Well, let me tell ya somethin’ about these fellas beatin’ on the drums, the real good ones, you know? The ones that make ya wanna tap yer feet and shake yer head ’til yer neck hurts. They call ’em the best rock drummers, and I reckon I’ve heard a few in my time.
First off, there’s this fella John Bonham. They called him Bonzo, and let me tell ya, he could make them drums talk! He was with that band, Led Zeppelin, you might’ve heard of ’em. Bonzo, he had it all, the power, the groove… he could make them drums sing and roar like nothin’ else. He hit them things so hard, I bet he went through drumsticks like nothin’! Folks say he’s a legend, and I ain’t gonna argue with that.
Then there’s this other fella, Neil Peart. Real shame what happened to him, passed away not too long ago. He played with that band Rush, now they were somethin’ else. Not like anything you ever heard before. Neil, he was a smart one, always readin’ and writin’ stuff. But when he got behind them drums, he was somethin’ else. Fast and complicated, always doin’ somethin’ different.
- And speakin’ of complicated, there’s this Mike Portnoy fella. He played with that Dream Theater band. Real fancy stuff, all them technical things, you know? He’s one of them drummers other drummers look up to, I reckon. Folks say he’s real influential. Influential, that means other folks try to play like him, see?
- Then there’s that French fella, Christian Vander. He’s a bandleader too, not just a drummer. Kinda different from the rest, but good in his own way. He’s got his own style, you know? Not everyone’s cup of tea, but some folks swear by him.
Now, I don’t know much about all them different kinds of drums, but I hear some folks like the birch drums for playin’ live. Say they sound bright and clear. And some of these rock drummers, they like them metal snare drums, not the wooden ones. Steel, brass, aluminum, all sorts of fancy stuff. I guess it all depends on what kind of sound yer lookin’ for.
There’s a whole bunch of other fellas beatin’ on the drums out there, but these are the ones that stick out in my mind. They’re the ones that make the music come alive, you know? The ones that make ya wanna get up and dance, even if yer knees ain’t what they used to be. They’re the best rock drummers, and that’s all there is to it.
And I hear tell there’s this magazine, Rollin’ Stone, they asked folks who their favorite drummers were. Folks picked all sorts, from that Bonham fella all the way to someone called ?uestlove… now that’s a funny name, ain’t it? I reckon everyone’s got their own favorites, but the ones I told ya about, they’re the real deal.
So next time you hear a good rock song, pay attention to them drums. Listen to how they keep the beat, how they make the music move. And remember the fellas beatin’ on ’em, ’cause they’re the ones makin’ it all happen. They’re the heart and soul of the whole thing, just like a good strong cup of coffee in the mornin’ gets ya goin’.
Anyways, that’s all I gotta say about that. Just a bunch of fellas makin’ a racket, but a good racket, mind you. The kind that makes you feel alive.
Tags: [Rock Drummers, John Bonham, Neil Peart, Mike Portnoy, Christian Vander, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Dream Theater, Best Drummers, Drumming Techniques, Drum Equipment]
