Irrespective of his speed and chops and oft-bombastic approach to the drumkit, Cobham has a pocket that is infectious and genuinely propels a groove; his snare backbeats are ultra crisp, and when he hits a crash & kick simultaneously there's a "snap" that is wholly unique in the way it drives a band.
Yes, probably so, but doesn't even remotely sounds anything like what he does with PG. And what PG does without Cobham.
Yes, but I don't think that was his main traits in Mahavishnu. It's the thing what Peter heard in "can he restrain himself from that?". Cobham is not the only one PG used. You have had Shankar, the Yngwie Malmsteen of violin (Paganini notwithstanding) with intimidating virtuosity, Robert Fripp who can just as well play 10.000 notes per second, as well as stay on 10.000 seconds per note (Frippertronics, Soundscapes).
Bayete (Todd Cochran), David Sancious on keyboards, and numerous other guys that just prior playing with PG had these track records of ONLY displaying virtuosity. While it could have been better with using regular and seasoned studio musicians who has a reputation and track records to just play what is needed, fast, slow or not. Stewart Copeland came in JUST to play hi-hat on So. And so on. PG eschewing metal cymbals on 3rd album altogether. It's about busy players. While Tony Levin isn't any slouch as a fast or busy player it's not his main trait, as oposed to, say, Jeff Berlin who is a very busy player and is his main trait.
Mind you, that I like Cobham a lot, for the same reasons you do.
I find often, that Steven Wilson uses these musicians too, over the top flight musicians, that are artists in their own right, rather than seasoned session musicians. At least in solo career. I do not know if Nate Navarro has actually experienced a larger touring band in his past career. Pinne Pannelle or whatever they were called was a "small time". Nate DOES have a forward thinking and innovative style, and are not afraid to move the art of bass playing forward. I hope he doesn't get mixed up with drummer Nate Novarro from the band Cobra Starship. Confusion ahead...
I think all this, PG and Steve Wilson choices of collaborators, is an old idea that Brian Eno had. The band 801 formed by Phil Manzanera, was originally an intentional idea, to mix "musos" with almost amateur or lesser skilled musicians. You had a very young and "unneccessary talented" Simon Phillips on drums (19 at the time) and Francis Monkman on keyboards. Then Phil Manzanera, and Eno on their respective instruments have always been somewhat textural and mediocre as far as instrumentalists go. Bill McCormick on bass a regular run of the mill bass player. Does the job though. The end result can sometimes turn out intriguing. No competition or rivalry since Eno, Phil couldn't keep up with Phillips formidable drumming. The thing of mixing so there was not too many getting/playing in the way of each other, fighting for place and space in the music. No showing each other up.
To me, sometimes this can be good. But generally speaking, I like when everyone can interact with each other and the interplay between all of the musicians works best.
