Like a Chimpanzee

Seriously, though, aren’t all those drummer jokes deserved?  I mean, just a little?

They Got Rhythm

Gibson has this 10 Great Rock Rhythm Sections list.

What Elvis said about people applies to bands too: Rhythm is something you either have or don't have, but when you have it, you have it all over.

Rhythm is what holds it all together. Rhythm is fundamental. Rhythm is what it's all about.

Here's the list:

1. John Paul Jones and John Bonham, Led Zeppelin
2. Geddy Lee and Neil Peart, Rush
3. Flea and Chad Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. Les Claypool and Jay Lane, Primus
5. Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts, The Rolling Stones
6. John Entwistle and Keith Moon, The Who
7. Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk, Rage Against the Machine
8. Jack and Meg White, The White Stripes
9. Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool, Green Day
10. P-Nut and Sexton, 311

I might have added Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton from U2, or Ian Paice and Roger Glover from Deep Purple - and I definitely would have added Paul and Ringo.  Yes, The Beatles did fancy, trippy, pretty and symphonic, but they also rocked.

Not to slag Mr. Jones, but I wonder if he didn't get lost in John Bonham's thunder.  Not sure if Zep's rhythm section wasn't just Bonzo, and John Paul Jones was along for the ride.

Based on what I read in Keith Richards' autobiography, they same might be said about Bill Wyman. Keef waxes poetic about Charlie, but his comments on Bill Wyman are basically limited to:
1. we let Bill into the band because he had a Vox AC30 amp, and
2. then ( a few hundred pages later) Bill left the band

Anyway, great list, because it reminds us about the primary element.

Drum Roll Please

They don't make drums, but Gibson put out this list of The Top 10 Singing Drummers

I'm not going to quibble with any names on the list, because anyone who can sing and play drums at the same time has my respect. I mean, I can play guitar and sing - as long as the rhythm isn't too complex - but that's just 2 hands and voice. Drummers have to keep 2 feet going too - and they can't run away from the complex rhythms. I'm in a band with a singing drummer. We all sing, and all have us have said "my instrumental part is pretty complicated, so could someone else sing this?"

Except the drummer. These guys just amaze me.

No surprise to see Levon Helm, Phil Collins or Don Henley on the list. And nice to see Ringo, but hey Gisbon, you could have shown a video of Ringo where he was actually playing the drums and not just singing.

A little surprised to see Micky Dolenz of The Monkees on the list. He did have a good voice but how much drumming did he really do? I mean, are the pickings that slim? How about Dave Clark? How about Ginger Baker? OK, it's only one song and maybe you can't call it singing but his performance of Pressed Rat And Warthog on the Cream Reunion concert is pretty darned impressive.

Not quibbling, just asking.

Bonzo Reprise

Gibson just published The Top 10 Rock Drummers. Lots of similarities to the Rolling Stone list published a while back. Here's the list:

 1. John Bonham - also #1 in Rolling Stone

 2. Neil Peart - #3 in Rolling Stone
 3. Keith Moon - #2 in Rolling Stone. Not a lot of variety here, is there?
 4. Dave Grohl - also #4 in Rolling Stone. See what I mean?
 5. Lars Ulrich - not in Rolling Stone. Ah, some change!
 6. Mike Portnoy - also not in Rolling Stone. OK maybe it's worth having a new list.
 7. Ginger Baker - sigh. Better than Rolling Stone's #9, but still not good enough.
 8. Josh Freese - not in Rolling Stone. A pattern of slightly more current drummers perhaps?
 9. Stewart Copeland - #7 in Rolling Stone
10. Ringo. Still nice to see him included, but I liked Rolling Stone's #5 better.

I agree with Gibson's statements that a good drummer is the backbone to the band, and that he/she also keeps the listener engaged. The best drummers find ways to do that without interfering with the song - not an easy thing to do.