Classic Drum Recordings

[dr.clox.phd]

Hello Home Recording.com users,

I'm writing a dissertation about classic drum recordings
and i'd really appreciate some help.
i'm trying to find some tracks that are widely recognised
as being classic examples of drum recordings, to analyse as
part of my dissertation.

If i could get lists of 5 of your favourite drum recordings, which
could be favourites for any reason; the sound of the kit,
the performance, the groove, the arrangement,interesting
production etc, that would be really helpful.

Thanks, Ben.

[errr314]

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks

Uh .... my mind went blank.

[Supercreep]

Tom Sawyer - Rush

Asia - Steely Dan

Fool in the Rain - Led Zeppelin

Estimated Prophet - The Grateful Dead

Ticks and Leeches - Tool


Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover - (Steve Gadd for Paul Simon)

Here's six examples of totally different and most excellent drum recordings.

[Nick The Man]

Originally Posted by errr314

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks

Uh .... my mind went blank.

got my first choice covered

[Nick The Man]

really like all the grooves on phish songs

[ausrock]

Let There Be Drums.........Sandy Nelson

Wipeout.........damned if I remember who at the moment

In A Gada Da Vida.........Iron Butterfly

[groovyisland]

ringos solo right before "and in the end the love you take..."

brubecks take 5 has the most wonderful drum sounds

most anything by led zeppelin

gene krupa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHr4X...elated&search=

mitch mitchell on jimi hendrix's fire

[Seafroggys]

Come Together - The Beatles
The End - The Beatles
Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who
Heaven and Hell - The Who (Live at Leeds)
Fireball - Deep Purple

[nddhc]

Definitely Come together by The Beatles. Im far too young to really judge this but wouldnt you guys consider that one of the first times drums have been heavily muffled? Maybe I missed something earlier

Nirvanas Nevermind album has some good drum sounds as well.

[Eclectist]

Canary in a Coalmine, followed immediately by Every Breath You Take
These two demonstrate the growth of Copeland's understanding of studio technique on drums.

[RAMI]

Alot of good choices above. I'd add "Highway Star" by Deep Purple.

[rayc]

One I don't like but was VERY influential - drums on John Mellencamp's Jack N Dianne. THE 80's rock snare for better or worse.
& the circular playing on Closer by Joy Division is another landmark but also tres, tres bonn!

[toddyjoe]

Lots of classic rock input here but how about the most-sampled drum beat in the history of hip-hop courtesy of Clyde Stubblefield:

"Funky Drummer" by James Brown.

Here is a Wikipedia article on the song for some reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funky_drummer

[BentRabbit]

Excellent submissions...

May I add:

Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin

Didacts and Narpets - Rush

Heart of the Sunrise - Yes

Burn - Deep Purple

Under a Glass Moon - Dream Theater

[slayer-saves]

This is all metal but I think these sound very good

Song - Year - Album - Band

Mother Man - 1991 - Unquestionable Presence - Atheist
Good drum sound AMAZING Performance

Freezing Moon - 1994 - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas - Mayhem
Very roomy, the drum kit sounds HUGE.

Death is Certain (Life is not) - 1986 - Darkness Descends -Dark Angel
The bass drum is awesome!

Zero Tolerance - 1995 - Symbolic - Death
Whole kit sounds very clean while not sterile

Night's Blood - 1995 - Storm Of The Light's Bane - Dissection
Very roomy sound, hard to describe

[Ding Dong]

check out the drum tone on "Fairys Wear Boots" by black sabbath. Super dry, very classic sound.

[dr.clox.phd]

Thanks to everyone that has replied so far, some really great examples of classic drum recordings. I thought i should post five of my favourites, so here goes;

Track - Album - Band - Drummer

When the Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin - John Bonham

Digital Bath - White Pony - Deftones - Abe Cunningham

Blood Sugar Sex Magik - Blood Sugar Sex Magik - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Chad Smith

Babylon Sisters - Gaucho - Steely Dan - Bernard Purdie

Fogotten (Lost Angels) - Sacrament - Lamb of God - Chris Adler


.....I forgot, Tool - Ticks and Leeches, Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun and Rage Against the Machine - Self Titled and Evil Empire. Damn. Oh, and AC/DC - Back in Black

[andyhix]

The simon and garfunkel song above reminded me of "America" by them. Cool uber-reverbed hard hitting, yet sporadic. Definitely a unique sound.

[ez_willis]

Ice Ice Baby- Vanilla Ice

[lasagne]

Ringo's drums on Tomorrow Never Knows - that song must have been a bitch to drum to.

[Lectric_Lab]

I know Led Zeppelin...has been mentioned, but if you want John Bonham, get their LIVE album circa 69'....he rocks!

[StackableMusic]

It's very weird that no one has mentioned "Amen Brother" by The Winstons, which is probably the most-sampled break in dance music, with the aforementioned "Funky Drummer" in the #2 slot, and "Apache" by Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band in the #3 slot.

Lyn Collins "Think (About It)" is pretty famous, too (though maybe more for the shouts in it than the drums themselves).

[Kevin Lowe]

Don't forget Phil Collins. I know he's not everyone's cup of tea. But, his playing and sound have been influential, particularly in the way he often melded powerful drums on top of drum machine loops. Representative tunes:

I Don't Care Anymore
In the Air Tonight
Mama

I'd also have to nominate various performances by Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band) - just about anything from Under the Table and Dreaming.

Stewart Copeland - Driven to Tears (every time I try to play this song, I'm driven to tears by my lack of ability)

[charger]

When the Levee Breaks - Zeppelin
Walk this Way - Aerosmith
Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2
Dear Prudence - The Beatles
Manic Depression - Jimi Hendrix Experience

[robin watson]

Originally Posted by dr.clox.phd

Hello Home Recording.com users,

I'm writing a dissertation about classic drum recordings
and i'd really appreciate some help.
i'm trying to find some tracks that are widely recognised
as being classic examples of drum recordings, to analyse as
part of my dissertation.

If i could get lists of 5 of your favourite drum recordings, which
could be favourites for any reason; the sound of the kit,
the performance, the groove, the arrangement,interesting
production etc, that would be really helpful.

Thanks, Ben.

Yes - Roundabout. The sound of the kit: the snare goes 'booong!' but it works); performance (Bruford melded jazz and rock, later becoming an exponent of Simmons electronic drums, which were popular at the time); interesting production: not the drum sound per se, but the song itself contains lots of studio tricks, such as backwards acoustic piano.

Phil Collins - good call. People that knock him probably haven't heard him in Brand X - very, very capable drummer. In the Air Tonight showcases his famous (and now, thankfully, defunct) gated snare sound (which was apparently discovered accidentally by an engineer who heard it via the talkback mic on an SSL desk (which had gates on every channel, apparently). You'd have to verify that story with a web search, but if it's true, it's a cool anecdote to include in yer dissertation.

For John Bohnam, it would have to be either the aformentioned Levee Breaks, or Moby Dick (solo).

Tons of examples of great players, but from a 'recording' perspective, it's hard for me to think of any really significant ones, that is, from a technical/studio perspective.