June 30th, 2007
My 10 Favorite (Studio-Recorded) Drum Fills of All Time, in No Particular Order
Ok, my music-geek readers, this one’s just for you. These aren’t solos or beats, mind you, just fills (short “breaks” that the percussionists have fit into the groove of the song). I’ve provided audio clips for each, with five seconds of the song before said fill, and five seconds after, to give some musical context…and also because if I offered any more than that I think these people could sue me.
Drummer: John Bonham
Instance: “Moby Dick”@ 4:05
Band: Led Zeppelin
Year: 1969
Notes: My fellow Zep-sperts have already recognized this as a track where Bonham takes a two-minute drum solo in the middle, and they are rushing to point out that I’m breaking my “no solos/beats” ground rule rather early on. Calm yourselves, my brethren, and take a listen. This portion isn’t from the drum solo, it’s from the end of the song, when Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones have rejoined him. Bonham was always at his best and most inventive when the band was playing together.
Drummer: Neil Peart
Instance: “Tom Sawyer”@2:32
Band: Rush
Year: 1981
Notes: I don’t like this song. Or Neil Peart. Or Rush in general. This “interlude” is something else though. He does a few big ones in a row, but, since I’m picking out single fills here, the first one — the super-fast roll across the toms, smacking a few cymbals along the way — is the coolest. It just sounds awesome…though keep in mind he plays a 63-piece kit. Just once, I’d like to see what he could do on a four-piece like most of these other dudes have.
Drummer: Glenn Kotche
Instance: “Hate It Here”@3:22
Band: Wilco
Year: 2007
Notes: This is the most easy-going, laid-back execution of a complicated fill I’ve ever heard. Kotche could play like this in his sleep. And he knows it.
Drummer: Patrick Wilson
Instance: “Getchoo”@ 2:25
Band: Weezer
Year: 1996
Notes: Years and years ago, when I was growing up, there was this great band called Weezer. They wrote amazing songs about being awkward and nerdy and accentuated this by making their recordings in a garage. Actually because of that, the drumming here is kind of hard to hear, but if you listen closely you can hear Wilson fly across his drum set, fitting a huge number of hits into about one second of time, before locking back in with the rest of the guys. Check it out, but before you do, be warned, you will want to hear more of this song immediately. If you don’t have it on your iPod or in your iTunes, I can’t be responsible for what happens to you next.
Drummer: Carter Beauford
Instance: “Ants Marching”@ 4:04
Band: The Dave Matthews Band
Year: 1994
Notes: I’ve never liked “Dave” as a songwriter (to me, his lyrics read like unstructured, unedited rambling) or a singer (the spastic, high note/low note thing gets on my nerves) and I harbor a special amount of loathing for that fiddle player, but I still own several of this band’s albums, because of Carter Beauford.
Drummer: Jimmy Chamberlain
Instance: “Muzzle”@0:59
Band: Smashing Pumpkins
Year: 1995
Notes: Probably my favorite living drummer. This one’s just a fast, long roll (Chamberlain is capable of more difficult maneuvers) but it’s done so powerfully and confidently. Quite a way to enter a song.
Drummer: Darren Jesse
Instance: “Steven’s Last Night in Town”@2:08
Band: Ben Folds Five
Year: 1997
Notes: Remember the brief return of swing music? I think that had something to do with this track. For this little slice of drumming-heaven, though, it was all worth it. Jesse has pulled a Dave Grohl and is fronting a band called Hotel Lights now, but during his time with Ben Folds Five he did some serious playing.
Drummer: Frank Beard
Instance: “La Grange”@1:09
Band: ZZ Top
Year: 1973
Notes: Pretty good, especially considering this song is a fast blues shuffle. Also, “Frank Beard” was the name of the drummer from ZZ Top? Do you think that’s his real name?
Drummer: Gary Mallaber
Instance: “Swingtown”@2:01
Band: The Steve Miller Band
Year: 1977
Notes: Yes, this is a cheesy song, but just listen to the drums here. This is an exciting and solid trip over the kit
Drummer: Mike Felumlee
Instance: “Writing a Letter”@0:54
Band: Smoking Popes
Year: 1993
Notes: You’ve probably never heard of this band, but you should check them out. Felumlee isn’t the best part of the group (a little too intense and busy for my tastes). Josh Carterer, the core of the band, is an incredible songwriter, singer, and lead guitarist. Still this is some ambitious, tight drumming, especially in such a hard, fast, punk-inspired track.
(Disclaimer 1: These don’t necessarily represent the most amazing things these drummers have ever played. They were all picked because, yes, they are impressive, but also because they work really well within their songs of origin. Don’t send me hate mail, fellow music-nerds.)
(Disclaimer 2: These are all from rock songs. I know there are a lot of awesome drummers — and therefore probably a lot of awesome drum fills — in other genres, but rock is what I listen to, so it’s where I can make these kinds of calls. Don’t send me death threats, metal and/or jazz fans.)
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