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Was Keith Moon a good drummer?


Lorraine
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Unfortunately, and sadly, Keith Moon's lifestyle caught up with him and his playing ability diminished. Didn't the Who remove Keith Moon's drums from the song "Music Must Change" because he couldn't keep time?

 

If this is so, that's very sad.

Don't forget the famous time out here on the West Coast at the Cow Palace!! South SF!!! Keith passed out from drugs and alcohol half way through the set. Pete had to ask someone from the audience if they could jump on the drums and play through the rest of the set. Sure enough a young drummer emerged onto the stage and played with the band. There is footage I believe. The kid did a good job considering the circumstances.

 

Now that you mention that, I remember hearing about it back then.

Yep! I'm sure it made the news! There is black and white footage of the show I believe. I think you can actually see Keith fall off his drum throne. Terrible.

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Unfortunately, and sadly, Keith Moon's lifestyle caught up with him and his playing ability diminished. Didn't the Who remove Keith Moon's drums from the song "Music Must Change" because he couldn't keep time?

 

If this is so, that's very sad.

 

I *thought* the story was that he struggled with the 6/8 meter and never could get a drum part cut for it. Weird, since I think the previous album had a song with that meter on it that he had no trouble with.

 

IIRC, he also lived in California with no drumkit in the mid-1970s and this seems to have been blamed for some of the decline some have noted on Who Are You.

 

I used to have that album and don't have the cd, so i can't listen. It would be interesting though to see if I could hear the difference.

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Unfortunately, and sadly, Keith Moon's lifestyle caught up with him and his playing ability diminished. Didn't the Who remove Keith Moon's drums from the song "Music Must Change" because he couldn't keep time?

 

If this is so, that's very sad.

Don't forget the famous time out here on the West Coast at the Cow Palace!! South SF!!! Keith passed out from drugs and alcohol half way through the set. Pete had to ask someone from the audience if they could jump on the drums and play through the rest of the set. Sure enough a young drummer emerged onto the stage and played with the band. There is footage I believe. The kid did a good job considering the circumstances.

 

Now that you mention that, I remember hearing about it back then.

Yep! I'm sure it made the news! There is black and white footage of the show I believe. I think you can actually see Keith fall off his drum throne. Terrible.

 

Don't you consider that a waste of talent? It's not like you can buy talent on a shelf at a store.

 

I know he wasn't playing with a full deck but, still....

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In my opinion (and being a drummer myself for 30 years now), I would say he is among the best rock drummers in history- top five easily, and perhaps top three.

 

Moonie was a beast!

AS a drummer of 35 years I agree with the above statement. I know a professional drummer. He's a very good friend of mine. He never liked Moony Toon. He always says that Keith overplays his parts and that he is actually quite sloppy.

this is exactly what makes him great in my opinion, the way he played shouldn't have worked but it did. it was like walking drunk on a wire and it was glorious.

 

As a Who fan from the beginning, I'd say Moon was revolutionary. He played "lead drums" as with only two other instruments, he had to fill sound. He was an amazing showman also. I don't know if his technique was good but he sure sounded amazing.

As his life style went out of control, his drumming deteriorated, sadly. What a waste!

 

RC, I agree. What a waste of talent.

 

my wife (a lifelong who fan) says that the keith moon bio by tony fletcher is one of the saddest books she's ever read.

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In my opinion (and being a drummer myself for 30 years now), I would say he is among the best rock drummers in history- top five easily, and perhaps top three.

 

Moonie was a beast!

AS a drummer of 35 years I agree with the above statement. I know a professional drummer. He's a very good friend of mine. He never liked Moony Toon. He always says that Keith overplays his parts and that he is actually quite sloppy.

 

this is exactly what makes him great in my opinion, the way he played shouldn't have worked but it did. it was like walking drunk on a wire and it was glorious.

 

As a Who fan from the beginning, I'd say Moon was revolutionary. He played "lead drums" as with only two other instruments, he had to fill sound. He was an amazing showman also. I don't know if his technique was good but he sure sounded amazing.

As his life style went out of control, his drumming deteriorated, sadly. What a waste!

 

RC, I agree. What a waste of talent.

 

 

my wife (a lifelong who fan) says that the keith moon bio by tony fletcher is one of the saddest books she's ever read.

Anthemic, thanks for telling me about the book. I'm going to look into it. He's such a tragic figure.

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In my opinion (and being a drummer myself for 30 years now), I would say he is among the best rock drummers in history- top five easily, and perhaps top three.

 

Moonie was a beast!

AS a drummer of 35 years I agree with the above statement. I know a professional drummer. He's a very good friend of mine. He never liked Moony Toon. He always says that Keith overplays his parts and that he is actually quite sloppy.

 

this is exactly what makes him great in my opinion, the way he played shouldn't have worked but it did. it was like walking drunk on a wire and it was glorious.

 

As a Who fan from the beginning, I'd say Moon was revolutionary. He played "lead drums" as with only two other instruments, he had to fill sound. He was an amazing showman also. I don't know if his technique was good but he sure sounded amazing.

As his life style went out of control, his drumming deteriorated, sadly. What a waste!

 

RC, I agree. What a waste of talent.

 

 

my wife (a lifelong who fan) says that the keith moon bio by tony fletcher is one of the saddest books she's ever read.

Anthemic, thanks for telling me about the book. I'm going to look into it. He's such a tragic figure.

 

I found it on Amazon.

 

It says: "Although Fletcher conducted over 100 interviews for the book, two of the most important people in Keith Moon's life, his mother and Who leader Pete Townshend, refused to participate."

 

I can understand his mother, but does anyone know why Pete refused to be interviewed?

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In the foreword, Fletcher mentions that Townshend wrote him a letter that explained why he did not want to be interviewed but asked that it not be published (yes, I have the book and it is worth a read).
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In the foreword, Fletcher mentions that Townshend wrote him a letter that explained why he did not want to be interviewed but asked that it not be published (yes, I have the book and it is worth a read).

Yes I read the book by Fletcher on Moon. It actually lowered my opinion of Keith as a human. But I will always love him as a drummer.

 

At almost 700 pages, I considered the book worth buying.

 

RC, one of the reviews published said what you posted - be prepared to find out thing that might just do what you said it did for you.

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I am admittedly not a big fan of The Who, even though I can fully understand why they are so legendary .. I just never bonded with the vibe from Pete Townsend

 

With that said, I loved Keith Moon . . He playing was so uninhibited and natural, and I love the "slop factor" ( as I like to call it ) in his playing .. This is NOT meant to be disparaging - on the contrary, it is what I love about certain guitarists too ...

 

I cannot bear mechanical musicians, and Keith Moon was definitely NOT a mechanical musician

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In my opinion (and being a drummer myself for 30 years now), I would say he is among the best rock drummers in history- top five easily, and perhaps top three.

 

Moonie was a beast!

I know a professional drummer. He always says that Keith overplays his parts and that he is actually quite sloppy.

And your friend would be right on the money in many cases, especially live. On their record though, he was always in the pocket. Not the biggest fan of his drum sound. He was a pioneer no doubt. Nowhere in the same galaxy as Neil, but Peart is an acorn from the tree of Moon.
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In my opinion (and being a drummer myself for 30 years now), I would say he is among the best rock drummers in history- top five easily, and perhaps top three.

 

Moonie was a beast!

 

What made him good?

 

He died young. See also, Bonham, Hendrix, Morrison, and so on.

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Moon was amazing, and also one of Neil's primary early influences, I'll always put Neil first, and probably Taylor after that, but Moon and Bonzo will always be among the greatest of all time, and certainly the most influential.
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In my opinion (and being a drummer myself for 30 years now), I would say he is among the best rock drummers in history- top five easily, and perhaps top three.

 

Moonie was a beast!

 

What made him good?

 

He died young. See also, Bonham, Hendrix, Morrison, and so on.

 

So Hendrix was only considered "good" after his death ??

 

You might want to rethink that one

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I've never thought of this i my life and I sure it's been said before. I find the statement on the chair quite ironic or a sign of things to come. "Not To Be Taken Away," Well? Sadly Moon was taken away from all of us way to early.

Very eerie to me.

 

The Who and The Clash was my first concert in Oakland California. I was 14. The "It's Hard" Tour. I was never a Kenny Jones fan to be honest but he is good. I saw The Who with Simon Phillips in 1991 in Oakland Ca. Blew my mind.

 

Anyway, screw the naysayers. MOON WAS OUT OF THIS FUKKING WORLD!!!!!!

Edited by RUSHHEAD666
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