Best Drum solo...

[remisser]

I haven't heard any real great drum solos in songs -- can anyone suggest a track with the best drum solo?

[carnivorousplant]

Iron Butterfly, "Inn gadda da vida"

Of course, "The descent to Neibelheim" from Das Rheingold ain't bad. :)

[Ringo]

There's too many to pick the best, but Bonzo's Moby Dick effort is a classic.

[TVeblen]

This would be better suited to Cafe Society.
I'll move it on over for you,

Veb

[SlickRoenick]

Charlie Adams has a damned good one on Yanni Live at the Acropolis.

[rjk]

Gene Krupa (http://www.angelfire.com/mac/keepitlive/drummers/krupa.htm)

Krupa was one of the first to play drums as a solo instrument and was with Benny Goodman when they played Carnegie Hall in 1938, and allegedly blew the audience away.

[dnooman]

Usually can't go wrong with most Rush instrumentals.

[Chefguy]

Dave Brubeck Quartet, "Castillian Drums" (on the Carnegie Hall Live album), with Joe Morello playing an extended solo that has never been equalled on a four-piece kit.

[unclviny]

The King Crimson song "Red" (from the album of the same name, 1974), a young Bill Bruford rocking hard! (any drummer that uses a piece of sheet metal for a cymbal is ok in my book!, it's that flat crash sound).

Unclviny

[Voyager]

Gene Krupa (http://www.angelfire.com/mac/keepitlive/drummers/krupa.htm)

Krupa was one of the first to play drums as a solo instrument and was with Benny Goodman when they played Carnegie Hall in 1938, and allegedly blew the audience away.

True. The concert was reissued on CD. Simple by today's standards, but still exquisite.

Toad from Fresh Cream is damned good. I like the live version also, but I love excess.

[Duderdude2]

I'll second Neil Peart (of Rush). More specifically, O' Basterista.

[Snooooopy]

The best drum solo is probably the one that isn't played.

[Cinnamon Girl]

I whole-heartedly second In A Gadda Da Vida (my favorite), Moby Dick, and Toad. I'd add I'm a Man, Chicago, Carl Palmer (ELP) solos, Michael Shreive (Santana) live solo at Woodstock.

Frankenstein, Edgar Winter Group (not long enough though, but great complementary drumming throughout)

It's a shame though I can't think of any solos by John Densmore or Stewart Copeland. They are both very intuitive drummers.

[Kalhoun]

Buddy Rich doing West Side Story's Somewhere. Fucking breathtaking.

And he was pretty damn old when that was recorded.

Every collection should have a copy of this. His speed and creativity are legend, but this is the greatest thing he's ever done. The whole piece has so much energy you practically get lifted out of your seat!

[Fugazi]

This doesn't quite meet the criteria since it's a drum duet. Genesis put out a video after the Mama album. At the end of In the Cage + the medley Phil Collins & Chester Thomson do a drum duet that is just awesome. It would have been a pretty good solo, but the coordination between the two plus the way they transistion to the next song (Turn it on Again) make it really good.

[Coldfire]

Anything by Neil Peart. :)

And I'd like to add the ever changing live solo performed by Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. Does it even have a name? I've seen them live about half a dozen times, and the solo is always there, but kind of "evolves". Much like Peart's, actually.

[Knighted Vorpal Sword]

Ringo Starr.

Abbey Road.

"Carry that Weight."

'nuff said.

[lieu]

Bonzo's Montreaux from Coda simply rocks my world.

[bordelond]

Usually can't go wrong with most Rush instrumentals.

Yep ... "The Rhythm Method" deserves special mention.

[Jurph]

Fans of less traditional (or perhaps more traditional) drums might enjoy the intro and drum break from Paul Simon's The Obvious Child, which features a big fat pile of African drums led by one really good drummer. The "call and response" in the bridge (and its transition back into the song) is great.

Also, featured [b]The Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band during their recording of Don't Stop on the album "The Dance," and the breakdown at the end with the drum line is quite nice.

[Jurph]

Mea serious culpa: it was the USC Trojan Marching Band, who apparently have something of a history with Fleetwood Mac.

[Sample_the_Dog]

Krupa was one of the first to play drums as a solo instrument and was with Benny Goodman when they played Carnegie Hall in 1938, and allegedly blew the audience away.Are you sure Chick Webb wasn't soloing before Krupa? Or are you saying Gene was the first to record that way? Gene, btw, openly acknowledged Webb's dominance after a famous cutting contest at the Savoy.

All the solos mentioned above are real kickers.

Look also to Babatunde Olatunji, Diga Rhythm Band ("Sweet Sixteen" will blow your mind), classic drums interludes by Grateful Dead, Ginger Baker's solo effort "Middle Passage", and of course Buddy Rich.

Check out drummerworld.com (http://www.drummerworld.com/) -- you can listen to a ton of drummers there and find what you like before buying records.

[Eutychus]

For my money, the best ever was John Guerin's riff in "It Must be a Camel" from Frank Zappa's "Hot Rats" album. Short, sweet and to the point.

[Exapno Mapcase]

One drum solo that's always forgotten from Ginger Baker's career is the one from "Do What You Like," on the Blind Faith album. An Eric Clapton guitar solo, a Steve Winwood keyboards solo, a Rick Grech bass solo and then Ginger Baker finishing it up. The song goes on a bit too long, but the basic structure is as catchy as hell and the four successive solos are the best studio examples of the late 60s jam mentality.

For obscure points, how about Percolations Parts 1 and 2, from the Expresso (re-released as Gazeuse!) album by the jazz fusion group Gong? It starts with as pretty a bit of vibes as you'll ever hear, adds Pierre Moerlen's drums - mostly tympanies - goes back and forth between the two and then ends with pure drums. It'll separate out the good speakers real fast.

[klockwerk]

Buddy Rich - Channel One Suite.

You'll have the find the recording with Buddy himself playing drums. Beware, the jazz tune is about 11 minutes long, and it's got 3 amazing drum set solos.

[Spoonbender]

Rush, YYZ, live version.

[Sublight]

Carl Palmer's had good ones in Tank and a live performance of Rondo.

[zoogirl]

Gene Krupa (http://www.angelfire.com/mac/keepitlive/drummers/krupa.htm)

Krupa was one of the first to play drums as a solo instrument and was with Benny Goodman when they played Carnegie Hall in 1938, and allegedly blew the audience away.

I would particularly vote for "Sing Sing Sing" and "Jungle Madness" which is rather more obscure than "SingX3", but which seriously rocks! (Yes, I've got it on '78. ;) )

I get the biggest rush out of one of the shortest solos - Queen's "Shear Heart Attack" off the "News of the World" album. Can't beat it for speed!

[dnooman]

The best drum solo is probably the one that isn't played.
"You go to Hell. You go to Hell and you die!!"

A few unsung "decent" drum solos:

Radar Love by Golden Earing

Money for Nothing by Dire Straits

Frankenstein by Edgar Winter

Hocus Pocus by Focus

The beginning of " Hot For Teacher" by Alex Van Halen (a masterpiece).

[seaworthy]

I can't vouch for the technical merit of this particular solo, I can't even remember what song it was, but I saw the Damned in concert a few years back and they had a drum solo at the end of their last song where the drummer poured lighter fluid all over his cymbals, ignited them, and played a rockin solo with flaming cymbals. I don't really like drum solos, but that one was cool.

[Really Not All That Bright]

Not a solo, per se (in fact, it might even have been done by a drum machine), but Gender by Orgy (track 8 on Candyass) has by far the coolest sounding drumbeat, well, ever.

Never heard anything like it in rock, electronica, or any genre, for that matter.

[BIH Boy]

Ringo Starr.

Abbey Road.

"Carry that Weight."

'nuff said.

Hear Hear!

[Frank #2]

Dharma For One by Jethro Tull.

[PookahMacPhellimey]

Now, I know feck all about drumming, but aren't we missing the bloody obvious here?

Whole Lotta Love by Led Zep

[fessie]

Seems like the visual is an important element, so I'd recommend movies. The Song Remains the Same is an absolute must.

Personally I also really liked Omar Hakkim's solo in Sting's Bring On the Night, which is also entertaining for Branford Marsalis' comments. He's the real star of that film.

[Snooooopy]

"You go to Hell. You go to Hell and you die!!"

A few unsung "decent" drum solos:

Radar Love by Golden Earing


"Suck mah balls!"

As for "Radar Love" -- there hardly seems to even BE a drum solo. Sure, there's a few seconds here and there where the drums are the only instrument playing, but it's more or less the same shuffle that's going on during the verses.

[Kurt M. Weber]

Dave Brubeck Quartet, "Castillian Drums" (on the Carnegie Hall Live album), with Joe Morello playing an extended solo that has never been equalled on a four-piece kit.

Damn you.

I was going to say that.

[da_pope]

'do what you like' on blind faith. IMHO the most musical rock drum solo evah.

[MovieMogul]

Sort of an obvious pick, but I've always loved Morello's work on Dave Brubeck's Take Five.

[remisser]

This is some great stuff. I'd never heard Golden Earring before, but after that one track I'm going to pick up an album or two.

Also, King Crimson is amazing stuff. Really amazing. I don't know why I've never exposed myself to this band sooner.


In modern terms, I think Nine Inch Nails has a really neat drum solo on the track "The Perfect Drug."

[fubbleskag]

Another vote for anything Neil has done, but my favourite is "La Villa Estrangiato" (sp?).

I'm a bit late on this thread, so I'm a little disappointed that no one has mentioned any one of the 3 solos on The Ventures' "Wipeout."

[unclviny]

Also, King Crimson is amazing stuff. Really amazing. I don't know why I've never exposed myself to this band sooner.


In modern terms, I think Nine Inch Nails has a really neat drum solo on the track "The Perfect Drug."

KC has been "reinventing itself" since 1969 so be aware that there are continual changes (KC is generally broken up by "band numbers", ie: KC1 etc.) do some research first (do not! blindly buy albums as they tend to be very different as the personnell/direction changed/s). That being said here is what I consider "the KC basics":
Red (1974).
The "primary colors" (otherwise known as the drive to 1984), Three of a Perfect Pair (1981), Discipline (1982) considered by many (including me) a masterwork ie: a supergroup of epic porportions Robert Fripp/Adrian Belew/Tony Levin/Bill Bruford, Beat (1984).
Vrooom (early 1990's).
The Construction of Light (a return to "rock" as they were heavily influenced by Tool).
KC is an incredible journey and one that I reccomend highly, enjoy!.

Unclviny (who has, at last count over 50 KC records)

[Skillet38]

KC has been "reinventing itself" since 1969 so be aware that there are continual changes (KC is generally broken up by "band numbers", ie: KC1 etc.) do some research first (do not! blindly buy albums as they tend to be very different as the personnell/direction changed/s). That being said here is what I consider "the KC basics":
Red (1974).
The "primary colors" (otherwise known as the drive to 1984), Three of a Perfect Pair (1981), Discipline (1982) considered by many (including me) a masterwork ie: a supergroup of epic porportions Robert Fripp/Adrian Belew/Tony Levin/Bill Bruford, Beat (1984).
Vrooom (early 1990's).
The Construction of Light (a return to "rock" as they were heavily influenced by Tool).
KC is an incredible journey and one that I reccomend highly, enjoy!.

Unclviny (who has, at last count over 50 KC records)

Double hear hear ----- er hear hear hear hear I guess.

My favorite period would be the 3 albums with Whetton, "Red", "Lark's Tongue in Aspic", and "Starless and Bible Black". Gotta hand it to Fripp for stealing Bruford away from YES and then putting out those 3 incredible pieces of work.

And then, to reform, keeping Bruford on drums but adding Adrian Belew for Discipline,Beat,3oaPP.....

incredible.

I caught them on the Thrak tour, and seeing Bill Bruford play in tandem with Pat Mastellato (sp?) was out there (means good). 2 great drummers on stage with Fripp and Belew on guitars. Throw in Trey Gunn on Stick playing counterpoint to Tony Levin......

I need to go calm down.

[ryanbobo]

Check out "Rich vs Roach." Great solos throughout from two of the greatest ever (Max Roach and Buddy Rich), plus a great battle where they trade 8's that lasts something like 7 minutes.

Amazon Link (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000046Y8/qid=1082988385/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-7736364-9442553?v=glance&s=music)

[Snickers]

As Fugazi said, do check out Phil Collins and Chester Thompson - I believe there's some more drum duets on Phil's doubleset (named "The Longs" and "The Shorts" IIRC - tho' I'm not sure which CD the duet appears on). Very good.

And please don't yell (as I'm not an expert, so I don't know if the drumming's any good, tho' I do really enjoy the song), check out Seven Mary Three's "Punch In, Punch Out." Only drums and a singer.

Snicks