Alan White is a excellent drummer

[Thekouderwunz]

I had mentioned in another post, that I felt that Alan White was a better album then most give him credit for...

His drumming on "Tales" and "Relayer" are outstanding.

IMO, I feel that Alan 's style suites the band more then Bill would (although there are some classic songs that Bill would "tear up")

Also Alan seems to be the drummer that is suited more for the transition to a popier style then his predecessor.

Charles

Any comments?

[PO]

When I listen to Yessongs, I prefer the way Alan played. Most all of the songs are Bruford songs on this album.

Bruford is a bit too "choppy" in his playing (choppy is a good attribute) for Yes music. White has a "round" -er way of playing that suits Yes.

One way to tell: Imagine Tales with Bruford playing. Nope.

[Silent_wings]

Hi Thekouderwun welcome to yesfans
Alan is a wonderful overlooked and underrated drummer. He is full of energy and pizzazz when he plays, but Bill is cool too.

[Dragonfly]

(And he's a major cutie!)

[Earl Grey]

Both of the guys have made amazing contributions to the band.
It's hard for me to pick a favorite actually. I couldn't imagine CTTE without Bill. I couldn't imagine TALES without Alan.

I wonder where RELAYER would have gone with Bruford on the skins? Or even better, with both Alan and Bill: now THAT would have been something!
~~~~

I love them both, although Alan definitely wins the gold cup hands-down for 'hanging in there' with the guys through thick and thin. That counts for much in my book. A good hearted talented man, Alan.

I'm glad for the two of them through the years (I couldn't imagine ABWH without Bill's work bye the way. And I LOVE that album. Bill's a stylist, you know?).

:yesbird:

[yarstruly]

Tha's it exactly Earl...Bill is a stylist, and extremely talented...but Alan is more versatile (IMO). Alan is one of my favorite drummers. Power...Finesse...Versatiliy....Alan White!

[R'tanys]

Both superb, and yet drastically different. I do prefer Alan's style to Bill's for Yesmusic. Not to say that Bill didn't make an exceptional contribution to the band and its direction. I would love to hear Bill jam with some hardcore jazz musicians like Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny That would be one serious groove.
I think that the rolls and accents Alan puts into some of the earlier classics really add to the flavor of the pieces. YIND is a perfect example of how Alan's playing really punched up an already marvelous piece.
And I certainly can't imagine GFT1 without Alan.

[Yes Oz]

I always avoid threads that have asked the question about who is the best Yes guartist, best drummer, best album etc.

but as far as I am concerned Alan White is the best drummer, thats not to say that I don't enjoy Bill's drumming.....think it is great on Fragile. But for me Alan has done the bulk of the druming on Yes material and I it sounds very good to me and i couldn't see Bill doing a better job IMO. So its Alan for me. Sounds like he is a very nice guy too from some of the things I have read by fans who have meet him. Hope I get the opportuinity in September when they come to Oz. Wars and SARS virus permitting.

[caP'n Jazz]

being a drummer myself, i have to admit i prefer bill's playing, as it has more of an influence on how i think about what i'm playing.

but i can still acknowledge alan's place as a great rock drummer - and everyone's definitely spot-on when they said about how bill would be unsuited to the newer, poppier material.

[Skyward]

A musician's style either appeals to you more than another's or it doesn't. One does not have to excuse themselves from indulging on the premise that the discussion is fatefully flawed from the beginning. Horsefeathers! Bottom line? Alan White is a fantastic drummer who has proven his loyalty to a band who's course at times seemed so wayward that only the devout could locate a suitable anchor. Bill, an excellent drummer to be sure, followed the beat of his own drumming which landed him in the court of the crimson king. Simply put, he abandoned ship. That's one mark against him, at least with respect to YES. Plus, he's a seriously self-centered individual which really became apparent as the years went on. I don't imagine I've ever heard anyone so critical of YES in my life. Alan stands as the antithesis of Bill in this regard. Easy going, affable and a team player, YES has benefited much from his presence.

Alan is the drummer for YES, not Bill. All the discussions regarding Bill's past participation as if he were still a viable entity in the realm of YES are almost laughable. He has moved on. I suggest we do the same.

[Dale Cleary]

Allan White has long been acknowledged as a wonderful drummer within the drumming community. His many interviews in major drum and music magazines, the articles written about him etc, transcriptions of his playing, all attest to this.
I know that he had a massive impact when 90125 was released. His approach to Owner.. got many write ups, and the LP was rated very highly amongst his peers as one of the best drum recordings of that year. Not a bad effort at all.
His sound also had a big influence on the other recordings made after that and I can hear traces of Allan's sound in many another drummers recordings.
Yes have been very lucky with Allan White.

(Edit)
I just thought I would add something here. The tune "Our song" is in my opinion one of THE most perfect drum tracks for a popular rock song I have ever heard. Every note he played in that song fitted perfectly with where the song needed to go at any particular moment. If you have just listened to that song without paying attention to the drumming, do yourself a favor and go have a listen. You'll see what I mean :D

[ELLIS]

I like them both, but IMO Alan is better for Yes. Whereas Bill sounds best in UK.& King Crimson.

[fragile34]

they're both very talented. sometimes i like bruford better, and sometimes i like white better. bruford was so unique and strange, but white just works so well with the music.

[GreenTowers]

I agree with everyone else that Bill and Alan are both fantastic and have their individual styles. Maybe Alan would get greater recognition by the public at large if he'd left yes after, say GFTO and have played with half a dozen different projects afterwards. There seems to be an opinion at times that drummers have to make their name by playing as many sessions as Rick ala Bernard Purdie, Jeff Pocaro etc.

But Alan has stayed true to the heart of Yes and used the band as the main vehicle for his creative output, and we count our blessings for that!

[stevepenn]

With apologies in advance to the contingent who will say "but what about CTTE," I believe Alan has, over the history of the band, most defined the Yes percussion sound. From Tales on, it was clear Yes was going in a more solid, heavier direction and one which really suited Squire's style much better IMHO. He's a far more gifted and learned musician than many people realize.

[dwdrums]

The thing I dislike the most of Alans playing is his unability to compromise and play similar to what Bill played on CTTE. I can't really stand hearing Alan play CTTE, while Bill played the song as it was a "pretty girl", while Alan plays it like it was a "big butt broad"! (hmmm... strange comparison)
On the other hand, it would have been strange to hear Bill play Alans shining moments (Gates of Delirium, Awaken), knowing it would sound pretty un-massive...

By all means; I do appreciate Alans work, but I put Bill as the more sensible player, and just so it's said Alan has WAY better chops than Bill. Someone stated that Bill played "chopsy" or something, and I must diagree. Seeing Alan have his little "drumsolo" at the end of the Yesyears I am in no doubt that Bill would have problems playing that sort of drums.
I say Bill is more creative than Alan, that leading to Bills somewhat "over the top" playing...

Anyway- Alan is one fine drummer.

[Silent Wing]

Bruford helped define what Yes music is about. The sound and beat he laid down is at the core of what set this band apart from countless others. Unfortuatley for White, he's a great progessive drummer while Bruford is a master percusionist.

I've seen Yes a number of times from the late 70's through the 90's and all those blissful concerts were White on drums, so there isn't any complaint here as to what White brings to the band. Though Bruford on the Union tour was exquisite!

[Earl Grey]

...By all means; I do appreciate Alans work, but I put Bill as the more sensible player...

And sense when was YES's greatest advantage in the world of music a sense of Sense???

HAHA! Touche!

By the way, I enjoyed your post! Nice one! A little harsh on good 'ol Alan, but nicely put!

I personally enjoy both drummers on the same level of enjoyment. But Alan stayed. Which counts for quite a bit.
Not to mention, Alan and Chris mesh. And you need a strong rythem section to have a strong band. And they are the strongest.

:ele:

[1yesfan]

I like Bill, I hate the electric drums.

[Earl Grey]

One could be electricuted!
Banish the thought!

Hey there Tim!

:ele:

[JaneEyre]

Not to get technical, but....

ALAN WHITE KICKS TUSHIE!!

[Tayo]

Alan is one of my favorite drummers.He really shined on both of the "In the Round" tours back in the 70,s.The best I have ever seen him live.But I have to admit,I don't care for his drumming (the 4 or 5 times I've seen it) on the song "Heart of the Sunrise".Nobody can do that song live like Bill Brufurd.

[tidewater]

Alan White rocks!!(nothing against Bill...but...more suitable for Yes)

[Ceasar's Palace]

No.






Alan White is aN excellent drummer.


So is Bill Bruford.
Bill is more known for his experimental style
which suited the upcoming Yes very much.
Then Alan came in and gave Yes the gift of soul.

:headset:

[bjlevine]

The general consensus has always been that Alan was better technically, but Bill more creative. I've wondered what Bill would've done with Tales.

[Uenjoymyself]

Being a drummer myself, both are great drummers. Bill has more of jazz influence whereas Alan is more of a rock drummer. Both have incredible sense of time and feel. Drumming is unique in that you have to be versatile to be considered "good", and both of these gentlemen are certainly that. It's all about what the listener likes as to who they think is better. In my opinion, The Who should have broke up after Keith Moon died. But thats just me. People think that a drummer can't change a bands sound but look at Yes, The Who, and even Primus! Yes were fortunate to have a drummer to come in and not diminish but enhance their sound. But it did change. I've often wondered what Bill would have done on TFTO or Relayer but the fact is Alan did a great job with them. I think why Alan is overlooked is because Yesmusic isn't as 'pop-friendly' as Zeppelin or the Who or even Pink Floyd. But there arent too many drummers who can play with Yes, either. :)

[maninthemoon]

I like Alan quite a bit. I prefer Bill Bruford's style.

[90125yes]

bill bruford is a great drummer

alan white is out of this world - fantastic

[relayer_1]

Last night as the Houston HOB concert was being cancelled, I commented with another Yesfan at the pre-show that if someone in Yes has a load of hard work it is Alan White. His drumming is excellent and he never misses a beat playing the very complex music he so skillfully plays night after night. So when we heard that the sick member was Chris, no one was surprised since Steve looks slim fit and Alan is the Iron Knight.

[dallasman]

The general consensus has always been that Alan was better technically, but Bill more creative. I've wondered what Bill would've done with Tales.
I love both of them, but have always preferred Bill, as a simple matter of taste.
And I do have to take issue with this claim. Not only do I personally disagree as a musician and music lover, but I`ve never ever heard anyone make this assertion anywhere. If anything, the consensus - Alan and Bill included - has been the other way around: That Bill`s style is more technically involved and intricate and Alan`s approach more meat-and-potatoes heavy rock, better suited to stadium perfomance, and better overall for binding the music together. It goes without saying that they are both exceptional drummers, technically and creatively, but in terms of one being able to play something the other one couldn`t replicate, my money`s on Bill stumping Alan (with a self-satisfied, polyrythmic smirk on his face, of course).

Bill could`ve done amazing things with stuff like Sound Chaser and The Ancient, but would probably only have cluttered up heavier material like Ritual and Gates Of Delirium. I`m glad Yes has been lucky enough to benefit from both their talents, and I don`t think I would have wanted Bill to stay beyond CTTE (he should`ve done the tour, though).

Anyway, what I actually wanted to post here was a rare namecheck for our Alan from none other than Robert Wyatt. In this month`s Uncut, Wyatt, in response to the theory that "all British rock drummers are really frustrated jazz drummers", says:

"...with, say John Bonham and Alan White - I don`t hear much jazz in either of them but, gosh, you don`t get too many better rock drummers than either of them".

This made me really happy for some reason. Our guys aren`t given props vey often these days, so for someone as revered as Wyatt to give Alan and Bonham as the two rock drummers is high praise indeed.

[dallasman]

And, yeah: "A" excellent drummer? Come on, people. The standard of spelling and grammar on this board really needs straightening up. A few weeks ago, I nearly developed gastric ulcers from always seeing the headline "Mom`s and Yes" every time I checked in, though that`s been replaced by something else now. <End rant>

[bjlevine]

I love both of them, but have always preferred Bill, as a simple matter of taste.
And I do have to take issue with this claim. Not only do I personally disagree as a musician and music lover, but I`ve never ever heard anyone make this assertion anywhere.

Actually, Eddie Offord made the same assertion. Bill was not always the most technically precise (he himself said that if you're not making mistakes, you're not pushing yourself) drummer, but most people think that his drumming with Yes is more creative than Alan, who tends to be more on the beat. A great example is Bill playing on Fish Out Of Water. I'm always finding myself saying "what is he doing? He's on the beat, he's off the beat.". But I still love it. Like Bill, the drummer in our band (a big Bruford fan) will often thrown something in from left field just to keep us off guard. It tends to make the music more interesting.

[jpirard]

I too, think Alan is better suited in YES than Bill, although Bill's stuff on the early material, and CTTE in particular blow me away. For me it was weird. Except for hearing the 3 minute version of Roundabout, I had no Yes experience, until I heard YESSONGS. Since the majority of the drumming on THAT album is Alan, I suspect that is one of the main reasons I prefer Alan over Bill. I simply became used to hearing Alan play the drums on many of those songs. However, ONE major live version ( Perpetual Change on Yessongs ): The drums are amazing, not even the solo so much, just how they interact with every one during the main body of the song. On the House of Yes cd, White's drums are very boomy and he is playing a strange, vaguely annoying rhythm during the verses. It may be the miking was off, but either way, not as good. IMHO!

[Bo Locks]

Alan White is a excellent drummer

No shiit Sherlock!!! What next? Steve Howe is a ace guitar player? Rick Wakeman is a awesome keyboard player?

[Whitefish]

I too, think Alan is better suited in YES than Bill, although Bill's stuff on the early material, and CTTE in particular blow me away. For me it was weird. Except for hearing the 3 minute version of Roundabout, I had no Yes experience, until I heard YESSONGS. Since the majority of the drumming on THAT album is Alan, I suspect that is one of the main reasons I prefer Alan over Bill. I simply became used to hearing Alan play the drums on many of those songs. However, ONE major live version ( Perpetual Change on Yessongs ): The drums are amazing, not even the solo so much, just how they interact with every one during the main body of the song. !

Alan is much better suited for Yes overall in the long run. The albums Bill is on were great for Bill and the albums Alan are on were great for Alan.It all worked out perfectly.

[Truthiness1107]

I am presently contemplating the purchase of a small smattering of vinyl and CD purchases, and I notice that there isn't much in the way of Yes albums that I'm not already familiar with. I will get the last four in the Yes catalog before moving onto the numerous side projects.

I already have Alan's 1976 LP - Ramshackled. Now, I sincerely doubt that a vinyl version exists for Alan's 2006 release - White , but I am still considering a CD copy. How does this recording stack up his first solo outing? And, if I were stuck with an 'either or' choice between the two Syn albums or the two Circa albums, which one should I go for?

[True Believer]

And, if I were stuck with an 'either or' choice between the two Syn albums or the two Circa albums, which one should I go for?
Go for Circa: all the way! The Syn doesn't get a look in compared to Circa:.

[bob16]

Alan GROOVES

[bondegezou]

if I were stuck with an 'either or' choice between the two Syn albums or the two Circa albums, which one should I go for?

Alan isn't on two Syn or two CIRCA: albums! He toured with The Syn, so he's on the 2006 live DVD and on about 2/3 of the Armistice Day release. Armistice Day is not a particularly good collection and Alan opposed its release.

He's on the first CIRCA: release and the live DVD, but not their recent second album, CIRCA: HQ. In terms of White's work, I'd get that first CIRCA: album.

For a full Alan White discography and plenty more options to buy, see http://www.yescography.com/alanwhit.htm

Henry

[Gemini]

I've been listening to "Magnification" on my way to work the past couple of days and said to myself this morning that I can't think of anyone else doing the percussion on this superb album other than Alan White.

[bondegezou]

Alan isn't on two Syn or two CIRCA: albums! He toured with The Syn, so he's on the 2006 live DVD and on about 2/3 of the Armistice Day release. Armistice Day is not a particularly good collection and Alan opposed its release.

He's on the first CIRCA: release and the live DVD, but not their recent second album, CIRCA: HQ. In terms of White's work, I'd get that first CIRCA: album.

However, to answer the earlier question, in terms of the various Syn, CIRCA:, White and related releases, I'd rank them...

1. Syndestructible (drums: Jeremy Stacey)
2. Original Syn 1965-2004 (drums: Gunnar Hákonarson, Martyn Adelman and others)
3= CIRCA: HQ (drums: Jay Schellen)
3= CIRCA: Live [DVD/forthcoming iTunes audio release] (drums: Alan White)
5. CIRCA: 2007 (drums: Alan White)
6. White (drums: Alan White)
7. Led Box: The Ultimate Tribute to Led Zeppelin (drums: Alan White, Vinnie Coliauta, Doane Perry and others)
8. Armistice Day (drums: Alan White and others)

I haven't heard the new Syn album (drums: Paul Ramsey) or Billy Sherwood's new Beatles tribute (drums: Alan White, Jay Schellen and others).

That said, I think the best drumming on any of those is CIRCA: 2007 and the live DVD.

Henry