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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: erwinrafael on January 31, 2017, 09:10:26 AM
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I enjoyed reading Kev's list so much that I was inspired to come up with my own. I hope this is also a way for me to make more friends in this forum because I still feel like a newbie here. :lol
In my list, I did not take into account songwriting in general because I really see composition and performance as different skill sets. I did assume, though, that these musicians generally came up with the parts they played and were not just good at playing a score that they would play note by note.
Anyway, let's get it on. At #25...
25. Alan White
(https://cdn-x.drummerworld.com/drummerworld/alanwhite5509821.jpg)
I came in to the music of Yes from Dream Theater, so I tend to gravitate towards their later heavier stuff. Alan White is the big reason why. He combines power and dexterity flawlessly, and he comes up with a lot of drum patterns that are fun to play along to. I have always felt that he is very much the most underappreciated Yes member, because even with 40+ years in Yes, he still pretty much is seen as "the replacement drummer" of his predecessor who just had a four-year tenure with the band. Oh well, he IS the Yes drummer for me.
Favorite performance:
White was amazing in the whole Relayer album. And pretty much all of Talk (that fast part in Endless Dream always gets to me). If I have to narrow down to individual songs, I would go with
Instant Karma (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3qvosHHcWc) - It's only in recent years that I learned that Alan White is the one behind the kit in this song, doing those crazy fills that confounded the young me. :lol It's his first studio drum work. What a debut.
The Calling (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3E8lL6HqfA) - Once the drums come in, Alan pretty much owns the song. Try drumming along and you would just feel...happy.
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He also played drums on a couple of George Harrison albums, most notably 'All Things Must Pass' (which, we now know, some young punk by the name of Phil Collins played congos on).
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He also played drums on a couple of George Harrison albums, most notably 'All Things Must Pass' (which, we now know, some young punk by the name of Phil Collins played congos on).
Yep. John Lennon pretty much took the young Alan White under his wing, which led to Alan's collaborations with George Harrison.
Anyway, I see that this thread generated a lot of interest. :rollin Oh well, onto number 24 with another rather unknown musician.
24. Philip Bynoe
(https://www.museonmuse.jp/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/PHILIPBYNOEG320122.jpg)
Philip Bynoe is the bassist of Steve Vai's favorite band, which included Mike Mangini on drums and Mike Keneally on guitars and keyboard. I first heard him in the song "Answers" on the G3 album and since then I've always loved hearing how tight he keeps the rhythm in Vai's songs up to the amazing Alive in an Ultra World album. Based on that initial stint with Vai, he would not have made my list. But his return to Steve Vai's band in the album The Story of Light was phenomenal. With more than a decade of additional experience under his belt, Bynoe's bass playing jumped to top tier levels. He now confidently goes head to head with Vai while still keeping that tight rhythm.
Favorite performance:
The Story of Light (https://youtu.be/DZSSsa2EnFo) - this song was Bynoe announcing he's back in the limelight, much better than ever. His exchange with Vai in this song is like listening to a duet between equals. Amazing stuff which also previewed the excellent bass playing in the whole album.
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Erwin, if you don't mind, how old are you and where are you from?
Alan White is an old school pick for sure.
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I am 37 and I am from the Philippines. My musical "awakening" was in the early 1990s as a teenager when rock and metal bands suddenly got a lot of airplay on mainstream radio. It coincided with The Beatles suddenly becoming popular again and then the biggest wave of Filipino rock bands breaking into the mainstream. It's a weird mix really, because we had Bon Jovi, Metallica, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard and White Lion getting regular rotation at the same time from Monday to Saturday while Sunday radio is filled with The Beatles, Chicago, Scorpions and Air Supply. :lol
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Cool. Thanks.
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And now for somebody more familiar to many
23. Mike Portnoy
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/c7/20/60/c720609c7da6297d418dadbb0560b961.jpg)
I remember the first time I heard Mike Portnoy. 1996. My drummer friend excitedly told me that I should listen to this new drummer he discovered. He made me listen to Metropolis Part 1 and in my mind, I was going "Wow, somebody drumming like a lead instrument." I have not heard anything like it. Then I got to listen to Awake, which to me is a perfect album in terms of drumming. What I love about Mike during that time is how he came up with creative drum patterns to mark different sections in a song. His composition skills were amazing.
Somewhere along the way, he fell in love with drum fills rather than drum patterns, which made his more recent drumming work less appealing to me. But that run from Images and Words to Six Degrees (especially from Awake to Scenes from a Memory) is drumming at its finest and I would never tire listening to Portnoy in those records.
Favorite performance (no links as you know the song)
The Mirror - Portnoy really drives this song, doing distinct patterns to mark section changes under a simple chugging heavy riff. No over-the-top drum fills. Just creative drum composition at its finest.
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I make no bones and no apologies. I love Mike. I love his drumming (that fill at 11:00 or so in "My New World" is probably my favorite fill of all time) and he is one of three or so drummers (Peart and Collins are two others) that I can just sit and watch play. I don't really like The Winery Dogs much, but I went to see them just to watch Mike play. I love his being a fanboy. I'm a fanboy, and I feel like Mike, more than most musicians, understands that and respects that. I even give him a break on his passion; I wouldn't respond like he does more often than not, but I get it, and it's not like he's totally unreasonable.
Big fan.
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A golden voice this time.
22. Steve Perry
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/95/5e/c0/955ec00cdfa0ddc58648a1656ef50476.jpg)
There's a big burden in being labeled as "The Voice" but Steve Perry has no problem living up to his moniker. Perry has a unique combination of just enough roughness to fit as a vocalist for a rock band, sensitivity to bring out tenderness and emotion like a Motown singer, and range to represent the era of vocalists that he came from. Steve Perry is such a karaoke staple here in the Philippines that we even produced a Perry clone who is now the frontman of Journey. :lol
Favorite performance:
Sweet and Simple (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn0LZd7WJzw) - This is Perry at the top of his game. When he hit the badass falsetto climax of the song, he could just drop the mic and walk away and we would all still be clapping.
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I have said this many times, but DT is my favorite band for many reasons, but Reason #1 was watching MP perform.
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Following... :tup :tup
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Following... :tup :tup
I was going to say that at least I've heard of everyone so far, but he lost me two picks in at #24! :lol
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Following... :tup :tup
I was going to say that at least I've heard of everyone so far, but he lost me two picks in at #24! :lol
That's why I gave a link to the song so you can discover Philip's bass playing. ;)
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Will you look at that, another drummer.
21. Matt Cameron
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ca/87/4c/ca874c4d154c9dc0bccaae2684ffc9fe.jpg)
Effortless. That's how I would describe Matt Cameron's drumming. I learned the most how to play to non-4/4 time signatures by following Soundgarden songs because Matt's drumming is so smooth that everything feels like 4/4. The best drummer that came from the Seattle scene of the early 1990s.
Favorite performance:
Fell on Black Days (https://youtu.be/M1vBPvektSE) - I just love drumming to this song. It's in 6/4, so the basic rhythm is not that much different from an ordinary 4/4 song, but Cameron's fills is what makes this song fun to play along to.
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I never got into Soundgarden, mainly because I couldn't stand Chris Cornell's voice. I did see them a couple of times opening for GnR in 1991.
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Matt Cameron really is an incredible drummer. Like you said, his playing is really smooth and effortless, and the way it flows with the music is just perfect. I think soundgarden bring out the best in him though, any time I watch live videos of Pearl Jam with him, his drumming just doesn't do it for me, his drumming style just doesn't gel as well with them as it does with Soundgarden.
But yeah, just an all around great drummer, really fun to listen to and air drum along to.
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There's no pictures... I like pictures.
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I have read….. so patiently……so keep posting, erwinrafael, we’ll respond (we just need time at times)
Portnoy: We go to see Queensryche in ‘03, and when we arrive, they’re almost done. WTW? After the set change, some band by the name of Dream Theater takes the stage. Another WTW? Never heard of them. I certainly remembered them afterwards, and the ‘front man’ drummer. Purchased ‘Six Degrees’ a week later. In spite of parts of Disc One, I became a fan. Disc Two just blew me away. Also, I’ve always been a ‘wannabe drummer’, going back to when my old man chose not to give me a message from a grade school band director that I was to be a drummer. So, instead of drums, I got the tuba.
[I sh*t you not]
What joy MP displayed! What I could write has already been written. How he would fire up the crowd. Walk in front of his drum kit and hit little cymbals before 'Trial of Tears'. What a great and odd beginning for a band's encore. The hidden fills such as Peart and Moon and Bonham (and less recognized Neal Smith of Alice Cooper, and Roger Taylor of the 70s Queen). And....'SORRY'...but, I love 'Never Enough' (I direct the lyrics towards supervision at work or blowhards in organizations). His play during the instrumental makes it frickin' difficult for me to drive my car when it's on. And he was such a nice guy! The backstage vids prove that point. I bought the ‘Score’ drumkit vid, just to watch him. If I’d only had ¼ the talent, and an 1/8th of the fun…………….
Now, to make you jealous:
Steve Perry: I saw his first three tours with Journey. He/they never disappointed. Hell, they were frickin’ great! He overdid it at times on stage, trying too hard to get the audience into it way more than necessary (drugs, maybe?) There is a moment that always stands out. It was during the ‘Infinity’ tour. ‘Winds of March/Something To Hide’ stayed in the setlist for years, but it became a bit rushed. Here’s the studio link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDdLg4o1HaE
[For those not so ‘patient’….for the knockout part, start at 1:49…..at 2:18 he builds up, and….that night in Lansing, from 2:28 to 2:42……he belted it out without taking a breath. We’re all looking at each other spellbound. I mean, how in the F*CK !?!?!?]
(saw Journey with Steve Augeri in Grand Rapids…..had the voice, the temperament, but didn’t have ‘IT’).
The band lost me on the 'Frontiers' album. It did have more than a few great songs, but the saccharine became too much.
I also saw Steve 2x on his solo tour with my exwife (at a sold out Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, and at the Fox Theater in Detroit). I’ll never forget his lead guitarist, and women from Hope College handing them ‘Hope College’ sweatshirts.
‘For The Love Of Strange Medicine’ was not the greatest album by any means, but check out ‘You Better Wait’, ‘Stand Up (Before It’s Too Late)’, ‘Listen To Your Heart’, and ‘Somewhere There’s Hope
And then, let’s not forget ‘Wheel In The Sky’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpdz1xQxjQQ
I wish I could find a harder edged version, but…..this captures the man quite well (except of course…they cut the ending and crowd noise)
Or, you get a nice ‘Midnight Special’ performance of four songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlADPUtoiKw
He did have a cross over ‘sexuality’ such as Freddie Mercury and Gary Richrath, that us Midwest guys didn’t seem to mind for some reason.
Oh, and he had Neal Schon (Santana knew a good 17 year old guitarist when he heard one (‘Everybody’s Everything’) and Gregg Rollie (another Santana alum). There was a fair drummer in Ansley Dunbar (Zappa, Bowie, Lou Reed, Herbie Mann, Nils Lofgren, Hagar, Whitesnake, Starship…oh, screw it, just google him). And Ross Vallory wasn’t the complete idiot as on TMS.
I still remember playing ‘Escape’ with a half a dozen friends upon its release. We really weren’t sure what to think. It was a softer band. At times, it was harder. The production and ‘sound’ was so much different from ‘Departure’, but better. Then we played it again. It still seemed too melodic and soft at times. Yup, ‘it wasn’t that good’. A couple of months later….it was played at every party, Side One early, Side Two near the end.
Admit it, the voice, the music, …….it is kind of the Bee Gees ‘Saturday Night Fever’ in the rock world. We have that ‘best of Journey’ we played at work or with our buddies. And then…..we have that expanded ‘BEST of Journey’…..with ‘Open Arms’, ‘Winds of March/Something To Hide’, ‘Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ (live), ‘Faithfully’, ‘Mother, Father’, ‘Still They Ride’, ‘Who’s Crying Now’, ‘Send Her My Love’, and most certainly ‘Only The Young’
My dear departed golfing buddy…though oddly tattooed, bald headed, and a biker mentality and looks…..SANG ‘Open Arms’ at his wedding reception twenty years ago (down an octave or two, of course, but he nailed itl).
Thanks to this post, I listened to side one of ‘Escape’ at work, and side two at home. Damn, what a great album!!!! Open arms, indeed.
[and thanks for reading]
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So what do you think of the Steve Perry-soundalike that we produced? :lol
I am always jealous of you guys sharing stories of seeing your favorite musicians. All the artists I like always skip the Philippines even though their world tours have stops in Southeast Asia.
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^
Briefly, before it takes me weeks to respond
I bought 'Revelations' at the time and liked it. The kid has GREAT pipes. The album was sound. But....the band is older, less hungry, etc etc. As am I. ;)
I would have much preferred something like this to have followed 'Frontiers' (if that helps).
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Matt Cameron really is an incredible drummer. Like you said, his playing is really smooth and effortless, and the way it flows with the music is just perfect. I think soundgarden bring out the best in him though, any time I watch live videos of Pearl Jam with him, his drumming just doesn't do it for me, his drumming style just doesn't gel as well with them as it does with Soundgarden.
But yeah, just an all around great drummer, really fun to listen to and air drum along to.
Soundgarden indeed brings out the best in Matt. Maybe because his style fits with the heavier music of Soundgarden.
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Now for some heavy riffs
20. James Hetfield
(https://www.artistwd.com/joyzine/music/metallica/james_hetfield_vinson.jpg)
I would most likely not have ventured into the world of metal if not for Metallica. I was not really impressed by the first set of Metallica songs I heard on the radio, which were from the Black album. But when I heard the older songs, I went wow, so this is what metal is about. And the biggest reason is hearing those amazing riffs. Which brings me to James Hetfield. Possibly the best rhythm guitar player I have heard, he makes his lead guitar player unnecessary. :lol
Favorite performance:
Master of Puppets - What else could it be? The best metal riffs I have heard. Whenever I need a good boost of energy, I just play it on "my music player" and the intro alone already gets me going.
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You should have seen Matt on the Temple of the Dog tour. I love Zeppelin, and my big beef with bands covering Zeppelin is that it is SO hard to get that fluidity of tempo that Page and Bonham locked into so completely. And yet when Temple... played "Achilles Last Stand", they NAILED it, and in large part it was due to Matt being able to let the song breathe.
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You should have seen Matt on the Temple of the Dog tour. I love Zeppelin, and my big beef with bands covering Zeppelin is that it is SO hard to get that fluidity of tempo that Page and Bonham locked into so completely. And yet when Temple... played "Achilles Last Stand", they NAILED it, and in large part it was due to Matt being able to let the song breathe.
The funny thing is social media commenters on his Pearl Jam performances usually criticize him for not allowing Pearl Jam songs to breathe.
Moving on to another drummer in #19
19. Paul Geary
(https://drummerszone.media/artists/2000/4855-11152004103116.jpg)
No doubt he has the least impressive chops among the drummers in my list, but Paul Geary's minimalist drumming is a joy to listen to because his drum parts are so well-composed. When and how to kick the bass, when to shift to the ride, when to syncopate, when to open the hi-hats, etc. they are all so well-timed that when you try more complex drumming patterns to Extreme songs, it just does not sound better. (The only exception is Mangini who introduces complexity over Geary's drumming more on tones and textures rather than changing patterns) Paul's minimalist approach did not work well when Extreme shifted to a different style in the Waiting for the Punchline album, but back when the band is still doing their signature funky sound, I can not imagine any drummer who could bring the funk any better. I also love Paul because His drum parts are also very good pieces to use to learn how to drum. :lol
Favorite performance:
Cupid's Dead (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLx2Z_uu_1I) - Paul Geary's gift to mankind. :lol Paul's drum machine-like precision drumming here is so effective and catchy. Drum it without matching the precision just doesn't work (sorry Kevin Figueiredo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7nlOEnuOfQ)) If you can drum this perfectly, then you are ready to drum for public performances. :lol
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Great call with Geary. Way underrated in my view. All of Extreme (well, except Nuno, maybe) for that matter. I got to see them on the Three Sides tour, and it was awesome.
As for Matt, well, I can see the "breathe" comment, but that doesn't apply to "Achilles..." which while fluid is not a "breathy" song. Though I will say that he did well on the Mother Love Bone material, which is closer to Pearl Jam, but if you ask me, Cameron is a better fit for that band, because at their roots they are a metal band from 1974.
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Checked the Extreme track. That has a great drum sound. pretty sure I remember that tune.
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Now for some Toto love.
18. Steve Lukather
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/0d/df/ef/0ddfef33674b4fdb7f2007e293e8b6a7.jpg)
Steve Lukather's music is the epitome of tasteful guitar playing. Seamlessly going to the background then to the forefront when needed, Lukather's melodic guitar always fits what is called for in a song. Steve has a knack for seeing the guitar's place in a song. As he said in an interview, "I don't just listen to the guitar...It's all about the compositions. A great solo does not make a great piece. Rather, a great solo in a great song, that's what makes a 10 out of 10. It's the combination of emotional feel and inventive ideas. These days, uber-fast chops are as impressive as a Twinkie to a top chef."
Favorite performance:
White Sister (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k13Ndoyye2g) - I am almost tempted to put "I'll Be Over You," but it could be more of my love for the song than the guitar performance. :lol Anyway,, White Sister has one of Steve's best guitar solos that displays his chops. And he always reserves the best for the outro.
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Sorry I haven't posted erwin ..........been following though. So far a great list - I'm on board with everyone except 21,24 & 25 , which is more to do with a lack of familiarity with their material.
Luke is a very tasteful player and I'll Be Over You would be fine - the outro solo is lovely.
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Luke is a very tasteful player and I'll Be Over You would be fine - the outro solo is lovely.
I would have really gone with it if the studio version's outro does not fade out immediately. The live versions with the extended outro are always amazing.
Another favorite of mine is The Road Goes On. Has some nice acoustic guitar work also.
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Luke is a very tasteful player and I'll Be Over You would be fine - the outro solo is lovely.
I would have really gone with it if the studio version's outro does not fade out immediately. The live versions with the extended outro are always amazing.
Another favorite of mine is The Road Goes On. Has some nice acoustic guitar work also.
Yeah - I always think of the live clip when talking about I'll Be Over You. The song also features one of my favourite voices in Michael McDonald.
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Can you imagine what would have happened if they actually went with Michael Mcdonald as lead vocalist after Isolation? (Well, I still love Jo Williams, as my favorite Toto album is The Seventh One, so maybe it's good they did not go the Michael Mcdonald route :lol ).
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Yeah - he wouldn't have worked I don't think , especially live where he really wouldn't have had much hope of doing the Kimball songs justice. Too different.
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Alright, when we're talking Toto I'm in ;D
Steve Lukather is my favorite guitar player, there's just no one that can play so tasteful and melodic and yet have so much variety. And he just has a killer vibrato.
The outro jam solo to Rosanna (studio version) might be one of my favorite guitar solos of all time, shame it's faded out.
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One of my favourite guitar moments growing up was actually Luke's extended solo in the full version of Lionel Ritchie's Running With The Night :metal
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There was a time when I was so obsessed with his guitar playing, I sometimes listened to just the solos on specific Toto records again and again, never the whole song, just the solos. :metal
And I tried to learn a lot of Steve's solos on guitar but I never had the technical abilities to pull it off. I could play the slow stuff but I couldn't make it sound good. Guess I just wasn't that talented as I hoped I would be. :biggrin:
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Good call on the drumming of Alan White on The Calling. One of my favorite air-drumming songs.
While no Marco Minnemann material, Paul Gearys drumming is very tasteful, effective and mature. His drumming on Am I Ever Gonna Change always gets me.
Luke is the complete package. He can shred with the best, but he's a much better songwriter than most shredders and he's got a voice you can work with.
I remember when EvH was asked how it's like to be the best guitarist, he answered something like: "Ask Luke."
I believe he's simply unable to play a wrong note. He could throw/smash his axe 10m across the stage and it would still sound amazing.
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I've never heard a Toto track that I'd want to hear again. Seriously. Can anyone recommend something that I might like?
Lionel Ritchie
No. Just no.
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I've never heard a Toto track that I'd want to hear again. Seriously. Can anyone recommend something that I might like?
Lionel Ritchie
No. Just no.
Yes - just yes ;D
Tell me this solo doesn't rock.........
https://youtu.be/f-s7sce-nWw?t=256
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I've never heard a Toto track that I'd want to hear again. Seriously. Can anyone recommend something that I might like?
How about an instrumental?
Jake to the Bone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtb-wg5Silw)
The outro jam solo to Rosanna (studio version) might be one of my favorite guitar solos of all time, shame it's faded out.
Have you heard the isolated track of that solo? It's insane. And he can replicate it live so he was not just jamming it. :lol
Good call on the drumming of Alan White on The Calling. One of my favorite air-drumming songs.
While no Marco Minnemann material, Paul Gearys drumming is very tasteful, effective and mature. His drumming on Am I Ever Gonna Change always gets me.
For those who want to learn how to play drums, I' just tell them to study Geary's drumming in Extreme II and III. What's amazing for me is that Paul did not study drums formally. He just watched his favorite drummers play and also played along to their records.
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Now to the first monster drummer on the list
17. Terry Bozzio
(https://www.debris.com/drummers/images/bozzio1.jpeg)
He is a master of polyrhythm. He plays aggressively. He has incredible speed. He has amazing footwork. And he sees the drum kit as a melodic instrument, playing cymbals and toms up and down the scale, following what the other instruments are doing.
In short, he's Mike Mangini (an amped up monster version). :rollin
Caesar's Palace Blues (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUmJbRVfbuk) - Love the drum orchestration in this song. And the foot speed. WOW.
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I hear a lot about Terry Bozzio and I know him from two records, Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop and Vai's Sex & Religion. Really liked his drumming there but haven't listened to anything else he's done. But tremendous musician nonetheless.
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I only know Missing Persons.
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Tell me this solo doesn't rock.........
https://youtu.be/f-s7sce-nWw?t=256
How the hell do you expect me to listen to that with this f'n guy staring at me?
(https://popblerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Lionel-Richie.jpg)
Steve Lukather..If a tree falls in the forest blah blah blah
I'm not listening to Lionel fucking Richie for the guitar solos!
EDIT: What the hell? :lol
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I've never heard a Toto track that I'd want to hear again. Seriously. Can anyone recommend something that I might like?
How about an instrumental?
Jake to the Bone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtb-wg5Silw)
VERY VERY NICE!!!!!
Thank you.
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Next is a bass guitar legend.
16. Billy Sheehan
(https://www.guitar.com/sites/guitar.com/files/styles/featured/public/BillySheehan55cr.jpg)
During the early 1990s, my brother and I had this proxy "rivalry" of sorts between 4-piece bands. He was the Mr. Big guy in the house, while I was the Extreme guy. That said, I did listen a lot to my brother's Mr. Big records, and it's primarily to hear Billy Sheehan, who played the bass like a lead guitar as if it's nobody's business. I learned to play a couple of Billy Sheehan pieces, but only the slow songs Green Tinted Sixties Mind and Just Take My Heart. The rest of his tunes, I did not even dare to start to learn. Trying Alive and Kicking as my third tune crushed my spirit. :lol
Favorite performance:
Mr. Gone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d26-Cx3YGek) - Sheehan's lead-like playing could sometimes be too much of an attention-grabber. But in Mr. Gone, he played like a lead but still kept a very solid rhythm which drove the song. This song has one of the best bass intros ever. :metal
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Yeah, Billy's great :metal :metal :metal
From the early DLR records to Mr. Big to Steve Vai to Niacin and then to his solo records, you could say that I'm a fan of his. :biggrin:
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Big fan of Billy; I stood right in front of him on the last Winery Dogs show I went to, and he was cool as beans (shook his hand after the show) and to watch him from about four feet away... mesmerizing. Just amazing.
And I won't apologize for this one bit: I love Lionel Ritchie's voice. Not all the material is my bag, but I could listen to him sing "Easy" all day long and twice on Sunday. VELVET.
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Sheehan is definitely a beast of a player, but he isn't in a single band that I am really a fan of.
And he should have been kicked off the list for being one of those scientologist nut jobs. :lol :lol
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Got caught up with being back to performing on stage again after more than a decade of inactivity. :lol Damn, I forgot how busy preparing for a concert could get.
Anyway, on to the list and it's another drummer.
15. Roger Taylor
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jJibC1dHiGA/hqdefault.jpg)
Queen has been my favorite band for some time, but I really only took notice of Roger Taylor's drumming when a good drummer friend of mine told me to listen intently to "We Are The Champions." I found my friend's suggestion funny at first because the drumming in that song did not really shout "amazing" upon casual listening. But when I listened to the song intently, that's when I heard Roger Taylor's skill in drum composition. He did not flaunt technique and chops but instead put a lot of care in drumming what would appropriately suit the feel of the song. Roger Taylor's drumming explains my fascination with drum orchestration to this day.
Listen to a drum+bass only version of We Are The Champions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfv6Lb0EgLQ)
Favorite performance:
Stone Cold Crazy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0kTkxhyWNo) - Taylor's groove in this song is amazing. You can feel the raw energy. What I really love is how Roger knows when to let it loose and when to show restraint in this song which is very prone to overplaying. There's this drums only version in Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJibC1dHiGA) ripped from Rockband 3 and it's a very good listen.
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Had to chime in here...
His best work was definitely on 'Sheer Heart Attack', especially during the 'Brighton Rock' instrumental part.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUt_7TQCWtU
Or, being simple as during 'Good Company'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQo5tqwAwgE
Who else would use timpani drums for their drum solo, as he did during the Jazz/Live Killers/The Game tours? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-q53FuMLCQ
Stood and played the one bass drum and tambourine during the drop down stage acoustic set.
Who could make dogs howl and come running from such a high pitched voice, as he uses during 'In The Lap Of The Gods'. Generally provided the only BVs during concerts.
Sadly...he got lazy in the 80s with the programmed drums on the studio cuts. There are some hidden gems in his solo offerings.
Good choice.
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Love me some Roger Taylor
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Just caught up on the list, some really great picks on here. I'll be following
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Had to chime in here...
His best work was definitely on 'Sheer Heart Attack', especially during the 'Brighton Rock' instrumental part.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUt_7TQCWtU
Or, being simple as during 'Good Company'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQo5tqwAwgE
Yes, the Sheer Heart Attack album is Roger's best work. I also love his drumming in News of the World. It's Late is :metal
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Finally found some time to continue this.
14. Pat Badger
(https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/june-28-pat-badger-and-nuno-bettencourt-of-extreme-performing-at-picture-id50853990?s=594x594)
When you are in a 4-piece rock band playing bass with a virtuoso guitarist, you could take the Michael Anthony route, shrink in the background and let the guitarist shine. Or you could take the Billy Sheehan route, play like a lead instrument and compete with the guitarist for the spotlight.
Or you could be Pat Badger and take the middle ground.
Pat's aggressive bass tone provided the "bite" in Extreme's sound. More than the drums, Pat carried Extreme's formidable rhythm section. At the same time, he managed to match Nuno's virtuosity with perfectly-timed flashes of brilliance.
Favorite performances:
Cupid's Dead (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLx2Z_uu_1I) - One of the best bass performances ever. The bass in the song proper is already excellent, but the instrumental is what makes this song extra special. The instrumental section is one long unison with Nuno that made my jaw drop when I realized what was actually happening.
No Respect (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-PvV7EL13E) - I had to mention this because it has one of the most infectious bass grooves ever. And again, the instrumental is killer, this time counterpointing with Nuno instead of a unison.
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He can sing too. I've seen Extreme twice, once on the "Three Sides..." tour and on the recent Pornograffiti 25th tour. On the latter one I was right in front of him, and I was blown away by how good he was. Not flashy, not hogging the spotlight, but making the whole thing tight as a drum. Or bass. What have you.
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Not flashy, not hogging the spotlight, but making the whole thing tight as a drum. Or bass. What have you.
In prog equivalence, more John Myung, less Chris Squire. :lol
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Not flashy, not hogging the spotlight, but making the whole thing tight as a drum. Or bass. What have you.
In prog equivalence, more John Myung, less Chris Squire. :lol
Loving the analogy, but I'd go with Pete Trewavas, because of the vocals.
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Now to start the successive entries featuring guitarists:
13. Eddie Van Halen
(https://www.woodytone.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/EVH_1986_Steinberger_1.jpg)
What else needs to be said. He changed the way rock guitar is played. Emulated by many, but nobody captures that unique tone and that combination of technique and melody. I also love how his playing is so distinctive that even when I was not yet familiar with their whole discography, I could already recognize if its EVH on guitar.
Favorite performance:
Summer Nights (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMqfIPjuT5M) and Poundcake (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7lq9clC7bU) - Many of EVH's fans point to the Roth era as their favorite when it comes to guitar playing. However, in my case, I love the Van Hagar era more not just because I like the songs more but also because EVH at the time was already playing with a complete arsenal of his signature techniques. From a guitar-playing perspective, these two songs are tops for me. Love the effect of the 12-strings on Poundcake and the innovative use of the TransTrem in Summer Nights.
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12. Nuno Bettencourt
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/d5/62/cb/d562cbb35f3d65b6251210a2140596fa.jpg)
My love for Nuno's lead guitar playing is easy to explain. He sticks to the Brian May rule for guitar solos: the best solos are solos that you can sing. And Nuno's lead solos, even the fast ones, are indeed like songs that stick to my head. Beautiful.
My love for his rhythm work, I find harder to articulate. Nuno is a good drummer and percussionist, and as a percussionist myself, I can hear that in his rhythm work. I can airdrum his riffs (does that even make sense?). It moves. It jumps. It pounds. It...do you under stand what I'm saying?
Favorite performances:
Money (In God We Trust) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdLyacovV2A) - The riffing! The riffing!
Rest in Peace (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS85DbQ3VVQ) - The riff! The rhythm guitar! The solo! THAT DAMN SOLO! The acoustic outro! Everything!
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Good choices, both of them. I knew it was Nuno from the thread-title instantly (not that it was a very difficult one to guess, but still).
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Eddie is simply the most innovative guitar player of the last 40+ years, highly influential and often copied but never really reached. I wrote somewhere that Steve Lukather is my favorite guitar player but thinking ybout it, it could also be EVH.
Nuno is great too but I love his funky rhythm work much better than his (nonetheless awsome) lead playing. And he can sing, and he can play piano, and he can play drums, and he looks good. I'm probably a little bit envious ;D
I like his Extreme work best but also love the two Mourning Widows records.
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11. Criss Oliva
(https://www.realsavatage.com/criss/interviews/graphics/criss1.jpg)
Sometime in 1994 or 1995, when rock music was sudddenly ruling the airwaves here in the Philippines, a pop station played "All That I Bleed". It became a minor hit, and I was struck with how the song hit me like no song ever did before. It's a very sad tune, but when the guitars came in, the only adjective I could describe the feeling is it sounds GLORIOUS. The guitar, especially in the solo, is not difficult at all, but it is so emotional and climactic.
Fast forward to 1997, I had a friend who lent me a cassette tape of the Edge of Thorns album. I was expecting it to be good given how much I loved All That I Bleed, but when I listened to the album, I was blown away. It's the perfect guitar album in a band context, with the catchy riffs, the distinctive and singing leads. Criss Oliva's guitar is flawless in Edge of Thorns and to this day, I still consider it the best guitar playing in a non-solo instrumental guitar album among the albums I have heard.
Fast forward to me gaining internet access in the 2000s. I learned that Criss Oliva is dead and his last album is Edge of Thorns, and I was devastated.
Favorite performances:
Edge of Thorns (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsVN8oVskB0) - the riff leading to the guitar solo is one of the best metal riffs I have heard, but the kicker really is the solo itself. Beautiful.
All That I Bleed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x64Qe0zg7Y) - this could very well be a sentimental choice, but to this day, I still view this song as the model on how to use the guitars to build up the climax. When Criss' lead came in, it's a soloing-while-on-top-of-a-mountain-with-the-wind-gloriously-blowing-your-heavy-metal-long-hair moment.
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Can't fault the last 3 at all Erwin........ :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :metal :metal :metal
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Well, you most likely won't be that impressed with #10 when I go back to the rhythm section. :lol
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Yeah, can't go wrong with Savatage/Criss Oliva :tup
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It was the guitar solo in Gutter Ballet that prompted me to seriously play the guitar. Great choice!
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10. John Deacon
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2525/3802547992_a84182fabd.jpg)
The poster boy of the underrated musician. His reserved personality made him the least prominent among the members of Queen. What I find more surprising is how Deaky is rarely talked about as one the bass guitar greats, given that Queen has spawned two big hits that rest on a bass groove (Another One Bites the Dust, Under Pressure). Always full of groove in his playing, John was solid since Queen's first two albums. But his bass took on a more confident character starting from the Sheer Heart Attack album. I particularly loved the run of albums from A Day at the Races up to The Game, with The Game as my second-most favorite bass guitar album ever. He is the first bassist I heard that plays a lot in the high register of the bass guitar, usually playing like a string arrangement (example, The Millionaire Waltz and We Are The Champions). John knows how to support songs with catchy bass lines while also playfully counterpointing with the guitars, the vocals and the piano.
Favorite performances:
Too many to enumerate! I can narrow this to five, I think.
The Millionaire Waltz (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-P0VznfK_E) - this is bass playing at its finest. Elegant is the best word to describe Deaky's bass in this song.
Jealousy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rSSmgXEKuY) - this is a good example of how John plays to the emotion of the song...
Bicycle Race (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GugsCdLHm-Q) - ..while this one is a good example of John playing out the "story" of the song. The bass in the chorus really makes me feel the graceful motion of riding a bicycle.
Play the Game (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_5O-nUiZ_0) - now I am really having a hard time shortening this list, because there are lots of songs like this where John makes his presence felt while still providing the solid bass support of the song.
Dragon Attack (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spm5-SXo4Do) - that is one sexy bass riff.
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I love John Deacon and I agree with everything you said about his bass playing. I wonder if he still plays for pleasure.
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9. Joe Satriani
(https://www.getreadytorock.com/reviews2010/101017_satriani4.jpg)
One of the three guitarists who got me hooked to instrumental music, Satch knows how to make his guitar sing while dazzling the listener with his technical virtuosity. His body of work is immense and one has to sift through the sheer volume of his prolific output to get to the real gems, but boy when he writes a gem, it's really topnotch. The problem with Satch is that he peaked early, with most of the good full albums in the early half of his career (Surfing With An Alien and The Extremist are masterpieces). But he keeps on trying, and he'll keep on trying to come up with the next amazing guitar piece, until he brings his guitar to his grave.
Favorite performances:
Always With Me, Always With You (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI57QHL6ge0) - Amazing musicians almost always come up with at least one perfect piece, and this is Satch's moment of perfection.
The Extremist (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP7OYW8rA20) - Who says that early 90s alternative rock style would not blend well with virtuoso guitar playing? Not Satch.
Andalusia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SCCIXP0nXs) - This to me is the ultimate gem (so far) of the second half of Satch's discography. Starting acoustic then going heavy is an inspired choice.
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Satch is great, saw him live a couple of times and he never disappointed. But you said it right, he peaked early in his career (Surfing, Flying, Extremist and Crystal Planet are my faves) and never reached that level again. He still makes decent records and sometimes really great tunes, but didn't release a completely great and cohesive album for quite some time.
But still, great choice.
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Satch is great, saw him live a couple of times and he never disappointed. But you said it right, he peaked early in his career (Surfing, Flying, Extremist and Crystal Planet are my faves) and never reached that level again. He still makes decent records and sometimes really great tunes, but didn't release a completely great and cohesive album for quite some time.
But still, great choice.
I'm a big Satrinani fan and if you didn't hear the last two albuns (unstoppable momentum e shockwave supernova), IMO they are the greatest from the last half of his career and I think it's beacause the great rythm section he invested in these 2 records.
Personally, I would consider Engines of Creation at the same level of those albums, although a very different one.
Erwinrafael, by the way, Andalusia was a great choice!
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The Shockwave Supernova album is indeed quite good, but it's not really Satch that buoyed the album up with catchy riffs and leads but rather the band as a whole. My favorite track is Lost in a Memory, with the amazing mood set by the keys of Mike Keneally.
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Unstoppable Momentum is good but doesn't come close the the aforementioned classics, haven't heard Shockwave Supernova yet.
Engines Of Creation had some good tracks but didn't work for me on album lengths.
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8. Jeff Porcaro
(https://www.drummercafe.com/images/stories/artists/jeffporcaro/JeffPorcaro4.jpg)
I first became aware of Jeff Porcaro when I chanced upon a Toto documentary on TV when I was 12. He's the gold standard among drummers when it comes to finding the groove that perfectly fits a song. I have not come across a Jeff Porcaro song where I went "Oh, he should have done this" because everything really sounds in the right place. And he can explain (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwyO1qr0edI) what he is doing.
Favorite performances:
The easy answer would have been Rosanna, but no.
These Chains (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ysbik_3d94) - The signature half time shuffle. I like this more than the Rosanna shuffle and that one is already amazing. The ghost notes. THE GHOST NOTES.
Mushanga (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61invZG0OO8) - Is it becoming obvious that The Seventh One is my favorite Toto record? :lol That is largely because it has my favorite Jeff Porcaro drumming, including this song. Just hearing the hi-hat hits in my left earphone is making me smile right now. :)
Jake to the Bone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtb-wg5Silw) - The album Kingdom of Desire is one where I felt Jeff was a bit out of his element because of the heaviness of the music. It would have been an unfit last album for Jeff, but thankfully, the album has this gem. This is what Jeff comes up with in a jam, and it's insane.
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This list just gets better and better :tup
There are few drummers that can match Jeff when it comes to shuffle grooves and he can make anything else groove too.
I've seen Simon Phillips and Greg Bissonette playing with Toto and while both were good in their own right, no one was able to duplicate the Rosanna groove. Both came close but a little something was missing.
And The Seventh One is a top notch Toto record, nothing wrong with calling it favorite, although mine would probably be Kingdom Of Desire.
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7. John Petrucci
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Bqc86loWJS8/hqdefault.jpg)
All the other guitarists in this list have single song performances that I like better than any single song Petrucci has done. But Petrucci has them beat in consistency. John is just consistently outstanding for more than two decades, with a barely a dip in the level of quality of studio recorded guitar performances. It's an amazing feat considering the regularity of Dream Theater's releases, coming out with an album every two years.
And because he has been consistently good for so many years, I have a John Petrucci CD-length playlist instead of a favorite performance:
Under A Glass Moon
The Glass Prison
Hell's Kitchen/Lines In the Sand
Misunderstood
Lie
The Spirit Carries On
Breaking All Illusions
Our New World
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6. Alex Van Halen
(https://www.vhnd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/RNRN_7a.jpg)
I ranked Alex Van Halen higher than the legendary Jeff Porcaro? Well, this is a most favorite list after all. :rollin If Jeff represented perfection, Alex represented the FUN part of playing drums. It's not just the high energy in AVH's drumming that makes me smile when I hear him play, but also the "what, you did that?" moments. Playing crash cymbals as a ride source. Playing the Billy Cobham (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLMb6RniGrU) double bass every chance he gets. The unusual fills. The "delayed" hits. Or that freaking bridge in Right Now. I especially loved how the more complex song structures starting in 1984 showcased his drum composition skills on top of the rock drumming chops he exhibited in earlier albums. Fair Warning, 1984, 5150 and especially F.U.C.K. are my go-to albums whenever I feel like enjoying some Alex Van Halen goodness.
My Alex Van Halen CD-length playlist (which I arranged in chronological order which for some reason worked):
I'm The One
Light Up The Sky
Loss Of Control
Dirty Movies
Sinner's Swing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M_lxaHCk-M) - this is just pure joy in drumming form!
Panama
Hot For Teacher
Girl Gone Bad (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMnF8scIKz0) - one of Alex's finest compositions. Love the melodic use of toms (ala Mike Mangini), that intro on the ride, how the bass drums drove the feel for the different sections of the song.
Get Up
Summer Nights (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMqfIPjuT5M) - Alex's finest bass drum playing moment, locking in with Eddie and Michael Anthony for that infectious groove.
5150 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxHAN6JIkNo) - another gem of a drum composition. If only they could re-record this with an acoustic drum kit!
A.F.U. (Naturally Wired)
Pleasure Dome
Right Now (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLQawHJ38Sc) - my favorite Alex Van Halen song. His composition is amazing. The melodic use of toms. The bass drums syncing up with Michael Anthony's bass for the groove. The perfectly-timed shifting between the hi-hats and the ride. And again that freaking bridge. Perfect.
Amsterdam
Doing Time / Baluchiterium
Without You
On another note, whenever I listen to this playlist, I can not help but notice how Michael Anthony is not just chugging on the root note on these songs. Must be something in the rhythm of these songs that inspires MA to play differently.
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Alex isn't bad at all but I wouldn't put him above his brother and above Jeff Porcaro, in fact I think I wouldn't put him in my list if I would make one. But hey, it's your list, and as I said, he's a good enough drummer.
And while I agree with some of your song choices being great drum-wise, songs like Loss Of Control, Girl Gone Bad and Get Up I always considered as filler :biggrin:
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The best drumming are a lot of times in fillers, maybe because they are allowed to go crazy which the band then writes around afterwards. :lol I don't think Girl Gone Bad is filler, though, because it has a more complex structure than a lot of other VH songs.
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Funny that you mention him playing the crash cymbals as a ride source, because that is the one aspect of AVH's playing that annoys the crap out of me. I disliked Don't Tell Me What Love Can Do from the start, largely because he ruins the chorus by beating the hell out of his cymbals.
That aside, I still like him as a player. That roll he does right before the 2-minute mark in Sinner's Swing is one of my favorite drum rolls ever.
Also, good call on the thread title change. Pleasure Dome has long been one of my favorite Van Hagar tunes. :metal
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Yep, the crash as ride is an acquired taste, but it gives AVH a unique hisssssssssss in the background in many of his choruses. When he does play with the proper rides, like in Right Now and Pleasure Dome, he sounds amazing.
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:tup
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Been meaning to get back to this thread. Great call on AVH. His drumming really stands out to me in VH's music. I think he's excellent and very underrated.
I don't have any playlist, um..mix CDs ;D associated with Van Hagar, but:
I'm The One
Light Up The Sky
Loss Of Control
..totally make the grade! :tup
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5. John Myung
(https://musicplayers.com/features/bass/2014/images/JohnMyung1.jpg)
In a band full of virtuosos who are not shy in exhibiting their tremendous talents, John Myung beautifully played the role of the glue that kept the music together. Myung is Dream Theater's rock, the calm presence that allowed the other members to shine without giving up his cred as a true master of his own instrument. He would always be my favorite bass player and Falling Into Infinity, for all its faults, remains as my favorite bass guitar album.
My John Myung CD-length playlist:
6:00
Peruvian Skies
Through my Words / Fatal Tragedy
Lines in the Sand
Take the Time
Panic Attack
Trial of Tears (my favorite bass playing in a song)
Surrender to Reason
Breaking All Illusions
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Simply put Myung is a beast. Loving the list so far! I'll have to see if I can put together 25 and do a list sometime.
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I know that guy, he's not bad at all :biggrin:
Seriously he's a beast, but I sometimes wonder what he could do outside of DT. Only thing I know is Jelly Jam, nice band but Myung is playing very restrained (if that is the right word).
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4. Freddie Mercury
(https://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/2017/03/Freddie-freddie-mercury-31144609-1572-886-670x378-1-670x378.jpg)
For me the best vocalist and frontman in my lifetime. Aside from the vocal range, Freddie is the only singer I heard who was able to pull off so many different styles convincingly. Operatic. Ala Willie Nelson. Pop. Rock. Metal. Disco. Majestic. Whimsical. Over-the-top. Melancholic. Anything. Give this guy any song and he can sing it, and I think it's primarily because he really loves singing and it radiates in his performance. But give one of the so-called "Freddie Mercury-only" songs to another singer, and all I could say is good luck.
Favorite performances:
Bohemian Rhapsody (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ) - a true showcase of the range of styles Freddie Mercury could pull off in just six minutes. Amazing.
Don't Stop Me Now (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgzGwKwLmgM) - this is one of those "Freddie Mercury"-only songs. I love it when Freddie sings it, but when another artist sings it, it's cheesy as fuck. WHY?
Somebody to Love (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kijpcUv-b8M) - Freddie giving a master class on how to tell a story through a song. He could sing just the tune of this song without the words and you would still get the message. What a masterpiece.
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Freddie s one hell of a frontman, probably one of the best if not the best. Whenever I see a Queen performance on youtube I always end up watching the whole thing because of Freddie.
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Another good choice Erwin. I'm just a casual Queen fan but cannot deny Freddie's brilliance. Only Kanye can match him ;D
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Funny How Love Is. What an amazing song on every level. God I love Freddie Mercury's voice.
One Vision.
Gimme The Prize
The Prophet Song
Somebody To Love (as good as George sang it, it was STILL not as good as the original).
Hell, the entire Queen II album.
I feel a Queen kick coming on.
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Don't Stop Me Now (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgzGwKwLmgM) - this is one of those "Freddie Mercury"-only songs. I love it when Freddie sings it, but when another artist sings it, it's cheesy as fuck. WHY?
I think Seaside Rendezvous is another one of those songs. In the hands of just about any other rock band, it would be something we'd all point and laugh at, but in the hands of Queen and Freddie's voice, it's oddly enjoyable, albeit incredibly schmaltzy. :lol :lol
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I think thiis is most applicable to 1970s John Deacon songs. You're My Best Friend and In Only Seven Days are incredibly schmaltzy but Queen makes them work. :lol
I think you guys can already predict my Top 3. It's just a matter of ranking now. ;)
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3. Mike Mangini
(https://www.pearldrummersforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=473051&d=1409346905)
I am one of the most vocal Mangini fanboys in this forum. He's not a perfect drummer. If you want something jazzy or with some swing, he's not the man. If you want an emotive ballad, he might "metal" it up. What Mangini does to me, though, is to open my mind to a world of possibilities.
I first heard him in Extreme's Waiting for the Punchline album. I was playing along to the groove of Hip Today. Very catchy, this drummer is not a bad replacement for Paul Geary.
Then the guitar solo came.
WTF was that I heard? The cymbals were following Nuno's off beat lead, but the bass and snare is still doing the 7/4 basic beat...what? How is that...? What just happened?
Then I next heard him in Steve Vai's Fire Garden album. I thought maybe I would hear more limb independence like in Extreme. By the end of the Fire Garden Suite, I was silent. It was the first time I heard drums matching melodic runs up and down the scale. And it involves even rim clicks. Even rim clicks are used melodically, how is that...?
That is the running story of my fanboyism of Mangini. He's the drummer who always challenged my notion of what can be done on the drums and how to apply them musically. When he was setting those World's Fastest Drummer records, I thought, this guy is just showing off. Then I heard his work on Annihilator and I went, shit, so you can use those chops in a song. :lol He also showed me how the bass drum can be so musical, that he almost always put the groove in the bass, especially in his work with LaBrie and in Tribe of Judah.
Don't get me started on the song Egg Zooming which is a world of possibilities on its own.
I am so happy he's now in Dream Theater. Not only does he now get the spotlight and recognition he deserves, but he now has a regular vehicle to test his ever-expanding ideas on what the drums can do.
My Mike Mangini 1-CD Length playlist:
On the Backs of Angels - it's not the best of Dream theater songs, but I always cherish this song not just as Mangini's debut with the band but also the first time I heard a single song that has a flavor of all the different Mangini-isms. He's following Jordan's keys with the cymbals while playing the rhythm on the bass and snare with JM and JP like what he did in Extreme's Hip Today. He's going up and down the scale in melodic runs like what he does with Vai. He's doing fast single strokes on the ride like what he did in Annihilator. He's playing with great control on the bass like his work with JLB. It's a song that became a demo for what Mangini has been doing all these years and it's amazing.
Alone (James LaBrie) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRP_MgMCIao) - One of Mangini's catchiest grooves. The bass drum work here is topnotch.
Chasing the High (Annihilator) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFUnIsNteSs) - My legs get tired just by listening to this song. I don't think Mangini can still do this after he had his knee injury, but I would love him to do brief spurts of otherworldly foot speed in future Dream Theater songs.
No One (Tribe of Judah) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3QPBMGrktg) - This sounds like a simple danceable groove until you start playing it and find that all four limbs are moving with great coordination. It's like the Paradox of the Black Light section in Illumination Theory. Deceptively simple but actually difficult to play.
Bangkok + Fire Garden Suite (Steve Vai) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNqdk2z-6Xo) - if you want to understand Mangini's philosophy on how to orchestrate in the drums, this is the best song to begin with. I don't know if it's really Mangini's style or if it is something he learned working with Steve Vai, but what's important is that he now gets to showcase this approach to melodic drum playing in Dream Theater.
Surrender to Reason - Mangini introduced another technique here, playing what should have been ghost notes on the snare with his left and right hi-hat and rides, which gives this unique stereo cymbal sound most prominently heard in the chorus. This guy just doesn't run out of ideas. This is also the song where I heard the drums most locked in with what John Myung is doing. They make a great rhythm section.
Iberian Jewel (Steve Vai) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxxvR4pkTPE) - This song has some of the best drum fills by Mangini.
Weapon X (Annihilator) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mbW0cHsEgo) - If Chasing the High has crazy fast footwork, this is the counterpart when it comes to hand speed. And Mangini still keeps it freaking musical.
Egg Zooming (Mike Keneally and Beer for Dolphins) - CRAZY.
Illumination Theory - perfect. The best drumming in a single Dream Theater song.
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Mike is a monster drummer. I remember taking notice of the the drumming on Elements of Persuasion. At the time I didn't know who he was or his name but he was a beast, so much power and energy.
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Just to add as exemples of Mangini's great drumming:
A more "loose", improvisional Mangini. This is maybe my favorite performance by him!
Steve Vai - Jibboom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw76jmL_TEw
And, contrary that many people think, I think Mangini is GREAT on softer songs:
Steve Vai - Windows to the Soul
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNSrptQcCVE
Mullzmuzzler - Believe (he plays only percusion)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I7EH_pGvkQ
James La Brie - Smashed (a relative simple drum composition, but very hipnotic)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZiIrhZIFeE
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Freddie Mercury is a legend. No more to add, and I agree about how he could get away with songs no one else can.
With Mangini, I love your description of his playing and believe you, but it's so far beyond my ability to fathom it I don't hear it. Watching him, I'm aware he is awesome, but I wouldn't know it from the albums as it doesn't jump out at me - maybe that's the genius of it. Maybe if I heard a stem of just the drums I could hear it.
What does stand out is the awkwardness off the drum part in the beginning of Breaking All Illusions - it jars me every time.
With Peart, I know he's awesome. He didn't waste time doing subtle things I wouldn't hear 😀
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Mangini's the man :tup
I liked him in Extreme and saw him live with them. The thing that stood out for me wasn't his technicality but his groove. You couldn't stand still, you had to tap your toe, move your feet or dance. That's why I don't understand the people who call him robotic.
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And, contrary that many people think, I think Mangini is GREAT on softer songs:
Steve Vai - Windows to the Soul
Mullzmuzzler - Believe (he plays only percussion)
James La Brie - Smashed (a relative simple drum composition, but very hipnotic)
There are soft songs where his drumming fits. Chosen is one. But in other songs like Along for the Ride, or Being With You in Paris by Steve Vai, his drumming sounds a bit stiff.
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In fact, Being with you in Paris, all the song seems to me a bit forced, like 'let's do a french song' and the final result is very obvious and uninspired. Anyway, I like Mangini's approach in a lot of softer songs, like the ones I listed.
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Well, those are songs composed in soundchecks to come up with new songs that fit the place, so I appreciate the Alive in an Ultra World songs for their rawness. :biggrin:
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2. Steve Vai
(https://bravewords.com/medias-static/images/news/2015/54F95913-steve-vai-audio-sample-of-velorum-from-stillness-in-motion-vai-live-in-la-available-on-itunes-image.jpeg)
Genius is an overused word in the music industry but it fits Steve Vai perfectly. Wildly adventurous, I love how Vai pushes boundaries, delving into different sources of inspiration to always deliver something new while keeping a style that is unmistakably his. Often stereotyped as an indulgent shredder, I find him the most musical of all the great rock guitar instrumentalists. I can hum all my favorite Vai tunes because they all have great melodies with well-though-out song structures. This is specially true for the seventh songs in all the Vai albums.
My favorite Vai album is Fire Garden, where he was able to find the balance of quirk (Flexable), discipline (Passion and Warfare) and rocker attitude (Sex and Religion). Alive in an Ultra World is also inspiring, with its crazy concept of composing new songs during soundchecks using tour destinations as inspiration, and recording them live when premiered on tour. Vai fell into a sinkhole of indulgent wankery when he formed The Breed and recorded his Real Illusions - Reflections album. But he made a great return to form with The Story of Light, which is currently my second favorite Vai album.
My 1-cassette tape Steve Vai playlist:
Side A:
1. I Know You're Here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY8wyKuLY2k&feature=youtu.be&t=6m14s) - His best song during The Breed era, That intro is epic. As epic as that three-necked guitar.
2. The Crying Song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3ENqn26X1o) - Vai in a guitar duel with himself. That groove!
3. Velorum (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHG8z_NtIL8) - I never thought that Vai would still be able to come up this decade with a song that would crack my Top 5, but boy did he prove me wrong. Velorum is my third favorite Vai song, with a beautiful melody and impeccable changes in pacing that keep the song going.
4. Salamanders in the Sun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW9cQCVGDKs) - One of the best quirky Vai songs. The title fits the music perfectly. :lol
5. Touching Tongues (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNvWBtDIf3g) - This is the song I listen to when I need to calm down. Lovely melody and harmonies. The Devin Townsend vocals also help. I love how Steve playfully put a vocal solo in the middle of a guitar instrumental song. :p
6. Jibboom (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw76jmL_TEw) - Fun SRV tribute with Mangini and Bynoe.
7. Whispering A Prayer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXyBX3Qxdko) - My second favorite Vai song and my favorite of the seventh songs. When I first heard this, I literally was tearing up because it's so beautiful. I never heard a guitar sing like that. And that build-up to the shredding at the end is perfect.
8. Burning Rain (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwAFEGdlRdU) - On the road, Vai composed a song for and inspired by Japan, and he played the guitar like a koto using the Japanese hirajoshi scale. Crazy man.
Side B
1. Answers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=358dhZRoxqU) - My favorite from Passion and Warfare. He really learned from his teacher, Satriani.
2. Frank (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAe860qLcNk) - Very nice tribute to his master, Frank Zappa.
3. Freak Show Excess (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XCGEfvQfXQ) - Usually I do not like the self-indulgent Vai pieces, but I like this one because Vai expressly acknowledged the wankery not just in the title but also within the song. And the main melody is again very catchy.
4. No More Amsterdam (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWapiJ7eBy0) - Beautiful duet with Aimee Mann. My favorite Vai vocals. I love the interplay between the guitar and the voices.
5 and 6. Bangkok and Fire Garden Suite (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNqdk2z-6Xo) - My favorite Vai song. Complex. Melodic. Technical. Cohesive. Full of wild ideas. A true masterpiece.
7. For the Love of God (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okLDkcexiVg) - What better way to end this playlist than with the song that put Vai on the map?
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Tremendous musician, guitarwise he's one of my favorites. He has such a great phrasing and such an unique playing style but sometimes he's too far out there for me.
And he's one hell of an entertainer, that alone is worth seeing him live.
Passion & Warfare is my favorite, Sex & Religion a close second.
I just wish that he would put more fresh and new music out.
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He takes a different approach from Satch in releasing albums. Satch is very prolific, but his numerous albums include average tunes mixed with the great stuff. Vai, on the other hand, takes his time with albums and makes sure that only the great stuff would be in it. The averae tunes are released in other albums that are clearly labeled as extra stuff.
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He sure takes his time. Ultra Zone is from 1999, Reflections six years later (2005) and Story Of Light another seven years (2012), since then nothing new. That's almost Metallica level creativity ;D
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I would count Alive in an Ultra World, though, as an equivalent of a studio album. producing tracks that became Vai tour staples. But yeah, Vai is taking his time after Story of Light. He's thinking of doing the third part of his trilogy as a collaboration with outside artists, if I remember correctly.
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Yeah, Alive In An Ultra World is almost all new material also but I still would like it, if he puts out records more regularly.
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Let's finish this.
1. Brian May
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ee/67/76/ee677690adc2271d5898d87e232f545d.jpg)
My ultimate musical inspiration. Brian May has taught me many things. He taught me that music is about tapping into human emotions, whether it be a sense of fun, melancholy, dread or grandeur. He taught me that technique is important but ultimately it should serve the end of moving the listener. He taught me that one could be adventurous and delve into so many styles, but still manage to maintain a voice that is distinctly yours. He taught me that the best music pushes boundaries and that the capabilities of your musical instrument are limited only by your imagination. He taught me that one could be individually excellent without overshadowing one's equally brilliant partners in making music.
He is the standard by which the others in this list are measured.
My ultimate 1-CD Brian May playlist.
1. We Will Rock You (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJYN-eG1zk) - Yes, it's very poppish, but that guitar solo slays bigtime.
2. Brighton Rock (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUt_7TQCWtU) - This song changed my view of how a guitar delay may be used to create harmonies. Brilliant.
3. Killer Queen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSQwI3rDETk) - Nice tune which demonstrates Brian's credo that composing guitar leads should be like composing a vocal melody.
4. Let Me Entertain You (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmeOC0OTY_Q) - Brian's riffs interplaying with Freddie's vocals is amazing.
5. Good Company (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQo5tqwAwgE) - Who else would have thought of using multi-tracked guitars to simulate a Dixieland jazz band? Guitar that sounds like a clarinet? Like a trombone? Crazy.
6. Last Horizon (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMfrvwtsjQA) - On its own, this is already a very beautiful instrumental guitar piece. But during the Queen + Paul Rodgers tour around 2008, it became a freaking guitar god piece.
7. Too Much Love Will Kill You (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNa5kRX45tg) - Brian's emotional vocals are heavy in the heart, and his guitar matched the painful emotion.
8. I Want It All (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgIXMGDGpi8) - This song reminds me that Brian is a great heavy metal guitarist. In particular, that riff before the solo is awesome.
9. Tie Your Mother Down (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvB2MnIIdMw) - This has one of the most fun rocking riffs. And Brian shows that he can play slide guitar. He can play anything.
10. Seven Seas of Rhye (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGoxqrV8iKQ) - Brian's trademark harmonized leads play not just in the solo but throughout the song, giving the song its "fantasy" atmosphere.
11. Mother Love (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJFYtyEIJ60) - Has one of Brian's most emotional solos, made more dramatic by the circumstance surrounding the song.
12. I Can't Live With You (Queen Rocks version) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd7al44tD7Y) - This has one of my favorite Brian May "happy" solos, for lack of a better term. And I just smile when I hear that outro lead.
13. Sail Away Sweet Sister (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGXsIt4l1Tg) - Again, emotions driving the song in both Brian's vocals and guitar.
14. Bijou (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P9e-y16qHE) - A guitar is crying along with Freddie.
15. Back To The Light (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57Oejt5pr_Y) - This time, the feeling of hope captured in the guitar. That outro is divine.
16. Ogre Battle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p-5CgWP7Iw) - One of Brian's meanest riffs.
17. Hammer To Fall (Live at Wembley '86) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkZGvdIIA6k) - A hard rock masterpiece. The Wembley version is one of my favorite live Queen performances because of Brian's amazing extended outro.
18. Save Me (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw3izcZd9zU) - Nobody does majestic guitar as majestically as Brian. In yet another sad Brian May-written song.
19. It's Late (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PItMuGp39Q) - My favorite Brian May song. Scratch that. My favorite Queen song.
Thanks to those who followed the thread. :)
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Can't argue with that choice. In fact I could argue with it but won't because it's your list and your choice. I like Brian May, even think he's great but he wouldn't be my top choice.
Anyway, nice list. :metal
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Everyone's list is different, but I would be hard pressed to argue with you here. Certainly, one of the nicest men in the rock world. I'll point out a few more of his standout tracks later ('Stone Cold Crazy' being one)
ahh, finally found the link. If anyone wants to know what me and Mrs DA looked like 15 years ago, check the link, at the bottom left
https://brianmay.com/queen/waf/waf1.html
day one of our honeymoon
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Wow, you met Dr. Brian May! Huhuhu, that's the thing with being a big fan here on the Philippines: I would never meet any of these musicians on my list.
Can't argue with that choice. In fact I could argue with it but won't because it's your list and your choice. I like Brian May, even think he's great but he wouldn't be my top choice.
Anyway, nice list. :metal
He represents what I like about my other favorites in this list. I guess the reasons why I love Brian May shaped my criteria for liking other musicians: Melodic, pushes boundaries, can be excellent without overshadowing other bandmates.
Just realized that the list also represents my Top bands:
1. Queen
2. Dream Theater
3. Steve Vai + the Fire Garden / Ultra Zone tour band (Keneally, Bynoe, Mangini)
4. Van Halen
5. Extreme
6. Savatage
7. Toto
8. Soundgarden
9. Joe Satriani's The Extremist band
10. Metallica
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Great pick for number 1. :tup :tup
Although I am a bit puzzled at how '39 isn't on your ultimate 1-CD Brian May playlist. ???
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Great list indeed, and '39 is a great song.
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Great pick for number 1. :tup :tup
Although I am a bit puzzled at how '39 isn't on your ultimate 1-CD Brian May playlist. ???
It was on the fringe, along with Tear It Up, Headlong and Stone Cold Crazy. I don't know which song to take out of the list. :lol
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Are you guys cool with me doing the next list?
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Speaking of books, has anyone read Phil's new autobiography "Not Dead Yet"?
Alot of interesting insight on his personal battles during his time with Genesis, especially during the early years and what it was like balancing Brand X and his solo career as well.
Im sure alot of details are probably repeated in other documentaries for the band but there's alot of great stories regarding backstage shenanigans and onstage mishaps.
Edit: how the hell did this get here? Can a mod move this to the Genesis thread please?
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For some reason when I read Phil Anselmo, then I read Genesis I realized which Phil it is.
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Speaking of books, has anyone read Phil's new autobiography "Not Dead Yet"?
Alot of interesting insight on his personal battles during his time with Genesis, especially during the early years and what it was like balancing Brand X and his solo career as well.
Im sure alot of details are probably repeated in other documentaries for the band but there's alot of great stories regarding backstage shenanigans and onstage mishaps.
Edit: how the hell did this get here? Can a mod move this to the Genesis thread please?
I can't move a post from one thread to another. But if you copy it and paste it into a new post in the appropriate thread, I can delete this one. Just PM me when you're done.