Alex Van Halen not a Top 10 Drummer?

[binnie]

Alex is a hell of drummer, no question.

But Top 10 of all time? I don't think so.

[Dan]

Alex Van Halen Is A Great Drummer.Top 10,Yes, Yes And Yes.

[Mushroom]

He's on my top 10 list, that's all I care about.

Ask this question in 1983-1984, he would be on more lists.

[ZahZoo]

Alex is a hell of drummer, no question.

But Top 10 of all time? I don't think so.

Wait a minute... I can hardly think of 3-4 rock drummers anywhere near the caliber of Alex Van Halen... only a few I'd lump up among him... Peart, Moon, Baker & Bonham...

Who the hell are these other guys I missed?

[binnie]

Wait a minute... I can hardly think of 3-4 rock drummers anywhere near the caliber of Alex Van Halen... only a few I'd lump up among him... Peart, Moon, Baker & Bonham...

Who the hell are these other guys I missed?

Alex is a very good drummer, no question. Is he one of the very best of all time in the way that Eddie is on guitar? I don't think so.

As for 'other guys'. Off the top of my head: Mike Portnoy, Dave Lombardo, Cozy Powel, Ian Paice, Gene Hoglan, Paul Bostaph, Charlie Benante, Danny Carey (who is up there with Peart, in my eyes), Mikkey Dee. It's certainly true that some of those guys haven't played on 'classic' material in the way that Alex has, but they're arguably more influential on their instrument.

Saying Alex is not Top 10 is not deingrate him in any way. If a 'Top 10' greatest rock bands of all time were drawn up in 2014, I wonder if CVH would make the list. I'd guess not. Does that lessen their achievements? Of course not.

[Carloscda]

^^How could you leave out Stewart Copland?

I'm the One, Out of Love, Light up the sky and of course Hot for teacher shows Alex can get dirty if he needs to!

[Nitro Express]

^^How could you leave out Stewart Copland?

I'm the One, Out of Love, Light up the sky and of course Hot for teacher shows Alex can get dirty if he needs to!

Two of my favorite drummers are Stewart Copland and Charlie Watts. That's right Charlie Watts. Ever heard The Police Live? Stewart's drums just crack. When he goes crazy on the kit it sounds like weapons going off. It's great!

[Nitro Express]

Damn straight Keef. Charlie is the shit!

[SunisinuS]

Two of my favorite drummers are Stewart Copland and Charlie Watts. That's right Charlie Watts. Ever heard The Police Live? Stewart's drums just crack. When he goes crazy on the kit it sounds like weapons going off. It's great!

Copeland is one of the best percussionists of my time period. Little known fact (Clifton style): Steve Smith tried out for Dave's band and was the front runner before Bissonette....which every good test taker or drummer does....I would have loved Steve Smith as part of Eat em and smile....as that mother fucker would be the geek to prove he could rock:

[Satan]

Damn straight Keef. Charlie is the shit!

Simply put, Keef & Charlie are the engine that drives the Rolling Stones. And how many engines are there that have over 50 years and millions of miles on them, yet are still running strong.

It's a unique dynamic, as with most bands, the drummer and the bass player are more of a unit (i.e Rush or The Who - which is why they suck now, because their engine is gone) . You can sub in Bill Wyman, Darryl Jones, Woody or whomever on bass, it's all good. But Keef and Charlie are the ones running the show.

Eddie and Alex might be the only other occasion where the guitarist and drummer directly drive the music together, but with them it's genetic. Keef & Charlie are still better at it, because they didn't even need DNA to bond.

[Satan]

Copeland is one of the best percussionists of my time period. Little known fact (Clifton style): Steve Smith tried out for Dave's band and was the front runner before Bissonette....which every good test taker or drummer does....I would have loved Steve Smith as part of Eat em and smile....as that mother fucker would be the geek to prove he could rock:

I could actually see Steve Smith in that band. He was a jazz drummer at heart, so he could work with Dave's "Vegas" tangents. And he was clearly bored shitless with what happened to Journey after that pussy Jonathan Cain ruined the band (as any good drummer would have been).

Wonder why it didn't happen. Couldn't have been his committments to Journey, since he wasn't on their next album anyway.

[SunisinuS]

I could actually see Steve Smith in that band. He was a jazz drummer at heart, so he could work with Dave's "Vegas" tangents. And he was clearly bored shitless with what happened to Journey after that pussy Jonathan Cain ruined the band (as any good drummer would have been).

Wonder why it didn't happen. Couldn't have been his committments to Journey, since he wasn't on their next album anyway.

Watch what bissonette says....timing is everything...bissonette was last...he cheated on everyone else's test paper. And Steve Smith knew double bass even with a single pedal via drummers workshop. Would have been more interesting than bissonette.




And he could have hella hung with Steve Vai...and the bass player.....fuck would have been tasty.


Bissonette killed the band in my opinion. Recruiting his brother later ect.....fuck no wonder Dave understands Alex better......Alex is by far superior to Greg Bissonette. Not because Greg is not a great drummer....but because Alex never cheated. He was his own Man in his own Band.

[Nitro Express]

I think Steve Vai had a influence on getting Bissonette in the the band. Sure he could talk to the other drummers getting intelligence on what they were looking for in the audition but Gregg Bissonette could read music and knew his theory. So could Steve Vai. I think that turned Steve on because he could just give Gregg some sheet music and he could play to it instead of having to waste time going over it with a drummer who can't read or read well. I think Steve just saw that as an extra bonus.

I think if the drummer sounded good to Dave and the others in the band were happy good enough.

I don't think Dave was so concerned about a decent bass player or drummer. Plenty to be found. It was the guitar player he was concerned with. He had to find a cat that could hold his own on the EVH level of things. Dave just could not roll out with a mediocre guitar player.

[Carloscda]

Excuse that other person on stage!
I think Alex was more explosive before that neck injury.

[Nitro Express]

Simply put, Keef & Charlie are the engine that drives the Rolling Stones. And how many engines are there that have over 50 years and millions of miles on them, yet are still running strong.

It's a unique dynamic, as with most bands, the drummer and the bass player are more of a unit (i.e Rush or The Who - which is why they suck now, because their engine is gone) . You can sub in Bill Wyman, Darryl Jones, Woody or whomever on bass, it's all good. But Keef and Charlie are the ones running the show.

Eddie and Alex might be the only other occasion where the guitarist and drummer directly drive the music together, but with them it's genetic. Keef & Charlie are still better at it, because they didn't even need DNA to bond.

Oh absolutely. The Stones were the perfect mix of personalities. I frankly liked what they all added into it. I liked Bill Wyman as a bass player. But there is a lot of complex interplay between Charlie and Keef and its great.