Alan White

Jeremy Bender

Platinum Member
Well I just finished watching YES live and was compelled to say how much I enjoyed Alan White's playing with the band and for the music.
 
I've been a fan of Alan White for the last 25 plus years. Seen him in concert twice and he's great at using his technique, but in a musical fashion that supports the song, instead of standing out like a sore thumb.

In the early 90's I drove from Cincinnati, OH to Chicago, IL with the drummer in a band I was in at the time to see Zildjian Cymbal Days. They had a group of maybe 7 or 8 famous drummers who endorsed their cymbals giving demonstrations. Alan White was there and he was excellent. I remember thinking how cool it was that he was playing his Ludwigs when everyone else there were playing their Sonors, Tamas and other new school sets. Remember, this was the early 90's before Ludwig started coming back. Very, very underrated drummer.
 
I have been listening to Alan since he joined Yes.

He along with Bruford, Peart, Heyward and Palmer is a favorite of mine.

Very, very good drummer.
 
Alan White was there and he was excellent. I remember thinking how cool it was that he was playing his Ludwigs when everyone else there were playing their Sonors, Tamas and other new school sets. Remember, this was the early 90's before Ludwig started coming back. Very, very underrated drummer.

Ludwig's the only company he's been with from the beginning. He's definately one of the reasons I own two Ludwig kits.

I absolutely love all of his stuff with Yes, especially songs like "sound chaser" off 'Relayer', "into the lens" off 'Drama', "hold on & changes" off '90125.
 
Yes, very under-rated.

Some really nice playing on Relayer, his first studio album with Yes, and thereafter.

When he joined the band, after Bruford's departure, he had literally days to learn a very complex Yes set before going on tour.
 
Alan White doesn't usually come up first when talking about fave drummers, but he is very underrated. I was just listening to some 80s Yes tonight and decided to look up this thread. Like supermac noted White had learn all the 70s Yes tunes quickly for the live stuff you hear on the Yessongs live album. That other guy appears on a couple of those songs from that disc(s) but most of it is White who did great under the circumstances and proved his versatility later but anchoring almost a totally different kind of group in the 80s (and beyond) Yes.

And his drumming on Relayer and Going for the One are great. I often wonder how Going for the One would have sounded with BB. As it is, I love it and think it is overall a better album than Close to the Edge.

and Alan seems like a loyal guy as he's stuck with Yes and Ludwig for such a long time. Not to mention he plays a bit of keyboard too (see Symphonic Yes DVD) and writes songs. An all around great musician.
 
I have always been a big fan of Alan's playing. Does anybody know of any transcriptions of his drumming (apart from Owner of a Lonely Heart, which I have), either printed or online?
 
I also like Mr White's playing - he is very solid and has no trouble with the complexity of Yes' music. He doesn't have a "definitive" style or sound like Mr Bruford, but who does really?

Into the Lens is a great song for drumming.
 
Alan White doesn't usually come up first when talking about fave drummers, but he is very underrated.

If he didn't follow Bill Bruford into Yes I expect he'd have a much bigger rep.

Same thing happened with Pat Mastelotto when he came into Crimson. Like Alan White, he's a fantastic drummer but he doesn't get talked about much. If either of those guys became known as the original drummer in a name band they'd probably be revered like Neal and Gavin.

Bruford is a helluva act to follow!
 
I thought I'd throw in my two cents!

Alan White is definitely one of my all-time favorite drummers. Yes, Relayer might be his best studio drumming performance with Yes (Tales From Topographic Oceans was actually his first full studio recording with Yes).

I thought I'd include here a drum cover I did a while back. It's "Future Times/Rejoice" from Tormato. I love that record, and even though at times it sounds slightly unpolished, I think it's one of the most underrated of Yes records, and of Progressive Rock in general.

I think I could play the song better today if I tried it again (I haven't played it in a while), but it's so hard that I was happy with it at the time! Enjoy.

"Future Times/Rejoice" by Yes, Drum Cover
 
Yes, very under-rated.

Some really nice playing on Relayer, his first studio album with Yes, and thereafter.

When he joined the band, after Bruford's departure, he had literally days to learn a very complex Yes set before going on tour.

Actually, Alan White's first studio album with Yes was "Tales from Topographic Oceans." "Relayer" was his second studio album.
 
I enjoy the powerhouse drumming on the album 'Talk' especially the track called Silent Spring. He really drives the band.

Another album he did with YES was called The Ladder. It shows how diverse his playing truly can be in a variety of song styles.
 
oh man...I taught his niece here at school back in the late 90's. He came to her State Finals band performance to see her march her senior year!! He was very cool, and not a "rock star" at all!!!

that sux. RIP Alan White!!
 
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