# Best Drum solo... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 19, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748 "2004-04-19T01:28:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/21 "2004-04-19T18:50:05Z")
_Mea_ serious _culpa_: it was the **USC Trojan Marching Band** , who apparently have something of a history with **Fleetwood Mac**. ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/22 "2004-04-19T23:53:47Z")
> [@rjk](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/23 "2004-04-20T01:28:10Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/24 "2004-04-20T03:19:23Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![klockwerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/klockwerk/32/6475_2.png) [@klockwerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/klockwerk)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/25 "2004-04-20T03:56:44Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Spoonbender](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spoonbender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoonbender)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/26 "2004-04-20T04:06:08Z")
Rush, YYZ, live version. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/27 "2004-04-20T04:42:38Z")
Carl Palmer’s had good ones in _Tank_ and a live performance of _Rondo_. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/28 "2004-04-20T05:04:16Z")
> [@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. 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! ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/29 "2004-04-20T05:14:57Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > 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). ---
**Author:** ![seaworthy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@seaworthy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seaworthy)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/30 "2004-04-20T06:02:25Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/31 "2004-04-20T06:31:20Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BIH\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/49beb7/32.png) [@BIH\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BIH_Boy)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/32 "2004-04-20T12:33:01Z")
> [@Knighted Vorpal Sword](#): > > Ringo Starr. > > _Abbey Road_. > > “Carry that Weight.” > > 'nuff said. Hear Hear! ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/33 "2004-04-20T15:56:37Z")
_Dharma For One_ by Jethro Tull. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/34 "2004-04-20T16:28:37Z")
Now, I know feck all about drumming, but aren’t we missing the bloody obvious here? Whole Lotta Love by Led Zep ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/35 "2004-04-20T16:48:23Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/36 "2004-04-20T17:19:50Z")
> [@dnooman](#): > > “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. ---
**Author:** ![Kurt\_M.Weber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kurt\_M.Weber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kurt_M.Weber)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/37 "2004-04-20T18:45:34Z")
> [@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. Damn you. I was going to say that. ---
**Author:** ![da\_pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@da\_pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/da_pope)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/38 "2004-04-20T21:57:09Z")
‘do what you like’ on blind faith. IMHO the most musical rock drum solo evah. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/39 "2004-04-20T22:35:40Z")
Sort of an obvious pick, but I’ve always loved Morello’s work on Dave Brubeck’s _Take Five_. ---
**Author:** ![remisser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@remisser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/remisser)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748/40 "2004-04-25T18:39:42Z")
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.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-drum-solo/240748.md?page=3)