10 Rock Albums Where a New Drummer Put a Spring in the Band's Step

[Vistalite Black]

Spin Magazine has published a new drumming list, highlighting 10 drummers who took successful bands to new heights.

Unfortunately, Spin's editors elected not to rank these 10, but I think we all know who is at the top, Travis Barker!

From Spin:

The Beat Of A Different Drummer: 10 Albums Where A New Drummer Put A Spring In The Band’s Step
A new drummer helped Nirvana, Blink-182, and Rush click their definitive lineups into place


The drummer is the job in a rock band with the highest turnover rate — a cliché lampooned memorably in This is Spinal Tap. And if it takes a few albums for a group’s definitive lineup to click into place, the drummer is often the final piece of the puzzle to arrive. But it’s often that change behind the drum set that makes a good band great, thanks to the addition of faster, louder, or more complex rhythms. Sometimes a versatile percussionist can even expand the band’s sonic palette and contribute to the songwriting.

Here are 10 albums where the arrival of a new drummer marked an important transitional moment in an artist’s catalog

Nirvana "Nevermind" -- Dave Grohl

Rush "Fly By Night" -- Neil Peart

Bruce Springsteen "Born to Run" -- Max Weinberg

Sonic Youth "Evol" -- Steve Shelly

Sleater-Kinney "Call the Doctor" -- Janet Weiss

Blink 182 "Enema of the State" -- Travis Barker

Pearl Jam "No Code" -- Jack Irons

Elvis Costello "This Year's Model" -- Pete Thomas

Oasis "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" -- Alan White (Not the Yes guy, I don't think)

Superchunk "On the Mouth" -- Jon Wurster

The Beat of a Different Drummer: 10 Albums Where a New Drummer Put a Spring in the Band’s Step

A new drummer can be just the shot in the arm that a band needs to break out of a rut and take the next step. Here's 10 times that happened.

www.spin.com

 

[Steech]

Interesting about Alan White. I did not know there was “another” famous drummer named Alan White. Reminds me of Roger Taylor/Roger Taylor. I wonder if there are any others. New thread maybe? Or maybe there are just those two. Sorry for the thread hijack.

 

[drums1225]

Judas Priest "Painkiller" - Scott Travis

 

[Houndog]

Judas Priest "Painkiller" - Scott Travis

Was that the 1st album Scott played on ?

 

[Houndog]

My 1st thought upon reading title was

“ Fly By Night better be on that damn list !!”

 

[Steech]

We could also say which drummer made the band worse…Alan White/Yes comes to mind.

 

[Houndog]

For making a band worse ,I’ll add Matt Sorum GnR ….

 

[Vicey]

Death Cab for Cutie, Transatlanticism, Jason McGerr

Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Glenn Kotche

Genesis, Nursery Cryme, Phil Collins

Probably still missing plenty.

 

[mebeatee]

Ringo
bt

 

[DrummerJustLikeDad]

Marillion, "Fugazi", addition of Ian Mosley

 

[Tornado]

For making a band worse ,I’ll add Matt Sorum GnR ….

First thing that came to my mind. Matt's a fantastic drummer, but man did they lose their swagger when they fired Steven Alder.

 

[Houndog]

Marillion, "Fugazi", addition of Ian Mosley

Yes yes yes !!!!!!!!!!!!

I love the Fish era !!!!!

 

[Houndog]

First thing that came to my mind. Matt's a fantastic drummer, but man did they lose their swagger when they fired Steven Alder.

Just goes to show it ain’t all about skill .
Thank goodness for that or I wouldn’t work .

 

[Houndog]

I got replaced by a drummer that was a lot more skilled than I , the fans of band said they preferred me ……
I was fun to watch they said ..

The bandleader confided later that she really missed her “ Power “ back there .

Not to brag , but I’m a force of nature back there !!!!

 

[Erik]

For making a band worse ,I’ll add Matt Sorum GnR ….

I'll have to disagree on this one. I saw GNR with Adler and was at Sorums 1st unannounced "warm up" show with GNR. IMO, Sorum was a significant step up. He grooved harder, hit harder, and kept a consistent tempo.

 

[Tornado]

I'll have to disagree on this one. I saw GNR with Adler and was at Sorums 1st unannounced "warm up" show with GNR. IMO, Sorum was a significant step up. He grooved harder, hit harder, and kept a consistent tempo.

Yeah, I could see that for sure live. Adler was a disaster in real life. But they made magic with Appetite for Destruction. That record was simply amazing, and the drumming was a big part of it.

 

[Vistalite Black]

Judas Priest "Painkiller" - Scott Travis

I disagree in that Priest had already hit drumming high points with Les Binks and Simon Phillips.

 

[Steech]

I disagree in that Priest had already hit drumming high points with Les Binks and Simon Phillips.

I keep forgetting that Simon played with Priest. I still can’t really picture it but he’s a fantastic drummer.

 

[Steech]

Yeah, I could see that for sure live. Adler was a disaster in real life. But they made magic with Appetite for Destruction. That record was simply amazing, and the drumming was a big part of it.

Was Adler really that bad live? I had no idea.

 

[Vistalite Black]

Yeah, I could see that for sure live. Adler was a disaster in real life. But they made magic with Appetite for Destruction. That record was simply amazing, and the drumming was a big part of it.

Guns 'N Roses lost much of its fire between the release of "Appetite" in 1987 and the release of "Use Your Illusion" more than four years later.

It became a bloated structure with the addition in 1991 of Dizzy Reed (keyboards), Gilby Clarke (guitar), plus back-up vocalists saxophones, trumpets and piano. Adler wouldn't have done better in that 10- or 12-person band than Sorum did.