the worst drummers

For what it's worth, Keith has always said "No Charlie, No Stones" or words to that effect. As great as Steve Jordan and others are, I believe if Charlie fell over and had a heart attack the Stones circus would pull up tent and call it a day.

 

I think all of them feel that way - I've always gotten the impression that was the band consensus.

Dunno if we'll ever find out. I think Charlie semi-retires at the end of every tour but obviously agrees to come back again.

Personally, I think Charlie wants us to believe he cares less about the Stones than he really does. Sure, I think jazz was/is his biggest love, but I honestly can't imagine the guy would still be playing with the Stones 50+ years after he started if he didn't enjoy it. While the money is awesome, I don't think he needs it - if he truly disliked being a Stone, he would've quite decades ago...

 

I'm sure Charlie still loves to play with the Stones or he would have quit the band by now. He had throat cancer and STILL pulled himself together after treatment to tour with the band. If he was sick of playing with the Stones that would have been the perfect opportunity to bail out. I don't think it's an accident the guy has played with the band for 50 years .

 

I thought he was very good with Trapeze.

 

lol @ anyone thinking Charlie Watts is one of the worst drummers

 

Helen's drumming is perfectly suited for her band though.

 

The Stones live and die by their drummer because when a drummer is off, the whole band is off! That is any band anywhere. What Charlie plays is so damn simple, that even if he is a little off, or he is playing it differently (which i've heard him do many times), it doesn't step on what the rest of the band is doing based on its simplicity. And in cases where it does, he must be WAY off.

Watts' mind is in the snare drum, not in the bass drum, which to me makes rock and roll less intense than it can be. My opinion. I still love much of the Stones' work. Since the rest of the Stones are so damn great, and i'm sure it's easy to finish writing songs with a simpleton drummer behind them, it has worked for the Stones. Another drummer might of taken more time doing their "job" and perhaps the albums wouldn't have been written as timely as the Stones' output.

I remember Lars Ulrich saying that he knows he is not the best drummer, but he is the best drummer in the world to play with James Hetfield. Maybe that makes sense. It still is embarassing to hear some of his drum parts on record. And i've seen him do drum solos that were outright embrassing. He's still in one of the biggest bands in the world. Can't take that away from him despite my own taste.


It seems all the biggest bands have mediocre drummers. People will always refer the Beatles about this. Ringo may not have been dishing out impressive fills, but he played like he wanted to play and put his spirit into what he was playing. He also had interesting ideas that i'm sure took more than a day to perfect in many of their songs regardless of their simplicity at times.

And I'd never say anything negative about Ian Paice, he's a wonderful drummer. Being awesome is a reflex he has, he has practiced and immersed himself in what he's doing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbYj71g1QQQ

I will re-iterate that I think Dave Grohl is overrated. He may be tight, and he hits hard, but i've always found him to lack creativity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFMG4UUL3iQ

also that Meg White made the White Stripes absolutely boring to listen to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXuKXLrQfjs
Jack White has a good grasp of guitar and sound/style. But she hits too hard and clumsy and has zero creativity.

 

You named Elvin Jones in a worst drummer thread???!!! One of the greatest ever, and it's not just my opinion, he's top of the top with almost all jazz lovers! Who's next, Billy Cobham, Ed Blackwell, Tony Williams?

 

His drumming in the early days (MOP/Justice) was pretty damn good, but nowadays, he just comes off as lazy. Very basic and generic drumming compared to the rest of the instrumentation in Metallica.

 

By better do you mean busier?

Charlie's playing style is a key component in the Stones' sound. The RS would not sound like the RS without him.

Charlie usually plays slightly behind the beat, which is a pretty rare in the world of R&R drummers. Unlike most bands where the drummer serves as the timekeeper, in the Stones Keith assumes the role of timekeeper with his rhythm guitar. And Charlie falls in line a split second behind Keith.

In addition, Charlie isn't a four-on-the-floor rock drummer, like most R&R drummers are. Even though he often plays a very basic drum pattern, Charlie tends to swing just a hint.

It's this combo of playing slightly behind the making it & swing just a tad that gives so many great Stones songs their groove. Don't be confused by Charlie's lack of flamboyance. His drumming is a vital component of the Stones signature sound.

 

I think he meant to type Elvin Hayes. Awesome basketball player, lousy drummer!

 

I think he was being facetious. Sadly, these kind of threads usually turn out this way.

 

http://www.details.com/culture-tren.../wiseguy-charlie-watts-rolling-stones-drummer

Interviewer: Are you ever tempted to bolt [from the Stones]?

Charlie Watts: No. It's a bit late for all that. I mean, we're going to stop anyway, one day, do you know what I mean? It's the sort of thing I should've done 30 years ago, if I meant to. But I never meant to. And why would I leave a thing that I've worked nearly all my life to help create?

 

He has no business being in the Rolling Stones? So what if you a drummer? When your in a band that is better than the Stones then I will listen but your advice on drumming is about as useful as Laurel & Hardy repairing my house!

 

If you play in a band, one thing is true: you're only as a good as your drummer.

 

I never really thought much about Bill Berry until he quit. And then his greatness became obvious and sorely missed. But The Smiths would not be what they were without Joyce (and Rourke). Rhythm sections don't get much tighter in rock music.

 

I've gotta give you bonus points for getting a Laurel and Hardy reference into a thread about drummers. You gave me a laugh. Well played !

 

In my opinion, I always found Berry rather stiff and somewhat boring. I've heard, though, that he was the guy who'd tell the others when something wasn't working, and that, to me, was his biggest contribution to the group.

Agreed on the Smiths, though. It's not part of the thread topic, but Andy Rourke is woefully underrated.

 

Well said.

Probably worth noting that Charlie has great discipline and resists temptation to overplay. Sounds basic commonsense but alas is lacking in many performers.

 

I would rather listen to Charlie Watts drum than listen to someone like Mike Portnoy wank on and on.

 

Maybe you haven't heard Portnoy in this context:



I used to think he was an annoying wanker until I saw him with that band. Then I was convinced of what a great musician he is.

 

Worst Drummer ? My Old Roland TR707. It would randomly just stop working and required a firm hit to get it going again.

 

Charlie Watts? Lars Ulrich? I would love to be one the worst drummers in two of the most popular bands of all time! Who is next? Neil Peart?

 

Neil Peart.

Just kidding...

Seriously, I've always been less than astonished with Bev Bevan's playing. He's seemed like one of those drummers who's just there, keeping the beat, because the band needed someone on drums. Real pedestrian in his style.

 

A vote for Moe Tucker of Velvet Underground

Edit: Has Charlie Watts ever made a mistake on record? (Actually curious to know)

A good drummer keeps the tempo, plays what is needed of him, doesn't make mistakes, and makes the song "feel good".

Let us please not let the show-off Bonhams, Moons, Bakers, and Mitchells fool us into thinking that a drummer who stays in the pocket is not a good drummer.