187 episodes

Every drummer encounters a unique chain of influences that shape the way they approach the instrument. Join me, Ben Hilzinger, as I chat with my favorite players to dissect the TOP 5 records that helped make them who they are today...on and off the kit. For more info, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com or find us on Instagram @bigfatsnaredrum. Cheers!

Big Fat Five: A Podcast Financially Supported by Big Fat Snare Drum Ben Hilzinger

    • Music
    • 5.0 • 43 Ratings

Every drummer encounters a unique chain of influences that shape the way they approach the instrument. Join me, Ben Hilzinger, as I chat with my favorite players to dissect the TOP 5 records that helped make them who they are today...on and off the kit. For more info, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com or find us on Instagram @bigfatsnaredrum. Cheers!

    Earl Talbot's (Drummer, Composer, Producer, and Educator) Top 5 Influential Records

    Earl Talbot's (Drummer, Composer, Producer, and Educator) Top 5 Influential Records

    This week's guest is Earl Talbot. Earl is a renowned Drummer, Composer, Producer, and Music Instructor. He wrote and produced over 90 songs broadcast regularly on the Oprah Winfrey Show. His career includes performances with house music legends Derick Carter and Mark Farina, as well as touring and recording with Master Griots Dialy Mady Cissoko, Christian Bourdon, Poi Dog Pondering, The Chicago Sinfonietta, as well as scores of other artists and clients. 
    As a multi platinum recording artist, Earl has worked on songs from Maya Angelou's "Human Family Remix" with Tamarra Love, to Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy's production of "The Hush Sound" with Shawn O'Keefe. Earl wrote and produced 3 songs for Katt William’s ‘American Hustle’.  His hit song "Yakalelo" with French sensation "Nomads" earned a Diamond Record for it's success throughout Central Europe and North Africa.
    EARL'S BIG FAT FIVE
    -Album - Back In Black
    Artist - ACDC
    Release Year - 1980
    Key Track(s) - Back In Black
    Drummer - Phill Rudd
    -
    Album - Time Out
    Artist - Dave Brubeck
    Release Year - 1952
    Key Track(s) - Pick Up Sticks
    Drummer - Joe Morello
    -
    Album - Moving Pictures
    Artist - Rush
    Release Year - 1981
    Key Track(s) - YYZ
    Drummer - Neil Peart
    -
    Album - Glass Menagerie
    Artist - Billy Cobham
    Release Year - 1982
    Key Track(s) - Observations and Reflections
    Drummer - Billy Cobham
    -
    Album - My Favorite Things
    Artist - John Coltrane
    Release Year - 1961
    Key Track(s) - My Favorite Things
    Drummer - Elvin Jones

    HONORABLE MENTIONS
    -
    Album - Regatta de Blanc
    Artist - The Police 
    Release Year - 1979
    Key Track(s) - Walking on the Moon
    Drummer - Stuart Copeland 
    -
    Album - Romantic Warrior
    Artist - Return to Forever 
    Release Year - 1976
    Key Track(s) - Medieval Overture 
    Drummer - Lenny White
    -
    Album - Van Halen
    Artist - Van Halen
    Release Year - 1978
    Key Track(s) - Runnin with the Devil
    Drummer - Alex Van Halen 
    -
    Album - By All Means Necessary
    Artist - KRS One and Boogie Down Productions
    Release Year - 1988
    Key Track(s) - I’m Still #1
    Drummer - (Sample, All the People- Cramp Your Style)
    -
    Album - Let’s Dance
    Artist - David Bowie
    Release Year - 1983
    Key Track(s) - Modern Love
    Drummer - Omar Hakim 
    -
    Album - The Game
    Artist - Queen
    Release Year - 1980
    Key Track(s) - Another One Bites the Dust
    Drummer - Roger Taylor

    Album - Nightclubbing
    Artist - Grace Jones
    Release Year - 1981
    Key Track(s) - Pull Up to the Bumper
    Drummer - Sly Dunbar

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

    • 55 min
    Maxwell Flanders' (Luke Hemmings / Lizzy McAlpine) Top 5 Influential Records

    Maxwell Flanders' (Luke Hemmings / Lizzy McAlpine) Top 5 Influential Records

    This week, our guest is Maxwell Flanders, a close friend of mine and pseudo-neighbor based in Los Angeles, California. He's a highly sought-after touring and session drummer who recently wrapped up touring with Lizzie McAlpine and is now preparing for a world tour with Luke Hemmings. I've admired Max's drumming for a long time; he plays with such creativity, and his selections today reflect why. I hope you enjoy learning about the five records that have influenced Maxwell Flanders into becoming the drummer he is today. Cheers!

    MAX'S BIG FAT FIVE
    -
    Album - 1
    Artist - The Beatles
    Release Year - 2000
    Key Track(s) - Ticket to Ride, Paperback Writer, The Ballad of John and Yoko
    Drummer - Ringo Star
    -
    Album - The Nightfly
    Artist - Donald Fagen
    Release Year - 1982
    Key Track(s) - Ruby Baby, The Goodbye Look
    Drummer - Jeff Porcaro
    -
    Album - Stuff
    Artist - Stuff
    Release Year - 1976
    Key Track(s) - Foots, (Do You) Want Some of This, Happy Farms
    Drummer - Steve Gadd
    -
    Album - Tom Scott and the L.A. Express
    Artist - Tom Scott
    Release Year - 1974
    Key Track(s) - Bless My Soul, Sneakin' In the Back, Nunya
    Drummer - John Guerin
    -
    Album - Wrecking Ball
    Artist - Emmylou Harris
    Release Year - 1995
    Key Track(s) - Where Will I Be
    Drummer - Brian Blade

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

    • 33 min
    Steve Jocz's (Sum 41, The Vandals) Top 5 Influential Records

    Steve Jocz's (Sum 41, The Vandals) Top 5 Influential Records

    This week’s guest is Steve Jocz, also known as Stevo 32. Steve is a Canadian musician best known as the original drummer of the punk rock band Sum 41. Steve co-founded Sum 41 in 1996 with Deryck Whibley and played a significant role in the band's early success, contributing to their distinctive punk rock sound. He remained with Sum 41 until 2013, showcasing his drumming skills on albums like "All Killer No Filler”, “Does This Look Infected?” and Chuck." After leaving Sum 41, Steve left music behind all-but-completely...only to rekindle his relationship with the drums around 2019. We get into a lot of fun Sum 41 history and insider stories via very welcomed tangents and I was smiling the whole time. Steve was a big part of my drumming when I was younger and I was giddy as all hell to have him on the show. I hope you enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Steve Jocz into the drummer he is today. Cheers!
     
    STEVE'S BIG FAT FIVE
    -
    Album - Nevermind
    Artist - Nirvana
    Release Year - 1991
    Key Track(s) - In Bloom
    Drummer - Dave Grohl
    -
    Album - Dookie
    Artist - Green Day
    Release Year - 1994
    Key Track(s) - Burnout (1:12 - 1:38)
    Drummer - Tre Cool
    -
    Album - Master Of Puppets
    Artist - Metallica
    Release Year - 1985
    Key Track(s) - Master Of Puppets
    Drummer - Lars Ulrich
    -
    Album - Live Fast, Diarhea
    Artist - The Vandals
    Release Year - 1995
    Key Track(s) - And Now We Dance (00:40 - 01:15)
    Drummer - Josh Freese
    -
    Album - Milestones
    Artist - Miles Davis
    Release Year - 1958
    Key Track(s) - Two Bass Hit (00:00 - 01:00)
    Drummer - Philly Joe Jones
     
    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

    • 1 hr 15 min
    JohnnyBgood's Top 5 Influential Records

    JohnnyBgood's Top 5 Influential Records

    This week's guest is JohnnyBgood. I've been following his Instagram account for a while now and I'm really impressed by his nostalgic, retro-futuristic synth sounds and vintage video game vibe. Paired with a clean, opaque colored-infused aesthetic, it's beautiful in its minimalist approach. He's committed to his branding so strongly that he chooses to remain anonymous, creating a character and a whole world to convey his art. It's great – he's a great guy. I love his choices. While he may not consider himself a drummer's drummer, he sees himself more as a producer, which I think is fabulous and a perspective we should all tap into more often. I hope you enjoy learning about the 5 records that shaped JohnnyBgood into the musician he is today.
     
    - Get JohnnyBgood's FREE SAMPLE PACK
    - Marble Soda by "Shawn Wasabi" - VIDEO
     
    JOHNNYBGOOD'S BIG FAT FIVE
    -
    Album - Where the Light is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles
    Artist - John Mayer
    Release Year - 2008
    Key Track(s) - I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)
    Drummer - J.J. Johnson
    -
    Album - Songs About Jane
    Artist - Maroon 5
    Release Year - 2002
    Key Track(s) - The Sun
    Drummer - Ryan Dusick
    -
    Album - Come to Daddy
    Artist - Aphex Twin
    Release Year - 1997
    Key Track(s) - Flim
    Drummer - Aphex Twin
    -
    Album - Single Release on YouTube
    Artist - Shawn Wasabi
    Release Year - 2015
    Key Track(s) - Marble Soda
    Drummer - Shawn Wasabi
    -
    Album - Small Plates
    Artist - J3PO
    Release Year - 2019
    Key Track(s) - Intensor (Feat. Ateller)
    Drummer - Ateller
     
    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

    • 39 min
    Nick Adams' (Aly & Aj / Take That) Top 5 Influential Records

    Nick Adams' (Aly & Aj / Take That) Top 5 Influential Records

    This week’s guest is Nick Adams … a Los Angeles-based touring and recording drummer whose passion for music and live performance has led him to work with an array of well-known artists such as Rivers Cuomo,Noah Cyrus, Fifth Harmony, Aly & Aj, Liz Phair, and Take That among others. I am obsessed with his Instagram; he gets such amazing sounds and is a nerd when it comes to engineering himself out of his own studio. If you want to watch a drummer who plays deceivingly hard parts with absolute conviction….please go check him out. I'm stoked to introduce a bunch of you to Nick! So please enjoy the 5 records that helped shape Nick Adams into the drummer he is today. Cheers!

    NICK'S BIG FAT FIVE 
    -
    Album - Steve Miller Band: Greatest Hits 1974-78
    Artist - Steve Miller Band
    Release Year - 1974-78
    Key Track(s) - Take The Money And Run, Swingtown
    Drummer - Gary Mallaber
    -
    Album - Take Off Your Pants And Jacket
    Artist - Blink 182
    Release Year - 2001
    Key Track(s) - Story of a Lonely Guy
    Drummer - Travis Barker
    -
    Album - Lateralus
    Artist - Tool
    Release Year - 2001
    Key Track(s) - The Grudge, Ticks & Leeches
    Drummer - Danny Carey
    -
    Album - Sawdust
    Artist - The Killers
    Release Year - 2007
    Key Track(s) - Sam's Town
    Drummer - Ronnie Vannucci Jr.
    -
    Album - Hotel California
    Artist - The Eagles
    Release Year - 1976
    Key Track(s) - Life in the Fast Lane
    Drummer - Don Henley

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

    • 41 min
    Dissecting the Drumming of Phil Selway (Radiohead)

    Dissecting the Drumming of Phil Selway (Radiohead)

    This week’s topic on our "Save It For the Pod" segment with Mr. Gunnar Olsen is the timeless and seemingly underrated drummer of Radiohead, Phil Selway. Gunnar and I each choose our top 5 Phil beats and go a dissectin’!

    GUNNAR'S CHOICES:
    -
    Track - Morning Bell (Live in Oxford)
    Album - I Might Be Wrong
    Release Year - 2001
    -
    Track - There, There
    Album - Hail To the Thief
    Release Year - 2003
    -
    Track - Pyramid Song
    Album - Amnesiac
    Release Year - 2001
    -
    Track - Where I End and You Begin
    Album - In Rainbows From the Basement
    Release Year - 2008
    -
    Track - Bodysnatchers
    Album - In Rainbows
    Release Year - 2007


    BEN'S CHOICES:
    -
    Track - All I Need
    Album - In Rainbows
    Release Year - 2007
    -
    Track - Dollars and Cents
    Album - Amnesiac
    Release Year - 2001
    -
    Track - 15 Step
    Album - In Rainbows
    Release Year - 2007
    -
    Track - Myxomatosis
    Album - Hail To the Thief
    Release Year - 2003
    -
    Track - Rekoner
    Album - In Rainbows
    Release Year - 2007
    -
    Track - I Might Be Wrong
    Album - Amnesiac
    Release Year - 2007

    For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok

    • 1 hr 13 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
43 Ratings

43 Ratings

Evan_G. ,

Awesome music podcast!

One of my favorite music focused podcasts in general (not only because I’m a drummer). Ben is a great host who brings on fantastic musicians and lets them tell their story about some of the music that has helped shape them. Every episode is fascinating and I’ve discovered a lot of new music from this podcast, and even learned new things about music I already knew. Keep up the good work, Ben!

Ultra Jonny Rock ,

Cool talks with a really cool dude!

Ben is a great drummer and his podcast goes deep into the creative processes and influences of some of the greatest drummers in the industry today.

StefanoDrums ,

What makes us tick

It’s amazing to hear the moments that shaped the drumming of today’s drummers on the scene. I love to learn about these musical moments, and I can’t help but reflect on my own musical moments and how they have influenced my drumming.

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