Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Ulrich Breaks Peart's 18-Year Stranglehold on Rip Magazine's Best Drummer Award

Last night's writing exhibitionism (trip to Atomix) netted an interesting bit of information. Well, it's something I've known since I was 19 years old, but it's taken me 10 years to accept. The Atomix staff were pumping "Tago Mago" _ as is their custom _ and I realized that Jaki Liebezeit of Can is my favorite drummer. There you go. No more hemming and hawing over Keith Moon or John Bonham or Bill Ward. I vote Liebezeit.

As a recovering music journalist, my therapist has reminded me that it's all right to have a "bad day." A "bad day" in my case involves making arbitrary, meaningless rankings and lists. My old friend Adrian in Atlanta had his Top 10 guitar influences written on a dry erase board in his room _ an earnest, honest proclamation. But for Young Adrian it made sense _ he is a guitar player (and one of the best I've ever heard). Me, on the other hand...

My runner-up drummer would be the guy who played on Chrome's "Half Machine Lip Moves" _ which also makes him the #1 uncredited drummer in the history of recorded music. Ah, but you say there are countless uncredited drummers on old blues and world music records. Well, make the Chrome guy #1 uncredited drummer on a rock record. That's a new RIAA award, by the way

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That thing/person's drumming is my number one influence in my drumming, totes,.

Woundup Corp. said...

my old roommate/bandmate casey brown is a klaus dinger of neu fan. he can actually play the classic dinger beat, too. when he played that at our place, my inner can senses bristled. the underlying can-neu tension brought a bit of excitement to our band. casey is a wonderful guy, btw.