Under-appreciated Drummers

[Steve "Smitty" Smith]

I'll start the list with Sean Kinney -- formerly of Alice in Chains.  I once heard someone describe his playing as understated power.  I would agree.  If you have any doubt, listen to the track "No Excuses."  That is an amazing drum performance.

There is more than meets the ear with Kinney's playing.

[DWdrmr]

I agree about Sean...big sound..underrated..prolly because he's picky about where/if he puts fills..
Nashville recording drummers...I would say fit the post..
80's era "pop" drummers...Clem Burke(Blondie), Myrom Grombacher, Glen Alexander Hamilton(he did PB "Heartbreaker"), Stan Lynch(Tom Petty&HB)..etc  

[Steve "Smitty" Smith]

Clem Burke!  Yes, thank you.  I love his playing.

Stan Lynch, too.  He impresses me much the same way that Kinney does -- with sublety.

[Christopher]

I'd second Stan Lynch and Myrom Grombacher.

Others would be...

Mike Derosier - Heart
Prairie Prince - The Tubes
Sib Hashian - Boston

[Jay Northrop]

I agree with all the listed names above. And also we have Chris Maitland of Porcupine Tree. He is so amazing and so technical but groovy. Its great.Also Phil Collins...he is great,but most people think of genesis with him singing as opposed to its proggy days with Peter Gabriel singing.

[Dave Heim]

Charlie Watts.

[Roger Beverage]

Jimmy Cobb and Dave Bailey - solid groove machines

Roger

[dwdrummer665]

Buddy Rick isnt as noticed as he wuz years back ;D

[Larry Lawless]

Buddy Rick isnt as noticed as he wuz years back ;D

Yeah, he was  OK in his time, but what has he done lately? ;)

[DWdrmr]

Charlie Watts.

You know, Dave, I have just never "gotten" that guy..I mean he obviously fits the band (I listened to alot of Stones in the '60s, but it was always some other kids house/album), but the first thing that turned me off about him(in the 60's) is when I noticed he stops playing the cymbal on 2 &4..the snare hits..never did get that. People say he's solid..he's the last guy I think of when I think solid. I guess I don't get the guy or the following...so..I'll get to why I posted (was'nt to trash Charlie) :)
Tell me why you personally think Charlie's drumming is worthy of note, please..and anyone else..chime in. After all, this is a discussion forum.. :)

[Dave Heim]

You know, Dave, I have just never "gotten" that guy..I mean he obviously fits the band (I listened to alot of Stones in the '60s, but it was always some other kids house/album), but the first thing that turned me off about him(in the 60's) is when I noticed he stops playing the cymbal on 2 &4..the snare hits..never did get that. People say he's solid..he's the last guy I think of when I think solid. I guess I don't get the guy or the following...so..I'll get to why I posted (was'nt to trash Charlie) :)
Tell me why you personally think Charlie's drumming is worthy of note, please..and anyone else..chime in. After all, this is a discussion forum.. :)

He's been there since the beginning.  When people think of the Stones (and BTW, I'm not a big fan), its Mick and Keith who normally come to mind.  But without Charlie in the back doing his thing that band would not be the same.

[Tae]

Ringo Starr

[DWdrmr]

Fair 'nuff Dave...I'm with you on the "right guy, at the right time, in the right place"...
And Tae (Kwon Do)...I agree with you..Ringo..now that, I "get".. :)

[Jay Northrop]

Yea know Dave Grohl....he is amazing behind the kit. Especially his work with QOTSA.

[chefdoug]

Jerry Gaskill- King X

Pat Wilson- Weezer

Chad Gracey- Live

[PJSdrum]

the first thing that turned me off about him(in the 60's) is when I noticed he stops playing the cymbal on 2 &4..the snare hits..never did get that.

That is a really funny quirk of Charlie's. I've heard his explanation of it in the past but can't remember enough to reconstruct it. Funny thing, a couple weeks ago I was rehearsing with a band and they wanted to add Brown Sugar to the song list. We all knew the tune well enough and breezed right through it. After we finsihed the guitar guy tells me he's never heard anyone sound quite as much like Charlie as I did. I then did a quick demo of the leaving 2 & 4 off the high hat and he yells "that's it nobody ever does that!"  In some ways I put Charlie in the same boat as Ringo. Neither of those guys are particularly flashy and if they had been the drummer in Freddy and the Dreamers or some other one hit wonder we wouldn't even be talking about them. The thing with both of those guys is that they had the right mojo to help make their respective bands work. Would another drummer have done the same? Maybe but we'll never know for sure. Sometimes it's just the right chemistry.
As to other underappreciated drummers I definitely agree with Stan Lynch. Another of my favorites who seldom seems to get much attention is Richie Hayward. He really kills me with his Little Feat stuff and I've enjoyed his playing on other artists recordings too. Check out what he played on the Buddy Guy "@$%# Right I Got the Blues" album.

[DWdrmr]

Very cool post, PJS...I believe I "heard" that Charlie did that "thing" so he could get his right hand out of the way of his left..
Being here in Fla, close to Gainesville..(U of F) I remember when Tom Petty was big (70's & 80's)...I really did'nt appreciate his(Stan's) drumming then..I've always been alittle behind...did'nt care for Phil Rudd..hey! there's another one...now a big fan of Stan and Phil...makes me wonder how producers "know" what's the next big thing, because I can't even see it when it's in front of me..

[Bart Elliott]

Tell me why you personally think Charlie's drumming is worthy of note, please..and anyone else..chime in.

I think Charlie Watts is note worthy, not only for what he's brought to the table with the Rolling Stones ... but he's also a fine Jazz / Big Band drummer. He's a student of the artform. Seeing and hearing him speak on the Stan Levey DVD really brought that home for me, even though I already felt and sensed it about him.

[Ryan Culberson]

Tell me why you personally think Charlie's drumming is worthy of note, please..and anyone else..chime in. After all, this is a discussion forum.. :)

Not a huge Stones fan, but saw them on Veteran's Day 2005 at Petco Park in San Diego, CA.  There's something magical about the band as a whole, and with the individual members, that I believe cannot be found in ANY other band.  Mick Jagger has more energy than 3 twenty-year-olds put together, Keith is just Keith, etc...  

And then there was Charlie.  He was playing an ancient round-badge Gretsch kit with 3 cymbals, one of which was an old, funky china cymbal that he used as his main crash.  He completely drove the band, and I got the feeling that all of those guys enjoy playing as much now as they did in '64.

To me, there's an "X-factor" about Charlie's playing, much like Ringo, that makes him special.  Not definable, but very real.  

As a side note, there were several songs where Charlie DID hit the hi-hat (or china cymbal) on 2 and 4 with his right hand.  This leads me to believe that he chooses to lay of the hi-hat on 2 and 4 most of the time, for effect.  

Just my humble opinions... please take them for what they're worth!  :)

 

[flyerorange]

I may be a bit biased, as Charlie is my idol.  I've seen him many times, twice on the current tour.  His sense of time is incredible.  He also perfected that style of playing just off the beat, that is virtually undetectable.  And his left hand is always doing something, i.e. ghosting.  

As for me, I'm trying to play traditional grip like Charlie.  I've always played matched.  Also, for anyone else who has learned to hold up on the hi-hat on 2 & 4, you really get the full sound of your snare.  It's not easy, but anyone can learn it.   8)