No kidding!  I've watched the DVD twice now.  Amazing stuff.  The extras are interesting as well.

Buddy Rich is definatley up there as one of the best drummers, but I will have to side with those who believe that nobody can be the best drummer ever. There are too many different styles and musical backgrounds to judge who is the best in my opinion. Of course we all have our favorites.

Man! Nothing like making a statement about Buddy to stir things up! My answer to Newbeats original question is this. When you don't hear what the hype is about, check out the guys history and listen to more recordings. Is Arturo better than Miles? Was Miles better than Armstrong? They each did their thing.  
I grew up listening to Buddy and Morello and Krupa and Bellson....and have seen them all more than once.  I've seen Vinny and Weckle and Chambers and Donnati. I love Gadd. It really doesn't matter who's "the best of all time!" However, for Newbeat's original question; Newbeat, you are correct in your assessment that there are drummers who have done things that Buddy didn'tdo. My answer is that he just didn't get a chance or the opportunity or have the desire to do them.  The stories you hear about Buddy playing an entire concert and nobody could tell his arm was broken, or playing with a broken pedal and still playing as if it was normal, or the time he was tired of hearing about Louie's double bass drums so he added a bass drum to his kit and played his solo one night with just his feet! These stories are all true and witnessed! The thing that set him apart was not only what he did, but how he did it. The man hardly practiced! He could basically do anything with his hands and feet that his brain could conceive and do it without practice and without figuring it out ahead of time! His parents were in vaudville and one day his father heard the drummer goofing around in the pit and went out to reprimand him and found out it was his 18 month old son doing it! He could go as fast as he wanted, could play things in odd time if he wanted, and could play any music if he wanted, including rock and fusion etc....  But he wanted to play jazz, not country or commercial or society or rock. He played what he wanted to play....at least later in his career, and he did it better than anyone else.  That's why he was legendary. You can only see what Buddy did on video and recordings, but any great artist does things on the spur of the moment when playing live that is only captured by the people in attendance that night. It may never be repeated, but it will be forever be remembered by those that saw it.  
Just appreciate drummers for their individual talents. I'm blown away by Virgil for what he does. I love Weckle for what he does. I love the musicality of Morello and Gadd and Roach. Basically, I enjoy hearing anyone do what I can't do and wish I could! It gives me something to work on....all the time! Don't get caught up in the who's best stuff. It's too subjective and can never be answered! who would have won....Louis or Ali?  Who's better...Ruth or Bonds?  Who cares?

My eyes! There's something about reading on the internet that's hard for my eyes, I guess I'm not alone.

He rehearsed his band.  But as for not practicing - he said he didn't.  Those closest to him have said the same.  He started playing at a very early age and already had chops back then.  He also performed 330-340 nights a year.  I've read that he sometimes warmed up a little.

That's why people say Buddy was the best of all time. He did it effortlessly and naturally. He never really had time to practice.

He was the second highest paid child star in the world and this was when he was 2-5 yrs. old. He didn't practice because he was already performing full time.  I'm sure he watched other drummers and he was friends with all of them so I'm sure he picked things up, but he had no formal training. Where the rest of us woodshed in the basement or garage, Buddy was already perfroming.

Buddy was just a freak of nature!

Whether he practiced or not is irrelevant.  The only thing that counts is what he did on the bandstand.  How he got there is unimportant.

There's a story told by Henry Adler, respected drummer and teacher, in "Drummin' Men", But Korall's book.  He said that when he met the 18 year old Buddy Rich the young man's technique was absolutely perfect.  Rich claimed to have never had a formal lesson, but apparently held the sticks instinctively the right way.  Having grown up in vaudeville, seeing and hearing some of the best drummers working in pit bands, Rich probably picked up a lot of things from those guys, and likely got a lot of informal lessons, but the life itself, with its constant travel, would have made formal training difficult.

I see the question this way:

1.  I don't care who's fastest.  There's tons of guys who blow my chops out of the water.  But I do like fast when done musically.  

2.  Buddy was a pioneer.  Mr. Acrolite said it well on page 1.  He did things that transcended drumming and affected the band and its music.  

3.  If todays greats all cite Buddy as an influence, or call him the greatest, there must be something to that.  

4.  I think it's imperative to know the history of our craft, and the people who affected it the most.  My dad played Buddy's records for me as a kid and I took it in.  I prefered to crank my Tommy Aldridge and Neil Peart records, but I took that with me.  Now I'm in my 30's and love jazz even more than all of the other music that I like.   I teach beginners and I usually provide a CD with a lot of different drummers to check out.  Buddy is on it more than anyone.  (Steve Smith is 2nd).  

In summary, all I know is this:  Buddy couldn't be touched in his day (and many argue still can't).  I'm not qualified to get into it more than that!  

If you really want to compare Buddy to the comtemporary guys, listen to the Burning for Buddy CDs and then listen to the original recordings.  You will hear a lot of "over the top" playing from the "Burning" drummers but you will hear Rich's musical magic on the originals.  I just hear a lot of bombastic drumming that just doesn't work for those tunes.

Adam's Dad

I haven't seen this in a post yet--  Buddy TOLD us he was the world's greatest drummer.  I don't remember if I came across this doing a research paper on him for sophomore English, or I heard him say it on the Tonight Show in the early 70's.  I had the pleasure of seeing him live in '76 or '77 at Six Flags Over Texas after my high school band director ran away and joined Buddy's band.   Buddy told us he was the best, and he backed it up with his playing.  He was amazing.