I am not a fan of drum solos - but then again, I am a guitarist, so I suppose that is to be expected.
My idea of perfect drumming in rock is **Phil Rudd of AC/DC ** playing on Problem Child - no fills. Period - just locked-in groove. At the end of the solo, he really stretches out and adds some sorta maracca rhythm sound on top of the beat. And because his groove is so solid and simple, it really stands out. Less is More.
I love **Tre Cool of Green Day ** - he plays melodic drums and while he does play fills, they are like little lead licks that fill out the song.
I love the version of Moby Dick off the Zep DVD collection How the West Was Won.
My all-time favorite drum break is by Bernard Purdie on Aretha’s Rock Steady - in the break, when the girls are singing “Rock…Steady; Rock…Steady” and then Purdie comes in with a syncopated series and hi-hat hit that just blows my hair back.
Not necessarily solos ( but some of those ), but I’ve been re-listening to mid-period Zappa recently and I’ve rediscovered my fondness for Aynsley Dunbar’s drumming. Not that Zappa hasn’t had plenty of accomplished drummers, but Dunbar somehow stands out for me. Especially on parts of The Grand Wazoo.
'course I’m no drummer, so I have no idea what REAL drummers think of him ;).
I really enjoyed Omar Hakim’s solo in Sting’s movie Bring On the Night (YouTube clip). I don’t know if it’s apparent from this brief, choppy excerpt, but watching the whole movie it’s like he just takes flight.
Count me among the drummers that hate *listening * to drum solos. Now watching one? That’s a different kettle o’ fish. I’ll watch a spontaneous drum circle. (And laugh to myself at the sincerity of the bad players. Kinda arrogant, hunh?)
Because of that I’ve really no performances to add, but I thought anyone interested enough to be reading this thread might enjoy this site. It’s a magnificent source for info about drummers including video and soundclips. Check out the animation for YYZ on Neil Peart’s page.
In the late 80’s Genesis put out a VHS tape of their Mama tour. At the end of In the Cage Phil Collins and Chester Thompson do a duet. It’s really good. The way they fade from the duet into Turn It On is really cool too.
I am not sure if it was this I watched, or a Phil Collins solo concert (with Chester Thompson). They are both sitting in a sea of drums and cymbals, both playing out of their skins, and doing something that is so much more than Crash, Boom, Bam. Amazing.
