Keith Moon

[tuckerduncan2002]

Would anyone care to enlighten me about Keith Moon? He is deemed a legend, yet I have never been impressed by his playing. I found his playing sloppy, especially in concert. I don't think he took his playing all that seriously. Maybe someone could help me out.

Keith Moon page on DrummerWorld (http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Keith_Moon.html)

[PearlDrummer014]

keith took his playin serious to a certian degree. have you heard the song cobwebs and strange the drumming on that song is great. he was a strange dude but that is why people liked him.

[Superlow]

Would anyone care to enlighten me about Keith Moon? He is deemed a legend, yet I have never been impressed by his playing. I found his playing sloppy, especially in concert. I don't think he took his playing all that seriously. Maybe someone could help me out.


I agree with most of what you say. I do think he is a great player, however as far the other drummers from that era are concernd I could name a lot more who are better drummers that don't get nearly as much credit that Keith got. The reason he was such a legend was because his antics on and off the stage. Whether it was throwing TV's out of hotel windows or blowing his drumset set up on national television that is what made him famous.

[Dill X]

Keith Moon was completely out of his mind. Plain and simple.

[Rudy McRudster]

I was never a fan of Keith Moon. His style is always so sloppy and, a lot of the time, overplayed. And if there's one groove that makes my blood boil it's definately "You Better", or at least I think that's what it's called. It is just so annoying and never goes anywhere.

Now, I'm not saying he's terrible. He's been a big influence to many drummers, but I just don't like his style.

[Bonham to the moon]

just go and watch Isle of Wight, it should shut most of you up = ) A lot of ppl have a problem with Keith because he was a little too eccentric when it came to playing. I have absolutely no idea how you could say that he wasnt into his drumming. I havent seen a sole that is more into drumming live, well, ever. Hes got some of the fastest chops around and some very original grooves. And he was also a showman, he could hit his snare drum with his stick, and it would fly into the air, then he'd catch, and go right back into playing. IMO Keith Moon is monster on the drumset, for god sakes his nickname was the octopus for the way that he'd fly around that set.

[Speedy]

just go and watch Isle of Wight, it should shut most of you up = ) A lot of ppl have a problem with Keith because he was a little too eccentric when it came to playing. I have absolutely no idea how you could say that he wasnt into his drumming. I havent seen a sole that is more into drumming live, well, ever. Hes got some of the fastest chops around and some very original grooves. And he was also a showman, he could hit his snare drum with his stick, and it would fly into the air, then he'd catch, and go right back into playing. IMO Keith Moon is monster on the drumset, for god sakes his nickname was the octopus for the way that he'd fly around that set.

I was reading all the other reply's and was starting to go crazy! Keith Moon is a crazy drummer! One of the best classic rock drummers. To bad he had to go so soon. Keith Moon by far was a very gifted drummer.

[Drummer_Boy]

Keith Moon was great. When you listen to stuff such as Metal, Punk, Grunge, etc, you will usually hear something Keith Moon innovated, or that "The Who" did for that matter. He wasn't the greatest technically, and I'm not saying he was bad, but he's mostly important for his influence.

[JW89]

i heard something, i dont know if its true or not, but pete townshend was talking in an interview about moon, and he said a doctor was examining moons footspeed, and his one foot alone was compatable with the speed of a machine gun, thats disgustingly fast, it makes me wanna stop playing

[Speedy]

i heard something, i dont know if its true or not, but pete townshend was talking in an interview about moon, and he said a doctor was examining moons footspeed, and his one foot alone was compatable with the speed of a machine gun, thats disgustingly fast, it makes me wanna stop playing

If Moon's foot is that fast, that must makes Bonham's as fast as a Minigun!! lol.

[PearlDrummer014]

agreed keith's foot may have been quick but nothin compares to bonhams.

[JW89]

I dont know... its hard to say whos foot was faster, id say they were equal, bonham had a heavy foot, but i dont know if it was as fast as keith moons foot

[Speedy]

I dont know... its hard to say whos foot was faster, id say they were equal, bonham had a heavy foot, but i dont know if it was as fast as keith moons foot

Bonham had an extremly heavy foot but also very fast. No one can match his right foot speed. He can keep up his bass roll forever with a great amount of speed.

[Bonham to the moon]

i love keith moon, dont get me wrong, but he played a double bass setup most of the time, so we really have no idea how fast his right of left foot was. If you listen to good times bad times, you'll wonder if Bonham was hiding a nother bass drum somewhere. . . . .

[Speedy]

If you listen to good times bad times, you'll wonder if Bonham was hiding a nother bass drum somewhere. . . . .

Heck No!!! lol....Bonham at one point did have a double bass setup, but he hated it with a passion.

He learned to roll his right foot so good because he was listening to Vanilla Fudge one day and he heard Carmine Appice do a double stroke on the bass drum. So Bonham thought he would try it. It took him a little bit of time but he got it. He found out one day that the double stroke Carmine did was on a double bass set and Bonham only did it with one foot! After that he speed kept on growing and growing....

[Blue]

Keith Moon was completely out of his mind. Plain and simple.

Ah, that's holarious, and totally true, but that's what I love about him.

His philosophy was that drums could be a lead instrument. You have to understand Keith, you have to learn to love him as a person. He was such a character. (I read a biography, because I am not impressed with his drumming either)

Keith Moon was a ball of energy. He played the drums with more passion and energy perhaps than anybody. That is what is great about Keith Moon. He practically made the who who they are. He loved to fill so much because he played exactly what he felt. He never held back, and that's okay. He was totally free, and it fit perfectly with the music. Perhaps he couldn't have been a studio or jazz drummer, but what he did contribute was the soul of the Rock and Roll Drummer to the max.

[Dannar]

Heck No!!! lol....Bonham at one point did have a double bass setup, but he hated it with a passion.

He learned to roll his right foot so good because he was listening to Vanilla Fudge one day and he heard Carmine Appice do a double stroke on the bass drum. So Bonham thought he would try it. It took him a little bit of time but he got it. He found out one day that the double stroke Carmine did was on a double bass set and Bonham only did it with one foot! After that he speed kept on growing and growing....

I had read something with one of the guys in Zeppelin saying that Bonham liked the double bass. He was trying to do the Ginger Baker two bass drum thing that was big at the time. The reason that he didn't stick with the double acording to the members of Zep (can't remember which one) is because the band didn't like him using it since he would lose the use of his high hats. When Bonham would go to the bathroom during rehersal they would go hide the second bass drum!

With that said I think Keith Moon is a very talented drummer. The movie The Kids are Alright has some incredible drumming on it. Although his playing could be sloppy, no drummer is perfect!

[Wirt]

Keith Moon was great until drugs started slowing him down in the mid-70s, right around Quadrophenia. I have a DVD that sports a chronological collection of live Who performances, and once it gets to 1974, it looks like Moon starts playing in slow motion. By the time he died in his early 30s, he had lost just about all his touch, at least in live performances, and he looked like he didn't know what to do with such monster sets as he used, with layers of toms. His best period was when he used the "simple" 7-piece sets. ;p

[sam13]

I was never a fan of Keith Moon. His style is always so sloppy and, a lot of the time, overplayed. And if there's one groove that makes my blood boil it's definately "You Better", or at least I think that's what it's called. It is just so annoying and never goes anywhere.

Keith actually didnt play on that song. It was Kenny Jones, who replaced Kieth after he died

[Thinshells]

Here: (scroll down)

Goldfish solo (http://www.vistalites.com/downloads/)

FWIW: I really don't like the solo. Yeck.

[Lunatic-finesse]

I agree with speedy i have to say- watching isle of white- no exaduration-hands down- will shut you up...do not listen to him on record cause its plain and simple s***....and anything after 1973 is also s***......catch him from any time between 1968 and 1973 and u will see.......the isle of white drumming performance almost made me quit drumming entirely after 7 years of drumming......
Keith moon was a legend....and it is because of his antics on and off stage that he dosnt get enough wrap for his drumming....and in a way that is his fault....because if he hadnt of been so wild....his name would have been much stronger than bonhams or any other.....you have to look at his influence also.....considering the style of play of other drummers around the early sixties like him....they were all plain time keepers......he made drummers noticed......any drummer today who performs on stage....should pay their respects to this drummer....because if it wasnt for his way of thinking....drummers would probably still be sitting in the shadows on stage.....instead of being such an integral part of the band.

[Blue]

I can appreciate that last post about Moon being the first drummer to really stand out from the other instruments, but what about John bonhamn, Buddy rich, Gene Krupa, and all of these showmanship style drummers who did put the drums at the forefront of the performance? I've read and heard statements like 'Moon made the drummer noticed again,' but how can that be with Bonham and all them ripping up the stage? Is it only in Rock that this phenomon happened? If so, what about Mitch Mitchell, or Ginger Baker? It seems like drummers before them were very noticed within the context of a performance.

[Lunatic-finesse]

i understand what your saying curtis.....but its the timing.....keith had come out with the who a few years before bonham came out with led zeppelin......so keith was noticed for doing it first........but yeh ur right about rich and krupa....but i mean thats jazz.....when u look at rock drummers in the early 60s......you didnt have much inspiration to choose from........ringo starr (although i respect him he didnt do much for drumming....showman wise....he was just a time keeper) same as kinks drummer....i think his name was mick avory.....and stones drummer aswell...umm charlie watts or who ever he was......and whats even scarier is that keith was younger when he made it big with the who....he was only 17-18 when he had started with the who......he had played like that since his first first band the beach combers.....i mean the guy once played so hard that he sent his drum kit through the wooden floor of the stage.....that was when he was 15....i mean cumon.....that is freaky.....but yeh back to my original point.....its the timing.....he had come out before bonham and that......

[mediocrefunkybeat]

Keith Moon... couldn't play consistently... never had a drum kit at home (so never practiced and had to re-learn to play each time he recorded) overplayed... had sloppy technique.
And that is why he's a legend.

[Thinshells]

I look at Keith as a representitive of a new, harder rock era. It was a turning point in the late 60's when rock drummers were becoming more "rock" and less jazz drummers playing rock.

The hitting became heavier, and the antics more outrageous. It became the norm to have a heavy-handed drum solo, and an outrageous kit.

His appeal seemed to be that of a wildman. His "Pictures of lily" was one of the first wild and customized rock kits. There was a lot to look at. He had this flailing, spastic style that mesmerized the then-audiences where were not used to such and aggressive and bombastic drumming display. Looking at that vista-lite video, the solo would not fly today. It was about hitting everything and being loud...not structure.

I have always liked the Who, but from that era, I prefer the drumming styles of Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge) and Bonzo. I was never a real big Moon fan.

[mediocrefunkybeat]

I think The Who have some great tunes (if a bit one-dimensional) 'Won't get fooled again' 'Baba O'Reilly' and 'Pinball Wizard' are all great tracks, sometimes I would prefer to hear another drummer, sometimes I can't imagine anyone else playing those parts.

Incidentally, my mum met Pete Townsend when she was small... so that would have been early-mid 60's.

[Elemental Nausea]

i heard something, i dont know if its true or not, but pete townshend was talking in an interview about moon, and he said a doctor was examining moons footspeed, and his one foot alone was compatable with the speed of a machine gun, thats disgustingly fast, it makes me wanna stop playing

I am so bold to guess that this is complete nonsense

[DogBreath]

i heard something, i dont know if its true or not, but pete townshend was talking in an interview about moon, and he said a doctor was examining moons footspeed, and his one foot alone was compatable with the speed of a machine gun, thats disgustingly fast, it makes me wanna stop playing
1. Why would a doctor be examining his foot speed?

2. Why would it take a doctor to count beats per minute?

3. The machine guns being used in the 1960's could fire between 4,000 and 6,000 rounds per minute.

[DrumNut]

You guys are funny, I'm enjoying this forum!

[dothecrunge]

Heck No!!! lol....Bonham at one point did have a double bass setup, but he hated it with a passion.

He learned to roll his right foot so good because he was listening to Vanilla Fudge one day and he heard Carmine Appice do a double stroke on the bass drum. So Bonham thought he would try it. It took him a little bit of time but he got it. He found out one day that the double stroke Carmine did was on a double bass set and Bonham only did it with one foot! After that he speed kept on growing and growing....

Really? I'm very interested in hearing your sources for that story.

[fourstringdrums]

Just watched the goldfish video... I'm just going to say this: It's a damn good thing that gold fish have short memories.

[Bad Drummer]

i understand what your saying curtis.....but its the timing.....keith had come out with the who a few years before bonham came out with led zeppelin......so keith was noticed for doing it first........but yeh ur right about rich and krupa....but i mean thats jazz.....when u look at rock drummers in the early 60s......you didnt have much inspiration to choose from........ringo starr (although i respect him he didnt do much for drumming....showman wise....he was just a time keeper) same as kinks drummer....i think his name was mick avory.....and stones drummer aswell...umm charlie watts or who ever he was......and whats even scarier is that keith was younger when he made it big with the who....he was only 17-18 when he had started with the who......he had played like that since his first first band the beach combers....i mean the guy once played so hard that he sent his drum kit through the wooden floor of the stage.....that was when he was 15....i mean cumon.....that is freaky.....but yeh back to my original point.....its the timing.....he had come out before bonham and that......

What are you talking about? Where did you get this information? Actually I think I know what you are talking about, because after Keith Moon drummed through a wooden floor, Jesus Christ came and resurrected all the dead and sent all the believers to heaven. True story.

[Thinshells]

Really? I'm very interested in hearing your sources for that story.

Check out the book "A thunder of drums" it has photos of an early double kick Ludwig that Carmine Appice got Bonzo.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0879306580.01._AA400_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[on_the_one]

Here: (scroll down)

Goldfish solo (http://www.vistalites.com/downloads/)

FWIW: I really don't like the solo. Yeck.


that was one pathetic solo. yuck. but i think keith was a real rock star and could certainly wail on the drums when he wanted to. and his foot was mighty quick. i still love "live at leeds" to this very day.

[fourstringdrums]

that keith drummed straight through a wooden floor on a stage!.....

Are you sure it was Keith's drumming and not the termites?

[YAHAHA]

Bonham had an extremly heavy foot but also very fast. No one can match his right foot speed. He can keep up his bass roll forever with a great amount of speed.
Ummm....

Time to do some research! (http://www.extremesportdrumming.com/mikemangini.htm)
Mike Mangini:
Current WFD Records:
Matched Grip Singles - 1,247,
Bare Hands Singles - 1,138,
Traditional Grip Singles - 1,126,
Endurance 13,222 Feet Singles in 15 Minutes
15 minutes = 900 seconds
13,222 / 900 = 14.69 beats/second! SMOKIN'

Of course John Bonham isn't around to compete against Mr. Mangini but if you've ever seen Mangini perform, you'd know just how blazing fast he is!

[Speedy]

ok? I wonder where he got the bare hands idea from ;-)

[jangus]

If so, what about Mitch Mitchell, or Ginger Baker?

I'm sure a drummer in a power trio would get more attention than other bands drummers. I'm not trying to argue, just saying it. I would agree that Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa brought drums to the front.

[dothecrunge]

ok? I wonder where he got the bare hands idea from ;-)

He got the idea from a jazz drummer. I don't know who.

[Bonham to the moon]

you guys are fighting about the most rediculous things i have seen

[von_krumm_drummer]

Moon was pure rock and roll. He lived his life how any rock star should. If he was alive nowdays he would be ADHD and would need even more pills than he took when he was alie 2 keep him still.

[Oxygeneral]

The only thing I would say to anyone about Keith Moon is to get Live At Leeds, Tommy and Who's Next and really study the playing. It is really fresh and original, if at times sloppy, but there is never a dull moment. The man played like a frustrated guitarist and he loved to play along with the vocals. Yes, he was a very sad figure, but remember that he changed the course of rock drumming.

[Smoking Mirrors]

All just an opinion .... but:

Keith Moon was rock and roll ... He did it all first.... and in the years when he was playing at his best... nothing anyone has done since has come close.

In rock - he was the first to bring the drums forward as more than just time keeping, in fact he brought them forward as more than just another instrument... at times he made them centre stage ... with or without antics...

When he was on it, he lost himself in his drumming... instinct overtook everything and his feelings/emotions spoke (or shouted) through the skins....

Sure he made faces, he did sometimes blow up his drum kit as a finale, or just smash it alongside Pete destroying the odd guitar or amp... He became famous for his off-stage antics, facts and rumours blended into myth and legend - and he became a celebrity. This stuff along with the energy, anger, newness and unapologetic arrogance of their music, succeeded in helping to get (and keep) The Who famous...

But these things divert attention from the fact that at his best, - he was the best there has ever been.

Watch the 'Live at the Isle of Wight DVD' ... listen to 'Who's Next' ... which are around the time I think he was drumming at his peak.

Accused of being "Sloppy?" ... Maybe.... but if so 'sloppy' in the same way that Hendrix didn't pluck every note bang on the beat, sloppy like Keith Richards is often an 8th or so behind with the dirty sounding Tele ... sloppy in the way Dylan's or Morrisey's poetry snd prose doesn't always meter exactly into the 4/4 of their songs... Any less of a genius because of it? .... NO ..... It's an integral part of the magic...

Moonie's explosive drumming was the powerhouse that drove The Who's music

(You can probably guess I'm a fan ... !) .... But once familiar with The Who's music, you hear how much their infuence flows through so many bands that have followed of almost any genre. I can't think of many - if any - rock drummers that have followed, who have none of Keith's influence in their playing. - After all - he did it first...

As a note, he also said he thought drum solo's pointless and boring.....

As for things like the 'goldfish' solo, - it was done in latter years when Keith's constant daily consumption of brandy, champagne and all kinds of illicit substances had reached such levels to leave him slow, slurry and unable to connect with his talent within. He may have been sitting on the drum stool, but he was so stoned that to all intents and purposes he wasn't really even there. Don't judge him on that performance, listen to and watch some of his earlier work.

The only drummer I have heard that can possibly equal Keith back in his heyday .... is Zak Starkey.

Any comments anyone?!!

[ewanlaing]

keith definately wasn't sloppy. he kept a solid beat all the time, and for some of his songs it sounded like he was doing a perfectly timed fill for the whole song. he was fast and fun and creative on the drums, and fun is something few drummers demonstrate as well as he did.

[ClockworkOrange]

I was never a fan of Keith Moon. His style is always so sloppy and, a lot of the time, overplayed. And if there's one groove that makes my blood boil it's definately "You Better", or at least I think that's what it's called. It is just so annoying and never goes anywhere.

Now, I'm not saying he's terrible. He's been a big influence to many drummers, but I just don't like his style.


Sorry, kid. 'You Better' is not Keith.

[ClockworkOrange]

Heck No!!! lol....Bonham at one point did have a double bass setup, but he hated it with a passion.

....


Bonham, actually enjoyed playing double bass drums....the other guys in Zeppelin were the ones that hated it.

[ClockworkOrange]

Keith Moon was an original.

His approach to the instrument was very muched based in psuedo jazz. He played the vocal phrase line and rhythm, as opposed to Bonham, who concentrated on shadowing the guitar as the hinge point for his rhythmic approach. Moon's favourite 'type' of music was 'surf'. The Beachboys, Jan+Dean etc.

Moon was a very sad and tragic character(no doubt this will be dealt with in the movie), he suffered from feelings of inadequecy, was lonely all the time, even with a crowd of people around, and constantly seeking approval as a means of dealing with the feelings he had. When it didn't work, he turned to substance abuse.

If you get a chance to see 'Who's Next' on the series Classic Albums, there's a wonderful segment where Daltrey pushes up the faders on Moon's kit during Baba O, and just by listening to the drums, you know where you are in the song....this is a perfect example of his approach to the instrument.

Sloppy?......maybe while under the effects of substances, however, as Entwistle says' Keith ALWAYS knew where the beat was'.

[Creamsicle]

If anyone has The Kids Are Alright DVD you can really enjoy a clip where The Who plays Barbara Ann by the Beachboys. Keith is made lead singer for that song, and I find it absolutely hysterical. I must have watched that clip a thousand times!

[wontgetfooledagain]

The man played like a frustrated guitarist and he loved to play along with the vocals.
I read once that Keith Moon's advice to any beginning drummer was to learn guitar, because of the fact that he pretty much always followed the guitar.

[Smoking Mirrors]

If you listen to his drumming, - he often played fairly straight during vocals, - but the fills he played between were (apart from often being out of this world) great "left-field" echoes of the rhythm of the words, not just filling, - but driving the song adding an extra dimension to the whole track.

I read once that Keith Moon's advice to any beginning drummer was to learn guitar, because of the fact that he pretty much always followed the guitar.

Everyone knows the old rock cliche of "duelling guitars" on stage, with the axemen swapping licks and trading and bouncing off each other's playing ... On stage when Pete was playing guitar solos, Keith often played the part of a mirror and/or musical antagonist to Pete's riffs and licks. He would watch Pete and play fills that weren't just a foil within the breaks in the lead guitar, but a drumming equivalent of a musical question/answer sequences which built the whole tension and expression of the solos higher and higher, following Pete's lead perfectly - whilst still somehow managing to compete for equal attention on the stage.

Keith’s drumming not only flowed through echoes of both vocals and guitar, it thumped out a rolling solid beat that remained the engine that drove the band.

His antics, flying drumsticks, “full-on - let it all go” energy and wild expressions were showmanship that demanded attention, whilst both complementing and competing with the windmills and swirling microphones of those in front of him on the stage. When the Who played live: They put on an amazing show.

[Zackattack9000]

I've heard the solo off of his biography on Drummerworld, but is there anymore? This solo dosen't seem like Keith, for some odd reason...


Thanks,
Zack.

[shkeller55]

I haven't read through this entire thread so I don't know if I'm repeating anything, but...

There is a song called The Ox on the My Generation CD that's sort of a drum solo. The song sounds a lot like Wipeout, as Keith basically does a continuous drum roll through the entire song.

I have a DVD on his life (got it on eBay, questionable video quality) that shows him doing a brief drum solo on a clear Vistalite-like kit, but I've never seen it on a CD.

These are the only things I know of. You could post an inquiry on the OddsandSods discussion group - look on www.thewho.net to subscribe. There are lots of experts there who could tell you if there's anything else available.

If you listen to those other two solos, you'll see that the Drummerworld solo does indeed sound like him. He was wild, often seemed unstructured, and his timing often seemed off when he played by himself. That was Keith.

It's well known that Keith didn't like doing drum solos (he didn't do one when I saw them live in 1973), he just liked to play along with The Who's music. IMHO he was great at that and a perfect fit for them. He's my favorite drummer.

[Pepper]

I misspent much of my high school and college careers at Who concerts all up and down the East Coast, riveted to the antics of the flambouyant, bug-eyed dummer who clearly was more than just a little bit nuts. As mentioned in posts above, the DVD of the Isle of Wight Festival of 1970 captures Keith Moon's stage presence perfectly. This shows him as I remember him in the late 60s, full of energy, upstaging his chums, and clearly having more fun that anyone else at the concert. The fact that Moon was such a comedic showman makes it hard for many to take him seriously as a drummer. It's almost like everyone thinks of him as the Spike Jones of rock.

But, to call him sloppy is to do him a disservice. Granted, he quickly lost his edge in the mid-70s but look closely at how disciplined he is on the Isle of Wight DVD (1970). Sure, it looks like he's just flailing away at will, but he is very much in synch with his mates and clearly drives the music forward. Would he fit in with any band of that era? Probably not. It is hard to imagine him with the Beatles, Doors, Rolling Stones, Kinks, or even the Yardbirds. Each band had their own style and Moon was a perfect fit for the Who sound and stage show.

Speaking of which, one of my fondest memories is sitting in the back of the RKO Theater in NYC and talking with Keith Moon during intermission at the 1967 Murray the K Easter Show. The week-long show was the Who's first US appearance and they were largely unknown outside of a few geeks like myself who traveled from my home outside Wash, DC specifically to see The Who in the flesh. To make a long story short, I talked Keith into sitting down for a few minutes at the back of the nearly deserted theater and I am sure that I impressed him with the fact that I, too, played drums (although for a group with considerably less talent and far less of a future).

At the time, he was just a twenty-year old British kid on his first trip to the States hoping to make it big with this very loud band. He was quiet soft-spoken and maybe even then a little out of it. Then, when other fans began gathering around us, he excused himself and walked out the front door of theater and onto the streets of NY in company with some roadie. It occurred to me later that I probably could have tagged along and had quite an adventure to tell my kids had I survived it.

[TOMANO]

A point could be argued that a musician's job is to express his/her personality, ideas and emotions through their instruments. If we can hold this as an accepted truth, then Keith Moon definitely holds incredible validity as a musician.

His anti-technique was mystifying, to be sure, but his playing more times than not transcended any lack of schooled chops. Within the context of The Who, his contribution to the spirit of the music was crucial, as much an identifiable presence and Townshend's electrifying guitar, Entwhistle's frenetic bass and Daltrey's blue-eyed soulful vocals. While Moon the Loon is legendary by his off-stage antics, Keith the Musician is immortalized in the sublime drumming of the Who's classic repetoire, particularly Who's Next, Quadrophenia and Tommy.

Long Live Moonie!

TOMANO

[Loge]

Found a great site for anyone interested in all of Keith Moon's Premier (and Zickos))
kits - covering his entire career 1961-1978. Lots of history, pictures and setup diagrams.
Very detailed. The "Pictures of Lilly" kit is particularly memorable.
Anybody who loves vintage drums, Premier, or Moon himself should check it out.

http://www.thewho.net:16080/whotabs/equipment/drums

[Stu_Strib]

The drummer on Emminence Front is 5,000 times better than Keith Moon's best day. (ok, slight hyperbole, but still, you all get my point I hope.)

A little restraint goes a long way. Yes, even in Rock 'n Roll.

[Loge]

The drummer on Emminence Front is 5,000 times better than Keith Moon's best day.

A little restraint goes a long way. Yes, even in Rock 'n Roll.

Wow. 5000 times is a lot! Have to check him out (yawn).

[Stu_Strib]

Wow. 5000 times is a lot! Have to check him out (yawn).

I don't even know who it is. All I know is it ISN'T Keith Moon, so that makes it pretty good.

Seriously though, Moon would have wrecked that tune. The guy comes of the backbeat, what, one time total? Who was it that said "it isn't the notes you play, it's the ones you don't" or something like that?

edit: Is it Kenny Jones?

[iceneweb]

.. . . but f'n brilliant all the same:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NZYav_WyE3A

just look at his face - what a madman - love it!

[TitanSound]

The guy is a fruitcake.....but so entertaining! His style of playing is not the most technical but you can practically see the energy and passion bursting from him when hes playing.

[iceneweb]

Yeah, i love the way they didn't take themselves as seriously as some of their contemporaries (Led Zep), and many of the modern bands. Moon could have been a comedian (i guess i was, in a way) judging by the way he was clowning around when in front of the mic doing the backing vocals . . . .

[KLittle123]

i heard something, i dont know if its true or not, but pete townshend was talking in an interview about moon, and he said a doctor was examining moons footspeed, and his one foot alone was compatable with the speed of a machine gun, thats disgustingly fast, it makes me wanna stop playing
It wasn't his foot that was like the speed of a machine, I thought it was all of his arms and legs. Like he could play a note every 1/10 of a second or something. I forget what the statistics are. But it was really quite fast... I think.

[KLittle123]

He got the idea from a jazz drummer. I don't know who.
Joe Morello is who he got the bare hands from.

[stumprrp]

i love keith moon, his playing with the who is so energetic and exciting!

comon guys though lets not start comparing, they all fit there bands and is not better then the other guy or whatever.

[tombombsquad]

I was never a fan of Keith Moon. His style is always so sloppy and, a lot of the time, overplayed. And if there's one groove that makes my blood boil it's definately "You Better", or at least I think that's what it's called. It is just so annoying and never goes anywhere.

Now, I'm not saying he's terrible. He's been a big influence to many drummers, but I just don't like his style.


Just to let you know....its You better you bet, ...and moons been dead for around 4 years when that cam eout, the drummer was kenny jones.

[Daddy-o]

I always thought Keith seemed to have a very odd flow with his right hand jumping back and forth on the cymbals. Is it true that Keith did not use a hi-hat? That certainly would explain, in part, his very different style. What say ye hi-hat players?

[LiveGoat]

I always thought Keith seemed to have a very odd flow with his right hand jumping back and forth on the cymbals. Is it true that Keith did not use a hi-hat? That certainly would explain, in part, his very different style. What say ye hi-hat players?

Once Kieth went with two kick drums he abandoned the hats. Later (late 70's) he had a closed hat setup on his right (with about a kazillion other drums and gear).

--LG

[ElvinBaRkerDennis13]

Are you sure it was Keith's drumming and not the termites?
Ye sWHen Keith tried out for his first band, The Beachcombers, ( he tried out for this band like three times i think) he hit so hard that his blue Premier kit that he borrowed start to go through the floor. This prompted Keith to Tie down is kit for a while, then he started to use what looked like a hollow box, but it was actally a solid wooden block, to keep his kit from falling through the floor.
If you are at all interested in Keith Moon, or the Who, i suggest buying the book Moon, its like 400 page long, but its alla bout experiencing the who from keiths perspective, and it tralks about Kim, jis wife, and Mandy, his daughter, its a great book, ful of knowledge
tj

[doublestrokeroll]

Would anyone care to enlighten me about Keith Moon? He is deemed a legend, yet I have never been impressed by his playing. I found his playing sloppy, especially in concert. I don't think he took his playing all that seriously. Maybe someone could help me out.

Keith Moon page on DrummerWorld (http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Keith_Moon.html)

I think what was unique about Keith was he could play a seemingly total off-beat fill and yet come right back in perfect time. Was he one of the greats? Probably not. Was he one of the most unique? Definately.

[ElvinBaRkerDennis13]

I think what was unique about Keith was he could play a seemingly total off-beat fill and yet come right back in perfect time. Was he one of the greats? Probably not. Was he one of the most unique? Definately.
so you dont feel that Keith Moon was one of the greatest drummers of all time? he made a ton of bad mistakes, but he became a touring musician at the age of 15, that is insane, and he was considered the greatest, if you want to consider Ringo ANY good, please, you have to consider Keith one of the greats!!
tj

[Steady Freddy]

One of my most memorable gigs was a night at the Starwood in Hollywood, Ca. We played there on a pretty regular basis during the mid to late seventies. On this night we were opening for blues legend John Mayal. We really weren't into blues very heavily, but we looked forward to his performance. Nothing like being back stage.

The first surprise was an appearance by Joe Cocker. He sat in with Mayal and sang a couple of songs. Pretty cool. Later I was hanging out in the upstairs area behind the stage and one of the roadies asked if one of Mayal's friends could jam on a couple of my drums. I said sure. I had to two mounted toms on a floor stand and the drummer took them onto the stage and put some nice dents in the heads. I missed his performance.

As the night went on one of the roadies told me the drummer that jammed on my drums was looking for me and wanted to thank me. We rounded the corner from opposite directions and nearly banged heads. He asked if those were my drums and I said yep. He said thanks, I'm Keith Moon. We shock hands and he handed me a hundred dollar bill and said buy some new heads.

I did.

[ElvinBaRkerDennis13]

One of my most memorable gigs was a night at the Starwood in Hollywood, Ca. We played there on a pretty regular basis during the mid to late seventies. On this night we were opening for blues legend John Mayal. We really weren't into blues very heavily, but we looked forward to his performance. Nothing like being back stage.

The first surprise was an appearance by Joe Cocker. He sat in with Mayal and sang a couple of songs. Pretty cool. Later I was hanging out in the upstairs area behind the stage and one of the roadies asked if one of Mayal's friends could jam on a couple of my drums. I said sure. I had to two mounted toms on a floor stand and the drummer took them onto the stage and put some nice dents in the heads. I missed his performance.

As the night went on one of the roadies told me the drummer that jammed on my drums was looking for me and wanted to thank me. We rounded the corner from opposite directions and nearly banged heads. He asked if those were my drums and I said yep. He said thanks, I'm Keith Moon. We shock hands and he handed me a hundred dollar bill and said buy some new heads.

I did.
wow, i will give you two thousand dollars right now for those heads, OH MY GOSH! keith moon, dude, i really wish that i could have been there, but dude, im so jealous of you!!!!

[iceman3900]

hey the only reason you see keith moon playing the drums crazy and making strange facial expressions is that he wanted to be the center of attention. if he didn''t take playing the drums seriously then why the hell was he up there playing with one of the best bands of all time?? he wouldnt be wasting his time playing the drums for no reason. playing the drums was the only thing he was good at and he realized that he could play it well. he was deff without a doubt when of the most fastest and innovative drummers to have picked up sticks. a good dvd to buy to see excellent drumming is Isle of Wight Festival 1970. its a great dvd.

[hillbillydrummer]

Well, if one considers just the pure art form of drumming, one would have to consider Moon one of the best modern drummers. If you listen closely to Naked Eye from Who's Next, Moon's concept of drumming in concert with the lead guitar reveals a whole new way of redefining the role of the drum in the convential four piece band. Of course, Moon did this with earlier music with the Who, but that song, in my opinion, gives a clear example of tremendous contribution he made to drumming and music. Yes, he was unconventional and boorish at times, but when looking one's personal life, especially a celeberities, you must consider the good with the bad. It is too bad that individual's become almost slavish in devotion to one person's style, while overlooking the contributions of others. All muiscians are creative to some degree, and in my opinion, Moon, on the drum set, was creative and innovative, two intangibles that are necessary to create in a rock band setting.
Hillbilly Drummer

[knuckle9]

Actually Keith Moon played so fast that he was making a beat every 1/2 a millisecond whic, i believe is 1200 beats a minute. At the time a machine gun couldn't fire that fast.

[Bonham to the moon]

Actually Keith Moon played so fast that he was making a beat every 1/2 a millisecond whic, i believe is 1200 beats a minute. At the time a machine gun couldn't fire that fast.

where did u get this information? and those who gave you it, how did they get the information, i dont think they ever recorded what his BPM was. And if they slowed down a tape to determine it, then he would hold the record for fastest BPM, am i wrong?

[shuffle]

Actually Keith Moon played so fast that he was making a beat every 1/2 a millisecond whic, i believe is 1200 beats a minute. At the time a machine gun couldn't fire that fast.


One beat each 1/2 millisecond=2000 beats each second= 120000 bpm

That's good reliable information that you give us.....

[wontgetfooledagain]

Actually Keith Moon played so fast that he was making a beat every 1/2 a millisecond whic, i believe is 1200 beats a minute. At the time a machine gun couldn't fire that fast.
Actually, at that time the minigun was around. With that machine gun you get to choose between 3,000 rounds per minute and 6,000 rounds per minute. Which one do you want to put Moon in a contest with?

[Stu_Strib]

Just to let you know....its You better you bet, ...and moons been dead for around 4 years when that cam eout, the drummer was kenny jones.

Hmmm...Makes me wonder how many "Keith Moon" fans are actually unknowing Kenny Jones fans?

[ewanlaing]

new premier kit released. "spirit of lily" based on keith's "pictures of lily" kit.
reviews seem good so far.

[KLittle123]

For me, I think that Keith Moon is a great drummer because he got into the music, listening to his drumming and watching him, it just seems like he had a lot of spunk and got into the music and went crazy. Hard to explain what I'm thinking I guess..

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

I've been playing a few Who covers with my band recently and each time I play along to the records I get a good feeling and a vibe from the man. There's an undeniable push and presence to his playing; however sloppy it may be at points. 'Won't Get Fooled Again' is just plain FUN to play.

[tambian89]

I love The Who and Keith Moon. I know he was a bit of a drunk, but he was very influencial. I especially like "Happy Jack", because Keith does some cool fills there. Plus, he makes better faces when he plays than Lars Ulrich.

- Marc

[KLittle123]

where did u get this information? and those who gave you it, how did they get the information, i dont think they ever recorded what his BPM was. And if they slowed down a tape to determine it, then he would hold the record for fastest BPM, am i wrong?
That was it, yeah I heard that they had that on VH1 I was trying to remember what the speed was and that was it.

[Wormsrock]

Keith Moon is amazing. The tracks "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "The Real Me" are two of the greatest drumming songs in history. Up there with Bonham and Peart.

[spipedong]

Such a shame that he died so young.

I always enjoyed this really early clip of "My Generation" on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IToKBNMZJKo

[Bobhead]

Keith Moon is amazing. The tracks "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "The Real Me" are two of the greatest drumming songs in history. Up there with Bonham and Peart.
YES!! But I would have to add in "Bargain". One of my favorites. It has great drummer, especially the end.

What I love about Keith Moon besides the aggressive playing and huge fills and constant cymbal crashes (he puts crashes in the darnest places), is his creation of drum parts was so unconventional. He didn't always play a basic HH, BD,SD beat he would incorporate different toms or cymbals, or no cymbals only drums during different parts of the songs. It really makes you want to listen to the songs. It especially added to the fact that the Who were telling stories through their albums, Rock musicals, and the drums part definitely lent themselves to that.

[infernal drummer]

Such a shame that he died so young.

I always enjoyed this really early clip of "My Generation" on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IToKBNMZJKo


lol the sound seem to dissapear from his toms at the end of the song . great fun they must have .. fun to watch . great band

does anyone have anything live we can see, using his big kit? 77-78

[MilfordCubicle]

I love The Who and Keith Moon. I know he was a bit of a drunk, but he was very influencial. I especially like "Happy Jack", because Keith does some cool fills there. Plus, he makes better faces when he plays than Lars Ulrich.

- Marc

If you want to see him having fun in a song, check out "A Quick One While He's Away". You can see this on "The Kids are Alright" dvd. You can also see him playing his "Pictures of Lily" kit during this dvd.

[Beat Spector]

Followed the advice here somewhere above that you have to watch the Isle of wight video/dvd.
Well, i did that.
WTF?!?! :-) I mean: his short video's here are pretty hilariously brillian but nothing compared to the dvd from this live set.
What a crazy piece of sh*** and I love him for it.he's so totally "in" the music he plays.
a bit chaotic but brilliant play, and then, gosh, those faces he makes...

[BenjiMachine]

Hes a maniac on a stool, ive allways seen him as being allright...Im not a fan of the gold fish solo though. If you didnt get to see his facial expressions the drumming wouldnt be half as exciting...

[ewanlaing]

Followed the advice here somewhere above that you have to watch the Isle of wight video/dvd.
Well, i did that.
WTF?!?! :-) I mean: his short video's here are pretty hilariously brillian but nothing compared to the dvd from this live set.
What a crazy piece of sh*** and I love him for it.he's so totally "in" the music he plays.
a bit chaotic but brilliant play, and then, gosh, those faces he makes...
he and pete townsend crack me up on that dvd.

[bonham990]

Keith Moon is one of the greatest drummers ever i dont think anyone had as much fun playing the drums as him. He is one of the biggest examples that drumming doesnt have to be perfect(as long as your good at being imperfect :S) But he is great most definitly and i know i look up to his drumming.

[LinearDrummer]

Keith Moon is one of the greatest drummers ever i dont think anyone had as much fun playing the drums as him.



I think he was having so much fun cause he was sauced-up most of the time....

The man was entertaining - thou a little sloppy...but still played some of the most incredible and energetic stuff....

My favorite songs to play to are Who Are You and The Real Me....

[MacLen]

lol the sound seem to dissapear from his toms at the end of the song . great fun they must have .. fun to watch . great band

does anyone have anything live we can see, using his big kit? 77-78

The sound isn't synched up with the video that's why! I have that video and that clip is one of my most wathced. Along with A Quick One and Shout and Shimmy from TKAA. And of course the Live at the Isle of Wight DVD. If you want to see amazing drumming, watch that short clip of Shout and Shimmy. NOBODY was doing that back then. And I think he was all of 17. Anyone who can say that Moon is not one of the best or the best must not know much about him or his playing or his influence on other drummers. It's sad to me that his manic behavior overshadows his playing. Too bad that's the first thing most people think of.

[cnw60]

In my youth - I was a total jazz/classical snob (well the truth is that I listened to a lot more fusion than true 'jazz' at that point), BUT - The Who was about the only rock band that I listened to, causing me to catch total hell from my other musician friends who shared my disdain for such simplistic, cretinous drudge... ahh - the hubris of youth...

anyway - Keith has always fascinated me, both his playing and the total insanity that was his life. It amazes me to this day that watching a clip of him playing, it's always like there's a disconnect between the visual image and the sound - I can never quite figure out what the hell he's doing by watching him - it's totally bizarre and I can't think of any other drummer who does this, watching anyone else, the visual and audio images fit together logically.

but for anyone with doubts about Keith's cred, there's a story about Elvin Jones in the 60's(http://www.thehighhat.com/Potlatch/004/jones.html), where someone played songs of the big hot 'rockers' (in a blind test) and his description of Keith was simply - The man is a drummer." - nuff said.

[Muckster]

Keith Moon had a unique sound, that's for sure. I don't know anyone that doesn't jump up and start air drumming air guitaring when baba o'reily plays.

Sloppy style? maybe. But man did he open up possibilities to a whole generation of rock drummers: riding on crashes, fills everywhere, bass drum all over the place. His influence is everywhere.

[ewanlaing]

ok, i just heard "live at leeds".
i'm back into keith moon in a huge way now, he's really great. and tighter than some people might think, though still a little sloppy.
but above all he's fun, and thats what the audience usually wants.

[stevefty]

There will never be antoher keith moon. He is probably the most unique drummer of the sixties. He was just a mad man and his personality really comes through his playing. I think it's pretty rad that some one can let them selves go that much while performing. Everyone needs to find the Who at "The Rolling Stones Rock n' Roll Circus." In my opinon that is the best rock performance of all time. They do, A Quick One, and it sounds about10 billion times better then the recorded version.

[gmrakich]

There will never be antoher keith moon. He is probably the most unique drummer of the sixties. He was just a mad man and his personality really comes through his playing. I think it's pretty rad that some one can let them selves go that much while performing. Everyone needs to find the Who at "The Rolling Stones Rock n' Roll Circus." In my opinon that is the best rock performance of all time. They do, A Quick One, and it sounds about10 billion times better then the recorded version.

The Rolling Stone were so showed up by the Who that the Rock and Roll Circus was never realeased until recently. Mick didn't like the Who stealing HIS show.

[stevefty]

Yeah totally I heard that's the reason why it didn't come out in the 60's. Mick Jagger is totally ridiculous in that. Another great performance on that video is The Dirty Mac featuring Keith Richards on bass, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and the one and only Mitch Mitchell on drums performing the Beatles tune Yer Blues.

[monava]

I was looking at some Gene Krupa videos on Drummerworld the other day, and I immediately thought of Keith! The facial expressions, the way his arms thrust out toward the cymbals....it was a connection for me, and I agree with the people here who are careful about giving respect to those who have come before.

Keith was extremely melodic, and I think all of us can learn from that.

I also think that we can all learn from him letting his frenetic kinetics get the better of him--the most healing aspect of playing the drums for me anyway, is becoming more controlled and balanced in my day to day life.

He's always been one of my heroes because he was always totally himself, and did everything straight from the heart. I wish he had been able to overcome the alcoholism.....

[drumsandbass]

Keith Moon is the father of modern rock drumming. There were definitely better drummers in that era, but Keith was the only one that fit The Who. I read his biography, and back before they were The Who(The High Numers, I think?), they had a drummer as boring as Ringo Starr.
Just to be clear, I am ragging on Ringo.
He was boring, and that's why he fit a boring band, just like Keith Moon fit a band as wild and influencing as he was.
Before, you know, he took twelve Heminevrin and died of an overdose.

[gmrakich]

Moon

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/2263/158536422110bgpp9.jpg

This is how much I respect his playing.

[Drifter in the Dark]

I remember hearing songs like "Can't Explain" and "Happy Jack" when I was just starting to get into drums and just going NUTS! I would air drum Keith's parts even before I had a kit. You know a drummer's good when they make you have such a pronounced reaction.

[contizzl]

I dont think there's any question that Kieth is one of the top ROCK drummers of all time, where perfection is not nearly as important as style. Rock drumming is about being part of the band, and I think that if he and someone like Bonham would've been in each other's shoes, neither band would be as great as they were.

[loutopdrummer]

now now every one is getting confused it wasent moons feet that had machine gun speed it was his hands pete towshend in a interview said that they mesuerd his speed and it was the aquivilent to a machine gun its on this link here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbrJkaZIE7k&mode=related&search=

if you to 7:00 mins and watch from there thats where pete says about his speed

2ndly the 2 difereces about john bon and keith moon
jhon bonham had the fastest foot on the planet and fast hands and he was very very thecnical
moon was fast as buggery and his fills where amazingly briliand need proof go on this and you will see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0XknwXqLDo

[shuffle]

2ndly the 2 difereces about john bon and keith moon
jhon bonham had the fastest foot on the planet and fast hands and he was very very thecnical
moon was fast as buggery and his fills where amazingly briliand need proof go on this and you will see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0XknwXqLDo

If you want my opinion, the video actually illustrates that there are quite a few other differences between Bonzo and Keith Moon

Anyways that second video is quite funny to watch. I've read about those big endings where they would destroy everything, but never had the chance to see it.

I also read something from Neil Peart, explaining that Keith Moon was his idol for a long time, but that he eventually found out that he just wasn't able to play like him, because it was too disorganised. Just didn't fit his personnality.

Not my cup of tea either, but Moon was certainly one of a kind.

[mlaponsky]

I'm personally a huge fan of Keith Moon. Maybe he wasn't the most organized drummer, but he had such attitude behind the set. Definately a huge fan of him.

[Sticks Of Fury]

Some of you people on here don't know what you're talking about. Keith Moon is definitely a legendary drummer. He definitely belongs in Modern Drummer Magazine's "Drum Hall Of Fame". Keith Moon is influential as hell and was a very innovative drummer. I rank him second on my list for "Best Rock Drummer Of All Time". Bonham is first. It's true that he's overrated a bit, but so is Neil Peart. But Moon's timekeeping is underrated. I personally don't feel that his timekeeping was bad or a problem. On all of The Who's albums that I've listened to and all of the live performances I've seen or heard, Moon was always on time. He was a bit sloppy in his playing, but he was so unique and distinct. And I've read that he was always humble when people complimented him on his drumming. He would deny that he had chops. Another thing I've read is that Moon was at a Billy Cobham drum clinic once and Cobham let him play. Cobham commented to Moon something along the lines of: "I don't know what it is that you're doing, but keep on doing it." High praise indeed. Kenney Jones is underrated. Take care. Later.

[Mook]

Listen to 'Live at Leeds' - no more needs said on Keith Moon's Drumming after that!

[badlydubbedsean]

So true, that is an amazing CD.

[michael drums]

Some of you people on here don't know what you're talking about. Keith Moon is definitely a legendary drummer. He definitely belongs in Modern Drummer Magazine's "Drum Hall Of Fame". Keith Moon is influential as hell and was a very innovative drummer. I rank him second on my list for "Best Rock Drummer Of All Time". Bonham is first. It's true that he's overrated a bit, but so is Neil Peart. But Moon's timekeeping is underrated. I personally don't feel that his timekeeping was bad or a problem. On all of The Who's albums that I've listened to and all of the live performances I've seen or heard, Moon was always on time. He was a bit sloppy in his playing, but he was so unique and distinct. And I've read that he was always humble when people complimented him on his drumming. He would deny that he had chops. Another thing I've read is that Moon was at a Billy Cobham drum clinic once and Cobham let him play. Cobham commented to Moon something along the lines of: "I don't know what it is that you're doing, but keep on doing it." High praise indeed. Kenney Jones is underrated. Take care. Later.

Hello Matt,

Michael here. You sound to me like a real Who fan. I'm a fan also, but to put Keith Moon 2nd Best rock drummer of all time, is a bit of a stretch. Not to say he wasn't a great rock drummer, 'cause he was, but you're leaving out alot of other drummers that I believe were more influentual then Moon. Such as Paice, Appice, Bruford, Palmer, Copeland, Baker, Mitchell, Porcaro, Peart, etc... I would definitely put Moon at or near the top of the list for "Most Unique Rock Drummer Of All Time". And to say that Neil Peart is overrated is as far from accurate as you can get. Nice story about the Billy Cobham clinic, though. Thanks. Play On!

[sgt.pepper1986]

Keith Moon was and is (on recordings), in my opinion and for lack of a better word, a beast. A little sloppy, yes. A lot crazy, yes. However, his playing influenced many and he did some really cool stuff. "Bargain" has some sweet drumming, as does "Happy Jack" and I also love his fills in "My Wife". Moon is one of the greats and nothing can convince ME otherwise! Bravo, Keith.

[bonzolead]

I was never a fan of Keith Moon. His style is always so sloppy and, a lot of the time, overplayed. And if there's one groove that makes my blood boil it's definately "You Better", or at least I think that's what it's called. It is just so annoying and never goes anywhere.

Now, I'm not saying he's terrible. He's been a big influence to many drummers, but I just don't like his style.
If your talking about "you better you bet" that was Kenny Jones the Faces old drummer.

Bonzolead

[bonzolead]

The thing I liked about Keith Moon was that he was his own person no one played or sounded like Keith Moon just like no one sounded or played like John Bonham you can tell he was self taught just like Bonham and to think they used to party together can only imagine the crazy times they had.he wasn't. the best but he was totally original.

Keep swatting,
Bonzolead

[crumbdrums]

This guy blows my mind. He ranks atop my favorite drummers list (see my avatar) and second on my "greatest of all time" list (Behind Bonzo of course). His playing is so hectic, and confusing and creative, it blows my mind. One of the most original, and creative players ever.

[MarkR]

In this age of super-technical over-rehearsed percussionists we are lacking a sense of individuality in the glaring spotlight of showboating. Moonie was not a technician but as Ginger Baker once said of him: "What he did was appropriate for the Who." Drumming to fit the music, it would seem, is of the utmost. The Who wouldn't have been the Who without Moon. But then, how many truly unique acts can one find on mainstream radio these days?

[dawg]

i just put live at leeds on the car cd player on my way to the gym early this morning...loud...just to wake me up...young man blues...magic bus ...YEAH!

[maddrummr]

I love Keith Moon. HE IS truly one of a kind. His style, enthusiasm, and character cannot be matched. And think of the bands back then. Did anybody even try and do stuff like him? I think not.
Moon rocks .

[LiveGoat]

Agreed. It's hard for some to believe, but Moonie was the "IT" drummer in London in the 60's. The first three who albums are all the proof you need. Everybody wanted to be him, including bonham ("Good times Bad times"). Also you have to keep in mind that he was only 18-19 years old when those albums came out and was pretty damn tight at the time. Busy yes but not sloppy. I think moon could've had quite a career as a session drummer. He could emulate styles really well. Motown, slow blues (there's stuff on the My Generation album thet's eerily bonzoesque), surf, spector beats, etc... Give a listen to The Who Sell Out. There's some very subdued work on there (for Moonie). Especially Odorono. Sadly, drugs and booze ruined the man and that's a shame because he really could've blossomed and been even greater.

--LG


Some of you people on here don't know what you're talking about. Keith Moon is definitely a legendary drummer. He definitely belongs in Modern Drummer Magazine's "Drum Hall Of Fame". Keith Moon is influential as hell and was a very innovative drummer. I rank him second on my list for "Best Rock Drummer Of All Time". Bonham is first. It's true that he's overrated a bit, but so is Neil Peart. But Moon's timekeeping is underrated. I personally don't feel that his timekeeping was bad or a problem. On all of The Who's albums that I've listened to and all of the live performances I've seen or heard, Moon was always on time. He was a bit sloppy in his playing, but he was so unique and distinct. And I've read that he was always humble when people complimented him on his drumming. He would deny that he had chops. Another thing I've read is that Moon was at a Billy Cobham drum clinic once and Cobham let him play. Cobham commented to Moon something along the lines of: "I don't know what it is that you're doing, but keep on doing it." High praise indeed. Kenney Jones is underrated. Take care. Later.

[fliz]

There will never be antoher keith moon. He is probably the most unique drummer of the sixties. He was just a mad man and his personality really comes through his playing. I think it's pretty rad that some one can let them selves go that much while performing. Everyone needs to find the Who at "The Rolling Stones Rock n' Roll Circus." In my opinon that is the best rock performance of all time. They do, A Quick One, and it sounds about10 billion times better then the recorded version.

Signed, everybody should see this, sums up my view of The Who and how perfectly fit
Moon was for the band. I read some posts claiming that Moon was sloppy
and I believe that his lifestyle made him like that after the early 70's.
Besides, its Rock n' Roll it doesnt have too be on beat everytime!

[ledzepjb]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Speedy
Heck No!!! lol....Bonham at one point did have a double bass setup, but he hated it with a passion.

He learned to roll his right foot so good because he was listening to Vanilla Fudge one day and he heard Carmine Appice do a double stroke on the bass drum. So Bonham thought he would try it. It took him a little bit of time but he got it. He found out one day that the double stroke Carmine did was on a double bass set and Bonham only did it with one foot! After that he speed kept on growing and growing....

Quote:Really? I'm very interested in hearing your sources for that story.


Answer: I also read this in a magazine issu dedicated to zeppelin, they interviewed all of the members and Carmine Appice and they said it was true.

[TheGreatTyrantLuvsMoon]

I love Keith Moon. HE IS truly one of a kind. His style, enthusiasm, and character cannot be matched. And think of the bands back then. Did anybody even try and do stuff like him? I think not.
Moon rocks .

preach on. I totally agree with you!
Keith is a legend because he was more than just a drummer. He had that extra bit of magic which seperates him from the rest. If he walked in a room you'd know about, he's a legend like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis (although a HELL of alot better than in my opinion). Moonie is fasinating to watch and a pleasure to listen too! =)
An he died 10 years before i was even born...not fair

[TheGreatTyrantLuvsMoon]

Keith Moon puts a smile on my face when i'm down and always entertains. I don't understand you people that say he was'nt a very good drummer. He was amazing, brilliant, fantastic, exciting and i'm all out of words but you know what i'm saying!

[bonzolead]

I have to post this pic :D
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/6558/keithmoonpm5.jpg

great picture was that picture taken just before he died?only one moonie everytime I think of a deceased musician I always wonder what kind of jam session is going on up there.one day i'll find out because nobody lives forever.

keep Swatting,
Bonzolead

[maddrummr]

I have to post this pic :D
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/6558/keithmoonpm5.jpg

Its funny how he still has five cymbals (plus a gong) compared to all the drums

[gmrakich]

Its funny how he still has five cymbals (plus a gong) compared to all the drums

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c53/StingTheGlowingBlade/gmrakich/98418443411_0_BG.jpg

what do they say about immatation???????

[brigro]

Would anyone care to enlighten me about Keith Moon? He is deemed a legend, yet I have never been impressed by his playing. I found his playing sloppy, especially in concert. I don't think he took his playing all that seriously. Maybe someone could help me out.

Keith Moon page on DrummerWorld (http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Keith_Moon.html)

I started playing 32 years ago because of keith moon he was very serious

[brigro]

Its funny how he still has five cymbals (plus a gong) compared to all the drums

well how many cymbals do you actually need he was a drummer not a member of the salvation army!!!

[Vinnysimmo]

Keith is one of my favorite drummers ever. Not always the most technical and sometimes a bit sloppy but hes the mostentertainng drummer ever. imo

[ZZZ]

I gotta say The Who may not have been the greatest rock band of all time but they definately were the greatest live act of all time.

By the way, did he ever use a hi hat. I mean at the Isle of Wight there were no hats to be seen.

[Terra]

I gotta say The Who may not have been the greatest rock band of all time but they definately were the greatest live act of all time.

By the way, did he ever use a hi hat. I mean at the Isle of Wight there were no hats to be seen.

He did at times yeah (although as you say not at (Isle Of Wight).....Who Are You is the most basic stuff he did with hats I think.

[The Keith Moon]

All just an opinion .... but:

Keith Moon was rock and roll ... He did it all first.... and in the years when he was playing at his best... nothing anyone has done since has come close.

In rock - he was the first to bring the drums forward as more than just time keeping, in fact he brought them forward as more than just another instrument... at times he made them centre stage ... with or without antics...

When he was on it, he lost himself in his drumming... instinct overtook everything and his feelings/emotions spoke (or shouted) through the skins....

Sure he made faces, he did sometimes blow up his drum kit as a finale, or just smash it alongside Pete destroying the odd guitar or amp... He became famous for his off-stage antics, facts and rumours blended into myth and legend - and he became a celebrity. This stuff along with the energy, anger, newness and unapologetic arrogance of their music, succeeded in helping to get (and keep) The Who famous...

But these things divert attention from the fact that at his best, - he was the best there has ever been.

Watch the 'Live at the Isle of Wight DVD' ... listen to 'Who's Next' ... which are around the time I think he was drumming at his peak.

Accused of being "Sloppy?" ... Maybe.... but if so 'sloppy' in the same way that Hendrix didn't pluck every note bang on the beat, sloppy like Keith Richards is often an 8th or so behind with the dirty sounding Tele ... sloppy in the way Dylan's or Morrisey's poetry snd prose doesn't always meter exactly into the 4/4 of their songs... Any less of a genius because of it? .... NO ..... It's an integral part of the magic...

Moonie's explosive drumming was the powerhouse that drove The Who's music

(You can probably guess I'm a fan ... !) .... But once familiar with The Who's music, you hear how much their infuence flows through so many bands that have followed of almost any genre. I can't think of many - if any - rock drummers that have followed, who have none of Keith's influence in their playing. - After all - he did it first...

As a note, he also said he thought drum solo's pointless and boring.....

As for things like the 'goldfish' solo, - it was done in latter years when Keith's constant daily consumption of brandy, champagne and all kinds of illicit substances had reached such levels to leave him slow, slurry and unable to connect with his talent within. He may have been sitting on the drum stool, but he was so stoned that to all intents and purposes he wasn't really even there. Don't judge him on that performance, listen to and watch some of his earlier work.

The only drummer I have heard that can possibly equal Keith back in his heyday .... is Zak Starkey.

Any comments anyone?!!

I agree with you 150% .......except Zak Starkey is the closest one to be in The Who, but he still plays the traditional perfect snare beats which annoys me :)
In fact I just saw The Who Live in Boston (1982), Kenny Jones seems so sloppy and I was expecting him to do the rolls that Keith did during the songs especially "My Generation" and he just plays simply!!! Eminence Front drum playing is no Keith Moon Play!!!! Its just steady beats which anyone can play easily, I think.

[Royal]

Another way he was unique; he followed the lead/rhythm guitar of Pete Townsend on most songs....he played along to the timing of the melody much more than any other drummer I've heard.

[ammarolli]

He was crazy but very good drummer.
I think he was one of the best rock drummer at the time when he was in the who.
He was the time of the band.

http://tinyurl.com/6hcale

[Moon is God]

I remember hearing songs like "Can't Explain" and "Happy Jack" when I was just starting to get into drums and just going NUTS! I would air drum Keith's parts even before I had a kit. You know a drummer's good when they make you have such a pronounced reaction.

I totally agree man even after 4 years of drumming keith moon is still and always will be my main influence and cant explain is my favourite song to air drum to

[Moon is God]

The drummer on Emminence Front is 5,000 times better than Keith Moon's best day. (ok, slight hyperbole, but still, you all get my point I hope.)

A little restraint goes a long way. Yes, even in Rock 'n Roll.


dont be so stupid kenny jones was so wrong for the who it was like getting ringo starr to play for iron maiden no offence to ringo, kenny jones isn't even good enough to hold keith moons drum sticks never mind play in the same band that he was in

[jay norem]

I love this thread. I think Moon was a total one-off, and I don't see how anyone who loves drumming couldn't love him.
So I started googling around. Found this, which I think is pretty good:

http://twtd.bluemountains.net.au/cream/moon.htm

[PQleyR]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Speedy
Heck No!!! lol....Bonham at one point did have a double bass setup, but he hated it with a passion.

He learned to roll his right foot so good because he was listening to Vanilla Fudge one day and he heard Carmine Appice do a double stroke on the bass drum. So Bonham thought he would try it. It took him a little bit of time but he got it. He found out one day that the double stroke Carmine did was on a double bass set and Bonham only did it with one foot! After that he speed kept on growing and growing....

Quote:Really? I'm very interested in hearing your sources for that story.


Answer: I also read this in a magazine issu dedicated to zeppelin, they interviewed all of the members and Carmine Appice and they said it was true.

As I recall, Bonham played with the two bass drums until the rest of the band removed the other one and hid it, because there was too much going on! JPJ said he had enough trouble keeping up with one bass drum, let alone two.


Keith Moon may not have been technically perfect, but he was one of the most expressive drummers in rock in the 70s. You can always hear it's him, too.

[Bruce M. Thomson]

I will start by agreeing that The Isle of White concert is amazing;
that any one playing Who music in a band will always try to mirror what Moon did or else it does not sound quite right, including Kenny Jones who is a great drummer in his own right;

The tightest I have heard him is on "Pure and Easy" from Odds and Sods and everything on Quadraphonia, and I mean tight;

He opens up acoustic tracks with double bass licks.

I could go on, I listen and love lots of drum playing, all sorts and I am defiantly not stuck in any sort of genre of music and I consider Moon was a very creative drummer and explosive, like a full classical orchestra. And another thing crossed my mind, has anyone listened to a group that was not that good and said “but the drummer was dynamite”; perhaps the answer for some of you is yes but my point is that the argument is redundant. The Who and Who music would not be what it is with out the playing style of Keith Moon plain and simple and vice versa.

[The Keith Moon]

I love Keith Moon. HE IS truly one of a kind. His style, enthusiasm, and character cannot be matched. And think of the bands back then. Did anybody even try and do stuff like him? I think not.
Moon rocks .
In fact that how I try to play. I am not into playing the snare/ base drum/ hit hat alone most of the time with occasional tom tom rolls. Thats boring to me.

[Moon_Type_Drummer]

I was never a fan of Keith Moon. His style is always so sloppy and, a lot of the time, overplayed. And if there's one groove that makes my blood boil it's definately "You Better", or at least I think that's what it's called. It is just so annoying and never goes anywhere.

Now, I'm not saying he's terrible. He's been a big influence to many drummers, but I just don't like his style.




You better was played by the drummer who replaced moon after his death, Kenny Jones i think...... but i agree with you, that song definatley lacked the youthful energy that moon drummed with.

[-Nirvana-]

I dont exactly like keith moon also i find he drums to wildly and insane for just a song its like listening to a drum solo with singing,guitar,bass some times keyboards but im wondering do you think that zac starkey is doing a good job with the who like do you think he is playing the role of keith moon well?

[Moon_Type_Drummer]

I dont exactly like keith moon also i find he drums to wildly and insane for just a song its like listening to a drum solo with singing,guitar,bass some times keyboards but im wondering do you think that zac starkey is doing a good job with the who like do you think he is playing the role of keith moon well?



I think hes doing decent. No one could ever replace moon, but zac does a good job.

[slingerland755]

I haven't read all the posts on this thread so maybe it's been mentioned, but I remember hearing a quote from John Entwistle regarding Keith's death. He said something like "Keith will be greatly missed as my friend, but not necessarily as a drummer". I can't find the quote, so maybe it's just hear say. Has anyone else heard that quote?

[ihatesticktricks]

what can you say, he is the most intense drummer of all time

[ihatesticktricks]

Hello Matt,

Michael here. You sound to me like a real Who fan. I'm a fan also, but to put Keith Moon 2nd Best rock drummer of all time, is a bit of a stretch. Not to say he wasn't a great rock drummer, 'cause he was, but you're leaving out alot of other drummers that I believe were more influentual then Moon. Such as Paice, Appice, Bruford, Palmer, Copeland, Baker, Mitchell, Porcaro, Peart, etc... I would definitely put Moon at or near the top of the list for "Most Unique Rock Drummer Of All Time". And to say that Neil Peart is overrated is as far from accurate as you can get. Nice story about the Billy Cobham clinic, though. Thanks. Play On!

yup yup about peart being overated, if the man was that great, he wouldnt need a double kick for what he can do. its all about the heel-toe, im a big user
.

[mlaponsky]

In my opinion, Kieth Moon was an extraordinary drummer. What he lacked in precision and dynamics he made up for in his ability to drive every song with his energy and groove. No question, his playing is a lot busier than a lot of guys like, and I completely understand that. But what made Kieth Moon so great was his attitude behind the set. I mean, he essentially invented (along with Bonham) the rock drummer image: crazy, flailing all over the place, playing flashy fills and solos, flipping' his sticks around and, above all else, playing with such a signature style, feel and energy that no drummer will ever be able to recreate what he could do for The Who. To me, that is greatest in its own right.

[HardJazz]

I was never a huge fan of Moon's style, but The Who would never have been as near a legendary band without his style. Keith is, and certainly deserves to be, a drumming legend. I've seen some decent drummers do Who material and try to copy Keith's chops. Some have the parts down cold. But none can do what he did - because he was an original - a "one off". I remember playing the raw, unpredictable and insane "Can You See the Real Me" years ago and deciding this was one cat I wasn't even going to try to copy.

[Citizen Insane]

I think Keith was a true non-comformist, he did every thing a drummer shouldn't do, and he did it well. =p

[Pavlos]

Lot of great comments and observations so far. the Loon is definetely one of my faves of all time. Not just for the crazy, intense playing, but for the whole confidence - go for it attitude. While I don't condone his crazy alcohol and drug habits I think he trancended just being a great rock drummer. How many other drummers out there have movies made about their lives? None come to my mind at the moment. (am I blanking out or are there really no othere drummer bio-pics? Not talking about documentaries.) Wasn't there a Gene Krupa movie years ago?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482630/

[Ian Williams]

Hello, fellows.

It's great when you manage your drums originally as Keith Moon did, of course everybody will give some lip. Enjoy the picture!

All the Best,

[GetAgrippa]

I remember the Who during the late 60's. What impressed me as a young drummer was that he played the drums like an instrument in the song and not just to keep the beat. He was a wildman but it was wild times. While energetic he was pretty typical in his behavior, but he kept up much longer than most. hee,hee,hee. I always thought the energy he brought to a song just couldn't be recorded. It had to be felt. He kept that energy well beyond his youth.

[Ian Williams]

He was a non-conventional drummer.

[waltondrummer]

just go and watch Isle of Wight, it should shut most of you up = ) A lot of ppl have a problem with Keith because he was a little too eccentric when it came to playing. I have absolutely no idea how you could say that he wasnt into his drumming. I havent seen a sole that is more into drumming live, well, ever. Hes got some of the fastest chops around and some very original grooves. And he was also a showman, he could hit his snare drum with his stick, and it would fly into the air, then he'd catch, and go right back into playing. IMO Keith Moon is monster on the drumset, for god sakes his nickname was the octopus for the way that he'd fly around that set.


Amen. Watch the DVD. Listen to "Whos Next" from beginning to end.

[LeeLovesSabian]

Keith Moon was amazing.
My only problem was that he play so crazy, that often; there was little to no rythm in the song.
Drums are supposed to bring beats and rythmto a song.

Won't Get Fooled Again has an amazing solo though!

[pb66]

I just watched an old The Who concert (from 1970) on Palladia (used to be Music HighDef channel on cable TV) this week and I've got to say Keith Moon is either A> "genius" or B> "bozo" on the drums. He is quite a unique drummer (one of a kind) and I've always dug his drumming on The Who songs... but now that I've seen him perform I gotta wonder "what the heck is he doing"? Some very strange techniques, stick gripping, fills, heck I didn't even see a high-hat. Half the time I think he is playing out of time, but then jumps back "in time". He must be self taught... doubt he started with Haskell Harr Book 1. Regardless of how "unconventional" his technique is... he manages to make it work. I'll have to conclude Keith Moon is "amazing"...

Other's thoughts on Keith?

[supermac]

Yes, Moon was quite 'sloppy', I suppose.

But he was a fantastic showman who created his own unique sound on the drums.

Try listening to the Live At Leeds album, recorded before the booze really kicked in in the mid 70s.

The playing is massively undisciplned - but massively extciting and inspiring.

I remember miming along to it in my bedroom when I was a kid.

One of the first superstar rock drummers....

[Trench.one]

Check out Tommy Live , they play it a the Isle whyte Festival footage,or get the album.
I agree He Can be a bit hit or miss,his timing was notoriously sloppy in later years(due to drink and drugs) but the man is a genius, absolutely bloody mental, but a genius.
I must admit stealing a few of his fills in the past.
The Lack of Hi hat has always puzzled me aswell, but if it work it works, why follow the crowd.
some absolutely great stories about the man.

GENIUS!!!

[jazzkidding]

There is something about Keith Moon's free flowing drumming style that really appeals to me.
Technical proficiency in drumming seems to take away from the feel and emotion that Moon is able to inject in the Who's music.
I have been intrigued by his waiving flowing motion through the kit and the way he held the sticks like they were conductor's wands.
I love John Bonham's power and Ian Paice's speed, but Mitch Mitchell's creativity and Moon's colourful shades of sound are all part of the drumming I like to emulate. A drum kit can be more than a time keeper.

[FunkItUp]

I don't think the majority of people love him for his technical ability. I think it's mostly how much energy he plays the drums with and how effectively he made the sound of The Who.

I don't think there have been many drummers who have been able to make an entire band's sound with drums or play with so much energy like Keith Moon did.

That's at least why I love him. If anyone would like to differ or give add please feel free. Just my personal take.

[doorstilend]

i certainly agree with funk it up

[Aggressivec]

Keith Moon... Not enough can be said about him. He was a phenomenal drummer. If you listen to the albums Live At Leeds, Who's Next or Quadrophenia then you will really see what this man could do. His playing style was very unique and has inspired me every day to play drums a little bit more. I unfortunately never got to see him live and wish that I could every day.

[Ian Ballard]

Would anyone care to enlighten me about Keith Moon? He is deemed a legend, yet I have never been impressed by his playing. I found his playing sloppy, especially in concert. I don't think he took his playing all that seriously. Maybe someone could help me out.

Keith Moon page on DrummerWorld (http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Keith_Moon.html)

He filled the role of the sound of the Who just fine. The Who were a wild band for that era and his drumming was perfect for it. Entwistle did a great job keeping Moony in line, whilst also providing melodic things that average bass players would only dream of.

You see, drummers by themselves, aren't always that amazing. Some drummers are a "cog in the machine"... absent that cog, the band is not the same. Absent the other cogs, that drummer is not a great either.

Unless the drummer is some "Berkley guy" who does drum concertos, it's unfair to judge drummers on their own merit, while ignoring the rest of the band.

The Who (as well as MC5, etc) were the precursor to "punk", where precision is for pansies, so to speak. I mean, Pete Townsend is no guitar god either.

[Ian Ballard]

Check out Tommy Live , they play it a the Isle whyte Festival footage,or get the album.
I agree He Can be a bit hit or miss,his timing was notoriously sloppy in later years(due to drink and drugs) but the man is a genius, absolutely bloody mental, but a genius.
I must admit stealing a few of his fills in the past.
The Lack of Hi hat has always puzzled me aswell, but if it work it works, why follow the crowd.
some absolutely great stories about the man.

GENIUS!!!

Yeah, people really don't get the Who anyway, so I can see why Moon is generally looked down upon by the drumming elite.

He played those compositions very well, with good touch and dynamics, something many passive non-Who fans overlook. He also, despite his sloppiness, played in such a unique way (sometimes not using a hi-hat at all), nobody will ever have that sound again.

There certainly was a genius to his playing and even Simon Philips and Zach Starkey would not replicate what he did.

[The Keith Moon]

I don't think the majority of people love him for his technical ability. I think it's mostly how much energy he plays the drums with and how effectively he made the sound of The Who.

I don't think there have been many drummers who have been able to make an entire band's sound with drums or play with so much energy like Keith Moon did.

That's at least why I love him. If anyone would like to differ or give add please feel free. Just my personal take.

my thoughts exactly. in fact I have never heard of any other bands which sound like The Who, where drumming as well plays lead!

[Morbid Koala]

I read once that Keith Moon's advice to any beginning drummer was to learn guitar, because of the fact that he pretty much always followed the guitar.

After reading this I pulled out my Isle of Wright DVD and I'll be damned if you're not stone cold correct. It's fun to watch for.

[Pachikara-Tharakan]

I agree with some one said earlier, yes, keith showed that a drum kit can be used more than time keeping. However that kind of drumming seems to work only with Townshend and enwhistle or that particular type of music. May be thats why we dont see any Keith Moon type drummers anywhere.
Even this site has videos of several drummers doing all kinds of theatrical chops etc..... all seems the same to me...excellent..... but I have never seen any drummer like keith....love to watch him play along.

Him and Charley Watts are perfect examples that we can hit high ground without even learning how to read music or taking drum lessons.

Keith Moon's unsteady drumming and Charley watts' simple steady playing with occasional rolls seem brilliant to me. I am following Charley, which seems simple, being a fan of simple strokes with smaller kit.

If moon were alive, he would have showed the world how to drum for their song "Eminence Front" in which Kenny plays steady!!

[kwolf68]

I mainly am into metal and thrashy punk, but the Who is the greatest rock n roll band in history and Keith Moon is one of my VERY few personal drum idols.

Keith's only problem was he played so many concerts smashed which retarded his budding brilliance. Keith just came along at a time when it was OK to trash hotels, drive your car into a swimming pool, drink until you can't stand up, do drugs, etc...the guy was gonzoid, but none of those personal short-comings will do anything to diminish the amazing creativity, feel and energy he brought to the kit. He was the first rock drummer "show man", and in a band with such musicial geniusus like Pete, Daltry, and the badest bassist I've ever heard in rock, Keith carried his weight.

Brilliant drummer, brilliant band...none better.

[aydee]

trivia- did y'all know that Mr. Moon named Lead Zepplin? ( later Led Zepplin )

He and Enwistle contemplating dumping Daltry and Townsend to hook up with Page and JPJones? ( Bonzo and Plant werent in the picture then )

Small world, eh?

[waltondrummer]

in general as a drummer...personality...motivation..and just overwhelming glee at being a part of the "whole"...check out "A Quick One" as the live mini-opera on the Rolling stones' RnR Circus....

A f$#@%$%&^^ mazing.... opened my eyes some after I saw it...good stuff!

[Guz2]

Yeah, Keith is the man! He got me started playing drums. Thanks, Keith! :)

[SteelersFreak1]

Every time I listen to Keith's drumming it amazes me how drumming that is so complex and insane really could fit into The Who's music. Put it together with John Entwhistle's amazing bass lines and The Who probably had the greatest or one of the greatest rhythm sections in rock history.

[kwolf68]

Every time I listen to Keith's drumming it amazes me how drumming that is so complex and insane really could fit into The Who's music. Put it together with John Entwhistle's amazing bass lines and The Who probably had the greatest or one of the greatest rhythm sections in rock history.


I concur wholeheartedly with this statement.

John was a bass playing genius and a BRILLIANT singer to boot. The way he approached his harmonies, wow. And his bass playing was simply awe-inspiring. Nothing needs to be added about John as a musician. If I am starting a band, he gets the bass spot sight unseed with no auditions.

I think Keith and John complimented each other brilliantly not only as players as you alluded to, but they also compliment each other as performers. John was a more stoic, business like player while Keith was so much flash and pinash. I mean, in a lesser band Keith and John would have stolen the show and taken the entire damn audience with them. In fact, in the 60s I would argue most bands wanted the bassist and drummer to do your job, keep a beat, and don't detract from the lead guitar player or our cute singer by offering any dynamics or pizzaz. The Who was come one come all...gives us what ya got.

The Who were a great enough band with a style and feel unlike no other, humble confidence in a guitarist, and smooth appeal in a singer that it was OK to have a drummer who could literally 'steal the show' and a bass player who was in the very least, 'the most interesting' bass player to listen to for 30 years after the Who first broke.

In short, it is my belief that the Who are the only band in rock history where each member was simply not replaceable, from the standpoint of style and substance and the moment Keith died that was it. Other bands the drummer could leave and no one would really notice or care (other than fans of said player/band, who just like that guy because he's 'in' that band). The only band that comes close to the 'no member is replaceable' smell test to the Who are Led Zeppelin.

[trkdrmr]

Keith moons FINAL public performance is now out on two dvd's. There is a London concert in 1977, and an older, grainy 16mm film from 1960's.

[kwolf68]

Anyone ever see the gig Keith passed out on the kit during a gig in 72 or 73 and some dude in the audience came in to play? Nuts.

Keith was really screwed up in the 70s...they did some of their best stuff in the 70s in my view (Who's Next and Quadrophenia specifically, though my favorite SONGS come from the 60s--Baba O'Reilly, Can't Explain, Kids Are Alright, We're Not Gonna Take It, I Can See For Miles, My Gen), but it's amazing they could even play gigs and screwed up as they were. That makes it all the more remarkable they had such a strong rep as a great live band.

[CavGator]

I concur wholeheartedly with this statement.

In short, it is my belief that the Who are the only band in rock history where each member was simply not replaceable, from the standpoint of style and substance and the moment Keith died that was it. Other bands the drummer could leave and no one would really notice or care (other than fans of said player/band, who just like that guy because he's 'in' that band). The only band that comes close to the 'no member is replaceable' smell test to the Who are Led Zeppelin.

I even think Zeppelin would be replaceable. One could replace Bonzo with Cozy Powell or Alan White, and it would sound basically the same, but no one in their right mind could sound like Moon. His "technique," if one could call it that, simply cannot be taught (believe me, I tried to learn). It goes against the grain of just about every standard drum principle in the book. Kenny Jones is a FAR better technical drummer than Moon, but after Moonie died, that unmistakable sound that gave the Who its electricity died with him (Zak Starkey was the closest one to replicate it, but no one really can).

I had a kid at Guitar Center (who probably wasn't even BORN when Moonie died) tell me that Moon was a technically gifted drummer. I had to laugh. Keith never took a lesson in his life, and learned his trade the old fashioned way by listening to records and playing along. In addition, I simply could not fathom seeing him do what Bill Bruford did EVERY day. That is, break out the practice pad in his hotel room or at home and work on the 26 rudiments for 1-2 hours at a clip - SOBER. Moon couldn't play 6/8 time, according to Pete Townshend, yet his sheer instinct and personal volatility made him a true legend. We will never see the likes of him again.

An apt definition of genius is when someone breaks ALL the conventional rules and STILL makes it work. Moon clearly qualified.

[Ian Williams]

Keith never took a lesson in his life, and learned his trade the old fashioned way by listening to records and playing along.

I learnt the same way as Mr.Moon did, and still learning and practising something new, everyday of my life...Thanks to Drummerworld.

[RussD]

Keith Moon was a technical genius and anyone who thinks he isn't doesn't understand drumming! He was good at fooling people into thinking he just hit the drums and hoped for the best. Keith was a great showman and almost like an actor, He did lie about a few things, He lied about his age and also lied about something very important...drum lessons. When he was younger he DID indeed have lessons. He also could play 6/8 time easily as can be heard in many early recordings that where unreleased and some on anthologies. Just when he was asked to play this for 'who are you' in the studio, he was having a bad day and couldn't get himself together, which was a shame.
He did indeed slow down and his playing did get worse due to his self destructive behavior.
But even when he was at his 'worst' (watch Killburn 77) he was still better than a lot of
drummers out there!. Keith is the reason I play the drums and I haven't Had lessons and thats the truth. everything I learned growing up I learned from watching and listening to him, then as I developed my own style I picked up things from other drummers.

Keith was a one and only and his style cant be compared to anyone else because he's so unique and so are all drummers! You cant say Bonham is better or Moon is better because they where so different!

But thats my 2 cents, Keith is a drumming legend and inspired many and I thank him so much for everything he's done for me in spirit. I miss him and Wish i could have a chance to chat with him and thank him for helping me find a style I'm comfortable in playing in.

thanks for reading!

Russ

[Pachikara-Tharakan]

Keith Moon , the unique., my only hero.

No one ever tried to follow his route I think because of the music style or following the same old "groove thing" or being afraid to get out of that comfortable groove thing and try something new which was never ever written in books or the so called " DVD'S ".

One thing I just noticed while watching the moon drumming videos is the micing of his drums is very different, seems all drums are tuned equally or have equal pitch.
Again, his movement doesnt seem to synchronise with what we hear, especially the Live at the isle of wright video.

I still believe every rock song has a Keith Moon way of drumming which no one ever tried.

[Ian Williams]

Keith (Moon) had his master-pieces and bits, good or bad, but they were his bits and you could always tell: Oh! that's Keith Moon playing, over there...

[wolfie]

I'm sorry, Ihave just been reading this thead. The 1970 'WHO' gig at IOW the drumming was over dubed.
If dropping sticks, wagling them around franticly and aimlessly when some guy's back stage playing for you becourse you can't do the job. If that makes you inovative and great.

Then Keith Moons is God to all drummers.

sorry Keith. bless his soul.

Yea. Keith Moon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hngmb0pTcMY

Great really inovative

[TFITTING942]

I'm sorry, Ihave just been reading this thead. The 1970 'WHO' gig at IOW the drumming was over dubed.
If dropping sticks, wagling them around franticly and aimlessly when some guy's back stage playing for you becourse you can't do the job. If that makes you inovative and great.

Then Keith Moons is God to all drummers.

sorry Keith. bless his soul.

Yea. Keith Moon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hngmb0pTcMY

Great really inovative

The 1970 'WHO' gig at IOW the drumming was over dubed.
Where did you hear that one?

[wolfie]

It wasn't for his drumming ability that he got the job in the who.

[con struct]

It wasn't for his drumming ability that he got the job in the who.

But of course it was. Where do you get that from?
Careful now. I'm something of an expert on The Who, the greatest rock band ever.

[TFITTING942]

It wasn't for his drumming ability that he got the job in the who.It wasn't for his drumming ability that he got the job in the who.[/

Funny, I thought that's what drummers were needed for?

[BENANEB]

I think he's a good drummer, but it was his stage prescense that really made people enjoy his drumming. Normal people don't care if you can play like, say, Carter Beauford, but if you blow up your drum set, people will like you.

[con struct]

I think he's a good drummer, but it was his stage prescense that really made people enjoy his drumming.

You may have a point, but I'm not sure what it is. Gene Krupa had great stage presence but I'm pretty sure that it was his drumming that got him over to the audience.
Anyway, forget stage presence. Listen to the recordings. Listen to the way he played, totally unique, very musical. You don't honestly think the band kept him just for his stage presence do you?

[Pachikara-Tharakan]

some folks say Moon was all drugged up thats why he plays sloppy!!

In my view, during late 60's, the early recordings, like I Cant Explain, the "overdrumming" makes the song unique, makes the band unique, makes the drummer unique, who wants to see the same old traditional drumming all the time. (in rock music)?

always, less is less.

I think it is mainly the drum teachers who doesnt like his playing.

I am "learning" to play like Moon along the traditional records.

Daltrey says, if they take the drums out of The Who music, the music is nothing, it is the drumming that make the song cohesive.


Moon was lucky to play with folks like Townshend, Daltry and Enwhistle who appreciates overdrumming.


Now..listen to Eminence Front played by Kenny!!so boring!

[Ian Williams]

Moon was the driven passion and burning flame in The Who, so are drums too.

[BillyNewFi]

He got the idea from a jazz drummer. I don't know who.
Joe Morello. The Moby Dick solo borrows heavily from Morello. I think there's a video on here with a 1964 solo with Dave Brubeck... Or on YouTube...

[Adam8]

Moon's one of the few rock drummers ever that are impossible to imitate - just too unique. I've yet to see anyone play like him - it'll never happen. His biography is awesome by the way.

[drumhead61]

I couldn't help but think last night watching the half time show that if keith were behind the kit still how much nicer the drums would have sounded. They guy did an all right job but he was not Keith! So much seemed to be missing but I could hear the rest in my head...LOL

[Drums101]

I like him overall, but yeah he is pretty sloppy.

[yesdog]

Listen to the song Bargain. There is a lot going on in that tune. One of my favorate drumming songs of all time. Keith Moon was amazing.

[stanger69]

OK-Im a 49 year old Yank and you better believe that MOON was THE MAN in the day..simply above and beyond all others...if you listen to Tommy,Live at leeds(especially),Whos next and Quad...well,the man was posessed,Amazing!!the rolls and Fills and his entire style were just mesmerizing...I mean,just incredible,he was a man on fire for the years 69-74...the Peak.Only Carl palmer was as good or better.Keith Moon is in a class by himself....too bad he suffered the same fate as my other main man Bonzo....who was great in Zep from say 69-74 until Booze and drugs slowed him...peace

[stanger69]

Listen to the song Bargain. There is a lot going on in that tune. One of my favorate drumming songs of all time. Keith Moon was amazing.

Yes-love Bargain..great stuff from all...good 1!!!

[stanger69]

By the way,Ringos son Zack has been w/em for like 10 years and is about as close to Moon as anyone...he is awesome

[A-customs]

As a life long fan, always loved his style,Hitting crashes in the middle of a beat,just insane stuff,no hi hat???? Are you kidding............Guy was unreal,his like will never come again..........And while his drumming went downhill as his health went south,..Durring his time he was the man........Young Man Blues on Live At Leeds his drumming is WOW..............The Who where never the same.Thats how important he was to the band.

[Papajo]

If you have to ask why Moonie is considered a legend, then you simply don't get it. I saw the Who in their prime many, many times and Moon had an intangible that made them one of the greatest live rock n' roll bands ever. Limitless energy, a unique style (isn't that what we all strive for?) and no one had more FUN playing a drum kit. The Who died with him.

[Syrith]

The greatest rock drummer of all time

[Drums101]

The greatest rock drummer of all time

Your talking about John Bonham, right? lol

[smacks11]

young man blues live at leeds is some crazy drummin

[KBadd]

Thank youuuu Keith!

Thanks!!!

[tristanlong]

The 1970 'WHO' gig at IOW the drumming was over dubed.
Where did you hear that one?

as far as i know this was not overdubbed, however his final performance in 78 at Shepperton Studios for the Kids Are Alright movie, was later overdubbed.
The Quadrophenia featured Kenny Jones on serveral tracks as Keith was not upto it for various reasons lol.

As a huge Moon fan, it was sad to see Keith go from a sharp playing drummer in the mid 60's to a not so sharp almost sloppy drummer by 78, most of this was due to drugs and drink issues.

RIP Moonie

[TFITTING942]

as far as i know this was not overdubbed, however his final performance in 78 at Shepperton Studios for the Kids Are Alright movie, was later overdubbed.
The Quadrophenia featured Kenny Jones on serveral tracks as Keith was not upto it for various reasons lol.

As a huge Moon fan, it was sad to see Keith go from a sharp playing drummer in the mid 60's to a not so sharp almost sloppy drummer by 78, most of this was due to drugs and drink issues.

RIP Moonie

My post was in response to post #184 where someone said there was a drummer backstage actually doing the playing. Total bull. No one played live for Keith backstage period.

[DrumEatDrum]

As a huge Moon fan, it was sad to see Keith go from a sharp playing drummer in the mid 60's to a not so sharp almost sloppy drummer by 78, most of this was due to drugs and drink issues.

RIP Moonie

That, and he never practiced when the Who went on break.

And after the 75/76 tour, The Who went on hiatus, Moon moved to Los Angeles, and didn't touch a drum kit for several years. He even made a solo album during this time, but he only sang on it, and hired others to do the drumming.

When the band got back together to record "Who Are You" Keith had to, more or less, re-learn how to play.

Although I recalled reading the John had told Keith to play straight on "905" and to not do anything wild, so as to fit the mood of the song.

[RussDiaper]

heres a little tribute to keith:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43DnTjvgdcI

Now, I had serious problems with this vid, as the mp3 of the original song was from a different source to the one I played along with, so some parts it goes out of sync..all i can say is, my word against yours, I was in time guys :-)

enjoy anyways.

[Bernhard]

Keith Moon - the Who: Just added two videos from the Stones RocknRoll Circus 1968:

A Quick One (...While He's Away)

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/keithmoonrockcircus1.html

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/keithmoonrockcircus2.html

Bernhard

[A-customs]

heres a little tribute to keith:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43DnTjvgdcI

Now, I had serious problems with this vid, as the mp3 of the original song was from a different source to the one I played along with, so some parts it goes out of sync..all i can say is, my word against yours, I was in time guys :-)

enjoy anyways.

Nice job man! you had it going on there, was tapping my feet to it,Great song.......

[aldarich]

Yeah, Keith is the man! He got me started playing drums. Thanks, Keith! :)

I agree with you............................................... .....................

[Lex]

If it weren't for Moon the Loon I wouldn't have started practicing the drums. His creativity in drumming when listening to The Who just stood out of that other drummers. The world would be a lot more fun and interesting if he was still around. :)

[Gravy]

Keith was the first drummer I truly loved and I just found these and thought to share.

http://soundcloud.com/lazyd/tracks

Inlcudes isolated drum tracks from Who Are You, Behind Blue Eyes, and Won't Get Fooled Again. There are also other iso instruments too which are pretty cool.

Enjoy!

[AllTheCoolNamesAreTaken]

I don't want to tear the guy down, because everyone has their own influences. But I never thought Moon was great. Recently I watched Mike Portnoy's "In Constant Motion" video, which includes Portnoy playing a really impressive tribute to Keith Moon, so I thought I'd give Moon a shot again. Still don't get it. I thought Portnoy played the song a thousand times better. Portnoy was busy but precise, Moon sounds muddy and frantic and distracting. And bear in mind that when I say this, I wasn't a Portnoy fan before the video either (I tried getting into Dream Theater b/c of a gig and just couldn't, but man Portnoy can play and seems like a decent guy).

Moon was also kind of a - how to put it nicely - d-bag. Maybe some people respect him more for being a 'rebel', but that never really impressed me with any musicians. Popping a handful of pills before a gig and fainting on stage and blowing up toilets may be cool to some ... but I don't get it. Just play the drums.

[Pollyanna]

Keith was the first drummer I truly loved and I just found these and thought to share.

http://soundcloud.com/lazyd/tracks

Inlcudes isolated drum tracks from Who Are You, Behind Blue Eyes, and Won't Get Fooled Again. There are also other iso instruments too which are pretty cool.

Enjoy!

Thanks for that. Love the screams later on just as he's doing his fills. It's Moonie's passion, energy, excitement and free-spiritedness that gets fans in. http://www.drummagazine.com/drumpedia/post/keith-moon/

[Ian Williams]

From Tony Williams: " Keith Moon playing is beautiful and totally free."

[bonzolead]

Hey anybody who drives a Rolls-Royce into the Holiday-Inn swimming pool is alright by me LOL But since it was Keith Moon that's cooler because he's a great drummer.

Bonzolead

[Syrith]

Would anyone care to enlighten me about Keith Moon? He is deemed a legend, yet I have never been impressed by his playing. I found his playing sloppy, especially in concert. I don't think he took his playing all that seriously. Maybe someone could help me out.

Keith Moon page on DrummerWorld (http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Keith_Moon.html)He's the greatest of all time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pohhMx9EdNc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzlRsLMVgs8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLMc6J9h3mU

[Eoleneu]

He had great groove and plays very musically, underlining the melodies, and with a lot of really good pulsing steady beats. Did he forego the hi-hat to concentrate on double bass beats? his drumming there for example sounds very kraut/motorik, are very driving

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0kB5lNaDGg&feature=related

I believe Zach Hill is today's Keith Moon, but much more focused on drumming!

[JohnW]

Keith Moon was the reason I got into drums, about 33 years ago. Although my direction has changed considerably, I still love his playing.

"Slip Kid", "Pure and Easy", "Young Man Blues", "Amazing Journey" and "the Real Me" are a few of my favorites

Some fun facts:

He used to promote the myth that he was self taught. Not true! He took lessons for about 8 months with Carlo Little, the top rock drummer in London of his day. He had trouble convincing him to give lessons and didn't have much money. So he came up with a scheme with a friend (Gerry Evans) to take a lesson and pay his fee, then go to his friend's house and teach him what he learned for 1/2 price! -paraphrased from the biography Dear Boy:The Life of Keith Moon, by Tony Fletcher

When Philly Joe Jones was in London around 1968, he opened a studio to give lessons. Keith walked in one day, hoping to learn from one of his idols. He gave Philly Joe the £2.65 who then asked him to play something in order to assess where he was at. Keith did "his thing" on the drums, and then Philly Joe asked, "Do you play with a band?" Keith replied that he did and then Philly Joe asked how much he made. Keith said something like "I dunno, £1,000 a week". At which point Philly Joe shook his head, handed him back his £2.65 and said, "I could only harm you."

During a blind album test, Elvin Jones was played a Who album. His response "the man is a drummer."

Tony Williams was quoted as saying about Keith, "He's beautiful, he's so free." In other interviews he said he "likes (rock) drummers like Keith Moon."

He sat in on a Billy Cobham clinic once and apparently sat in on Billy's drums. After sometime, Billy said, I don't know what you're doing, but keep on doing it!"

Alex Duthart, the great pipe band drummer was at an event for Premier and noticed in one of the rooms this beautiful kit was set up. (I've only heard his legendary playing in pipe bands, but he was supposed to be a fabulous set player; I don't know if there are any recordings). Anyway, it was Keith's kit and he asked a roadie if he could play it. "No, you're all right"- basically, the brush off. But Alex couldn't get it out of his mind. So he persisted. Eventually they let him. Alex did his thing, at which point Keith, who was listening from the wings, finished his drink, got up and left. The roadie came over and asked his name. Alex told him but asked why. He said, "He'll (Keith) want to know in the morning."

-John

[JohnW]

And Wh♂ could forget these two gems:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrF_BGLdy-o

-John

[Divinedrummer]

To reply to the original thread about Keith Moon. Anyone who understands what makes an individual great, should abandon all those socially conditioned soundbytes that float around about Keith Moon.

All those little buzz word phrases about Keith being a "sloppy" drummer or him always "overplaying" are observations by people who have no appreciation or real undertanding for what made him a brilliant drummer different from the others.

The plaque errected after his death in the Golders Green Crematorium which reads Keith Moon: Who drummer 1946-1978 "There is no substitute." This sums up Keith Moon's contribution to drumming perfectly, there simply is no drummer like him, nor will there be again. Listen to his immense drumming on "Won't get fooled again." I challenge any drummer out there to play those drum parts as he did on that recording. Listen to it very carefully and you will find, you won't be able to do it. Keith is simply on a different level all together, listen to where he hits the cymbals, where he fills in, his interpretation of the track. It is extraordinary actually.

So here's the lesson forget all your schools of drumming, forget all those analytical drum buffs who tell you, don't overplay (actually there is no such thing as overplaying, it was Keith style and no one did it before him or like him.) Nor listen to those academics who have metronomes stuck in their brains, hes not sloppy, he's understands drums differently from you, and thats why he's Keith Moon and changed the world of drums forever. And most of all thats why he will be remembered as one of the greatest most influencial drummers that ever lived, and thats why those drum critics will be forgotten 10 mins after their dead.....Keith Moon lives on.....God bless him, is is blindingly brilliant, beyond and above those who think they understood him....Keith Moon I can see a different drummer a one in a million who shone and gave us all something....indeed there is no substitute....

[bonzolead]

Happy Birthday Moonie,
You would've. been 65 today.

Bonzolead

[Ian Williams]

Good call...Good reminder! totally free playing style. "The Real Me"

[bonzolead]

Good call...Good reminder! totally free playing style. "The Real Me"
I would've done a big paragraph saying how great he was but we all know that..lol

IMO the most craziest & original Rock drummer ever.

Bonzolead

[Ian Williams]

Happy Moon....................................

[Pachikara-Tharakan]

So here's the lesson forget all your schools of drumming, forget all those analytical drum buffs who tell you, don't overplay (actually there is no such thing as overplaying, it was Keith style and no one did it before him or like him.) Nor listen to those academics who have metronomes stuck in their brains, hes not sloppy, he's understands drums differently from you, and thats why he's Keith Moon and changed the world of drums forever. And most of all thats why he will be remembered as one of the greatest most influencial drummers that ever lived, and thats why those drum critics will be forgotten 10 mins after their dead.....Keith Moon lives on.....God bless him, is is blindingly brilliant, beyond and above those who think they understood him....Keith Moon I can see a different drummer a one in a million who shone and gave us all something....indeed there is no substitute....

You just nailed this thread, my friend, my thoughts exactly!!
all the other rock drummers Today (even a 10 year old) can play like Neil Peart, Bonzo or any other famous drummer in rock history but no Keith Moon!!

I just love non technical drumming.

[sticks4drums]

You just nailed this thread, my friend, my thoughts exactly!!
all the other rock drummers Today (even a 10 year old) can play like Neil Peart, Bonzo or any other famous drummer in rock history but no Keith Moon!!

I just love non technical drumming.
Actually I think the 10 year old would look more like Moon with all the flailing of arms, and not really knowing what he is going to do next. You don't need to knock down the other drummers to prop up your fav. You like him, and that is great.

[mediocrefunkybeat]

Actually I think the 10 year old would look more like Moon with all the flailing of arms, and not really knowing what he is going to do next. You don't need to knock down the other drummers to prop up your fav. You like him, and that is great.

So, it's ok for you to insult Moon but the minute anyone touches your Golden Goose you get the pitchfork out?

[ambientgreg]

[The Who died with him.[/QUOTE]

True.

[sticks4drums]

So, it's ok for you to insult Moon but the minute anyone touches your Golden Goose you get the pitchfork out?
Still fishing. You have a short memory. Bernard asked you and I to stay away from each others stuff. Why so jealous anyways. What is the matter. You need a hug. You really need to get over this. Really. This place is for big people. Big people get over things. :)

[sticks4drums]

Duncan. Are you Paddy 689909 off of Youtube?

[mediocrefunkybeat]

No, I've got the same username on here as on YouTube. I don't need a hug; I get plenty of those.

There's no jealousy here, I'm just pointing out a clear and obvious hypocrisy and I'm quite big enough.

[sticks4drums]

There is a guy on youtube that is 24 from the United Kingdom that talks just like you. I thought for sure it was you. Same friendly personality. :)

[mediocrefunkybeat]

I'm twenty-three. Not twenty-four.

[scorch whammin]

[The Who died with him.

True.[/QUOTE]

Agree!...although I gotta give props to Zak!...he's filled in pretty admirably IMO...

[Pachikara-Tharakan]

Actually I think the 10 year old would look more like Moon with all the flailing of arms, and not really knowing what he is going to do next. You don't need to knock down the other drummers to prop up your fav. You like him, and that is great.

not really knowing what he is going to do next is the key, the unpredictable drumming , which is extremely rare these days! what i meant that there is no Keith Moon since his death! however there are so many Bonhams in You Tube. nobody is knocking anyone down, :)

[Yopps]

Ummm....

Time to do some research! (http://www.extremesportdrumming.com/mikemangini.htm)
Mike Mangini:
Current WFD Records:
Matched Grip Singles - 1,247,
Bare Hands Singles - 1,138,
Traditional Grip Singles - 1,126,
Endurance 13,222 Feet Singles in 15 Minutes
15 minutes = 900 seconds
13,222 / 900 = 14.69 beats/second! SMOKIN'

Of course John Bonham isn't around to compete against Mr. Mangini but if you've ever seen Mangini perform, you'd know just how blazing fast he is!


Bonham's been gone for 31 years why are you comparing him to a modern drummer?

[Pollyanna]

Actually I think the 10 year old would look more like Moon with all the flailing of arms, and not really knowing what he is going to do next.

I think this pretty well sums up what people love about Moonie. He played garage style with all its power, spontaneity, freedom and fire ... but he perfected it like no one else.

Neil Peart was a big fan. That's doesn't mean you have to be, of course. Just saying ...

[sticks4drums]

I think this pretty well sums up what people love about Moonie. He played garage style with all its power, spontaneity, freedom and fire ... but he perfected it like no one else.

Neil Peart was a big fan. That's doesn't mean you have to be, of course. Just saying ...
I just slipped back into my protect Neil Peart posture for a post. I am ok now. :)

[whatsthatfunkysmell?]

Moon was the guy who inspired me to pickup a set of sticks. For the longest time I wanted to play the drums but I guess I never quite got the motivation. About a few months ago I got into this serious Who listening stage, and hearing his drumming made me want to see what I could do with a set of sticks in my hands. Ever since drumming has been the only thing I can think about, RIP Moonie.

[Doctor Dirt]

Moon was a huge part of a theatrical band that used visuals and emotions to enlist their fans. Moon was a favorite of fans who appriciated the "show" first then the playing ability. I saw him 2 or 3 times and other than having tons of energy and being a total maniac I heard nothing that any drug induced half way talented drummer couldn't come up with. Sorry but there was NO groove every established, he blew every ending and listened to the guitarist (out of tune) instead of the bassists and there was obviously something going on between the bass player and him. They never hooked up once they never "looked" at each other once that I can recall. Free styling belongs in a garage but when you come along in the 60s with the most impressional generation that was loaded on drugs for concerts anything could happen. If someone is thinking that Townshed is a great guitarists thats ok, I thought he was a horrible lead player who was lucky that he did all his best work in a studio because live he simply was not very good. Same for the drummer and in my opinion the bass player held it together and was a decent enough talent to get them by live.
Playing power chords and performing over the top free form is a talent in it self. I'm not sure where the performance ends and the music begins!! Wrecking gear at the end of the show impressed some folks (again drugged out kids) for me after seeing them live I wished they did it at the beginning of the night. Free form jamming needs to be left to the pros with talent not some kids that are very "limited" in what they know.
To suggest that Kieth Moon is a great drummer "All Time"!! Wow thats really abusing the word Great! A great Showman at that time?? Yes! A talented musician?? In a studio were the jammin was limited, OK! Live?? Not for me, no concept of beat, no rythmic qualities, no sense of timing, how many single rolled patterns can you take??? Horrible cymbal work, just thrashing and crashing, playing on the edge of the cynbals to produce more noise (fill?) Enough, my rant is over!! Guess you had to be there, and straight too hahahaha! .................................................. ..............................Doc.

[Pollyanna]

... other than having tons of energy and being a total maniac I heard nothing that any drug induced half way talented drummer couldn't come up with.


I think not ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4BBQMjbX3c ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4VUVOOYARg Moonie played the right parts for the songs.

He was such a character that it overshadowed the fact that there was more imagination in his playing than he's credited for ... plus quick thinking and insane amounts of energy. The showmanship was just a bonus.


Free form jamming needs to be left to the pros with talent not some kids that are very "limited" in what they know.

Um, The Who might not have been session or jazz guys but they were pros ... in fact, they were so pro that they didn't have to teach to help pay the bills like many pros do :)

[Pachikara-Tharakan]

If I think the drummer played right part for the songs, i should be lying . Keith Moon played the way he felt like when it was recorded in the studio. Then he played like he felt when they played the same song live. He never played the same way like Neil Peart or any other great drummers, which seems so fascinating to me, which shows there are numerous ways to back up (or lead) a song with drums, with absolutely no rules. Keith Moon is still my favourite drummer... less is always less.. sometimes!

..and he was lucky to have Townshend, Daltrey and Enwhistle to support him which is extremely rare to have these days in bands.

"Eminence Front" by Kenny Jones-- sounds so dead with the groovy beat!, If Moon were alive, he would have come up with something.

[DoorsofPerception]

I was never a fan of Keith Moon. His style is always so sloppy and, a lot of the time, overplayed. And if there's one groove that makes my blood boil it's definately "You Better", or at least I think that's what it's called. It is just so annoying and never goes anywhere.

Now, I'm not saying he's terrible. He's been a big influence to many drummers, but I just don't like his style.

"You Better You Bet" was written and recorded by Pete Townshend in 1981, 3 years after Keith Moon died. Keith Moon is widely regarded as one of the best Rock N' Roll drummers who ever lived. His drumming can be described as "Lively Precision". Give The Who Live At Leeds a good listen and tell me he wasn't amazing. Young Man Blues, Amazing Journey/Sparks and an extended jam version of My Generation all stand out as some of the best drumming Rock has ever known. I guarantee you wouldn't be able to play and sound half as good he did on that live album.

[DoorsofPerception]

Moon was a huge part of a theatrical band that used visuals and emotions to enlist their fans. Moon was a favorite of fans who appriciated the "show" first then the playing ability. I saw him 2 or 3 times and other than having tons of energy and being a total maniac I heard nothing that any drug induced half way talented drummer couldn't come up with. Sorry but there was NO groove every established, he blew every ending and listened to the guitarist (out of tune) instead of the bassists and there was obviously something going on between the bass player and him. They never hooked up once they never "looked" at each other once that I can recall. Free styling belongs in a garage but when you come along in the 60s with the most impressional generation that was loaded on drugs for concerts anything could happen. If someone is thinking that Townshed is a great guitarists thats ok, I thought he was a horrible lead player who was lucky that he did all his best work in a studio because live he simply was not very good. Same for the drummer and in my opinion the bass player held it together and was a decent enough talent to get them by live.
Playing power chords and performing over the top free form is a talent in it self. I'm not sure where the performance ends and the music begins!! Wrecking gear at the end of the show impressed some folks (again drugged out kids) for me after seeing them live I wished they did it at the beginning of the night. Free form jamming needs to be left to the pros with talent not some kids that are very "limited" in what they know.
To suggest that Kieth Moon is a great drummer "All Time"!! Wow thats really abusing the word Great! A great Showman at that time?? Yes! A talented musician?? In a studio were the jammin was limited, OK! Live?? Not for me, no concept of beat, no rythmic qualities, no sense of timing, how many single rolled patterns can you take??? Horrible cymbal work, just thrashing and crashing, playing on the edge of the cynbals to produce more noise (fill?) Enough, my rant is over!! Guess you had to be there, and straight too hahahaha! .................................................. ..............................Doc.

I would love to hear a version of you playing the drums on all of the songs on The Who Live at Leeds with all of the original members (Townshend, Entwistle and Daltrey) and see how your version matches up to the original. It would be laughable, your version being immediately thrown away after we all had a good laugh.

[HipshotPercussion]

All these feelings, pro and con, about Moon came rushing into my head recently while reading Pete Townsend's recently published memoir, Who I Am.

Pete makes it very clear that although he considered Moon to be the drummer for The Who the minute he first heard him, by the end of Moon's life Pete just wished he'd go away, both as a person and a musician. When he writes of Moon's death he never expresses any sorrow or, for that matter, any feeling at all on the subject, and he goes on to say that he was much more comfortable playing with the band without Moon's drumming "crowding" him.

All in all, I found his attitude appalling.

If anyone's interested, I've posted a very short review of Townsend's book on my website, here: http://tvwriter.net/?p=7804

And, yeah, it's a very negative one too. Sorry.

[sam13]

Moon was a huge part of a theatrical band that used visuals and emotions to enlist their fans. Moon was a favorite of fans who appriciated the "show" first then the playing ability. I saw him 2 or 3 times and other than having tons of energy and being a total maniac I heard nothing that any drug induced half way talented drummer couldn't come up with. Sorry but there was NO groove every established, he blew every ending and listened to the guitarist (out of tune) instead of the bassists and there was obviously something going on between the bass player and him. They never hooked up once they never "looked" at each other once that I can recall. Free styling belongs in a garage but when you come along in the 60s with the most impressional generation that was loaded on drugs for concerts anything could happen. If someone is thinking that Townshed is a great guitarists thats ok, I thought he was a horrible lead player who was lucky that he did all his best work in a studio because live he simply was not very good. Same for the drummer and in my opinion the bass player held it together and was a decent enough talent to get them by live.
Playing power chords and performing over the top free form is a talent in it self. I'm not sure where the performance ends and the music begins!! Wrecking gear at the end of the show impressed some folks (again drugged out kids) for me after seeing them live I wished they did it at the beginning of the night. Free form jamming needs to be left to the pros with talent not some kids that are very "limited" in what they know.
To suggest that Kieth Moon is a great drummer "All Time"!! Wow thats really abusing the word Great! A great Showman at that time?? Yes! A talented musician?? In a studio were the jammin was limited, OK! Live?? Not for me, no concept of beat, no rythmic qualities, no sense of timing, how many single rolled patterns can you take??? Horrible cymbal work, just thrashing and crashing, playing on the edge of the cynbals to produce more noise (fill?) Enough, my rant is over!! Guess you had to be there, and straight too hahahaha! .................................................. ..............................Doc.

Well you are obviously not a Who fan, so it's clear why you cut down the band members and didn't think much of their performances. Not sure why you needed to see them 2 or 3 times, other than to make sure you really didn't like them.
The Who aren't a groove type of band, they are a chaotic messy rock and roll band. You should have gone to Earth Wind And Fire concerts if you needed to groove so bad in the 70's.
There is plenty of video out there to put all of your comments to shame.
You just don't get what the band was all about.

[HipshotPercussion]

I'm with Sam here. One of the things I learned a long time ago is that you can't judge any kind of art, be it music, film, TV, painting, etc., by what you would have liked it to be. You have to understand what it's trying to accomplish and then see if, in your estimation, it succeeded.

The Who succeeded brilliantly.

So did Keith Moon.

Gotta admit, though, that what drives me crazy in this discussion is the concept that Moon wasn't a great drummer because he always improvised and couldn't/wouldn't repeat his drum parts. In the '50s, '60s, '70s, and even in most of the '80s, constantly experimenting with your sound and approach wasn't a negative but to many people a sign of genius. Did Monk play his stuff the same way every time? Diz? Brubeck? Trane? They - and their drummers - were all about going out on a limb and seeing if they could keep it from breaking. It was the "a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds" approach.

I remember the last tour I went out on in the early '90s, subbing for the usual drummer. I was as ready for the gig as I ever was for any gig - that is to say I had my chops, my faith in myself, and, yeah, I'd listened to the records a few times. Then I learned that I was expected to play a real drum part, beat for beat, for each song, exactly as each had been recorded. I was flabbergasted. I tried my best and only occasionally succeeded. No one ever gave me any crap about it, but I found the experience of merely duplicating instead of creating so unfulfilling that I didn't play in public again for 20 years. (And now it's to play mostly old blues or free form jazz, both of which allow me to relax and improvise and stretch.)

Moon's originality, the wildness that so many people here seem to condemn, IS what made him, yes, an all-time great.