never gets enough, and never what he deserves."

I agree.

[rene moon]

55. My list

Chad Smith--RHCP

Larry Mullen, Jr.--U2

Dave Grohl--when he was with Nirvana

Taylor Hawkins--Foo Fighters


I think all drummers are underrated!

[jpgray]

56. Jaki Leibezeit can't get enough props in my view

He and Holger Czukay created such a great sound when they were together.

[mitchum]

58. Doug Throgmorton...

Bill Berry
and, of course, Mr Charlie Watts

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

64. I guess I have to weigh in for my man again...

Fucking RINGO, man!

[RandomKoolzip]

68. I thought I was your man!

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

71. I changed my mind....

You can never take the place of my man.

[AngryAmish]

67. D.J. Bonebreak

[gmoney]

82. Seconded, big time... plus Pete Thomas

Supremely talented and underappreciated

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

138. Ooh ooh,

good call. Although, I've already listed 3 drummers on this thread, I still have to give a shout out to Pete Thomas. Anyone who can put up with Elvis Costello all those years deserves some major credit. Plus, his work on New Lace Sleeves is simply divine.

[kwassa]

69. Kenny Aronoff, ex-Mellancamp, now everybody

He was a key to John Mellancamp's acoustic and drum sounds, and is very much a major session player who plays with everyone.

http://www.kennyaronoff.com/

[chaska]

92. Hell yes!

[AntiCoup2K4]

105. No doubt that Kenny deserves a lot of credit for Mellencamp's sound.

John was always a decent writer, but the difference in the sound of his albums with and without Aronoff is like night and day. If they had some kind of falling out, that's too bad.

[billyskank]

70. Ringo!

(ducks)

[Nevernose]

84. Say what you will, he had great time

[Nevernose]

86. Wrong place

[WilliamPitt]

73. Fishman

[FreepFryer]

74. Ginger Baker (Cream).

[Mrs_Beastman]

75. Larry Mullen

Just because he looks 20 years younger then he should because he is sucking the lifeforce from Bono.

[warrens]

76. Tommy Ramone

He actually invented a highly recognizable style that he taught to Marky and Richie.

[jmowreader]

77. Peter Criss

Yes, the KISS guy. Their stage act with the blood, the makeup, the fire and lasers neatly masks the fact that they can play their asses off. (How many other bands' lead singers can play an instrument? Paul Stanley can.)

My favorite drummers are Neil Peart and Josh Freese, neither of whom are underrated. Peter is right behind them.

[maveric]

79. Neil Smith of the old Alice Cooper Group.

Listen to some of the old stuff and you'll see how underated he is/was.

[FreepFryer]

80. Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson)

[FreepFryer]

81. Stewart Copeland (Police)

[AntiCoup2K4]

106. Gotta second that one!

In terms of technical drumming, Stewart is probably second to only Neil Peart. And what Peart does with the toms, Copeland does with the cymbals.

And Sting isn't worth a shit without him either.

[ProfessorGAC]

121. He's Not Underrated

He's in Modern Drummers Gallery of the Greats. I think that would exclude him from this excercise. Hard to be underrated when you're in the Hall of Fame.
The Professor

[FreepFryer]

129. pfft

:P

[HamstersFromHell]

83. Hans Bathelt

of Triumvirat

[Mr. Flibble]

85. Keith Strickland - of the B-52s.

The guy on the far right,

[Chomskyite]

87. Ringo Starr

Without a doubt. Try "Strawberry Fields Forever" or "A Day in the Life" or "Hello Goodbye" and tell me that guy wasn't good.

[Nevernose]

89. Bill Ward

The guy has soul, and is obviously a blues drummer at heart.

[AntiCoup2K4]

107. Yep. Can't argue with that.

I don't think Sabbath gets the credit they deserve at all. They were an incredibly tight band back in the early days, and their jazz & blues influences were obvious despite the heavy distorted sound of their music.

Rat Salad was every bit as good of an instrumental as Moby Dick was.

[donheld]

90. Karen Carpenter

:puffpiece: :headbang:

[Lady Effingbroke]

112. Karen Carpenter rules!

An achingly beautiful voice, and an accomplished drummer!

[d_b]

96. Stephen Morris. Joy Division, New Order.

The man is insane.

[Lady Effingbroke]

97. My list:

John Densmore (The Doors)
Nigel Olsson (Elton John)
David Robinson (The Cars)
Stewart Copeland (The Police)
Martin Chambers (The Pretenders)
Doug Clifford (CCR)
Steve Gadd (sessions)
Bernard Purdie (sessions)
Ziggy Modeliste (The Meters)

...just for a start!

[Midnight Rambler]

98. YES!!!! BRANT FUCKING BJORK!!!!!!

His successor Alfredo Hernandez wasn't too bad either, but Brant Bjork is a god. Ruben Romano, his Fu predecessor and currently on the skins for Nebula, is also an amazing drummer.

I'd also like to cast a vote for Phil Rudd of AC/DC. He wasn't the flashiest guy, but damn if that guy couldn't lay down a killer groove.

:headbang:

[MrSlayer]

99. Gene Hoglan

Owns all these guys mentioned.

[Mike Niendorff]

100. Steve Zimmerman

Just listen to the drum work on Fates Warning's "No Exit" (Metal Blade, 1988). I love to contrast the drumwork on this album against Neil Peart's work on early 80's Rush albums. The rhythmic territory was similar, but Zimmerman approached it like a drummer, whereas Peart approached it like a technician. Zimmerman's approach to odd meters and rapid-fire shifts in timing is just so much more musical than Peart's. Simple, not overly flashy, but extraordinarily effective. The transition to Mark Zonder (who replaced Zimmerman after this album) also exposes this fundamental difference in approach, much to the detriment of the band's subsequent work.


MDN

[Strawman]

101. Dean Clean -- Dead Milkmen

[medeak]

110. John Bonham Led Zeppelin

no contest imo

[maveric]

117. How is John Bonham "underrated?

He's always been at the top of the list as far back as I remember.

[medeak]

140. you're right

just feeling nostalgic. He asked me to party with him at 4am on my wedding night. It was rather sad as he was so lonely..told him I just got married and he invited my husband along to his suite.

[Dees]

113. Jeff Porcaro..Toto..R.I.P

The guy was not a "clubber". Technically brilliant.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

130. Bill Berry - REM went to shit without him

turns out he wrote some of their biggest songs, too-like ' everybody hurts" and "perfect circle"

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

131. Clem Burke from Blondie is amazing

massively underrated

[tsakshaug]

132. Phil Collins

[mac56]

135. Rick Menck and Rob Thorne.

nm

[HughBeaumont]

136. Brann Dailor of Mastodon

Mike Henry of Bongzilla
Wil Scharf of Keelhaul
Chris Penne of Dillinger Escape Plan
John Longsreth of Origin

[Beaverhausen]

137. Alan White from YES

Drumming behind that music takes some chops.

I saw them last fall...he still has it.

[Beware the Beast Man]

139. Damn. How could I forget Dale Crover of the Melvins?

One of the hardest-hitting (yet proficient) drummers ever.

[youthere]

141. Eric Carr

KISS-(no makeup)

[izzybeans]

142. Heath Metzger-Mock Orange