Bumping up this very old thread, because a couple threads already active reminded me of this sentiment.

I think he's ridiculously underrated, and totally forgotten when it comes to rock drummers. Everyone always focuses on Bonham, Moon, Neil Peart and even Ginger Baker but they totally ignore Nick and someone like Charlie Watts. The drummer holds the whole thing down. If he/she goes off, the whole song sounds wrong. Because of the kind of music PF did and the kind of band they were, they didn't need a flashy, over-the-top, too-many-percussion-fills drummer. I think for what PF needed from him and what they needed musically in general, he's beyond great.

I think Mason is underrated because he actually understands what makes a good drummer. Much like Ringo, but more technically advanced.

When I hear people talking about how awesome the Slipknot drummer is, I tend to say: "Sure, show me a good vid of him."
They then show me one where he hits his drums so quickly that it sounds like a car's engine rather than a drum solo. I detest that. Good drumming (or good guitar playing, or any instrument for that matter) is not about technique; it's about 90% musicality and 10% technique. If the Slipknot drummer would have had a proper musical education, he could have been one of the best drummers in the world. My opinion is that even I can do better. Honestly. And I'm a worthless drummer.

Nick is a minimalist, you could say. After he played a song, he'd actually listen to it in order to make mental notes of where he played too _many_ notes. That's brilliant and that alone shows that his musicality is one of a kind. Everything he plays is amazing in my opinion, and his use of the crash instead of a hi-hat is something I've yet to see anybody else doing. Just watch his drumming on Echoes in Pompeii. Shows enough. :)

While I agree with what you guys are saying, and I'm not doubting that he was a hard worker, I don't believe that he is underrated. Personally, and I mean this with no disrespect, Mason's drumming wasn't all that difficult as you guys mentioned. I'm not saying that you need to execute a million fills or else your a bad drummer, which Mason was not. But I on the other hand don't believe that he showed an amazingness to his drumming. His drumming never stood out, not that it had to, but then again you can't say that he's underrated when his drum compositions are rather straightforward. He wasn't revolutionizing the art of drumming in any way either. I love Pink Floyd, but in the end I can't call Mason an underrated drummer. Sure he's shown flashes. And I particularly love his performance on One Of These Days (especially the Pompeii version). But I don't think he's underrated. I don't think he personally compares to Keith Moon or John Bonham for that matter. But he didn't need to because of the style of music that the Floyd played (a much more subdued style than that of Bonham or Moon's bands). And I'm not saying he's a bad drummer either. I just don't believe he's underrated (because of the previously mentioned reasons).

Take a look at a drummer like Chris Adler. He's done so many interesting things on the drums.

Floydcrazy, your posts shows what I dislike, kind of. The whole point is that Nick is an amazing drummer by doing exactly what he's supposed to do. I've made a similar post some time ago about bass guitarists and rhythm guitarists. These people provide rhythmical structure to the song, and too much technical stuff would ruin that. Nick Mason understands that, and his drumming is always exceptionally flawless and adequate. That's what defines a good drummer.

(08-27-2010 01:30 PM)Arno Sluismans Wrote:  Floydcrazy, your posts shows what I dislike, kind of. The whole point is that Nick is an amazing drummer by doing exactly what he's supposed to do. I've made a similar post some time ago about bass guitarists and rhythm guitarists. These people provide rhythmical structure to the song, and too much technical stuff would ruin that. Nick Mason understands that, and his drumming is always exceptionally flawless and adequate. That's what defines a good drummer.

Right. I understand that. He's doing what he's supposed to do. That doesn't mean he's underrated though. I think his drumming is solid, but I don't think he's underrated because of the fact that he's doing what he is (was) paid to do.

Maybe it just goes along with the fact that he doesn't get enought attention.

I think everyone is getting crossed up here.

I think we all agree that Nick Mason is a great drummer and was a great drummer for Pink Floyd. Where people seem to be going off in separate directions is what makes a musician overrated/underrated compared to a peer. When people think 70s rock drummers, they think Keith Moon, John Bonham, Neil Peart. Those are usually the first names that come to mind. Underrated drummers would be those who are as good as the above-named artists, but get no attention because their band wasn't as high-profile as the bands those drummers were in.

I think we can all safely argue that Pink Floyd was better than The Who, Led Zeppelin and Rush, but got about 1/10th as much attention because the band and the guys as individuals were pretty anonymous. So their musical contributions to the music tend to get overshadowed. Which is why I think all four of them as instrumentalists are highly underrated compared to their peers. I mean, Jimmy Page was/is a great guitarist, but David plays circles around him, IMO. No one talks about him in that way.

I think that's what everyone means by underrated.

(08-27-2010 03:46 PM)Lady Floydian Wrote:  I think everyone is getting crossed up here.

I think we all agree that Nick Mason is a great drummer and was a great drummer for Pink Floyd. Where people seem to be going off in separate directions is what makes a musician overrated/underrated compared to a peer. When people think 70s rock drummers, they think Keith Moon, John Bonham, Neil Peart. Those are usually the first names that come to mind. Underrated drummers would be those who are as good as the above-named artists, but get no attention because their band wasn't as high-profile as the bands those drummers were in.

I think we can all safely argue that Pink Floyd was better than The Who, Led Zeppelin and Rush, but got about 1/10th as much attention because the band and the guys as individuals were pretty anonymous. So their musical contributions to the music tend to get overshadowed. Which is why I think all four of them as instrumentalists are highly underrated compared to their peers. I mean, Jimmy Page was/is a great guitarist, but David plays circles around him, IMO. No one talks about him in that way.

I think that's what everyone means by underrated.

I agree with most of your points. Nick Mason was indeed a fantastic drummer for Pink Floyd. And if he had "drummed" in any other way than what he did, I think it would have ruined the music. I don't know though if his drumming compares to Moon, Bonham or Peart. But I guess in some aspects Mason was underrated in that he got less attention, although at the same time, he wasn't doing anything amazing. I guess what I'm getting at is that yes Mason was fantastic for the Floyd and was solid as a drummer, but I don't think he did anything that would warrant him being ranked as an amazing drummer in any drummer magazine, which is why I can't say that he is totally underrated in that aspect. But I guess his contribution to keep the band in check on stage and everything moving smoothly can be looked at as being underrated. I hope that made sense haha.

But either way, discussions like this are a good thing! We can all discuss this topic in a friendly manner as we have done so so far (at least since I've been part of the discussion) This is what these types of forums are meant for. Good solid discussion!

(08-27-2010 06:16 PM)floydcrazy Wrote:  

(08-27-2010 03:46 PM)Lady Floydian Wrote:  I think everyone is getting crossed up here.

I think we all agree that Nick Mason is a great drummer and was a great drummer for Pink Floyd. Where people seem to be going off in separate directions is what makes a musician overrated/underrated compared to a peer. When people think 70s rock drummers, they think Keith Moon, John Bonham, Neil Peart. Those are usually the first names that come to mind. Underrated drummers would be those who are as good as the above-named artists, but get no attention because their band wasn't as high-profile as the bands those drummers were in.

I think we can all safely argue that Pink Floyd was better than The Who, Led Zeppelin and Rush, but got about 1/10th as much attention because the band and the guys as individuals were pretty anonymous. So their musical contributions to the music tend to get overshadowed. Which is why I think all four of them as instrumentalists are highly underrated compared to their peers. I mean, Jimmy Page was/is a great guitarist, but David plays circles around him, IMO. No one talks about him in that way.

I think that's what everyone means by underrated.

I agree with most of your points. Nick Mason was indeed a fantastic drummer for Pink Floyd. And if he had "drummed" in any other way than what he did, I think it would have ruined the music. I don't know though if his drumming compares to Moon, Bonham or Peart. But I guess in some aspects Mason was underrated in that he got less attention, although at the same time, he wasn't doing anything amazing. I guess what I'm getting at is that yes Mason was fantastic for the Floyd and was solid as a drummer, but I don't think he did anything that would warrant him being ranked as an amazing drummer in any drummer magazine, which is why I can't say that he is totally underrated in that aspect. But I guess his contribution to keep the band in check on stage and everything moving smoothly can be looked at as being underrated. I hope that made sense haha.

But either way, discussions like this are a good thing! We can all discuss this topic in a friendly manner as we have done so so far (at least since I've been part of the discussion) This is what these types of forums are meant for. Good solid discussion!

No, I don't think anyone would call Nick a champion drummer, but that's because he didn't need to be. Who knows, what if PF had written a song like When The Levee Breaks and needed a drummer with a lead foot on the bass drum? Could Nick have done that? Since the songs they chose to do on the whole didn't highlight the drummer, I don't think we will know but if you've heard A Saucerful of Secrets or One Of These Days from Pompeii, you'll know that Nick had the ability to cut loose when necessary. So you could make the argument that he's on the same level as those guys, but isn't counted the same way because PF's music didn't necessitate a wacky and out of control drummer.

I would say it's 50/50 then that he's underrated on talent (I say he is), but he's absolutely underrated on recognition.

And yes, good solid discussion like this is always awesome because a) we need it and b.) there's no shortage of things to discuss, even about a band that's now defunct.

(08-27-2010 06:40 PM)Lady Floydian Wrote:  

(08-27-2010 06:16 PM)floydcrazy Wrote:  

(08-27-2010 03:46 PM)Lady Floydian Wrote:  I think everyone is getting crossed up here.

I think we all agree that Nick Mason is a great drummer and was a great drummer for Pink Floyd. Where people seem to be going off in separate directions is what makes a musician overrated/underrated compared to a peer. When people think 70s rock drummers, they think Keith Moon, John Bonham, Neil Peart. Those are usually the first names that come to mind. Underrated drummers would be those who are as good as the above-named artists, but get no attention because their band wasn't as high-profile as the bands those drummers were in.

I think we can all safely argue that Pink Floyd was better than The Who, Led Zeppelin and Rush, but got about 1/10th as much attention because the band and the guys as individuals were pretty anonymous. So their musical contributions to the music tend to get overshadowed. Which is why I think all four of them as instrumentalists are highly underrated compared to their peers. I mean, Jimmy Page was/is a great guitarist, but David plays circles around him, IMO. No one talks about him in that way.

I think that's what everyone means by underrated.

I agree with most of your points. Nick Mason was indeed a fantastic drummer for Pink Floyd. And if he had "drummed" in any other way than what he did, I think it would have ruined the music. I don't know though if his drumming compares to Moon, Bonham or Peart. But I guess in some aspects Mason was underrated in that he got less attention, although at the same time, he wasn't doing anything amazing. I guess what I'm getting at is that yes Mason was fantastic for the Floyd and was solid as a drummer, but I don't think he did anything that would warrant him being ranked as an amazing drummer in any drummer magazine, which is why I can't say that he is totally underrated in that aspect. But I guess his contribution to keep the band in check on stage and everything moving smoothly can be looked at as being underrated. I hope that made sense haha.

But either way, discussions like this are a good thing! We can all discuss this topic in a friendly manner as we have done so so far (at least since I've been part of the discussion) This is what these types of forums are meant for. Good solid discussion!

No, I don't think anyone would call Nick a champion drummer, but that's because he didn't need to be. Who knows, what if PF had written a song like When The Levee Breaks and needed a drummer with a lead foot on the bass drum? Could Nick have done that? Since the songs they chose to do on the whole didn't highlight the drummer, I don't think we will know but if you've heard A Saucerful of Secrets or One Of These Days from Pompeii, you'll know that Nick had the ability to cut loose when necessary. So you could make the argument that he's on the same level as those guys, but isn't counted the same way because PF's music didn't necessitate a wacky and out of control drummer.

I would say it's 50/50 then that he's underrated on talent (I say he is), but he's absolutely underrated on recognition.

And yes, good solid discussion like this is always awesome because a) we need it and b.) there's no shortage of things to discuss, even about a band that's now defunct.

If you look at one of my earlier posts I do mention that I enjoyed his drumming on One Of These Days from Pompeii and thought that he was impressive there. But even in those flashes it's hard to compare him with the likes of Moon or Bonham who displayed themselves in a difficult fashion on a nightly basis.

And I look forward to discussing with you guys for a long time to come (hopefully!). I've been a member of the forum since December 2007. I've just had a lot of dry spells in terms of posting. It also seems like the place has quieted down, with the exception of you and a few others. It's unfortunate, but hopefully I can help get it going again at least in some way.

The drumming work on Pompeii is godly.