Alan White a Prog Drummer?

I think if Bruford had not been Yes's previous drummer there would never be a discussion whether or not Alan White is a prog drummer.
Alan White is an excellent prog drummer.
Bill Bruford is an exceptional prog/jazz drummer.

No offense but this is a ridiculous poll yet it needed to happen because it has been popping its head up in places for awhile now. White replaced Bruford  anybody who replaced Bruford was going to be in an unfair position  to be judged as a prog drummer and I think that's the real issue.  Nobody can replace Buford , Peart or even Portnoy without some copping flak, lets face it White has done a great job accept that fact  ...  next poll please.  

Atavachron wrote: why wouldn't a musician enjoy playing with John Lennon?  Seems like the chance of a lifetime, or is there something I don't know

I agree that it would be cool, but I think Alan White played with John Lennon more for the money than the enjoyment. I think he still likes John Lennon, but he likes prog more. 

why wouldn't a musician enjoy playing with John Lennon?  Seems like the chance of a lifetime, or is there something I don't know  

cacho wrote: Well the question for me was that if Alan White is really a Prog drummer, at least the style, ala Bruford, Collins, Peart, Bozzio, etc.   He has his own style   Listening to Tales gives a really bad impression of his playing, being very simple and dull.    While in Relayer his playing is very powerful, but I would consider it a more Rock style playing rather than a Prog style as I imagine Bruford playing on Relayer, jazzy leanings, etc.   No, he style are one of the most hybrid in rock but i think stands still by his own. in fact if you listen carefully  to some songs in the album Yessongs and he made some changes in the drum part and later in the Union tour Brufford play like White have been done since. And well in the last Yes outputs, his playing is rather simple.   Like the albums indeed. I don't want people to come and say: "Have you heard Yessongs?!" Of course I have, but the compositions were made with Bruford not with Alan..   Yes the compositions are, but you are asking about the dexterity and drums attributes, not compositional skills.... BTW: This is not a poll to decide wheather(?) Alan is a good drummer or not, it's if his stlye of drumming is Prog or not.

He's got to be prog for me, Pablo.  His work in GFTO, Gates (Yesshows version) and Drama stand out. Very versatile, and very good.

Well, i played drums for many years and I never known how people define a Prog drummer.

Alan White surely is one of the best rock drummers(he played with Joe Cocker and John Lennon for example),a great session man and he did and still does outstanding stuff in Yes so he clearly can play

Syzygy wrote: Definitely prog  - just listen to his performances on Relayer and GFTO. He's a tad more muscular than Bruford (on Sound Chaser he's playing possibly the first ever example of jazz metal) but his work on tracks like Turn of the Century or Awaken is as prog as drumming gets.

I really love that track because for many reasons I think it was really ahead of its time.

el böthy wrote: He is not too progressive, although he sure can play so if he wants to (Relayer). I´d say he is the "rockiest" part of Yes

I agree with "rockiest part of Yes"

For the rest that say his playing on Relayer is proggy, I just find it to be the clearest example of what I mean. His playing on Gates of Delirium is full of power and energy as I said at the begining, but the style is clearly Rock or Hard Rock, with some Prog leanings of course. Sound Chaser well yeah, but just imagine Bill Bruford playing on this one!
AGAIN! I'm not saying he's a bad drummer, just that his style isn't Prog. He's a fine Rock Drummer that plays in a AMAZING Prog band.