More than any other performer I often think how great it must have been for the guy who actually played the drums on The Muppet Show - his name was Ronnie Verrell - to get to play with some of the best and most famous drummers of the era, including full on drum battles with people like Buddy Rich.

Apparently (and, I suppose, obviously) he was a pretty accomplished drummer in his own right, but to play as animal must have been an absolute blast.

Buddy Rich in the earlier drum battle was - in another scale entirely.

*related=http://videosift.com/video/Muppet-Show-Drum-Battle-Buddy-Rich-Vs-Animal-a-must-see-for-all-Animal-fans

Muppet Show - Drum Battle Buddy Rich Vs Animal (a must see for all Animal fans) has been added as a related post - related requested by Zawash.

Just as a dissenting opinion, I have to say I'm really not a fan of Peart. Yeah, he's an incredible technician, but for me he lacks the groove of Bonham or Buddy Rich.

OTOH, Rushs music bores me to tears (I hate that vocalist) so maybe I'd enjoy him more with a different band.

You're in luck, because I like all three of those things.

In reply to this comment by oritteropo:
Hi KnivesOut, do you like Jazz, Scat, or PQ'd vids on 9 votes:

http://videosift.com/video/Buddy-Rich-and-Mel-Torme-salute-Ella-Fitzgerald

Last person I sent this to, sadly, didn't.

Do you like Jazz? Scat? Vids with 9 votes needing 1 vote to be set free?
http://videosift.com/video/Buddy-Rich-and-Mel-Torme-salute-Ella-Fitzgerald

Yeah, Animal makes this video, the only drummer to beat him at anything, I believe was Buddy Rich, he drew with Harry Belafonte.

I am and always have been completely underwhelmed by every Buddy Rich drum solo. Any fool can play fast.

I'm Buddy Rich when I fly off the handle.

Zildjian.com: Who was the first drummer who inspired you to take up the instrument? Who were some of your early drum influences?

Answer: The first time I remember feeling a desire to play the drums was while watching the movie The Gene Krupa Story, at the age of eleven or twelve. The film’s dramatization of his life and Sal Mineo’s portrayal managed to make the idea of being a drummer seem exciting, glamorous, elegant, and dangerous. I started beating on the furniture and my baby sister’s playpen with a pair of chopsticks, and for my thirteenth birthday my parents gave me drum lessons, a practice pad, and a pair of sticks. They said they wouldn’t buy me real drums until I showed that I was going to be serious about it for at least a year, and I used to arrange magazines across my bed to make fantasy arrays of drums and cymbals, then beat the covers off them!

And don't forget Buddy Rich:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwJAAlXomVk

Great find.

from youtube: The song is "Machine" by the Buddy Rich Band off the album Big Swing Face (1967).

" Quantum, I don't suppose you'd care to elaborate on that particular note? To simply state such an overt opinion and not explain yourself, especially on such an impassioned speech makes it seem as if you did not even fully understand what the speech was about."

This from the same mindset of people who say stuff like "Bush is worse than Hitler", and "Bush lied, people died", "Bush knew about 9/11 and let it happen", "Bush stole the election", "Bush did it all to get his oil buddies rich", "Bush is a dumb cowboy"? Pick any 'overt opinion' from the liberal left - they're all the same. Unfounded with no evidence. And then say they don't have to explain themselves because 'everyone knows its true'....?

Idealogues, heal thyselves....

some of the best, if ya ever wanna hear/see some technical monsters-Art Blakey, Max Roach, jazz) Terry Bozio, Carl Palmer and Ansley Dunbar (both influenced Neil Peart),
of course theres Buddy Rich, Luis Belson,from the Big Band Jazz days.....

and for simplicity and solid rhythm...Charlie Watts (stones ds.),Elvin Jones, John Bonham and Keith Moon (zeppelin,the who).......

That chick from the White Stripes???.....Faux Drummer, but has the intensity and charm, because of the great song writing and relationship with her beau......True Love-

"....you can dance, you can glide, having the time of your life, oooohhhh".....totally could hear the ABBA he was listening to......

This reminds me of Muppets with Animal: http://www.videosift.com/video/Muppet-Show-Drum-Battle-Buddy-Rich-Vs-Animal-a-must-see-for-all-Animal-fans