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Bruford or White?

YES drummer: Bruford or White

  • Bill Bruford

    Votes: 56 75.7%

  • Alan White

    Votes: 18 24.3%
  • Total voters
    74
#41
Roscoe East said:
.but whenever the "Bruford vs White?" question comes up I find myself thinking Bill's playing on Yes albums was only just "effective".
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Are you serious? The entire track "Close To The Edge" had some phenomenal drumming - nothing by-the-numbers or "only just effective" there. I can't think of any "rock" drummers of that time (except maybe Carl Palmer) that could have done that track justice.

And before that he proved himself a unique drummer on "Heart Of The Sunrise".

But I agree, his playing became even more unique and interesting post-Yes.
 
#42
Both great.... like them both equally.

The band 'swings' more with Bruford, but man, Alan just muscles that music. Relayer is by far my favorite Yes disc... Alan and Moraz..... THAT was the line-up. Saw both the Relayer tours and will never forget that!

Of course, this was all 35+ years ago, and don't listen much anymore. But, I get out the remaster of Close to the Edge and the remaster of Relayer once a year and enjoy the heck out of both versions of that great band.

I also am still blown away today by that guitar solo in 'America'. My gosh, what a player Howe is.
 
#43
My favorite Yes LP is Close To The Edge. Bruford was amazing on it. Stylistic and innovative.

Alan White's showcase LP was Relayer. White brought a total bombastic energy to the band with that one. "Sound Chaser" in particular.

Real tough call, but the rocker in me gravitates more towards Alan White.
 
#44
mapleglo said:
I chose Alan White. Not because I think he's a better drummer. They both are great drummers, with completely different styles. I chose White because I think he's better with Yes.
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+1

Alan is a better fit for Yes IMO. And if anyone doubts Alan's technical competency, just have a listen to the Relayer album.

I have been a die-hard Yes fan since 1971. I have major respect for Bill's playing.

And as far as personality goes, Alan is just a chill, laid back, friendly, easy-goin guy. I met Alan in 2001 and chatted with him for a bit. Bill, on the other hand, seems to have the personality of a plain block wall. If it came to who to invite to my back yard bar-be-que, it would be Alan for sure!
 
#45
Relayer71 said:
Are you serious? The entire track "Close To The Edge" had some phenomenal drumming - nothing by-the-numbers or "only just effective" there. I can't think of any "rock" drummers of that time (except maybe Carl Palmer) that could have done that track justice.
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Yes, I was serious. While there's nothing particularly "wrong" or "pedantic" or "uninteresting" about Bill's drumming on "Close To The Edge" I never find myself thinking that the drums contribute anything special to the track; they simply serve a functional role. As contrasted with, say, the guitar and bass playing on that same tune, which strike me as being remarkably imaginative, possessing a vast scope beyond the conventional vocabulary of the time, and displaying a combination of frighteningly virtuosic technique and tastefully inventive compositional originality. Compared to that, the drumming is just drumming, and I daresay any number of other competant drummers** could have come up with an equally effective accompaniment.

The shortcoming (if it is one) of Bill's playing with Yes for me is that it's all a little too precious; too much reliance on snare rudiments and somewhat-but-not-too clever interplay between his differently voiced cymbals. He never got primal and threw down some massive booty, never really rocked hard, and almost never did any of the definitely-overtly-and-not-too-but-rather-just-enough clever ineterplay between his four limbs that he developed after he left Yes. (The obvious exception being "Five Percent For Nothing") Leaving Yes was the best thing to happen to Bill's drumming because nearly all of the things he's known & respected for are things that either developed or at least flowered after he left Yes.


**...except for Carl Palmer, he woulda played bombastic insensetive crap while failing to maintain the tempos. And yeah, I'm serious about that too.
 
#46
aproud1 said:
With Yes I think Bruford and White were both excellent. But as others have said Bruford work outside of Yes is really amazing. He has a more distinctive style than White.

Plus he is my dog's namesake.

Meet Bruford the dog.

WP_20130919_001.jpg
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Hey, great dog! I'm actually planning on getting a Siberian Husky and naming him Bruford for the exact same reason.
 
#48
Roscoe East said:
Yes, I was serious. While there's nothing particularly "wrong" or "pedantic" or "uninteresting" about Bill's drumming on "Close To The Edge" I never find myself thinking that the drums contribute anything special to the track; they simply serve a functional role.
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Would you say the same thing about Heart of the Sunrise, or Long Distance Runaround? Those songs would have been totally different with any other drummer.

Bruford is uniquely creative, and his work with both Yes and (particularly) Red-era Crimson is top of the heap. But he has his quirks--his "phone it in" performance on that "Symphonic Music of Yes" album was a monumental disappointment; I could have played the drums with more feel than that. White is a very good and very consistent rock drummer, although in recent years the live tempos are getting slower and slooooowwer, and I think it's mainly his fault.

If I had the opportunity and choice (neither being likely), I'd rather have Bruford play on my albums, but I'd rather tour for 25 years with White.
 
#49
Rickengeezer said:
Would you say the same thing about Heart of the Sunrise, or Long Distance Runaround?
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While I don't think I would accuse Bruford's drumming on those two numbers as being purely "functional", I do still find them "a little too precious; too much reliance on snare rudiments and somewhat-but-not-too clever interplay between his differently voiced cymbals."

Rickengeezer said:
Those songs would have been totally different with any other drummer.
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Oh, absolutely. But to be honest, what I'd really love to hear (in some hypothetical world where such a thing is possible) is the Bill Bruford of 2013 -- with all his experience and accumulated musicianship, but minus the cynicism, and with the freshness of not having had originated those parts 40 years ago -- playing on those tunes. I think the drumming would still possess the qualities that makes his original parts unique and effective in those tunes, but it would also have a lot more drive, propulsion, and engaging interplay. That would be awesome.
 
#51
Why does everyone who posts about Bruford's work on Close to the Edge ignore the fine playing by White on that song on Yessongs?



That was recorded on December 15th or 16th, 1972, only a few months after the original recording of the studio version by Bruford. The studio version was done in sections, and is not one single performance, like the live version is.

White had only just joined up; the performance of Roundabout on that album was recorded in November with Bruford on drums.

From Wikipedia:

Three days after meeting with Jon Anderson and Chris Squire, White played at the first show of the group's US Close to the Edge tour. Despite the fact that White had spent time in the studio with the band and even tried playing some of the Close to the Edge material, it was still a substantial challenge for him to learn the band's live set in just three days. White and the band gave each other three months to see if he fitted in, and some 40 years later, he has appeared on every Yes album since.

For me, White is Yes's drummer.
 
#57
Had to choose White. Like others mentioned, I think he is a better fit in that he gives them more of a driving rock edge that I just love. Relayer....what more can I say? However, whenever I listen to the Bruford YES albums, I can't help but love the inventiveness and touch he adds. Tough call indeed.

I had the honor of meeting and hanging with Alan and meeting the rest of the band back in the early 2000s. Alan was a gentleman all the way and I feel a little bit of bias because of that as well.
 
#58
Mike in Chicago said:
I always thought that old Phil Collins...before he sold out, when he was a drummer (and one of my favorite rock drummers...it's a shame he wanted to sing more than play the drums),would have been a great hybrid for Yes. Syncopation of Bruford with the rockier style of White.

But I voted Bruford. Love him playing with Collins on Cinema Show off Seconds Out.
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Collins in Brand X is stunning, same goes to Collins and Bruford on Seconds Out
 

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