Keith Moon that good???
 

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon that good???
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith 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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith 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. . . . .

Re: Keith Moon
 

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....

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

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!

Re: Keith Moon
 

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

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

Keith Moon video- playing vistalite solo with gold fish
 

Here: (scroll down)

Goldfish solo

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

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......

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

I am so bold to guess that this is complete nonsense

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

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/08...CLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Re: Keith Moon video- playing vistalite solo with gold fish
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

Ummm....

Time to do some research!
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!

Re: Keith Moon
 

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

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.

Re: Keith Moon
 

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

Re: Keith Moon
 

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