Dream team

[Tally]

He is such a joy to watch, a gentleman and puts everything into his performances.

I put everything into playing football, but Kaka I am not. He is indeed a gentleman and certainly a competent drummer but technically, he's not close to Chad. Not by a long shot.

Is that so? You may be right, but I tend to favour Danny too for some reason. Not sure why, I guess I just prefer his sound. But Withers is the best drummer I've ever heard. That early incarnation of DS was tight, tight, tight...

My lineup:

MK
Withers
Worf
Fletcher
Clark

Second guitar... I don't know. In my opinion, Mark has never played with the 'perfect' second guitar player. RB is good but the overall sound is too acoustic these days and Richard is a bit too 'western' in his solo approach.

[dustyvalentino]

I think people tend to be emotive rather than objective when discussing this subject, simply because Danny, is such a lovely, cuddly bloke who we all love.

You're probably right, I think RB is the best sideman he's had but really the best second guitarist for MK is... MK! Nothing's really as good as those early albums where he's playing all parts (except DK mixed away down in the background).

[Rollergirl]

I think people tend to be emotive rather than objective when discussing this subject, (...)

Well, of course we are being emotive, what is more moving that music? It's what it's all about, emotion! You can't say Danny is a worse or better drummer than Pick, you can say however that you prefer Pick's style. You can't say KTGC was a bad album (as I have read a few times) but you can say you don't like it. Everything is down to individual taste and what the music does to you, personnally.
(you CAN say however, that I am a worse guitar player than you or MK, but you can't say that MK is a better guitarist than, I don't know, Eric Clapton (or Phil Collins       arf arf arf). It's all a matter of taste.

Thank you for reading. This message was brought to you by the AMIT association of pedantic bores

[dustyvalentino]

I can say that in my opinion Chad is a better drummer than Danny. Just my opinion, but you can also start to gather facts to back it up. For example, Chad is an in demand session drummer, having also played with Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne etc etc. Who else has Danny played drums for? Not much chance of Neil Young poaching Danny.

Of course Danny is renowned as a world class percussionist, but it's a very diferent discipline. As I said earlier, you couldn't really expect Danny to be as proficient on the drums when he only started playing a few years ago and Chad has been a top session drummer for decades.

[superval99]

Danny is such a lovely chap, though, and he shared my chips at the Inglenook!   

[dmg]

Whether or not someone is good at doing something is a fact - like it or not.  We can also have our own opinions, of course regarding who we like better.  We don't have to like the best person at their job but like someone else because of their style instead.  Personally, I am not a professional drummer or critic so I don't feel in a position to say who is the best drummer but I chose luvvly, luvvly, luvvly, the Welsh contingent - in goals Mr. Terry Williams!

[Rollergirl]

The fact is that you prefer Chad to Danny, fair enough. Do you know for a fact that Neil Young (or whoever) has not asked him to play drums for him? I don't.

[Waterline Man]

For example, Chad is an in demand session drummer, having also played with Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne etc etc. Who else has Danny played drums for? Not much chance of Neil Young poaching Danny.

Did Danny not play drums on a George Michael tour?

[superval99]

I think it was percussion.   

[IrisRose]

I could possibly manage the tambourine!  

[superval99]

Even though I love Danny's drumming, my favourite DS/MK drummer is Terry Williams.   

[Simon]

I am assuming Chad is Chilli Pepper Chad? (Correct me if I am wrong).

But just because someone is in 'demand' for session work doesn't mean that someone who doesn't do session work is not as good.

Perhaps Chad needs the money and Danny doesn't

Danny hasn't been playing as long as Chad? I have been watching and impressed by a young guitarist who plays in a local covers band where I live. He is 19 and in my opinion he could fit in an play lead/rhythm guitar with any of the top rock bands in the world (quite a bold statement I know). When I asked his mother how many hours he must have spent in his bedroom (jokingly) while all his mates were out having a ball and for how long has he been playing, her reply was that the first time he picked up a guitar was 5 years ago and that he doesn't even practice that often.

Yes, the above is an example (a very true one though) but it also goes to show that just because someone has been playing longer than someone else, also doesn't make them better.

It is purely about opinions and I would rather watch someone I liked as a person than someone who is 'rated' the best at his trade.

After all - would we all still go and watch MK given the chance when he is into his 70s and not the best in the world anymore due to the various medical complaints that wil hit us all someday? I think we would.

[Rollergirl]

After all - would we all still go and watch MK given the chance when he is into his 70s and not the best in the world anymore due to the various medical complaints that wil hit us all someday? I think we would.

Most probably.

Chad is Chad Cromwell.

I could possibly manage the tambourine!   

  LOL (although it's probably more difficult than it looks!)

[Rollergirl]

just because someone has been playing longer than someone else, also doesn't make them better.

So true too! I have been playing golf for 7 years and I still suck as much as I did 6 months after I started!

[dustyvalentino]

The fact is that you prefer Chad to Danny, fair enough. Do you know for a fact that Neil Young (or whoever) has not asked him to play drums for him? I don't.

Um, no, the "fact" is that I think that Chad is technically a better drummer than Danny. And as I said, I'm not aware of Danny playing drums for anybody else, except Guy and Guy's blues band.

It is purely about opinions and I would rather watch someone I liked as a person than someone who is 'rated' the best at his trade.

After all - would we all still go and watch MK given the chance when he is into his 70s and not the best in the world anymore due to the various medical complaints that wil hit us all someday? I think we would.

Not sure I agree with this rationale - my plumber is a lovely bloke, but I wouldn't hire him to change the brake discs on my car.

On your second point, of course, I saw Les Paul put on a great show when he was 90, and I've seen Willie Nelson a couple of times in his 70s, two of the best gigs I've ever seen.

I'm not sure why people are getting so wound up about this. All I did was state my OPINION that Chad is a better drummer than Danny. Is Danny good enough to be MK's drummer? Absolutely, otherwise he wouldn't be there. Anyone ever heard him make even a single mistake? Me neither. Is he as "good" as Chad? in my opinion, no. The way things are going you would think I insulted somebody's mother or something. 

Somebody sent me this PM recently

I may not be around here much longer. As always when you criticize MK's music (or touring) of getting boring you'll have a flock of agitated fans attacking furiously for one not believing in the true religion 

It's the same thing over and over.

To be honest, I thought they were being melodramatic at the time, but now I see what they mean.