The Greatest drummer of all time...... Bar None

[hech54]

Neil Peart is a great drummer. Steve Gadd's solo on Steely Dan's Aja is my personal favorite drum "solo".
Phil Ehart of Kansas is amazing as well.
There is a guy from Nashville who recenlty played for Richard Marx named Tim Chewning who is absolutely amazing. What he does with his minimal drum set-up is....well....amazing.

Steve Gadd is awesome -- you can see him of course on the Eric Clapton Live "One More Car One More Rider" DVD -- which is a must own DVD

i would have to agree also about neil , he is very highly respected in the industry and both he and copland lend their talents to a lot of new drummers ..

I just bought the Legends - Live At Montreux 1997 DVD....
Eric Clapton
Steve Gadd
Marcus Miller (bass)
Joe Sample (keys)
David Sanborn (sax)
I would MUCH rather have seen Gerald Albright instead of Sanborn though...Sanborn is famous but not very talented IMO.

[Doramius]

Buddy Rich. You're all probably to young to remember this guy.

Meh! :/ You noticed I stated Sandy Nelson above, right.

[hamilton accie]

there's this drummer and he's getting really pissed off at everyone thinking that he's really stupid.
so he decides to learn to play the guitar.
he starts taking guitar lessons and pretty soon he gets real good.
he decides he's exhausted all lines of tuition locally so he decides to fly to the US where he attends the
steve vai / joe satriani / eddie van halen school of guitar.
having learned everything he can he flies back to the UK.
on arriving home he decides to buy some really serious kit.
he makes a list of the equipment he wants to get;

gibson les paul custom guitar
paul reed smith guitar
US fender stratocaster
marshall stacks ....... etc

next morning he gets up and goes shopping.
he walks into the shop and starts reading out from his list.
he's only halfway through when the assistant stops him looks him straight in the eye and says "are you a drummer"
the guy is dumbstruck "how did you know" he asks
the assistant replies "your in a pet shop !"

[hech54]

How do you know when a drummer is sitting upright?
When the drool comes out of BOTH sides of his mouth.

[hamilton accie]

a little boy says to his mom "mom when i grow up i want to be a drummer"
his mom laughs and says "son you know you can't do both"

[iLuvLandingStrips]

Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater.

Say what you will about that band, but I have never heard a band that changes time signatures as effortlessly as they do.

Stewart Copeland is also a great drummer. Very underrated.

Mike rips off Neil's drumming in so many ways.
Neil was drumming that way 30 years ago, so there isn't really much of an arguement as to whos better.

[enstg8er]

The passing of rock drum solos was so unlamented that I might have missed it but for a new DVD by Neil Peart called "Anatomy of a Drum Solo." Peart is the drummer/percussionist for the arena rock institution Rush and is widely considered the greatest living rock drummer. By my calculation, Peart is also the most prolific drum soloist ever. In its astounding 31-year history with its original lineup, Rush has spent more time on the road than the Roman army, and there was always, always a drum solo in the show. At least there was the five times I saw them.So I called Neil Peart to ask: What happened to the drum solo?

http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/magazine/la-tm-neil04jan22,0,3090885.stor...-home-magazine
good article...

[Lucifers_Ghost]

Buddy Rich and Mike Portnoy!

[samijubal]

Neil Pert
Buddy Rich
Carl Palmer

[burnman99]

This is ironic...I just watched the 30 Year Rush DVD yesterday (Borrowed it from my brother) which includes that 8:15 drum solo. I do think he's one of the very best although, I like his live solo in Working Man/Finding My Way from All The World's a Stage even better. Other great drummers include Carl Palmer, Bill Bruford and obviously Keith Moon. Also believe it or not, the late Karen Carpenter was a really good drummer, although probably not on the level as the above. She could probably kick Tommy Lee's Butt though

Later,

Roger

[smearbrick1]

Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater.

Say what you will about that band, but I have never heard a band that changes time signatures as effortlessly as they do.

Stewart Copeland is also a great drummer. Very underrated.

Mike rips off Neil's drumming in so many ways.
Neil was drumming that way 30 years ago, so there isn't really much of an arguement as to whos better.

I'm talking drumming chops. Mike Portnoy has great drumming chops. That whole thing about him ripping off Neil Pert is BS. He's a drummer... a rhythm is a rhythm. Besides, Neils stuff is little less structured sounding and looser than Portnoys. Portnoy's drumming sounds machine-eque. There's nothing "human" about it. His timing is excellent.

Sorry, you can't compare drummers like you can guitar players. I don't believe you can say one is a total rip off of another. Besides, anyone who can rip off Neil Pert (If that's what Mike Portnoy is doing... doubtful) and pull it off the same or better than Neil himself... you have to give props.

As far as chops go...Mike Portnoy.

Another great drummer... The dude from the Dave Mathews Band. Too bad Dave Mathews is such a lousy singer.

[iLuvLandingStrips]

I'm talking drumming chops. Mike Portnoy has great drumming chops.That whole thing about him ripping off Neil Pert is BS.

FIRST of all..it's Peart not Pert.
Have you not listened to any OLD Rush albums?
I suggest you get "A Farewell to Kings", "2112", and "Hemispheres"
Listen to those and get back to me as to whether you still think Portnoy is original. Besdies that, Mike admits all the time about how Neil is one of the best drummers of all time. Not to mention Mike's studio is plastered with pics of Neil, AND he also put out a tribute album called "Working Man" (a Rush tribute)

He's a drummer... a rhythm is a rhythm. Besides, Neils stuff is little less structured sounding and looser than Portnoys.

"looser than Portnoys" you must be joking??
Neil is one of the tighest drummers in Rock History.....
You obviously have no idea what you are talking about.

Portnoy's drumming sounds machine-eque. There's nothing "human" about it. His timing is excellent.

I'm not saying that Mike isn't a good drummer....he is.
You gotta give credit, where credit is due.

Sorry, you can't compare drummers like you can guitar players.

Sure you can, they are both musicians, no?

Besides, anyone who can rip off Neil Pert (If that's what Mike Portnoy is doing... doubtful) and pull it off the same or better than Neil himself... you have to give props.

"if that's what Mike Portnoy is doing" ?
So, you mean you don't know?? Then why are you arguing?

I do give him props, I love Dream Theater but there is no way you can say Mike's drumming is original, it isn't. Period.

Another great drummer... The dude from the Dave Mathews Band. Too bad Dave Mathews is such a lousy singer.

Carter Beauford, good drummer too.
Also a huge Neil Peart fan 8)

[Lucifers_Ghost]

The original question was "who is the greatest drummer?" It didnt add any proviso's for "original drumming." So, I'm not sure what "copying" someone's style of playing has to do with it. And come to think of it, the mention of Portnoy himself saying he modelled his playing after Peart and being a huge fan, also has nothing to do with it.

if someone creates something (ie. in this case Peart creating a certain drumming style), and then someone else takes that creation and improves on it, does that not make the new person in effect, better?

Ultimately, these polls come down to personal opinion. I personally think (as well as being a musician for 16 years) that Neil Peart was one of the best drummers ever. He was creating a style and sound that no one had done before. There was similiar but nothing exact. Peart took it to the next level. Along came Portnoy who idolized Peart so much, he modelled his playing after his and to me, to THAT to the next level. Thus, making him to me, one of the best ever, if not the best ever.

I should also note that I dont like Dream Theatre at all, so this isnt one of those "blind fanboy" obessions. Just something about them I dont like. But like someone else said, credit where credit is due.

LG