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Michael Giles as a drummer in progressive rock
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Icarium View Drop Down
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    Posted: January 01 2025 at 14:12
I watch several prog youtubers lists drummers in prog or are talking about the important drummers, Michael Giles is often not listed or Bill Bruford (whom played the most albums of any KC drummer) is mentioned as the moniker of KC drumming. What is spessial with Giles, well hes one of two from th In Court of the Crimson King recording whos still alive, and he deserves the praise when hes alive, hes such an important drummer.

He is a missing link between the ultra complex drummers in jazz and jazz fusion and the early heavy rock/psychadelic rock drummer of Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell and Ian Paice (whom also posessed the jazz swing and bop influence, but with a rock boot). Which to me is one of the core aspects of Michael Giles drumming on In Court of the crimson king and on In wake of the poseidon. The abilty to have complete controll over the sounds on the kitt. How he uses the cymbals, the rims, the bell on the cymbal, hes syncopation between snare and kick drum are so playfull and creative. which comes from jazz, and hes powefull when needed, and in some extent makes King Crimson a progressive ROCK band. hes drumming breakes the barrier between the artsy and technical and the jazz sound, hes playing is breaking through, alongside Greg Lake bass sound. But to me Michael Giles is also the sound that make them rock. Hes flexability to go from cerebral and avant garde, but also show great technical indipendence, and after leeving the band stil managed to develop hes sound from youtube videos ive seen him in. 

I find it is crucual to pay some homage to the great Michael Giles, he deserves some love. 


Edited by Icarium - January 01 2025 at 14:14
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Icarium View Drop Down
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Here is hes solo album where he fully expresses hes progressive drumming WinkHeart
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Honestly? I can't care less about some YouTube top 10 lists. I think that Michael Giles is a badass drummer. The reason not many people are talking about him might have something to do with his infrequent input in "classic" albums. Heck. Can you name a more/less well known album with Michael Giles' drumming that isn't a King Crimson album?
“On the day of my creation, I fell in love with education. And overcoming all frustration, a teacher I became.”
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^Giles/Giles and Fripp
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Icarium View Drop Down
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Points: 34069 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Icarium Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 02 2025 at 09:51
Originally posted by Hrychu Hrychu wrote:

Honestly? I can't care less about some YouTube top 10 lists. I think that Michael Giles is a badass drummer. The reason not many people are talking about him might have something to do with his infrequent input in "classic" albums. Heck. Can you name a more/less well known album with Michael Giles' drumming that isn't a King Crimson album?

That is probably my reason for making this thread topic, hes famous for one album, and plays on two KC album, but on those alone I can hear alot of techniqe developent i believe is quite important for the developing of rock drumming, and for progressive rock drumming and also jazz-fusion drumming. I in 2025 wants to listen and listen to the drumming he does in Giles, Giles and Fripp, in hes drumming on McDonald and Giles, on the solo album and other projekt he drums on, hes drumming is spessial. 
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Steve Wyzard View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Hrychu Hrychu wrote:

Honestly? I can't care less about some YouTube top 10 lists. I think that Michael Giles is a badass drummer. The reason not many people are talking about him might have something to do with his infrequent input in "classic" albums. Heck. Can you name a more/less well known album with Michael Giles' drumming that isn't a King Crimson album?

1. Anthony Phillips: Wise After the Event (1978)
2. Anthony Phillips: Sides (1979)

No, neither one of these albums made the pop charts, so perhaps they aren't "well known", but both are well-respected on this site and feature great performances from Mr. Giles.
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Originally posted by Steve Wyzard Steve Wyzard wrote:

Originally posted by Hrychu Hrychu wrote:

Honestly? I can't care less about some YouTube top 10 lists. I think that Michael Giles is a badass drummer. The reason not many people are talking about him might have something to do with his infrequent input in "classic" albums. Heck. Can you name a more/less well known album with Michael Giles' drumming that isn't a King Crimson album?

1. Anthony Phillips: Wise After the Event (1978)
2. Anthony Phillips: Sides (1979)

No, neither one of these albums made the pop charts, so perhaps they aren't "well known", but both are well-respected on this site and feature great performances from Mr. Giles.
Clap these two were the first to come to mind and show great subtlety of playing. And the McDonald and Giles album is just divine in my view.   

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Michael Giles is an excellent drummer with a very creative and inventive style of playing. He has a very distinctive style and I can usually tell when he's playing....except maybe for a track on Broadcasting From Home by Penguin Cafe Orchestra which is mainly percussion and not standard drum kit.

He played on Jackson Heights albums ...a band I still haven't listened to. He was very great on the Anthony Phillips albums!
! His playing on the piece Nightmare is superb. Wheneve I hear it I usually visualize him playing the drums up on a cliff under black rolling clouds with wind.

In the 80s he was involved in a experimental project with Jamie Muir and another person I can't recall. I can't recall the album title but a lot of people leave comments regarding how it's a letdown and for completists only.

The first 2 Crimson albums and McDonald and Giles contains some pretty outstanding drum work which is very creative. As a drummer his playing tells a story.

Progress is my favorite! I have this on cd and I love it. It features a couple of ex- Caravan members and imo this has the writing style of the 70s Canterbury bands. His singing improved on this album. Seriously...he sings really decent on here.

Years ago when he was asked about his departure from King Crimson on the American tour...he described the situation having similarities to how an animal in a traveling circus is caged up and transported to a show...then uncaged...and brought out to perform...then caged up again and transported to the next state.

He's pretty accurate regarding that way of life. I recall having the same set up when I played the national circuit. I couldn't wait for it to end and get back to my retreat house in the woods..and write music. You have to be cut out for that way of life and it didn't seem to be very good for him....

On the cover of Progress he's standing by railroad tracks alongside his drum cases. The inside cover shows a house in the countryside....possibly where he lived...and on the song Moving he sings about moving to the sea and children playing which are forms of escapism from the aforementioned way of life with King Crimson. As such waking up to the countryside and living a more peaceful life is probably what he desired or valued more than success. Though the picture on Progress could be symbolic of the life of a drummer who takes the train into London to do session work ...which may have been a more peaceful surrounding for a musician with those values... Some of the songs on Progress seem to be about that.
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Originally posted by Jacob Schoolcraft Jacob Schoolcraft wrote:

In the 80s he was involved in a experimental project with Jamie Muir and another person I can't recall. I can't recall the album title but a lot of people leave comments regarding how it's a letdown and for completists only.
"Ghost Dance".
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Edited by Steve Wyzard - January 02 2025 at 17:05
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mellotronwave View Drop Down
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^
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Honestly in terms of 1969-70, Jon Hiseman of Coloseum was way more important imo as was a 19 yr old Carl Palmer who was just getting going with Atomic Rooster and then some other band (erm can't think who that was). I like his drumming more on the second King Crimson album by quite a bit but that may be due to the sterile mix of the original that now virtually renders it unlistenable to my ears. He is certainly great on Pictures Of A City especially, just jumps out of the speakers and is very heavy indeed. 
Interesting that he worked on Jacksons Heights. This was Lee Jackon of the Nice (and later Refugee) who also worked with the excellent Brian Davison perhaps another drummer who also deserves some love (take a listen to Rondo or War And Peace off the Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack album, great stuff) and was right there at the prog coal face of the day.
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