Favorite Progressive Rock Drummer?

Favorite Progressive Rock Drummer?

Nice question.

No 1 (for me anyway) - Micheal Giles, specifically from the McDonald and Giles cd, 1971. http://www.dprp.vuurwerk.nl/forgotten/macdonald/

Every time i hear this album the drums make the hairs stand up on end !

No 2 would be Andy Ward from.........Camel !

Im not a real prog freak, I like to dip in and out. I totally admire Neil Pert, but I dont particuarly like Rush.

In the same way I admire Mike Portnoy, but again I dont listen to Dream Theatre, I have a cd or two but it just doesnt do it for me.

Then there is the whole "What is progressive rock?" debate....I'll stop right now

How many successful prog rock bands have there really been? Successful in the sense that a decent number of people will have heard of them outside of their own local followings.

Here are the more successful ones I can think of and all of them had excellent drummers:

Genesis (early years): Phil Collins

Yes: Bill Bruford (they were less progressive and more rock when Alan White joined)

Rush: Neil Peart, John Rutsey

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer: Carl Palmer

King Crimson: Bill Bruford, Pat Mastelotto (can't recall who preceeded Bruford)

UK: Bill Bruford, Terry Bozzio

Dream Theater: Mike Portnoy

Tool (well, I consider them a very heavy prog rock): Danny Carey

Jethro Tull: a whole bunch

Seems like Bill Bruford is a common thread in a few of them. So maybe he's the best ever?

The first King Crimson drummer was Micheal Giles, I should have mentioned this in my post about McDonald and Giles above.

Micheal Giles and Ian McDonald were both on the first King Crimson album and left due to mucial differences on the first US tour.

I do not like prog at all.........but if I had to choose I'd say Danny Carey (Tool) and Martin Lopez (Opeth)

Rod Morgenstein

So are you considering the Dregs and Dixie Dregs prog rock and not fusion? I always used to see them refered to as a fusion band. Maybe because they didn't have any vocals.

Damn labels.

I could see the fusion reference, but I'd say it's a fine line with prog. In the end, it's just a label. Stylistically, he does some very progressive stuff, but the Dregs do have that crazy combo of country twang, rock, odd time/syncopation and over the top playing.

I think the diff is the vocals. Think about it. Aside from the higher level of complexity, how much difference was there between Yes and Mahavishnu Orchestra? I think prog rock is fusion with singing.

Quite possibly. In any case, I like Morgenstein.

Now you're talking my language.

Mike Portnoy and Neil Peart hands down for me.

Mike Portnoy has certainly influenced me the most. For years before I truly became a drummer, I listened to a ton of DT and that's when I first started paying attention to the drums. His style became ingrained in my brain. He's certainly one of my faves as well. But it changes all the time.

Portnoy or Danny Carey if you consider them prog. I think the thing that turns me off prog drummers is the lack of feeling and emotion behind them. Neil Peart sounds like a robot. Don't get wrong, he's an amazing drummer, he just doesn't do anything for me. I'd love to have his timing. But I like listening to drummers like Carter Beauford who's drumming, while similar in some respects, has a lot of heart and feeling behind it.

I'd consider Laymen Terms ( www.laymentermsmusic.com/ ) pretty prog. Their new drummer Greg is the greatest drumming force on the planet...

Their old drummer who plays on the current recordings isn't too shabby either...

You can stream their entire new album at their purevolume site...

Far too many people think this way. Same thing with so called guitar gods like Yngwie Malmsteen. Guys that come around with blazing chops are criticized for lack of feeling. I personally disagree. I happen to think both Portnoy and Peart play with tons of feeling. Obviously you don't hear it but I do. It's all a matter of perspective.

Possibly. Back in the day I was a big Rush fan. But Peart's drumming, which is the main thing that drew me in, is the same thing that eventually turned me off of them. I'm not saying no prog drummer has feeling. I just haven't heard a good example. Maybe someone can provide me with some examples.

Precisely why I like Morgenstein. He can be busy and complex but still make it groove.

Check out Nick DiVirgilio from Spock's Beard, he's got great chops but plays with a loose feel that's a lot more natural-sounding than people like Portnoy or Carey.

Cool, I'll check those guys out, thanks

Ian Paice is high on my list of great drummers. Also like Cozy Powell.

Well, I'm not too into the prog rock (was into Tool until I realized how pretentious they were) but drummers with odd-timing that I dig nowadays are Brann Dailor (Mastodon, more metal than prog, but an incredible drummer: MASTODON) and Will Scharf (Keelhaul, kind of hard to describe. Since people are label-crazy I'll call them math-prog: KEELHAUL). If you're into metal and that sort of thing, I highly suggest you check those two out if you haven't before.

BILL BRUFORD

The {censored}!

Danny Carey for me. I also like some of the stuff Bobby Jombarzek has done.

Oh yeah ! Brann from Mastodon is a great drummer. I had lost a lot of interest in metal until I heard Leviathan.

I saw Mastodon in Birmingham in December, and am off to see them in London in two weeks time - I cant wait.