# Best use of multiple percussionists in rock/metal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 26, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353 "2010-04-26T01:04:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/1 "2010-04-26T01:04:59Z")
Hey rock/metalheads, which bands do you think consistently make or made the best use of multiple percussionists? ---
**Author:** ![HISSNLISSN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed8c4c/32.png) [@HISSNLISSN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HISSNLISSN)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/2 "2010-04-26T01:13:08Z")
Jim O’Rourke’s “Therefore I Am” has some pretty great multi-tracked drumming. Hard to hear on a YouTube ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yssil4Jhzjw](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yssil4Jhzjw)) but worth checking out for your “percussion in stereo” query. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/3 "2010-04-26T01:49:22Z")
Santana. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/4 "2010-04-26T16:57:57Z")
In my opinion, Frank Zappa. The use of percussion is incredible - mallets playing melody or accompaniment, sound effects for tone colour, occasional groove support, frequent poly-rhythmic dialogues with the kit drummer. Whether we’re speaking of Ruth Underwood or Ed Mann, there was some fantastic playing going on in the back of those bands… ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/5 "2010-04-26T16:59:15Z")
'Nuther vote for Zappa. ---
**Author:** ![Loisseau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Loisseau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loisseau)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/6 "2010-04-26T18:05:38Z")
Allman and Doobie Bros. bands ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/7 "2010-04-26T18:12:23Z")
Adam and the Ants. Not a large catalog of albums before Adam went out on his own, but they made some very loud drum-driven tunes. ---
**Author:** ![krisolov](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krisolov/32/3724_2.png) [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/8 "2010-04-26T18:45:48Z")
I’d have to say the Grateful Dead, Zappa, Santana and moe. ---
**Author:** ![spazurek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@spazurek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spazurek)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/9 "2010-04-26T19:00:45Z")
**The Melvins** did one album, A Senile Animal, using two drummers (in fact they subsumed a whole band, **Big Business** ), and the effect is pretty awesome. 'Course, everything the Melvins do is awesome, so no surprise there. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/10 "2010-04-26T19:30:02Z")
Of course, Zappa. But I have some other favorites to add to the list: [Butthole Surfers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEuKiqnnOPM) ruled. They just ruled. [Rovo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LpbQTHxtpI) is an oft-unnoticed band started by former Boredoms’ guitarist and his fiddle playing friend. [Course](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M54_GRmyeJM) [of](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RvYn7JDd1E) [Empire](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eBBn1knHVk) is a band that I saw live twice, about 10 years apart. They were great both times. They’re another band in the “too bad they never quite caught on” category. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/11 "2010-04-26T20:37:13Z")
Edgar Winter Group. Frankenstein. Game, Set, Match… ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/12 "2010-04-26T21:12:24Z")
[I can’t believe no one has posted this yet.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qWCOJPwdXw&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/13 "2010-04-27T02:38:59Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > In my opinion, Frank Zappa. The use of percussion is incredible - mallets playing melody or accompaniment, sound effects for tone colour, occasional groove support, frequent poly-rhythmic dialogues with the kit drummer. Whether we’re speaking of Ruth Underwood or Ed Mann, there was some fantastic playing going on in the back of those bands… In that vein, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band. ---
**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 27, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-use-of-multiple-percussionists-in-rock-metal/537353/14 "2010-04-27T03:07:33Z")
I agree with most of the above. The standard for two drummers in rock has to be The Allman Brothers. I’m especially partial to Santana for its brilliance in their range of percussion. That sound brought them to almost instant fame. I’ve been to numerous all-percussion concerts with 50 or more instruments on stage, so I know how many different sounds that percussion can make. It’s always surprised me that so few groups take advantage of that. Yeah, I know that when you’re starting out each additional member means a smaller fraction of the take. Still should be a larger fraction of larger bands out there.