# Who's your favorite ROCK drummer of all time?



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

As above..............


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2014)

I have to like the musical context that the drummer works in, so that would rule out anyone working in metal!

One of my roommates would bend my ear about Clive Bunker and Barriemore Barlow, but I couldn't get on with Tull, so it went in one ear and out the other.

A few years ago, I saw Chad Wackerman who was very impressive, but his material was dull.

And I know that if I go to the DrummerWorld site I can sample many of the greats.

But I'd have to say Phil Collins - as much for his work with others like Brand X as with Genesis.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

1. Keith Moon.

Moon's playing can sound as wild and undisciplined as his off-stage antics but it suited the Who insofar as they had a unique dynamic where it was often Moon and Entwistle that played around the song while Townshend's guitar actually anchored the group. At their best (i.e. Live at Leeds, possibly the greatest hard-rock live album ever) the interplay between the three was nigh-on telepathic.

2. John Bonham.

It many ways the antithesis of Moon (at least on stage...) - Bonzo's drumming was all about precision allied with ferocious power no doubt helped by spending some of his younger years as a steel worker. Not for him the 18-piece rock god kit, but his basic five-drum set-up was unique in that the drums were bigger than most people's - his bass drum was 26" when most were 22" and helped create a massive sound with seemingly little effort. But he wasn't all about 4/4 autopilot - how about the slightly off-kilter pattern to Black Dog? There had been fine power drummers before him (Tony Newman, Carmen Appice etc.), however Bonham's huge sound but largely unfussy style still remains one of my favourite rock listens.

3. Bill Bruford.

He was just as much a jazz percussionist as he was a rock drummer and as a result he needs to be challenged by the music he is playing. Cut his teeth with Yes where his top-kit emphasis was evident from the get-go (plus he had a distinctive popping sound to his snare drum) but it was with the knottier King Crimson that he realised his full potential and his recruitment was key to the group's second wind which resulted in a trio of excellent studio albums before splitting in 74.


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

Seconding a vote for Mr. Moon.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

1) Neil Peart
2) John Bonham
3) Jon Theodore
4) Benny Greb
5) Mel Gaynor


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## Winterreisender (Jul 13, 2013)

I find Mike Portnoy's work pretty captivating. Neil Peart likewise. I also rather like Matt Cameron (of Soundgarden fame), whose drumming I find wonderfully subtle.


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2014)

I've checked out some of the suggestions and I wonder whether anyone else notices that some (most) are slightly 'lop-sided'? That is, they favour one hand over another, or one foot over another, which means that alternate beats are not always as evenly spaced as you might expect. I know that Collins was guilty of this.

So of the top rock drummers, is there one who is the most even-handed?

(BTW, when did the double-pedal for the bass come in? Am I right in thinking that older rock drummers preferred single pedals? And sound slower (or just less flashy) in comparison to the modern generation?


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2014)

1. Ian Paice (Deep Purple)
2. John Bonham (Led Zep)
3. Ginger Baker (Cream)
4. Keith Moon (The Who)
5. Ringo Starr (Beatles)
6. Nick Mason (Pink Floyd, favorite band by far)


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## Orange Soda King (Sep 14, 2010)

I'm a Neil Peart fan myself.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Anyone who is not familiar with this drummer should definitely check out this video:

Benny Greb:


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

Peart .


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

Itullian said:


> As above..............


Unquestionably: Neil Peart.


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2014)

Danny Carey

and some extra characters


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

Stewart Copeland is up there. 

I don't especially like flashy drumming - or solos - so I'm glad someone mentioned Ringo. I'd take the fills on A Day in the Life over just about anything else in Rock history.


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## Schubussy (Nov 2, 2012)

Jaki Liebezeit


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Animal! (of the muppets)

/ptr


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## lupinix (Jan 9, 2014)

I once made a whole list of favorite drummers, guitarists, keyboardists, bassists etc. but then my computer crashed...
But I guess among my favorites are Keith moon, John Weathers, Gavin Harrison, Ringo Star and Carl Palmer.


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2014)

It's a shame Gavin Harrison doesn't play a major part in any good bands.


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## lupinix (Jan 9, 2014)

arcaneholocaust said:


> It's a shame Gavin Harrison doesn't play a major part in any good bands.


true indeed, i agree


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## Guest (Jan 28, 2014)

I actually love most of the instrumental work on Lightbulb Sun. But it suffers from the problem that I still know Steven Wilson is singing. And yeah, he's not a great singer, but I actually hate his singing more just because it reminds me of what an ******* *he* is.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Bonham
Bruford
Pip Pyle
Phil Collins


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Not a big fan of the drums. Though I realize it's important for a band to stay in beat. But I always pay attention to the guitars or other melodic instruments.


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## Schubussy (Nov 2, 2012)

arcaneholocaust said:


> I actually love most of the instrumental work on Lightbulb Sun. But it suffers from the problem that I still know Steven Wilson is singing. And yeah, he's not a great singer, but I actually hate his singing more just because it reminds me of what an ******* *he* is.


Why do you hate Steven Wilson so much?


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## lupinix (Jan 9, 2014)

neoshredder said:


> Not a big fan of the drums. Though I realize it's important for a band to stay in beat. But I always pay attention to the guitars or other melodic instruments.


I like drums only when it does more than just keep the music in beat, when it adds something nice. Too regular drumbeats without variation irritate me and give me a feeling of being in some sort of cage, thats why I don't like much "Dance" music


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

The only drummer I can name with certainty is *Maureen Tucker*.


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## Sudonim (Feb 28, 2013)

Nobody's mentioned Charlie Watts yet? What kind of rock fans are you? 

I have a sentimental attachment to Neil Peart because as a teenager I was obsessed with Rush. And I still recognize that he _is_ very talented.

John Bonham: yes! That big sound was perfect for Led Zep.

Max Weinberg. Steve Gadd (especially on Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover"). Mick Fleetwood. Mitch Mitchell.

He's not really "rock," but one of my favorite drummers of all is the late Al Jackson, the great Memphis session drummer who worked with (among others) Otis Redding and Al Green. Levon Helm was once described as "the only drummer who can make you cry," but for me Jackson was another.


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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

brotagonist said:


> The only drummer I can name with certainty is *Maureen Tucker*.


Underrated and relatively unknown though


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## MJongo (Aug 6, 2011)

Seconding Jaki Liebezeit.


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## samurai (Apr 22, 2011)

Having had the privilege of seeing both the Who and ELP live in NYC, I would most certainly add my votes for Moon and Palmer. I also have to add the name of B.J. Wilson of Procol Harum to my list.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

samurai said:


> Having had the privilege of seeing both the Who and ELP live in NYC, I would most certainly add my votes for Moon and Palmer. I also have to add the name of B.J. Wilson of Procol Harum to my list.


Moon and Palmer.
Palmer's solos are incredible.
Being a huuuuuuuuuge Tull fan, I must add Clive Bunker and Barriemore Barlow
to the thread.


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2014)

starthrower said:


> Bonham
> Bruford
> Pip Pyle
> Phil Collins


Three great drummers here! Give me the whimsy and subtlety of Hatfield and the North over the overweight Led Zep any day.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Didn't John Lennon once say that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the Beatles 
He gets my vote as the luckiest man who has ever lived
Keith Moon for best drummer


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

If there was an under-rated category my vote would go to Grand Funk Railroad's Don Brewer (immortalised by Homer Simpson who described his drumming as 'competent' when extolling the individual virtues of the group). He had a fast and precise bass drum foot and was capable of excellent snare/toms work. Check out I Come Tumblin' from the E Pluribus Funk LP - this was Chad Smith 20 years before his time:


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Haydn man said:


> Didn't John Lennon once say that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the Beatles
> He gets my vote as the luckiest man who has ever lived
> Keith Moon for best drummer


Everyone blames Yoko for breaking up the Beatles. But I blame the source. John Lennon is the blame.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

neoshredder said:


> Everyone blames Yoko for breaking up the Beatles. But I blame the source. John Lennon is the blame.


Lennon should have at least kept Ono out of the studio even if she was his principal comfort blanket in 1968 (apart from heroin, allegedly). I'm surprised the White Album got made at all what with her clinging to him like a bloody limpet all the time - she also used to go into the control booth and whine over the intercom 'Joooooohhhhhhnnn I miiiiiiiiiiiiss yooooooooou.....' whenever Lennon had to be dragged into a different room to work or discuss something. Annoying cow.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

^ Sounds like classic female behaviour to me (*gasp* who said that??)

Meanwhile, back to the drummers:
- Alan White; I like his seamless ability to convert awkward rhythms into a toe-tapping beat while also having a very dry and varied sound to his drums. I also like his fill-ins and pre-empts.
- Phil Collins; I didn't like his 80's mega-ego and the fact that he turned Genesis into a middle-aged mums pop band, but he was always a very good drummer (left-handed set-up too)
- Bill Bruford; _after_ his formative years with Yes, King Crimson and (for a short while) Genesis. His later '80's ABWH sound was really exciting as he was experimenting with all sorts of electronic pads and set-ups and combining these well with acoustic drums/cymbals.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ginger Baker yet! C'mon, Ringo Starr mentioned multiple times but no Baker?!


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

MacLeod said:


> (BTW, when did the double-pedal for the bass come in? Am I right in thinking that older rock drummers preferred single pedals? And sound slower (or just less flashy) in comparison to the modern generation?


I believe it was in the '80's. There may have been earlier instances, but in the '80's it became a common thing. Listen to the song 'Good Times Bad Times' by Zeppelin, now realize Bonham was _not_ using a double kick for this. (!) That is one of the inhuman feats of Bonham. He really had a sound non since can duplicate, and puts most of those '80's drummers to shame.

Not that there weren't some later incredible drummers who used a double kick. I'll take this opportunity to mention another great - Nick Menza.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Marco Minnemann is pretty insane with the kick drum technique.


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Haydn man said:


> Didn't John Lennon once say that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the Beatles
> He gets my vote as the luckiest man who has ever lived
> Keith Moon for best drummer


It seems people like to forget the fact that John Lennon (and the other Beatles) all liked to joke and say facetious things in the press. Ringo was a great drummer (and still is) and was a great singer too. He's one of my favorite drummers, because, similarly to Paul McCartney in his bass-playing, he wrote and played very wonderful parts that suited the compositions in imaginative and meaningful ways. The other Beatles were lucky to have him.


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

Ringo's drumming has personality.

anyway,


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## oogabooha (Nov 22, 2011)

elgars ghost said:


> Lennon should have at least kept Ono out of the studio even if she was his principal comfort blanket in 1968 (apart from heroin, allegedly). I'm surprised the White Album got made at all what with her clinging to him like a bloody limpet all the time - she also used to go into the control booth and whine over the intercom 'Joooooohhhhhhnnn I miiiiiiiiiiiiss yooooooooou.....' whenever Lennon had to be dragged into a different room to work or discuss something. Annoying cow.


Yoko Ono: makes incredibly progressive performance art in the 60s/70s/80s, convinces John Lennon to speak out against violence and discrimination (despite his history of beating his wives), befriends John Cage and becomes a well-respected avant-garde composer, writes pieces that are anthems for the feminist ideology

_remembered as an "annoying cow" who broke up the beatles_

:tiphat:

back on topic...

i honestly can't think of a specific drummer, but when I think of a band whose percussion has really affected my musical experience the most, beat happening comes to mind. it's mind-numbingly simple stuff, but it speaks volumes to me. (so i guess you could say Bret Lunsford/Heather Lewis)


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

And don't think Yoko Ono brainwashed John. He was changing as a person anyway.


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## Katie (Dec 13, 2013)

The 2-headed hydra that provided the percussive heartbeat to the fluid improvisatory genius of the Dead...


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

1) Stewart Copeland
1a) Carl Palmer

then

everybody else...


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

"feminist"
"... remembered for the annoying cow part"

As if these are diametrically opposed


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

MacLeod said:


> So of the top rock drummers, is there one who is the most even-handed?


Possibly this guy - Carter Beauford (another personal fav)


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## Guest (Feb 5, 2014)

tdc said:


> Possibly this guy - Carter Beauford (another personal fav)


Thanks tdc, nice song, and neat, unflashy drumming. (I'd not heard anything by this band before).


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Vinnie Colaiuta or Gil "Rats" Matthews


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## Funny (Nov 30, 2013)

John Bonham for putting the "rock" in Rock - almost as if he were using rocks to make those big sounds! But Stewart Copeland for overall mastery of pop rock, very clean and clocklike but blooming into jagged, hooky flourishes at just the exact right moments.


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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

I suppose if we are talking about "Rock" then the big names have to be:
Peart
Bonham
Moon

However there are some great drummers in other genre

Buddy Rich
Max Roach
Gene Krupa

To name a few


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## shangoyal (Sep 22, 2013)

Keith Moon (The Who)
Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix)
Maureen Tucker (Velvet Underground)
John Densmore (The Doors)
Ginger Baker (Cream)


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

I really like Vinnie Colaiuta, Ringo Starr, Mitch Mitchell, John Bonham, Keith Moon, ?uestlove, Steven Adler, Bill Ward, and Nick Mason. ^^


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## Oreb (Aug 8, 2013)

I feel like an imposter responding to this because I am of the firm belief that the phrase 'good drum solo' is an oxymoron.

That said, let me direct some love toward:

Phil Collins - listen to his work on 'The Cinema Show' and 'Robbery, Assault and Battery' in particular: tasteful and swinging at the same time,

Michael Giles - I only know his stuff really from King Crimson's debut, but it's unlike any drumming I know - 'melodic' in a way I struggle to describe,

Michael Schrieve - his work with Santana and Klaus Schulze is amazing.


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2014)

Oreb said:


> I feel like an imposter responding to this because I am of the firm belief that the phrase 'good drum solo' is an oxymoron.
> 
> That said, let me direct some love toward:
> 
> Phil Collins - listen to his work on 'The Cinema Show' and 'Robbery, Assault and Battery' in particular: tasteful and swinging at the same time,


My votes were for drummers who did good work accompanying their colleagues...not dominating them. On that basis, I'd add Philip Selway, Radiohead, the perfect drum accompaniment

However, it can be difficult to find out what a drummer is technically capable of doing unless he is given the chance to show off. Collins work on the whole of _Trick of the Tail_ is one of the reasons it's in my top three Genesis albums.


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## Eviticus (Dec 8, 2011)

Roger Taylor - Queen
Dave Grohl - Nirvana/The Foo Fighters


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Tico Torres - Bon Jovi


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## Serge (Mar 25, 2010)

John Bonham perhaps, because he was one of the greatest and yet such a team player.


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

I've had to really think about this one for a while because there have been so many good, and some great drummers. After a lot of reflection though I have to say that Mike Portnoy is probably the best drummer I have ever heard. The complexity of his drumming and versatility make him unbelievable. I'll even listen to music I would not normally listen to just to hear his drumming. His work with Dream Theater, Transatlantic, and Liquid Tension Experiment along with all his other gigs clearly show the richness and diversity of his exceptional talent.

Kevin


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## Guest (Mar 7, 2014)

Another mention for Michael Giles. McDonald & Giles owes much of its appeal to the delightful percussion.


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## Polyphemus (Nov 2, 2011)

The great enigma Bonham and Baker allegedly the greatest rock drummers of all time. But who in his/her right mind wants to listen to 20 minute drum solos. The rest of the band for sure.
Both of the above were undoubtedly superb as musicians but I have always thought that the rhythm section is just that, the foundation on which the group sound is based.
Great drummers unmentioned so far who meet my criteria include :-
John Heisman
Aynsley Dunbar
Brian Davison 
Clem Catini
Charlie Watts
And many more.


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## Guest (Mar 7, 2014)

Ooh, sat six feet from Heisman at a drum clinic. I swear he has a separate brain for each limb.


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## Guest (Mar 7, 2014)

Polyphemus said:


> John Heisman





gog said:


> Ooh, sat six feet from Heisman at a drum clinic.


Just popping across from the 'pedantry' thread...do you mean John Hiseman from Colosseum?


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## BurningDesire (Jul 15, 2012)

Polyphemus said:


> The great enigma Bonham and Baker allegedly the greatest rock drummers of all time. But who in his/her right mind wants to listen to 20 minute drum solos. The rest of the band for sure.
> Both of the above were undoubtedly superb as musicians but I have always thought that the rhythm section is just that, the foundation on which the group sound is based.
> Great drummers unmentioned so far who meet my criteria include :-
> John Heisman
> ...


I always hate this idea so many people have that drums and bass have specific "assigned" rolls in music, and somehow if somebody does something different they're not as good. Keeping a beat is fine, but unpitched percussion are capable of so much more in music. Keeping a low groove that emphasizes harmonic changes is fine, but a bass guitar is capable of so much more as well. Hardly anybody begrudges singers and guitar players showing off, or experimenting.


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2014)

Hey Macleod, I should join the pedantry thread! I mean JON Hiseman, born Philip John Hiseman!!


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2014)

gog said:


> Hey Macleod, I should join the pedantry thread! I mean JON Hiseman, born Philip John Hiseman!!


Touché!


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

Yes - Close to the Edge - Isolated Drum Track


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