Matt Chamberlain. Like him or hate him?

I was just thinking about the "best drummer you have seen live" thread, and Matt came to mind. I have never seen him live, but I have enjoyed his various studio productions. Any opinions?

Who is he?

He was the drummer for the Smashing Pumpkins until they broke up, and now he's the drummer for Zwan (that's their name, right?). He had some trouble with a heroin addiction for quite some time, I think. That's all I know about him. What I've heard of his is pretty damn solid.

Youre thinking of Jimmy Chamberlain. On the subject of him, he is amazingly talented and should be doing a lot more than what he's doing right now!

Ya know, if you're gonna ask people who they think of someone, you have to get the right name first. I know who Jimmy Chamberlain is, and I think he's ok, although I haven't heard enough Pumpkins (never really liked the band all that much, and I'm not going to listen to a band simply for the drummer) to make a decision.

{censored}!

Well, then I don't know who Matt Chamberlain is. Fill me in, JSimms.

Matt Chamberlain did a few live dates with Pearl Jam back in 1991. He left Pearl Jam to join the Saturday Night Live band (1991-1992 season).

He's also performed and/or recorded with Stevie Nicks, Nichole Nordeman, Aaron Neville, Van Morrison, Tori Amos, Natalie Merchant, Brad Mehldau, Martina McBride, Lisa Loeb, Dave Koz, Elton John, Chris Isaak, Bruce Hornsby, Faith Hill, Peter Gabriel and Christina Aguilera ... just to name a few.

Here's his personal website: www.mattchamberlain.com

I'd recommend listening to Gish and Siamese Dream. IMO, that represents the best of the Pumpkins, and the best of Jimmy's drumming.

IMO, Matt's best work can be heard on Fiona Apple's When the Pawn... Great stuff.

Two problems:

A) I hate the Pumpkins too much to stand listening to an entire album unless I have to.

B) I hate Fiona Apple too much to stand listening to an entire album unless I have to.

My response to that would be, perhaps you've been listening to the wrong albums. About a third of Siamese Dream and then every album after that, is IMO, a poor example of what the Pumpkins are capable of. Fiona's first album was mediocre at best, but her second album is great, again, IMO.

I've heard early Pumpkins. I've heard later Pumpkins. I've heard Zwan. I've heard all sorts of Fiona Apple. I hate it all. Unfortunately for me, most of my school loves those three acts.

/me pounds head against wall to the beat of "Super Terrorizer."

love Matt's work on Tori's latest, Scarlet's Walk. groovey, and driving, and at once a real part of Tori's sound, not some tacked on drum loop.

and his work on Fiona Apple's last album, "When the Pawn...", is killer!!! his "solo fills" on the song "Limp" are soooooo tasteful it hurts! and you cant beat that drum&bass like groove on "Fast as You Can".

the guy really knows how to add magic to a track.

Matt and Jimmy are both great.

Never really like Tori Amos much, but I did see her in concert with the ol' lady, and Matt is very groovy. He was so amazingly rhythmic, that you had to get into the groove of the song. I was very impressed, with Matt and the bass player too (Tori was good to, I can't say that she wasn't).

Jay

Originally posted by Chabo Ya know, if you're gonna ask people who they think of someone, you have to get the right name first. I know who Jimmy Chamberlain is, [...]

I did get the name right.

Matt Chamberlain is best known as a studio musician, and I think his best work was done on the Wallflowers album Bringing Down the Horse.

Here is Matt's discography.

He works with a very wide range of musicians, and I think that if I had to describe his drumming in one word, it would be: smooth.