Steve Smith is (was) better than Neil Peart, change my mind.

[sir pball]

I love Rush, and Neil was one of, if not the second best, drummers of our time.

But sorry not sorry, that dude from Journey is better.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. That guy from "Journey" is better but a different guy

&ab_channel=thedeenforever

&ab_channel=SublimeMusicChannel

&ab_channel=SublimeMusicChannel


and now for the modern version of one of the best guitar players who ever lived, "Journey with Neal Schon and Greg Rolie"

&ab_channel=NealSchon

[blm]

2. Steve is great, but, Aynsley was the more musical drummer, IMO.

[Eliot Rosewater]

5. I am a drummer and my two favorites are Aynsley and Ginger...

and of course Ringo, who changed everything for everyone and who gave inspiration to millions of drummers.

Ringo is not now nor was he ever technically anywhere near any of these others, but watching him slump that shoulder down while the left hander played on a right hander set, wow...He is just cool.

&ab_channel=SublimeMusicChannel

[blm]

6. I hear ya. Ginger Baker is just crazy great.

Aynsley is just the most under-rated drummer, period.

[Eliot Rosewater]

7. He was his own worst enemy as many of us were in those days, drugs and alcohol.

The story was he was forced out of Journey for that reason. But he was crazy good, still is I guess.

[blm]

10. Aynsley was never big on drugs or alcohol.

His weakness was all the teenagers throwing themselves at him. He was very handsome then. Sad, that it was seen as acceptable and even expected back in that time. See:Led Zeppelin ....makes me sad because I loved Jimmy Page’s talent so much.

Journey, as people, were a bunch of backstabbing pr!cks, though - always ready to push someone out.

[Eliot Rosewater]

11. I would like to believe your version, I only heard that back then, dont know if true.

Last edited Tue Mar 16, 2021, 10:18 PM - Edit history (1)

speaking of Journey, I am a Giants fan (when I said I would like to believe your version, I dont think I thought that through)

&ab_channel=BrentKolhede

[blm]

12. I knew him when he was with Jefferson Starship.

He still had the weakness for the teenagers. Still a problem. And in the 90s a longtime friend of mine played with him for a few years with Eric Burdon. As far as I know he swore off the bad behavior by then.

[Eliot Rosewater]

13. I stood 20 feet from him when they opened for Kansas and Kansas refused to play

because the city wouldn't let them use the electrical system they needed for their light show, so Journey filled the time and played for 2 hours.

I had never seen anything like him, as a drummer myself I was in a sort of shock, partly in that I now knew how good I could never be.

[blm]

14. He was mesmerizing.

And that comes from a big Bonham fan.

[Eliot Rosewater]

15. There is video of someone asking Clapton if Bonham and Moon are comparable to

Ginger and he says incredulously that there is no comparison. That Ginger is in an entirely different class than them and all other rock drummers.

I agree.

I also saw those guys, Oakland Day on the Green...

[blm]

16. Ginger's page posts on FB occasionally in the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group. His friend, Fela Kuti, is a nominee and his page likes to cheer him on there.

Ginger is my number 1. Bonham and Aynsley are tied for 2nd.

[Eliot Rosewater]

19. Ginger Baker? What?

Ginger Baker is dead, I don’t know who you’re talking about now. Unless you mean Ginger Baker posted on Facebook before he died, but that would surprise me that he would have anything to do with the Internet at all, let alone FB?

[blm]

21. Sorry, meant his page. I fixed it.

[Eliot Rosewater]

24. Are you saying Ginger Baker posted on Facebook?

Would love to read that stuff

[blm]

25. His page. Like Les Paul has a page.

Last edited Tue Mar 16, 2021, 11:54 PM - Edit history (1)

It was active when he was alive, too.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

3. I love Neil and Steve Smith...

But my guys are Bill Bruford and Jeff Porcaro. Bruford is the most melodic player I've ever heard, and Porcaro was just a groove monster (Steve Smith has great groove as well!)

[tinrobot]

4. Ringo

[ZZenith]

8. Would put Vinnie slightly above Steve Smith

but not by much. Both are way more technically proficient than Neil Pearl was, but Neil was very inventive within the confines of the style he played.

At that level there is no “best” - only subjective preferences.

And then, of course, there’s this guy:

[sir pball]

17. Don't forget this guy

[Eliot Rosewater]

20. One of the all-time great's for sure

[Ferrets are Cool]

23. Terry was a beast

[sir pball]

27. Ya know he's still alive, right?

I'd say something about putting the joint down, but...y'know...

[Ferrets are Cool]

35. I knew I was gonna get that response as soon as I hit send.

[blm]

26. Another great.

[ZZenith]

29. Can't ever forget that guy.

Saw him in a clinic in Denver in the late ‘90’s. Forever changed the way I view the drum set - takes a monk-like attitude towards the instrument to gain that much independence.

Some of the Latin cats are taking it to another level as well.

For all-out entertainment value, though, I have to say I really enjoy this guy’s playing:

Stick with it - once he gets warmed up it’s nothing short of incredible.

[blm]

31. That was a blast

[left-of-center2012]

9. You are entitled to your opinion

Why would I want to change it?

[sir pball]

18. Because it can be a bit of fun

To compare and contrast our tastes.

[Ferrets are Cool]

22. I take it you've never heard Gavin Harrison

He and Danny Carey are the cream of the crop. And as in most things, it is subjective.

[sir pball]

28. I have, and...hmmm

He's good, and lord knows I love Danny (my first TOOL show was 94)...but neither of them have the full lifetime of experience yet.

And as I say that, I realize Danny is 59 and Gavin is 57...when did I get OLD?!?!

[Ferrets are Cool]

34. When?

not as soon as I did.

[Ahpook]

30. Nor sure who is better

Always liked Tommy Aldridge as well.

All great musicians!

[Earth-shine]

32. Does he write music?

Even better than Neil Peart's drumming are his written lyrics.

Drumming has to fit the music. I was never moved by Journey. They don't make music I want to hear.

Rush has been my number one for 40 years.

[ms liberty]

33. How sweet

You think Journey's drummer better than Neil. I think video comparisons - from any time period, up to Neil's last performance - would certainly show the differences to the uninitiated.
Journey was top 40 corporate era rock, and Rush was progressive rock. One is simple rock songs with one or two time signatures, and the other is complex musical compositions with multiple movements and time signatures. Plus, Neil wrote all the lyrics.
I'm in the prime age bracket to be a Journey fan; graduated from HS in 77. I own none of their albums. I own every Rush album and concert DVD. Why buy a Journey album when you can hear them on the radio ad nauseam for the last 40 years? I'll sing with them when I hear them on the radio because they're catchy pop tunes and well within my range, but it's junk food. Rush is fine dining.

[ruet]

36. Gavin Harrison's Better Than Both of Them.

There's a moment in the song where Gavin pulls off an incredible fill and Richard Barbieri (keyboard) looks over at him as if to ask, "did you really just pull that off?". There's also a little quasi-Djent section in there that is simply astounding. I can pick up most drum parts by ear but that section seems an impossibility to me.

You could squeeze Sean Reinert (RIP) and Danny Carey in there too. ...and Neil Peart was my inspiration to take up the sticks.


EDIT: to Ferrets are Cool.