Phil's service to the song is his best quality. He'll largely be absent or logging a straightforward groove, then he'll hit you with the perfect fill, this is a great example.
Correct, he's more Ringo than Bonham. Phil even says in an interview I heard recently that he never really had the chops. Which is totally fine, it's not who he is. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuzsenmTGTo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuzsenmTGTo) around 5:00 is when he says that.
I’m not sure I’ve ever heard someone compare Phil to Bonham, but yeah that’s definitely not a reasonable comparison. Bonham’s talent is truly inhuman to me. I don’t know of anyone else in rock music you could truly compare to him.
But like you say, it’s not a knock on Phil at all. Phil’s incredible. I think after Ringo I’d call him my favorite drummer ever (with Bonham probably rounding out the top 3) for exactly the reason we’re talking about here. Phil plays to the song. He does whatever a song needs and nothing more or less and he has a keen talent, just like Ringo, for knowing exactly what that is for any given song Thom writes.
I was just listening to OK Computer today and I think it’s such a perfect album to listen to for drumming. You can take any three tracks and find three totally different styles that each fit perfectly to their songs.
Completely agree. His work is nuanced and thoughtful and contrary to what some would say, quite diverse in style. Apart from playing to the song, Phil has, unlike many other contemporary drummers, this unique ability to create motifs and iconic parts within the song - the fill on Exit Music, the fill on There, There (simple triplets), etc. Cuuntless of them. I mean, there's only one fill on all of Karma Police and it's PERFECT.
The bass riff for TNA is one of my go-to soundchecks for shows and my drummer (who has never listened to Radiohead) picked it up automatically the first time I tried it. So fun.
Definitely as a whole, yeah. My Iron Lung has moments where it sounds like a Nirvana breakdown and There, There was a loud wall-of-sound climax. But this is a borderline Mars Volta song with how loud is gets.
Awesome work by the way! That timing is tight.
Airbag, Subterranean Homesick Alien and Where I End And You Begin.
He is one of my favourite drummers out there and has influenced me so much on my own drumming. I love his simple but perfectly executed and timed fills...
Also The King of Limbs... the whole album itself. Credits to Clive Deamer aswell
Morning bell, airbag. Phil’s drumming to me is like walking and skipping. You’re walking along at a normal pace then you have to skip every now and again. I know it might sound odd but that’s what it feels like to me. And yes, friggin love Phils’ drumming.
Nice drumming, where’s the rest of the vid?
I absolutely love the fill in Nude towards the end. That whole song is great for drums but for me it all leads to that fill. It kind of reminds me of the exit music fill but jazzier.
The drums on the *Airbag* intro, on *Ful Stop* right before the "truth will mess you up", on *Bloom* (especially on the live versions), and on *A Wolf A The Door*.
I actually started learning the drums and Phil is a great inspiration.
I love how the drum pattern on the verses on Optimistic are centred on the Toms. The song’s climax also has probably the best fills of any Radiohead song.
I love the drumming and percussion in Reckoner.
Almost forgot about that one, it's so good, especially during the outro
My favorite part too, wish it continued for another minute of just instrumentals
Same
The fill on Exit Music right before "And you can laugh..."
No cap it's probably one of the best drum entrances I've ever heard
Phil's service to the song is his best quality. He'll largely be absent or logging a straightforward groove, then he'll hit you with the perfect fill, this is a great example.
He’s always reminded me of Ringo in that way
Correct, he's more Ringo than Bonham. Phil even says in an interview I heard recently that he never really had the chops. Which is totally fine, it's not who he is. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuzsenmTGTo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuzsenmTGTo) around 5:00 is when he says that.
I’m not sure I’ve ever heard someone compare Phil to Bonham, but yeah that’s definitely not a reasonable comparison. Bonham’s talent is truly inhuman to me. I don’t know of anyone else in rock music you could truly compare to him. But like you say, it’s not a knock on Phil at all. Phil’s incredible. I think after Ringo I’d call him my favorite drummer ever (with Bonham probably rounding out the top 3) for exactly the reason we’re talking about here. Phil plays to the song. He does whatever a song needs and nothing more or less and he has a keen talent, just like Ringo, for knowing exactly what that is for any given song Thom writes. I was just listening to OK Computer today and I think it’s such a perfect album to listen to for drumming. You can take any three tracks and find three totally different styles that each fit perfectly to their songs.
Completely agree. His work is nuanced and thoughtful and contrary to what some would say, quite diverse in style. Apart from playing to the song, Phil has, unlike many other contemporary drummers, this unique ability to create motifs and iconic parts within the song - the fill on Exit Music, the fill on There, There (simple triplets), etc. Cuuntless of them. I mean, there's only one fill on all of Karma Police and it's PERFECT.
Yup!!!
Cool, I came here to say this and glad others feel the same!
Subterranean Homesick Alien, Myxomatosis, Separator
Myxamatosis is my current fave, it's so perfect
I know the word "underrated" is a meme at this point, but goddamn Separator is a special song.
myxomatosis, airbag, separator
What Clive adds to separator is incredible
absolutely! They did a great work on staircase too...i love that song
The polyrhythms are memorizing
The bass riff for TNA is one of my go-to soundchecks for shows and my drummer (who has never listened to Radiohead) picked it up automatically the first time I tried it. So fun.
It's so intuitive
I‘ve always loved the hi-hat thingy he does on LITTLE BY LITTLE at 1:31 !!
Those upbeats are so important
I was actually going to say this one. The rhythm section is so god damn gnarly. Then the horns come up from behind.
Yup, it got me thinking, is this the loudest Radiohead song?
Definitely as a whole, yeah. My Iron Lung has moments where it sounds like a Nirvana breakdown and There, There was a loud wall-of-sound climax. But this is a borderline Mars Volta song with how loud is gets. Awesome work by the way! That timing is tight.
Ikr, I played a few TMV songs and this definitely has a similar vibe
I love the drumming in In Limbo and Dollars And Cents. They sound so unique.
Yesss they love a groovy polyrhythm or odd time signature
Airbag, Subterranean Homesick Alien and Where I End And You Begin. He is one of my favourite drummers out there and has influenced me so much on my own drumming. I love his simple but perfectly executed and timed fills... Also The King of Limbs... the whole album itself. Credits to Clive Deamer aswell
Couldn't agree more
Morning bell, airbag. Phil’s drumming to me is like walking and skipping. You’re walking along at a normal pace then you have to skip every now and again. I know it might sound odd but that’s what it feels like to me. And yes, friggin love Phils’ drumming. Nice drumming, where’s the rest of the vid?
I never thought of it that way, great explanation
I put a link to the full vid in the comments
Yes, I found it. Was just watching your vid. Awesome job, loved it.
Besides what has been mentioned, the groove on All I Need is killer.
15 step (not sure if this is Phil but that’s the song with my favorite drums)
It is, such a great time signature
Great beat, if I played drums this is the only thing i’d play
😅 it's so much fun, such a great pocket
Where I End and You Begin
I dunno right now man but you clean as hell!
In limbo, 15 step, weird fishes
Dude, I swear I see you covering all of my favorite bands’ songs. Keep being awesome.
Planet telex Arpeggi Weird fishes Air bag
The part in Pyramid song where the drums kick in
Yesss
Bros the break/outro from In Limbo is so funky
I remember playing it once and getting entranced
Nice, enjoyed your 15 step cover too! Pyramid Song for me. When the beat kicks in it pulls the whole song together, still gives me chills.
So good, yes!!
I really like the 6/8 groove that he plays on both nude and a wolf at the door.
Yes, classic pockets, intuitive without over thinking it
On Ful Stop, Phil goes full Krautrock and I love it. Shame they didn’t do more in that Kosmiche style.
Ful stop has incredible drum work frfr
Separator, the drums are perfect
Yesss!!!
airbag!!!
Yesss
I absolutely love the fill in Nude towards the end. That whole song is great for drums but for me it all leads to that fill. It kind of reminds me of the exit music fill but jazzier.
Exactly
The drums on the *Airbag* intro, on *Ful Stop* right before the "truth will mess you up", on *Bloom* (especially on the live versions), and on *A Wolf A The Door*. I actually started learning the drums and Phil is a great inspiration.
Same and correct, amazing drum moments
I love how the drum pattern on the verses on Optimistic are centred on the Toms. The song’s climax also has probably the best fills of any Radiohead song.
Yes, I should do that one next
Full thing here: https://youtube.com/c/squarecymbals
I Might Be Wrong. So minimalistic and completely elevates the song’s texture.
hell yeah. Climbing Up the Walls drop and madness around 3:07 is epic. Optimistic is excellent too.
Separator
Not sure, maybe Bangers and Mash
When the drums come in on Exit Music.
Separator is a such a cool, funky, sort of off beat rhythm. My fave. You are killing it in this vid, bro, nice job.
These are my twisted words
Love that one!!! I’m talkin pyramid song mffffkrrrrrr!!! :)