Who's your favorite GNR drummer?

[D-GenerationX]

I think Matt is the best. 

I can see the argument that he will never blow you away, but I could come right back that he never lets your down.  I don't have one bootleg from his time in the band where the drumming is not solid as a rock.

I agree,
i play drums for 13 or so year now and still to this day matt amazes me, i mean i have every bootleg from illusions era and i have never hear someone who has a steady beat like his, i have never heard him have tempo issues, (every drummer has, think about brain you could be mine in rio, or how he counts nightrain in too fast and slowly slows the song down, at many occasions) when you listnen to matt you can almost hear what he plays next, thats boring to some of you but for the other players its perfect, plus idont think gnr songs should be flashy drums wise anyways.

i dont think he was a hired hand, the band made it clear on many occasions 91-95 that matt is the guy. ill go as far as saying that matt was the guy who kept it together music wise on the illusion tour, cause he playd so solid that how drunk and fucked up you were you knew what to play just listening matt. Many drummers cant do that.

All very well said.  Agreed all around.

My favorite versions of 'Brownstone' are that tour because I preferred Matt's established groove to Steven, who I thought was a bit too fast on it live.

[JAEBALL]

It boils down to what album you prefer...

In a way, I agree with you.

Even though I have been around since day one, my goto version of the band in my head is the summer of 1991, the UYI band.  That "Dead!" group shot in the UYI booklet.

my favorite shot is the rolling stone cover with matt and Dizzy...

the illusion shows before izzy leaving is the best of Guns n Roses

[Gilbyfan]

It boils down to what album you prefer...

Adler- Appetite

Matt- Illusions

Brain, Freese- CD

Frank- dont have anything to go on really....

they all are more than capable players

on the internet there is always this large anti Matt and Steve sentiment... I dont know why....

What do you mean you don't have anything to go on with Frank? He plays drums on five songs on Chinese Democracy. And most concerts are downloadable somewhere.

Frank rocks it dude.

[Sosso]

Frank is a good drummer but Brain has more technical skills. The albums he did together with Buckethead are magnificent.

[CherryGarcia]

For myself, it was Josh Freese, with Matt in a close second. Josh is great, I love APC and I wish he'd stuck around longer. That said, he wrote the drum parts to CD and I enjoy those (my only qualm is I wish the drums were mixed louder/better).

[Thorned Rose]

If we are basing this solely on drumming talent....

Then it has to be Josh Freese who was in the band for like what 2 years? lmao

Sorum is the best drummer they've ever had, from a talent perspective. Extremely reliable and on note. Almost too perfect at times. He's like a everyday B+.

Adler has a certain vibe and feel to him that you can't teach..

I think the whole "depends on what album comment" was fucking dumb. You couldn't listen to AFD any other way. Hearing them live with Matt doesn't cut it. Or hearing Matt play UYI doesn't cut it , cause they other drummer never got to play studio versions of the other song. So you don't know how it would actually sound. Steven never got to play anything live from MOST of UYI. So it is unfair to say Steven is better on this album or that album is just silly. I think they both could play all of the songs great. We know Matt can play it all live, but how it would sound in a studio wouldn't be better on AFD. Again Adler's feel. We'd have to see Adler play UYI stuff live in order to make some sort of judgement. Adler was on AFD, so you HAVE to prefer that album for him lol. Matt was on UYI so you HAVE to prefer him for that album. It's silly

Frank is like Matt in a lot of ways. Similair.

My favorite drummer to answer the question is Adler.

[D-GenerationX]

Adler, the legend, with all this great feel. 

Been in such demand over the past 25 years, hasn't he?  Had to fight them off with a stick, all those offers.

[DeN]

because of his drugs problems, not because of his abilities.

AC/DC was interested. not a little band.

[LongGoneDay]

Adler, the legend, with all this great feel. 

Been in such demand over the past 25 years, hasn't he?  Had to fight them off with a stick, all those offers.

This argument really doesn?t hold much water.

Adler was sacked because his addiction made him a liability.
If they didn?t think he was worth keeping around, they wouldn?t have tried so hard to make it work before letting him go.
No one is questioning the band?s decision to move on, but being fired by his friends for being too wrapped up in his addiction probably wasn?t going to make him love life or aid in his recovery. Fair enough?

Before his life spiraled out of control, he was perfect for the band. It?s strange to me that diehard fans of GN?R can?t see that.
Obviously his life took a tragic turn for the worse, and yes, he has only himself to blame, but the revisionist history of how he didn?t add anything to the band, or that his post GN?R output somehow backs up that claim is foolish to me.

How many drummers can you really point to that are sought after, anyway?
One of my favorite drummers is Brian Downey from Thin Lizzy. A pretty successful band at one point.
Outside of some guest appearances on Thin Lizzy alumni solo albums, we haven?t heard much from him.
Does that make him any less talented? or mean no one wants to play with him?

Maybe he was comfortable being the drummer for Thin Lizzy. That was his band, and he wasn?t interested in being a drummer for hire?
Maybe that is the case with Adler?

Izzy has essentially been playing solo since leaving GN?R. Does that mean he isn?t a respected musician?
And that no one wants him in their band?

Axl has put out the least amount of material of any of the AFD alumni since ?93.
He?s never been in another band since GN?R formed. Does that mean no one would like to have him front their band?

This isn?t directed solely at you.
I agree with a lot of your posts.

I just find it odd how many seem to easily dismiss chemistry in a band, especially when it?s importance couldn?t possibly be more obvious than in the case of Guns N? Roses.

[D-GenerationX]

because of his drugs problems, not because of his abilities.

What's the difference?

His own former bandmates have gone on to other bands the past 20 years.  Multiple guys, involved in several different bands.

Times those former bandmates have so much as considered him for the slot?  Is that an accident?

[D-GenerationX]

I just find it odd how many seem to easily dismiss chemistry in a band, especially when it?s importance couldn?t possibly be more obvious than in the case of Guns N? Roses.

Most of this is a response to why I, and several others, find to be the complete overromanticizing of the guy.

Think of it more like that. 

The more over the top the praise for his supposed genius, the more over the top the pushback that you might be getting a wee bit carried away.

[LongGoneDay]

I just find it odd how many seem to easily dismiss chemistry in a band, especially when it?s importance couldn?t possibly be more obvious than in the case of Guns N? Roses.

Most of this is a response to why I, and several others, find to be the complete overromanticizing of the guy.

Think of it more like that. 

The more over the top the praise for his supposed genius, the more over the top the pushback that you might be getting a wee bit carried away.

I?ve never said he was a genius.
I don?t think GN?R has ever had a genius.

It had 5 guys talented guys with chemistry that doesn?t come along very often, and can?t be replicated.
They brought out the best in each other and complemented each others strengths.

We saw what happened once that was fractured.
In my opinion, it?s a pretty open and shut case.

[D-GenerationX]

I?ve never said he was a genius.
I don?t think GN?R has ever had a genius.

It had 5 guys talented guys with chemistry that doesn?t come along very often, and can?t be replicated.
They brought out the best in each other and complemented each others strengths.

We saw what happened once that was fractured.
In my opinion, it?s a pretty open and shut case.

I'm not sure how strong this argument is since there was no discernible drop off with the UYI albums.

A lot of this seems like revisionist history to me, and only seems to have come about in the past few years.  The more people grew annoyed with Axl's revolving door of whoever the fuck, they wanted to go back to the band that made them a fan.  Not his most recent hodgepodge.

But you, I, or anyone who was around when it was all happening, know full well no one lamented the loss of the mighty Steven.  No reviews of the UYI albums singled out a drop off in drumming or chemistry.  No fans were singing this "it just not the same" lament.

Would some of that have to be present to support the argument you are making now?

[LongGoneDay]

I?ve never said he was a genius.
I don?t think GN?R has ever had a genius.

It had 5 guys talented guys with chemistry that doesn?t come along very often, and can?t be replicated.
They brought out the best in each other and complemented each others strengths.

We saw what happened once that was fractured.
In my opinion, it?s a pretty open and shut case.

I'm not sure how strong this argument is since there was no discernible drop off with the UYI albums.

A lot of this seems like revisionist history to me, and only seems to have come about in the past few years.  The more people grew annoyed with Axl's revolving door of whoever the fuck, they wanted to go back to the band that made them a fan.  Not his most recent hodgepodge.

But you, I, or anyone who was around when it was all happening, know full well no one lamented the loss of the mighty Steven.  No reviews of the UYI albums singled out a drop off in drumming or chemistry.  No fans were singing this "it just not the same" lament.

Would some of that have to be present to support the argument you are making now?

I?ve brought this up a few times, but it seems to get overlooked.
Steven was heavily involved in the bulk of, if not all of UYI. There are demos with him on the kit for the majority of it.
Obviously Matt was brought in when it was time to record the final tracks, and I?m sure he added to them, but the point is, Steven had a hand in AFD, Lies, UYI I & II.
The albums people give a shit about.

And like I said in another thread, what our opinion of it 20 years ago really couldn?t be more irrelevant.
I was 10 years old. When I saw the (awesome) band photo on the inside of UYI, I thought the drummer must have hit the gym and got a new haircut/bandana. The importance of chemistry in a band wasn?t on my radar.
Chalk that up to ignorance.

[D-GenerationX]

And like I said in another thread, what our opinion of it 20 years ago really couldn?t be more irrelevant.
I was 10 years old. When I saw the (awesome) band photo on the inside of UYI, I thought the drummer must have hit the gym and got a new haircut/bandana. The importance of chemistry in a band wasn?t on my radar.
Chalk that up to ignorance.

Hahahahaha

[Princess Leia]

Adler, the legend, with all this great feel. 

Been in such demand over the past 25 years, hasn't he?  Had to fight them off with a stick, all those offers.

Spare me your sarcasm. How many famous bands Frank has been a member of before joining GN'R? Only Sorum and Freese have been in well known band before.

You can point out all Adler?s fucked up that you want and you will be right. Still the guy managed to make more albums than Axl. You could say those albums didn?t make any impact. The only album that made an impact was Contraband and VR didn't last very long.

As for such demand... Well Adler has collaborated at different times with Slash, Duff and Izzy

[TheBaconman]

What's with all this hate towards Adler I keep reading on here?   

[D-GenerationX]

As for such demand... Well Adler has collaborated at different times with Slash, Duff and Izzy

None of whom even considered him for another band they were in.  Multiple guys, multiple bands.

Not didn't ultimately pick, mind you.  Was never in the running.  Not one time, for even one of those bands.

Maybe they needed the pep talks around here, huh?  They missed the boat.

[D-GenerationX]

What's with all this hate towards Adler I keep reading on here?   

Chasm of difference between right guy at the right time, and the glue that held it all together and things went to shit once he was gone.

Combination of that, and people that want to look at you like you have three heads if you say he's a risk ultimately not with enough upside to take a chance on.

[Princess Leia]

As for such demand... Well Adler has collaborated at different times with Slash, Duff and Izzy

None of whom even considered him for another band they were in.  Multiple guys, multiple bands.

Not didn't ultimately pick, mind you.  Was never in the running.  Not one time, for even one of those bands.

Maybe they needed the pep talks around here, huh?  They missed the boat.

What band? Are Izzy and Duff members of Conspirators? Were they members of Snakepit? Were Izzy and Slash members of Loaded and Walking Papers?

VR happened because Slash, Duff and Sorum met at a tribute concert. And it was Sorum's idea to do something. Izzy came, he saw, he left. And the climax of that experiment was Slash showing up at Axl's house to badmouth his then bandmates. It wasn't such  a bad idea after all that neither Izzy nor Adler were involved there.