Drumming Heroes #3 - Danny Carey

Danny Carey. There simply aren't enough superlatives for this guy. Having learned his 'chops' in drum corps, Danny went on to study Jazz for a number of years before hooking up with Maynard James Keenan and guitarist Adam Jones and forming Tool. His drumming on albums such as Ænima, Lateralus and 10,000 Days has continued to push the drumming envelope, and made him the hero of lesser drummers all over the world (such as myself).

Lateralus in particular is a drumming tour de force. Admittedly, it does take a while to get your head around the various time signature changes, polyrhythms and complex rhythmic structures - but once you do you realise you're listening to a special album. And yes, at some points i did think the CD was skipping (During the middle part of The Grudge, for example). But this doesn't stop this album being, in my humble opinion, the best of the past 20 years.

I've been playing drums for getting on ten years now, so it's rare for me to listen to a song and think 'What the hell is the drummer playing there?' (because my ears have got used to hearing out the drums, not because i'm like the equivalent of the 'horse whisperer'...for drumming). Yet when i listen to Parabola (6:56 - 7:16) it makes my jaw drop [insert jaw-dropped emoticon here].

Annoyingly, there aren't many good quality videos on Youtube of Danny's playing. In the early days (before Youtube, if you can imagine that a world such as that once existed) the only place you could find videos of Tool were on torrent sites, when people uploaded shaky cam footage from gigs they'd been to. As if it wasn't bad enough that it made you feel like you were downloading pornography, these videos were also very poor quality, with people screaming 'Dude, this part fucking rocks...watch Maynard. Seriously, duuuuude, watch Maynard!'. All this 'watch Maynard' talk inevitably meant that the camera rarely focused on Danny. There was a rumour that there would be a dvd of the Lateralus tour - though that was 10 years ago, so i'll stop holding my breath for that.

The best you'll get is the attached video from some kind of promotion for Paiste cymbals. It's worth watching for the 'gong hit' pay-off alone.

What are you favourite Tool songs? Do you like any parts of a song in particular? If so, leave a comment underneath.

Drumming Heroes #2 - Josh Freese

Today's feature focuses on Josh Freese, a session drummer who has played on over 300 albums, and also been a full-time member of bands such as A Perfect Circle and The Vandals.

Chances are you have heard one of Josh's drum tracks - you may not know it was him, but he has played on so many popular tracks that, by the law averages, you will have heard one; Avril Lavigne, Lost Prophets, Kelly Clarkson, 3 Doors Down, Evanescence - Josh has drummed on albums from all of these artists (plus shed loads more). The music industry loves this guy, as it knows he will bring the goods each and every time. This is why he is always in demand. Yet he is not just a session drummer. He is known for his energetic live performances, which is probably why, over the years, artists such as Nine Inch Nails, Sting and (currently) Weezer have taken him on the road with them.

Many of you will know Josh through the band A Perfect Circle. I still remember hearing the song Judith (off debut album Mer De Noms) for the first time and thinking...'wow.' He manages to play powerfully, yet still remain in control at all times. That whole album is an education in drumming, with highlights including Orestes - with its shifting dynamics and epic crescendo - and 3 Libras. Hell, the whole album is a masterpiece! Check it out.

He remains one of my biggest influences and inspirations on drums, which is why i tend to cover his songs a lot.

Below is A Perfect Circle playing Brena live. Just watch it.

Drumming Heroes #1 - Carter Beauford

This will be an occasional series of posts where i list some of the best/most influential drummers i have heard over the last 10 years.

The first subject is Carter Beauford of the Dave Matthews Band.

I had never even heard of the Dave Matthews Band before someone recommended i listen to Carter's playing (the band are not big over here in England). The first song of theirs which i heard was The Space Between which, to be honest, was not really representative of his playing, as in an interview i heard him say he had to play somewhat restrained on that album.

But then i listened to songs off Under the Table and Dreaming, such as Ants Marching and What Would you Say, and i finally 'got' it. Subsequently, i picked up their Live in Chicago album and #41 became my favourite song and he became one of my favourite drummers.

I love Carter's drumming for two reasons. Firstly, his technique is amazing. He has such a relaxed way of playing, which is easy to watch and sounds great; secondly, his open-handed technique on the hi-hat gives his playing a freedom which allows him to break out of the 'standard beat' trap, and helped to open up my mind to the possibility of more creative beats.

Attached is a video of him playing Say Goodbye. The speed and smoothness with which he rolls with those Flix sticks at the start is astounding! So check him out, and let me what your favourite Carter grooves are by commenting below.