It actually doesn't matter what ANYONE thinks of Keith Moon. He was a huge part of The Who's sound, and though he was replaced after he died, he WAS irreplaceable. He was legendary, in one of the most legendary rock bands of all time. That says it all.
Yeah you're so right. Potentially even in the minds of the band, they didn't replace him - they just 'hired another drummer' so they could play. I haven't listened to those albums yet though - not sure what they'll be like!
@drumswithpete I think Pete saw it as a potential fresh start, but it in essence was the true start of his solo career. Even something as famous and energetic as You Better You Bet, with Roger on vocals, sounds like it'd fit on Pete's album from the prior year, Empty Glass.
Double bass drum playing that was additive, creating hand/foot flams instead of mirroring hands. Brilliant. It was the model for all my double bass drum work, though Bargain is close to unachievable for most.
Live At Leeds was the ultimate album for anyone learning guitar, because Pete was mixed entirely in one channel and John was mixed entirely in the other. And in the middle was Keith Moon, beating the holy f*** out of his drums.
Keith had killer feel! If you're not a rhythm player, it's hard to define and understand. It's the way it makes you feel. If you want to understand, join a band.❤
I remember when Elvin was being asked about how he thought of certain rock drummers and while listening to Keith Moon on the Underture from Tommy, the first thing he said was "now this man's a drummer".
@@furtherdefinitions1 Yep...but when Moon died Pete Townshend said this - " less than a year after drummer Keith Moon’s death in 1978, he spoke of how it “saved” the band, which had been marred by the legendary drummer’s unreliable playing..." Pete has said it multiple times, Moon was terrible and the GUITAR kept time in The Who.
Wow I didn’t know that. Actually I think the biggest parallel in jazz is Art Blakey. Man’s all over the place tempo wise but my god I love him and he swings like mad.
Además era admirado por Williams y por Rich, Buddy decía: "es hermoso escucharlo, se siente tan libre" siendo Rich bastante antagonista con los bateristas de rock. Por cierto, Moon estudio Jazz y Shuffle, usaba hit hat, y usaba el doble bombo de forma admirable, era un habilidoso, aunque su trastorno de adhd y su alcoholismo generó en él un detrimento en su performance.
Keith Moon's drumming was the first time I ever TRULY paid attention to the drumming in a song. As a kid I would air-guitar everything, even songs that didn't have guitar... but any time I heard the Who, I would air-drum the entire song.
The thing to consider in Moon's style is, he was a disciple of Gene Krupa. Yeah, he was a freaking genius. People don't realize that he paid attention to every drummer, and incorporated many things into his unique style. He, also, had a back beat, that sucks you in, and makes you want to become one with it.
The Who wasn't just a band, they were an all-out assault on the senses. They held a Guinness World Record as the loudest rock band for many years, and every member of The Who dialed it up to ten on most of their hits. Keith couldn't have just sit back and played a spare beat, because he'd be drowned out or forgotten. They fired Dougie Sandom because Keith pushed his way into auditioning for them and almost destroyed Sandom's kit. He was their man. He was the living embodiment of amphetamine-fueled Mod music. Genius or maniac? He was the greatest Keith-Moon-style drummer in the world, and that's all that matters.
Every so often I conjure up a mental image of the Who with Charlie Watts instead of Keith Moon. And I realize that Charlie wouldn't have survived a set with the Who.
@@chuckschillingvideosyou have absolutely no idea what good drumming is. Copeland is a master of syncopation with pocket and groove and Moon is a lunatic with zero feel smashing shit
Moon is my favorite drummer! He actually played melodies - case in point on The Song is Over. On top of that, his drumming makes me smile. There is HUMOR in it.
His work on ballads is underappreciated. Getting In Tune is another great drum track. Also, the sloppy drummer notion is destroyed by live performances of songs like Young Man Blues, Happy Jack, I Don't Even Know Myself, and Tattoo, which require very precise dynamic shifts coming out of ridiculous fills. His drumming brings theatricality to rock, which was absolutely perfect for a band that introduced rock operas. Also, Keith is the first drummer to play to a click track, and it was for Won't Get Fooled Again and Baba O'Riley, and he played live to a click track with headphones duct-taped to his head and hair from 1971.
Yeah he definitely had precision didn't he. He just seemed interested in other things, just like you say! 'Getting In Tune' is a song I'll always come back to for that side of his playing!
He was an improvising Genius!!! He made what he did work! I never heard a song ruined by his playing? He played what he felt and it was genius and it worked!
The same could be said for Ringo, Moon, Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker, Bonham... There is no best drummer, but each of those drummers was great for their respective band.
@@condundrop Bonham's style was lumbering. He seemed to trudge a step behind the band, as if his hands and feet were so heavy that he couldn't quite keep up. IMO, the best Zep music was made without drums.
In '75, I turned 18, graduated HS, and could buy beer. I saw Jaws in the theater and the "Frampton Comes Alive" tour in the summer, but the absolute highlight of the year was seeing The Who with Mooney in November. I've seen The Stones twice and Zep once, but that is still my favorite concert memory.
Close to frying like an egg in Philly's Veteran's Memorial Stadium and then stayed for the massive garbage fires after the bands went off stage " Frampton Comes Alive" tour
I always say this about Keith Moon and his drumming, there is no way one can be a mediocre drummer if you are able to help drive a band to be one of the greatest live acts in rock history. Keith Moon was behind the kit when thousands upon thousands of people were driven into a frenzy at massive rock events like Woodstock, the Isle of Wight, Charlton Football grounds, etc. Keith’s playing was all about connecting with the group sound. It was that group sound/chemistry that made them so immensely electrified as a live act. Perhaps that was the only band he could have been a great drummer in but he was and that’s the history we should remember.
None of that is how logic, or argument works. Madonna was bigger and more famous, in the grand scheme of things. Does that mean there is no way she was a mediocre singer or so-so dancer?
@@jeremysmetana8583 I don’t think Madonna would be very good in the Who. As for Mooney, Jeff Beck said he was the best. He was definitely the best, self titled, ‘Keith Moon style drummer in the world.’
Great video! Keith Moon is a perfect example of something we just don't hear or see anymore which is a drummer playing by pure instinct. Modern drummers seem to be more concerned with playing "parts" as opposed to playing music and that gives newer music a stiffness that makes it a bit lifeless and boring. It'd be nice to see more bands throw away the click, get away from quantizing everything and just play.
Bloody genius! I sat 20 feet away from moon for 2 hours in 1969 as he systematically destroyed every preconception of what kinds of amazing things drums could do in a rock context. I was literally pelted by his flying shirtless sweat. There was not a sloppy bone in his drugged up body
@@graminovore 20 fuckin' feet away from Keith Moon for 2 hours! Man...I hope u REMEMBERED everything! THAT'S a gig I would've probably drank like a fish at & remembered NOTHING--& regretted the next day. I didn't even KNOW about the Who until the Fall of 1978--just after Moonie died--& of course fell in love with everything about them...eventually going to 3 of their concerts: 1st Gig was December 1979 at the Pontiac Silverdome. Tickets were $11.00 for "General Admission": a seating designation that just 2 weeks EARLIER had been defined as "Sit wherever u want"--which usually included a mad-rush for the stage a split-second after arena doors were unlocked & the turnstiles were manned. That Seating-term got changed 2 weeks earlier, after 11 Who-concert fans were trampled-to-death in Cincinnati while rushing thru the doors in a mad race for a chance at a great view near the stage. Racing to the stage was not allowed at the Silverdome, but I can't recall HOW they worked that...& I can't recall much of the concert either! The 2nd concert was in 1981. I don't recall much of THAT concert either...but I do recall Pete Townshend--between songs in a set--telling the crowd: "ONE of these days we're gonna have to do something about the shitty SOUND in this arena!". The crowd went nuts when he said that...& The Who NEVER returned to the Dome! My 3rd Who concert was at a ski ridge that had been converted into n ampitheatre in Michigan--20 miles north of Detroit--called Pine Knob. The Who were then--circa early-2000s--doing a Tommy-themed tour. This was the first Who concert I actually didn't drink or smoke weed! GREAT memories for all--from what I can recall, that is!
Keith Moon was the first great rock drummer I learned. When I discovered Neil Peart I was already accustomed to “lead drum” playing. Rush was a whole new experience in time signatures and precision, but it was learning Keith Moon that gave me the base for being an proactive drummer.
@kenserio agreed ! so sick of Rush fans. They overplay everything all the time. Getty Lee's voice is annoying. I'll take Moon, Giles, Palmer, Powell over Peart any day...
@@waynekenworthy5391 Oh, boohoo. You Rush haters are just too musically retarded to appreciate their brilliance. Too bad for you. Btw, I guarantee all the bands you love are Rush fans. You’re on the outside looking in, chump. Real musicians recognize Rush for the incredible musical talents they were. If you want to be seen as a musical idiot, spewing nonsense about Rush is a great way to expose yourself as a chode (look it up. lol) Move along, you silly musical retard. 🙄
Thanks for this.The great artists, whether it be music, painting or sculpture, always flirt with failure as part of their process. Moon was willing to risk it all and the result was astonishingly original and powerful beyond all standards of his contemporaries.
That was the first song I ever played live in a high school band. I was horrible, but I was desperate to do what he did (and have tried to do that for the last 38 years). I did, however, kick the kit over at the end. I think I got that part right.
The song "I'm Free" from the rock opera Tommy album, shows Keith Moon's incredible skill at acting as a consummate race car driver, surrounding just about every part of the song with "just in time" engine revving. He really holds the entire song together, but pauses long enough to allow the fantastic musicians around him to be showcased at the same time. What exquisite timing he had.
The Who crafted their songs around Keith and John. That is what made them so interesting; a band where the 2 lead instruments were the drums and the bass. They were truly one of a kind. They also came up with some of the first/best concept album(Sell Out, Tommy, Quadrophenia). Ie they did wtf they wanted to do; that is rock and roll.
I am lifelong friend's with a record engineer/producer from back in those days. They tried to have him play on a session for another artist. A total disaster. The frustrations with his wandering time and excessive fills grew. Keith got frustrated, then drunk, then left. He was perfect with his band.
@@drumswithpete Well Pete, I don't know the circumstances of why he did the session, other than I think I remember he was friends with the artist. We didn't see him doing session work as he was a "stylist" not a broad-based percussionist. I'm a drummer. I used to do session work for my engineer / producer buddy back in the 1970's in LA. Songwriter demo stuff. That was my level of expertise "Peter Principal", rose to my level of incompetence. Jeff Porcaro, Jim Keltner, Ed Greene, guys like that did the real sessions if the artist got signed, sometimes even copping my parts. Playing time was the most important thing I could do, worked on it for hours practicing to tunes in the headphones. Got to lock into the pocket. No quantizing existed then. Overdubbing to click tracks, layer cake productions, maybe playing with a bass and rhythm guitar for tracking with a click. That's how we did it. My theory on Moon's playing is he was unable to play straight groves. He likely didn't practiced time playing much, and if you don't work on that, it never would happen. He was so impulsive and immature, it would be boring to work on that, and his personality as a total show off pushed him to play like he did. He was beyond impulsive, an out-of-control person in all aspects of life. His fill and cymbal crashing activity every few bars seem to be a rather bazar method of timekeeping, as well as working off of Pete's guitar riffs. Worked for him and for them. I did see the Who live back in those days and was withing 20 feet of the stage to his hi hat side. He was very solid that night, better than on some of the recordings.
@@keystoneskiguy2718Keith Moon live stage depended on the night and what he was or wasn't doing around that,lol. In general, his earlier live shows with The Who were remarkably better than later on, because the addiction started catching up towards the end. To be completely unbiased tho, the next drummer can brag about doing something perfect in a studio/stage setting keeping perfect time and playing with major artists from all over. Tho I'll tell you, if anyone one of those disciplined studio/stage drummers were onstage at a public music jam, and the rest of the band called out playing a Who tune such as The Real Me or Mobile.......that perfect disciplined session/stage drummer would be wishing there was a stage hatch to fall into and disappear. I know, because I've seen this scenario play out and it's a cold shot of reality with humbleness to any drummer who thinks they're above the likes of Keith Moon. That happened to a local professional drummer in my town, who originally came from California doing mostly session and mainstream music gigs, he sounded like he never played drums a day in his life after the band finished the tune early, because the disciplined and institutionalized drummer couldn't keep up. Goes to show, most everyone usually has as much weakness as strengths when it comes to playing music. It all comes down to what they're familiar with and willing to learn going forward.
I've heard the Who described as having a lead singer, a lead guitarist, a lead drummer and a lead bassist. They all had an equal capacity to be the focal point of the group
Keith was an acolyte of Gene Krupa, and Krupa's mission was to make drums a lead instrument, which he did.Sing, Sing, Sing etc. So your comment makes sense. 👍🏼
In 1967 I saw The Who. They opened for Herman's Hermits. Keith blew my mind. He had a floor tom reserved for spare drumsticks. His rimshots were breaking the tips off his sticks so there was a stream of broken sticks flying into the audience. Amazing.
Genius. Keith Moon used both ends of the drumsticks to get the best punctuation for the songs performed or recorded. I watched this from up close in 1975. My jaw dropped and I was stunned. NOBODY else did this. This technique was not just one or the other. He rotated between both ends continuously during songs. Not all, but many.
Keith's drumming style has three main characteristics as far as I'm concerned: 1. Pounding eighth notes on the bass drum; 2. Out-of-control sixteenth notes between snare and toms; 3. Alternating motion between cymbals when playing ride. He was totally unique and the people who put him down are usually jazz snobs. That's why it's refreshing to know that he was Tony William's favorite drummer. Also he was Jeff Beck's favorite drummer. If you would like to hear Keith in another context than the Who listen to Beck's Bolero recorded in 1966. It is Beck's first solo recording and has been described as "one of the great rock instrumentals, epic in scope, harmonically and rhythmically ambitious yet infused with primal energy". Beck's Bolero is propelled by a rhythm inspired by Ravel's Boléro. Have a listen here ruclips.net/video/nmO0OZC6Ifk/видео.html
@@rakeshadhin I just checked out that recording. I did not know that existed. What an amazing piece of music history. And it is so cool to hear Keith Moon with another group.
@@Excalibur-Razzmatazz That's unlikely since Mitchell played for the Who as a session drummer while they were in the process of replacing Doug Sandom with Keith Moon. Plus Mitchell was known for his fast, driving, jazz-influenced playing.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember about Moon - he WASN'T the time keeper. That was Pete's job. So, Moon was able to paint a semi-rhythmic soundscape around what the other members were doing. In many ways, The Who's music was closer to free jazz than it was conventional rock, especially live.
YEAH I really love this - I think you're right. He massively challenged those 'conventional band roles'. Perhaps it's a part of what made their chemistry so unique!
@@guillermo3564 Actually it is usually always the drummer who is the timekeeper and thus the driver in any band while the bass player sets up the groove. In the case of the Who, Entwistle had to keep time because Moon couldn't do it.
Imagine being a drummer seeing and hearing the WHO in the Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, Texas. It was eye opening to see Moon play the music I had been listening to and Entwhistle and Townsend were amazing too.
10:03 I seem to recall reading somewhere that Glyn Johns tried to "reign him in" on Who's Next (due to the use of synthesizers and click tracks). Or, that it was Pete's writing and creative vision/concept that utilized it and Glyn was the producer. Also that Keith wasn't happy about it. But the end result speaks for itself. It is fascinating to think that there was this kind of minimalism thing going on and your job was to have Keith Moon be a part of it. Glyn has said that Keith did it brilliantly.
Moon was perfect for the Who, and was like a crazy artist with a blank canvas with zero rules and regulations attached. The Who for me finished when Keith passed away as they couldn't replace that facet to their overall sound. Great video Pete
The music of the 60s n 70s was magic in magic times. You cant quantify it. Computers, Software & the internet fucked up music for good. Every douchebag with computer is making muzak. "Feel" is everything not perfection!
It almost sounds, a lot of the time, as though he heard people like Bernard Purdy, with all his little ghost notes on the snare, and thought "yeah, but what if you played them all out loud, and on some of the other, bigger drums?"
Great Video! What's interesting to me as a drummer is that Keith's actual drum playing to when one listens " generally", is a little tricky to acertain just how good he really was. A person has to kind of do a deeper dive into old clips of him, say pre 1975 and all you need is one or two of those looks from say, the Isle of White, or the Stones " Rock n Roll Circus and then the mytsique comes into full view. He was lighting fast, ripped around the kit with super speed , originality and showmanship. He was amazing and is my favorite rock Drummer of all time. I've seenm Rush several times, Led Zep ( my first concert) and even started playing drums shortly thereafter, but I have never seen a more interesting , charismatic , free ripping and mesmerizing drummer than Keith. KM forever. Ps but he did really burn out and started slipping near 1975 ( Just saying).
Totally uncontrollable,but highly entertaining,madman offstage. Onstage a different kind of,but controlled,chaos. Moon knew exactly what he was doing and when to do it. A frikken god level player.
Keith played his drums like a lead instrument. What would Happy Jack have been without him? I think he was undoubtedly the drummer who was most integral to his band.
Anytime I hear people say Keith wouldn't fit in with another band, I point out that it was Keith that played the drums on Beck's Bolero, on Jeff Becks album "Truth" and its not at all like The Who Keith, btw, that's Keith's scream in the middle break
Jimmy Page played on "Beck's Bolero", and wanted Keith Moon - and John Entwistle, who was originally supposed to play bass on the session - to join the new band he was forming. But they were under contract and had to pass. Page told Moon about his idea for a "Folk/Acoustic/ Hard Rock" band he was forming. Moon told Page he thought that it would go over like a "lead zeppelin". Jimmy dropped the a in lead and the rest is history...
The Who at their peak were 3 amazing musicians doing there own thing held together by one of the greatest rock singers ever. One of the best of all time.
Whats crazt is Daltrey is definitely one of the greatest rock singers of all time, and in Love Reign O'er Me, had my favourirte vocal performence of all time...and yet by far he was the weakest part of the band. And he was incredible and irriplaceable. I don't think theres ever been a band quite like The Who
Thanks for this video. Obviously of interest to drummers, is how you hold the drumsticks. Keith Moon played matched grip, but in a weird way. He held his sticks tight, like pens or paintbrushes, sloping downwards. Strangely dainty is how I describe his technique. I've played "Pinball wizard" and "Substitute" on drums, and, yeah it's a drum solo every time, different but in the groove. A true artist with musical feel, a right character too. You don't get people like him anymore.
If you listen to the ENTIRE isolated drum track for "Won't Get Fooled Again" about halfway thru it you will spontaneously bust out laughing at how maniacal it is. DO IT!!
Yeah, that keyboard machine making the repetitive melody sound during the break sorta mellows out the drums and makes it more linear than what Keith Moon actually sounded like once he bursted back into the song.
@@petegreenfield8366I said keyboard machine and didn't imply that it broke into the studio on it's own during this song,lol, so lighten up. It was programmed by Townsend. Yeah I saw that interview as well. Nothing new
Great playing and overview of Keith Moon's drumming @Drums With Pete. I think you nailed it, Moon's aggressive drumming although not necessarily technical was a turbo boost to The Who's overall sound. Had they employed a steady timekeeper who was solid and in the background they would not have achieved the level of success they eventually did.
I saw Keith with The Who three times. And I saw them three times after Keith's passing. Having three superstars on stage was not nearly as good as four. Keith embodied the fun, power, and danger of Rock. Keith was absolutely unique. His 'presence' was gigantic. And, when push came to shove, he kicked ass.
I've seen the Who live on stage 4 times, stretching from mid-1960's to mid-70's. I like Moon, in the same sort of way I like some of my loony friends. I've been a drummer since age 14. At that time (1966), I recall walking around downtown London and seeing posters with the word WHO in big letters (and an arrow on the W) and wondering, "what an odd name for a music group."
@@tomcarl8021 1966, Rome Italy, I was 15 at an all-boys boarding school (NDI) and I instigated 3 other boys to sneak out at night to see them. I got punished the next day, because I was the instigator. I saw the Who in Colombia MD, when the Zeps opened for them, in 1969 or 70. I couldn't afford the ticket, but a girlfriend called me up an hour b4 the concert and asked "can you get your mom's mustang?" I said 'YEA!". She had 2 comp 2nd row tickets (her dad ran a radio station). It was one of the best concerts, and I had seen dozens in the 60's and 70's with big name groups. Vail was such a groupie that Albert King put her name in his version of the Stones' Honky Tonk Women ("Later, Vail covered me in roses").
I think Moon was past his best by 1971, his kit got too big and his alcoholism was owning him; the beautiful, mercurial fluidity of 69 was fading. Someone said he was a timpanist, not a timekeeper/drummer and I agree. I think he was a musical genius rather than the best drummer ever. He transcended his role turning the drums into an expressive musical instrument. He was an artist, with all the emotional sensitivity that suggests. He was just something else and in 100 years it will be Keith Moon that people will recall when they think of 'rock drummer' (if rock is still a thing ...or the world for that matter).
So well said, and so important to be said. Moon's playing began to fall apart after Who's Next. He's already fading (if slightly) on Quadrophenia, taking one step back (supported, of course, as ever, by Townshend's arrangements and Entwistle's éclat). Even his high moment in "The Real Me" is from the Who's live "Baby Don't You Do It" from years earlier. This arc, the rise and fall, in his playing must be prominently taken into account when assessing his talent (which, to me, was mighty).
I was really hoping you were going to get more technical/detail oriented. I wanted to hear about how he played across bar lines. Moon was one of the very few people Frank Zappa actually liked to hang out with, spent time with him around by choice, not because it was necessary for music/buisness purposes.
If he wasn't any good Roger and Pete would have sacked him. Listen to some of his isolated drum tracks, mint playing.. He fitted in with what they did. A good drummer always does what the song requires. Moon was playing with arguably the best Bass Guitarist of all time. Who's playing was everywhere to fill out the sound. Moon's drumming approach had to match that.
It worked because they had Entwhistle. 99 out of 100 times that style of playing a fill every bar makes you sound like amateur hour but he somehow made it work for that band and at that time in music.
True art happens when you are able to create something unique and unconventional, something unexpected, something never heard before, something that no one else could or would do, and still move millions of people with it. Sticking to strict rules is as far removed from art as you can get. Whatever some buttoned-up, narrow-minded people may think of his playing, Keith was undeniably a true artist in the truest sense of the term.
Well stated. Perfect and scripted is boring, and I never could understand why anyone would want to hear a duplicated recorded track band on a live stage, no matter the genre. Might as well stay home and just crank the stereo to save the concert ticket fee.
I like what Todd Sucherman, Daniel Glass, and Stanton Moore have written in social media posts about Moon’s drumming. To me, they get it. It’s well worth checking out what they wrote and a lot of the misconceptions they clear up. Elvin Jones and Tony Williams appreciated his approach, and that’s good enough for me. If some people prefer more straight ahead pocket drummers I can appreciate that too, but I think he was a genius.
Also, check out his unbelievable drum fills in the Who's song "When I was a Boy"...a John Entwistle song, but Keith makes it his song without question...a force of nature...then of course there is the entire Live at Leeds album to consider too!!!
I've heard many drummers bag on Keith, but they can never seem to replicate him when put to the test. In fact, seeing live footage of the Who the session guys always puss out and don't even attempt to play his fills! lol
Thank you for making this video, I grew up listening to the who and it was thrilling 🍀 you've managed to explain things that I and my peers already knew but could never put into words. I loved the music from that era, mostly because of the unique individuals that made it 🍀, again, thank you 🍀
Awesome vid! Keith Moon is an absolute legend! Made drums a lead instrument while somehow still playing for the song.. Crazy drummer, crazy guy! 👏👏👏❤️🥁
Moon was a genius and understood his role as a lead instrument player would. When he wanted to he was a good timekeeper but once he became "Keith Moon" he understood that being energetic and improvisational was more important -- to dance around the count and even stomp on it from time to time. He was a rock bebop drummer to some degree. Rhythmic hooks punctuated with improv and a trade between his bassist as the primary timekeeper.
I worked with a club drummer that ran his mouth about Moon being sloppy and not being such a great drummer. Well that was our last gig together. As a bass player I need to see some life and energy on that set. Moon was totally unique! I’ll always miss him. And now John also!
@@bobolokoYour right if you want to be forever stuck in obscure small clubs for gigs. Far as the tight rock/variety band that follows all the rules and tries to be perfect & tight without making any mistakes......that's been done so many times that nobody cares if your on stage at a bar/venue or not anymore. I guarantee if The Who or any other major band was concerned about being tight before being creative and making mistakes, we wouldn't be talking about The Who or any of the other legendary bands today.
@@boboloko Drum machines can do that perfectly. Also cheaper and less annoying to deal with. I'd much rather play with a creative human drummer though.
@@AllofJudea That's a false dilemma. You can have creativity and keep good time. Jazz drummers like Blakey, Williams, Roach, and Morello, just to name a few, kept time like a clock and had all sorts of creative flourishes. All of them were more artful than Moon.
Pete, as a Keith Moon influenced drummer (see my channel :) I congratulate you on making a video that is maybe the best analysis of Moon I have seen on YT. Fair play, you have nailed every aspect brilliantly. As a great drummer yourself, you get it, and you get his genius. Rock 'n' roll should be about attitude, excitement, and originality, and Moon had all those things. Ta.
I've seen the Who live on stage 4 times, stretching from mid-1960's to mid-70's. I like Moon, in the same sort of way I like some of my loony friends. I've been a drummer since age 14, and yes, Keith was somewhat sloppy, like an unglued kid in an adult body.
Moon is a basher. Wild and undisciplined. But you do anything enough, you get good at it. And he got good at it. It became a tumult of energetic noise pulsating under Townsends swirling rhythm. They attempted to get as full a sound as possible with the three pieces though chaos. And in doing so, they formulated a style. Moons drumming would never work anywhere else. He'd be fired in five minutes. But in the WHO, it was perfect.
That's not quite accurate. For example, listen to The Real Me. He's playing in his classic style, and with incredible precision. As you listen, keep the beat/tempo in your head, and what I'm referring to will become apparent. This is emblematic of his work certainly through 1973.
A magical genius on the drums, which couldn't be more obvious. Anyone who doesn't realize this, including Pete, has a small hole, a missing piece, in their soul. Keith IS rock and roll.
I don't understand why he even gets a twitch of criticism ... listen to the nonsense of improvisational jazz ... at least Keith hovers around something on the beat. It's not like the Who ever had to stop a song because the beat was lost. That Won't Get Fooled movie version seems to me the single strongest rock song played live. What else compares?
He was cueing off both. He had to. Enwhistle was the time keeper and Moon relied on that to find his way back to center and they were in constant communication because Moon's improvisation was always on the precipice of falling off a cliff. He relied on Daltry for melodic flourishes to compliment or counterpose the vocals.
4 месяца назад
He also did rolls starting with his left hand and being right handed you would think he would start with the right.
My take on this is Keith Moon was perfect for The Who. Speaking only within the context of The Who he was a phenomenal drummer. With any other band he would sound like a mediocre drummer but only because he wouldn't fit in with any other band. He wouldn't be terrible in another band but that band may have to change their style in order to get the best out of Keith's uniqueness.
You know, I do agree. We'll never reeeally know of course... But we have the solo album he released as an intriguing companion piece to what you're saying. I've never listened to it (it's on my waaay too long listening list) but it doesn't seem to be highly rated!
@@drumswithpete On Keith's solo album he does the lead vocals and only plays drums on a few of the songs. It's not a bad album and is certainly worth a listen.
I saw a load of bands in the 70s. I saw The Who several times. The Who was a rock band. The Who was the best rock band - live. Keith Moon was the best rock drummer - live. John Entwistle was the best bass guitarist- full stop.
Never got to see The Who sadly, but grew up with the music over the last 50 years or so. Never paid much attention to Keith Moon (typical arrogant guitar player), just accepted the standard view - 'he's mental'. Then, years later he wasn't there. Townsend made a doco about 'The Who' after that (decades ago) in which he confirmed Moon was mad, but a genius with it. He was amazed that by luck the members of the band were 1 offs that fitted together like a jigsaw. He said if they were having a bad night 'Moonie would just fill in the gaps & hold it together' - 'it can never be the same without him'. Ditto Entwistle - f.....g genius in hindsight too. No Daltrey - doesn’t 'work' either, even if he's not a great singer in the accepted sense. First thing I did when I got The Best of CD (remember those....) was make mp3 of it so I can play it forever. Great music never dies just the folk who made it sadly. A Good tribute to the mans playing, which is what really matters. Thanks.
The Who was Soso after Moons death And after entwistle died the who died. Pete once said when Keith died in was like an orchestra dropping out. Same with entwistle. When Keith played solos he switched bass drum so that the left foot played the beat and the right played the solo. But when playing a song he played with his right foot lead. Something like that.
Moon rarely used hi-hats in the traditional way if at all. And limiting yourself to just Won’t Get Fooled Again, really limits your discussion because while it showcases his abandon doesn’t really demonstrate what makes him HIM. His ability to color light and dark, his gentleness when appropriate, his call and response to the vocals; he wasn’t one dimensional as you seem to paint him
Just listen to 'bargain" from whos next , if anyone questions his playing after hearing that really has no idea. it is next level playing . i break out in a sweat every time , intense ,powerful insane, and absolutely SPOT ON!!!
Keith was on the planet for 32 years..half of which he spent playing in the Who.. he was born to play with these guys.. maybe not so much with anyone else
It's been said a million times, but it was such a special chemistry they had! I can't be sure, but I also don't see it really working with anyone else!
I love drummers. Keith is one of the greats, for me. He sounds like a 747 taking off right over your head. On an inverted bell curve, Neil Peart, Danny Carey, Mike Portney, etc. are at one peak and Keith Moon, John Bonham, and Mr. Baker are at the opposite. Total hacks like me are deep in the middle, down in valley looking up at the mountaintops of genius.
Haha I think you've really hit an important point - he was SO recognisable! You almost ALWAYS know when hear his drumming. No one else sounds like a 747 haha!
The explosion at 3:10 is well-documented. One quote is "The blast, caused by fireworks drummer Keith Moon had packed into his bass drum, badly singed guitarist Pete Townshend’s hair, left shrapnel in Moon’s arm and momentarily knocked "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" off the air".
I have ALWAYS thought that 😂 not to mention Entwistle as well, as Smothers is walking away from him, the look John gives him is like "I'll kill you, you bastard"😂
@@rohan_of_arc9895 I was around at the time period that was made and used to watch the Smothers brothers. That was Tommy Smothers' shtick. I thought The Who all got along great with it (remember the British dry sense of humor). Especially passing up probably the most famous rock singer at the time just waving him off and pretending to not know his name (I got the impression that Rodger and he were actually friends). I think Keith and Tommy tried to ad lib something and it just didn't come off. Tommy Smothers was not fumbling, probably ever, and was a really sharp comedian. He used a stammer to sound make him appear slow, like he was always stuck for words. Arguably his humor was what got them canceled, it was very sharp, dressed as dumb-trying-to-look-smart.
@@johnelectric933 Hey man thank you for your insight. Roger looks ok with it all, it's John I am not sure about haha! You can never tell with John. As a Brit I don't know the Somthers Brothers but I am guessing they were a bit of a national institution on your side of the pond. They do look like very astute guys- the part after the destruction when one of them comes back on and says "Uh Dick, I'd like to borrow your bass for a minute" was a bit of genius. I always loved that whole clip from the moment I saw it as a 15 year old, about 35 years ago now.
The only drummer that matches Keith Moon's impact while not copying him is Narada Michael Walden's drumming with The Mahavishnu Orchestra. It's every bit as wild and outrageous, and totally original.
"Keith Moom spiking his bandmates drinks; bandmates being rushed to hospital". Where on earth did you get that from? I've been a massive Who fan since 1977, and have read everything I can find on them. I have never heard of either of these things.
Exactly as you say - deep in comment threads and the like. That's why I say 'these are stories that come up' - I've no idea if they're true and I wouldn't like to say - I'm really just interested in the music! It's the 'unhinged energy' idea I was really focused on - the fact that people tell those kinds of stories, regardless of validity. You're right though - maybe I needed to be clearer about that.
People would ask why I never did any drum solos in my band. My singer said, "Everything he plays is a solo!". Actually, I just didn't feel the songs needed a solo or, I just didn't feel like being singled out for umpteen minutes. The only time I DID take a solo was at the start of our last song. and nobody but me knew I was gonna do that. I heard the song in the car on the way to the gig, the rest of the band wrote and recorded it without me. So, I wrote my drum parts in my head in the car so, NOBODY knew what I was gonna do or how it was gonna sound but, they wanted to play it on stage that night. When it came time to do the song, Bob gave this big explanation about how we've never played this song as a full band before so, we have no odea what's gonna happen. Quite often, he likes to count in the songs and, in this case, I didn't want him to do that so, before he got the chance to start, I jumped in with my first and only solo with the band for about 30 seconds and then switched to the first beat I was gonna use, nodded in the bass player, after another 8 bars, I nodded in the guitarist and, after another 8, I switched to a completely different beat and Bob started singing. After the song, we got a standing O and Bob dropped to his knees beating the floor and repeatedly yelling, "THAT'S HOW YOUI DO THAT!!" Sadly, we never played the song again! 2 gigs later, we broke up!
I love Keith Moon's drumming and I love that it utterly confounds some people, some people who just don't "get it". Ah, well. I hear Linda Ronstadt needs a fan. The music listeners that require "perfect pitch" and "perfect tempo" and "beautiful melody", I mean, OK, there's something for everyone, thank goodness, and to each their own. But obviously down dirty, loud, bombastic rock and or roll isn't for them. Sometimes it's about mood. Sometimes I'm in a Keith Moon mood and other times I'm in a Phil Rudd mood.
so, in other words, you don't care if music is written/played/arranged well...or perhaps cannot comprehend when it isn't. You have no business claiming that people who do care about these things are unable to enjoy someone's sloppy but interesting mess. Funny that your poles are moon and rudd, wonder what you'd do if you heard an excellent drummer...y'know, someone capable of subtlety, shade, and dynamics. Oh well, you seem happy down in your trough, so rock on, and good luck with your 'moods'.
Traditional roles within a rock band were altered in The Who: 1. Keith Moon's style of drumming was a free-form indefinite pitch commentary on what he was hearing from the other band members. 2. Pete Townsend's rhythm guitar performed the role of a time keeper. 3. John Entwhistle's bass performed the role of a lead guitar. 4. Only Roger Daltrey maintained the traditional role of a vocalist.
Keith’s drumming on The Who’s 60s singles is so insanely inventive. He was a genius.
Keith Moon once described himself as "the best Keith Moon style drummer in the world"
This is true! and it’s a great philosophy on life in general - “ Be the best xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx type person you can” (insert name).
Man that’s f***in good. Wow.
He wasn't wrong!
One of my favorite quotes ❤️
I'm surprised he even knew he was Keith Moon
It actually doesn't matter what ANYONE thinks of Keith Moon. He was a huge part of The Who's sound, and though he was replaced after he died, he WAS irreplaceable. He was legendary, in one of the most legendary rock bands of all time. That says it all.
Yeah you're so right. Potentially even in the minds of the band, they didn't replace him - they just 'hired another drummer' so they could play. I haven't listened to those albums yet though - not sure what they'll be like!
Most Who fans would agree that they should've ended it after Keith. Anyone who disagrees, well even Townsend admitted it during a recorded interview.
@drumswithpete I think Pete saw it as a potential fresh start, but it in essence was the true start of his solo career. Even something as famous and energetic as You Better You Bet, with Roger on vocals, sounds like it'd fit on Pete's album from the prior year, Empty Glass.
100% CORRECT!!
@@DG-sf9ei/ I saw them with Kenny jones and I’m glad I did but there was a monumental black hole where Keith should have been.
No one who played the last minute of Bargain can be considered a bad drummer.
Absolutely agree.
Double bass drum playing that was additive, creating hand/foot flams instead of mirroring hands. Brilliant. It was the model for all my double bass drum work, though Bargain is close to unachievable for most.
@@BlairAirthank you.
The last minute-and-a-half of 'Bargain' is my favorite bit of music of all genres and all time. The drumming is a huge part of that, of course.
@@jimwing.2178 wow
His drumming on "young man blues" from Live at Leeds is drumming that still blows my mind to this day
YEEEAAAH they KILLED that track didn't they?!
@@drumswithpeteyup! Amazing cover, explosive compared to the original.
One of the best live albums ever.
Live At Leeds was the ultimate album for anyone learning guitar, because Pete was mixed entirely in one channel and John was mixed entirely in the other. And in the middle was Keith Moon, beating the holy f*** out of his drums.
@@robertdorman552 the original is a Jazz tune by the mighty Mose Allison. Both version are essentisl.
Keith had killer feel! If you're not a rhythm player, it's hard to define and understand. It's the way it makes you feel. If you want to understand, join a band.❤
My favorite drummer by miles. Elvin Jones on Moon: "The man is a drummer. Everything they [the Who] play, he contains it"
Meanwhile, Pete Townshend thought that he sucked.
I remember when Elvin was being asked about how he thought of certain rock drummers and while listening to Keith Moon on the Underture from Tommy, the first thing he said was "now this man's a drummer".
@@furtherdefinitions1 Yep...but when Moon died Pete Townshend said this - " less than a year after drummer Keith Moon’s death in 1978, he spoke of how it “saved” the band, which had been marred by the legendary drummer’s unreliable playing..."
Pete has said it multiple times, Moon was terrible and the GUITAR kept time in The Who.
Wow I didn’t know that. Actually I think the biggest parallel in jazz is Art Blakey. Man’s all over the place tempo wise but my god I love him and he swings like mad.
Además era admirado por Williams y por Rich, Buddy decía: "es hermoso escucharlo, se siente tan libre" siendo Rich bastante antagonista con los bateristas de rock.
Por cierto, Moon estudio Jazz y Shuffle, usaba hit hat, y usaba el doble bombo de forma admirable, era un habilidoso, aunque su trastorno de adhd y su alcoholismo generó en él un detrimento en su performance.
Keith Moon's drumming was the first time I ever TRULY paid attention to the drumming in a song. As a kid I would air-guitar everything, even songs that didn't have guitar... but any time I heard the Who, I would air-drum the entire song.
The thing to consider in Moon's style is, he was a disciple of Gene Krupa. Yeah, he was a freaking genius. People don't realize that he paid attention to every drummer, and incorporated many things into his unique style. He, also, had a back beat, that sucks you in, and makes you want to become one with it.
Yeah I really hear the Gene Krupa influence! Totally agree with you, he seemed to be very in touch with music and drummers of his past and present!
Pete Townsend once said he played guitar in a band with a lead singer, a lead bassist, and a lead drummer. 'Nuff said.
Haha that's exactly how it sounds!
Heard they had some songwriter guy....
😊
Just the way it should be...
And they played not with eachother but against each other and that gave a huge kick!
*That was a complaint not just a statement.*
The Who wasn't just a band, they were an all-out assault on the senses. They held a Guinness World Record as the loudest rock band for many years, and every member of The Who dialed it up to ten on most of their hits. Keith couldn't have just sit back and played a spare beat, because he'd be drowned out or forgotten. They fired Dougie Sandom because Keith pushed his way into auditioning for them and almost destroyed Sandom's kit. He was their man. He was the living embodiment of amphetamine-fueled Mod music. Genius or maniac? He was the greatest Keith-Moon-style drummer in the world, and that's all that matters.
Every so often I conjure up a mental image of the Who with Charlie Watts instead of Keith Moon. And I realize that Charlie wouldn't have survived a set with the Who.
Stewart Copeland once said in an interview that Keith Moon sounds like he's falling down the stairs with his drumkit. Perfect description.
The difference between them is that Moon's parts SOUND GOOD. Copeland's parts are jarring and stilted to me.
😂😂😂 and I love Keith’s playing
@@chuckschillingvideosyou have absolutely no idea what good drumming is. Copeland is a master of syncopation with pocket and groove and Moon is a lunatic with zero feel smashing shit
Stewart who ????
Lol
Moon is my favorite drummer! He actually played melodies - case in point on The Song is Over.
On top of that, his drumming makes me smile.
There is HUMOR in it.
His work on ballads is underappreciated. Getting In Tune is another great drum track. Also, the sloppy drummer notion is destroyed by live performances of songs like Young Man Blues, Happy Jack, I Don't Even Know Myself, and Tattoo, which require very precise dynamic shifts coming out of ridiculous fills. His drumming brings theatricality to rock, which was absolutely perfect for a band that introduced rock operas. Also, Keith is the first drummer to play to a click track, and it was for Won't Get Fooled Again and Baba O'Riley, and he played live to a click track with headphones duct-taped to his head and hair from 1971.
Yeah I find the humour in it for sure!
Yeah he definitely had precision didn't he. He just seemed interested in other things, just like you say! 'Getting In Tune' is a song I'll always come back to for that side of his playing!
Best explanation of Keith Moons style ever! Bravo
The WHO didn’t know about a Treble Clef or a Bass Clef. They used the rare In your face Clef! Lol
He was an improvising Genius!!! He made what he did work! I never heard a song ruined by his playing? He played what he felt and it was genius and it worked!
The same could be said for Ringo, Moon, Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker, Bonham...
There is no best drummer, but each of those drummers was great for their respective band.
Bonham was in a class by himself because he had that precision as well as the intensity. He also had an incredible left foot.
@@condundrop right foot
Agree!
@@condundrop Bonham's style was lumbering. He seemed to trudge a step behind the band, as if his hands and feet were so heavy that he couldn't quite keep up. IMO, the best Zep music was made without drums.
Well said sir. Very well said
In '75, I turned 18, graduated HS, and could buy beer. I saw Jaws in the theater and the "Frampton Comes Alive" tour in the summer, but the absolute highlight of the year was seeing The Who with Mooney in November. I've seen The Stones twice and Zep once, but that is still my favorite concert memory.
Wow, must have been an EPIC concert! And a great year overall haha!
I saw them on 75:too in Philly spectrum December
That BOC first album (pictured in your avatar) is incredible. One of my top 5 of all time.
Close to frying like an egg in Philly's Veteran's Memorial Stadium and then stayed for the massive garbage fires after the bands went off stage " Frampton Comes Alive" tour
That's quite a summer and I'm sure you left out some other highlights 😅
I always say this about Keith Moon and his drumming, there is no way one can be a mediocre drummer if you are able to help drive a band to be one of the greatest live acts in rock history. Keith Moon was behind the kit when thousands upon thousands of people were driven into a frenzy at massive rock events like Woodstock, the Isle of Wight, Charlton Football grounds, etc. Keith’s playing was all about connecting with the group sound. It was that group sound/chemistry that made them so immensely electrified as a live act. Perhaps that was the only band he could have been a great drummer in but he was and that’s the history we should remember.
Well said!
None of that is how logic, or argument works. Madonna was bigger and more famous, in the grand scheme of things. Does that mean there is no way she was a mediocre singer or so-so dancer?
@@jeremysmetana8583 I don’t think Madonna would be very good in the Who. As for Mooney, Jeff Beck said he was the best. He was definitely the best, self titled, ‘Keith Moon style drummer in the world.’
Woodstock, IoW and Charlton Football grounds. I think this might be the only time those three things have ever been grouped together.
Great video! Keith Moon is a perfect example of something we just don't hear or see anymore which is a drummer playing by pure instinct. Modern drummers seem to be more concerned with playing "parts" as opposed to playing music and that gives newer music a stiffness that makes it a bit lifeless and boring. It'd be nice to see more bands throw away the click, get away from quantizing everything and just play.
Funny you say that, as Keith was one of the first to play to a click! Totally get your meaning, though.
Bloody genius! I sat 20 feet away from moon for 2 hours in 1969 as he systematically destroyed every preconception of what kinds of amazing things drums could do in a rock context. I was literally pelted by his flying shirtless sweat. There was not a sloppy bone in his drugged up body
@@graminovore 20 fuckin' feet away from Keith Moon for 2 hours! Man...I hope u REMEMBERED everything!
THAT'S a gig I would've probably drank like a fish at & remembered NOTHING--& regretted the next day.
I didn't even KNOW about the Who until the Fall of 1978--just after Moonie died--& of course fell in love with everything about them...eventually going to 3 of their concerts:
1st Gig was December 1979 at the Pontiac Silverdome. Tickets were $11.00 for "General Admission": a seating designation that just 2 weeks EARLIER had been defined as "Sit wherever u want"--which usually included a mad-rush for the stage a split-second after arena doors were unlocked & the turnstiles were manned.
That Seating-term got changed 2 weeks earlier, after 11 Who-concert fans were trampled-to-death in Cincinnati while rushing thru the doors in a mad race for a chance at a great view near the stage.
Racing to the stage was not allowed at the Silverdome, but I can't recall HOW they worked that...& I can't recall much of the concert either!
The 2nd concert was in 1981. I don't recall much of THAT concert either...but I do recall Pete Townshend--between songs in a set--telling the crowd:
"ONE of these days we're gonna have to do something about the shitty SOUND in this arena!".
The crowd went nuts when he said that...& The Who NEVER returned to the Dome!
My 3rd Who concert was at a ski ridge that had been converted into n ampitheatre in Michigan--20 miles north of Detroit--called Pine Knob.
The Who were then--circa early-2000s--doing a Tommy-themed tour.
This was the first Who concert I actually didn't drink or smoke weed!
GREAT memories for all--from what I can recall, that is!
I never really saw Moon as a ‘drummer’, but more of an explosive, dynamic percussionist.
Second that!
He stunk as a drummer but got away with it .
@@matthewpeers1705 Utter tosh.
@@matthewpeers1705 Dear Boy you be wrong
I think he's a drummer..... but not a steady timekeeper like Charlie Watts. More like a soloist.
Keith Moon was the first great rock drummer I learned. When I discovered Neil Peart I was already accustomed to “lead drum” playing. Rush was a whole new experience in time signatures and precision, but it was learning Keith Moon that gave me the base for being an proactive drummer.
Peart sucked he had no balls. Rush sucks
And Getty's bass playing has elements of Entwistle.
@kenserio agreed ! so sick of Rush fans. They overplay everything all the time. Getty Lee's voice is annoying. I'll take Moon, Giles, Palmer, Powell over Peart any day...
@@waynekenworthy5391
Oh, boohoo. You Rush haters are just too musically retarded to appreciate their brilliance. Too bad for you.
Btw, I guarantee all the bands you love are Rush fans.
You’re on the outside looking in, chump. Real musicians recognize Rush for the incredible musical talents they were.
If you want to be seen as a musical idiot, spewing nonsense about Rush is a great way to expose yourself as a chode (look it up. lol)
Move along, you silly musical retard. 🙄
John was the perfect bass player for Keith..So much laid back patience.
He was laid back because he was playing like crazy. Couldn't be jumping around
John Entwhistle was 🔥🔥🔥
@@gregorybush3224 He wasn't called The Ox for nothing
Well he looked laid back… his bass playing was insane and constantly improvised with crazy fills going on constantly
Thanks for this.The great artists, whether it be music, painting or sculpture, always flirt with failure as part of their process. Moon was willing to risk it all and the result was astonishingly original and powerful beyond all standards of his contemporaries.
Say what you want, but I would kill to be able to play the way he plays on the song Sparks on the Live at 's Album. To me, it's pure genius .
That was the first song I ever played live in a high school band. I was horrible, but I was desperate to do what he did (and have tried to do that for the last 38 years). I did, however, kick the kit over at the end. I think I got that part right.
I think the 4 letters you're missing are 'L e e d.'
he was a solo artist among a group and pulled it off constantly ! Top artist with expressive passion , personality , in the output.
The song "I'm Free" from the rock opera Tommy album, shows Keith Moon's incredible skill at acting as a consummate race car driver, surrounding just about every part of the song with "just in time" engine revving. He really holds the entire song together, but pauses long enough to allow the fantastic musicians around him to be showcased at the same time. What exquisite timing he had.
The Who crafted their songs around Keith and John. That is what made them so interesting; a band where the 2 lead instruments were the drums and the bass. They were truly one of a kind.
They also came up with some of the first/best concept album(Sell Out, Tommy, Quadrophenia). Ie they did wtf they wanted to do; that is rock and roll.
I am lifelong friend's with a record engineer/producer from back in those days. They tried to have him play on a session for another artist. A total disaster. The frustrations with his wandering time and excessive fills grew. Keith got frustrated, then drunk, then left. He was perfect with his band.
Wow that's really interesting - would love to hear more of that story haha! In many ways, it's exactly how I imagined it might go...
@@drumswithpete Well Pete, I don't know the circumstances of why he did the session, other than I think I remember he was friends with the artist. We didn't see him doing session work as he was a "stylist" not a broad-based percussionist. I'm a drummer. I used to do session work for my engineer / producer buddy back in the 1970's in LA. Songwriter demo stuff. That was my level of expertise "Peter Principal", rose to my level of incompetence. Jeff Porcaro, Jim Keltner, Ed Greene, guys like that did the real sessions if the artist got signed, sometimes even copping my parts. Playing time was the most important thing I could do, worked on it for hours practicing to tunes in the headphones. Got to lock into the pocket. No quantizing existed then. Overdubbing to click tracks, layer cake productions, maybe playing with a bass and rhythm guitar for tracking with a click. That's how we did it.
My theory on Moon's playing is he was unable to play straight groves. He likely didn't practiced time playing much, and if you don't work on that, it never would happen. He was so impulsive and immature, it would be boring to work on that, and his personality as a total show off pushed him to play like he did. He was beyond impulsive, an out-of-control person in all aspects of life. His fill and cymbal crashing activity every few bars seem to be a rather bazar method of timekeeping, as well as working off of Pete's guitar riffs. Worked for him and for them. I did see the Who live back in those days and was withing 20 feet of the stage to his hi hat side. He was very solid that night, better than on some of the recordings.
@@keystoneskiguy2718Keith Moon live stage depended on the night and what he was or wasn't doing around that,lol. In general, his earlier live shows with The Who were remarkably better than later on, because the addiction started catching up towards the end.
To be completely unbiased tho, the next drummer can brag about doing something perfect in a studio/stage setting keeping perfect time and playing with major artists from all over. Tho I'll tell you, if anyone one of those disciplined studio/stage drummers were onstage at a public music jam, and the rest of the band called out playing a Who tune such as The Real Me or Mobile.......that perfect disciplined session/stage drummer would be wishing there was a stage hatch to fall into and disappear. I know, because I've seen this scenario play out and it's a cold shot of reality with humbleness to any drummer who thinks they're above the likes of Keith Moon. That happened to a local professional drummer in my town, who originally came from California doing mostly session and mainstream music gigs, he sounded like he never played drums a day in his life after the band finished the tune early, because the disciplined and institutionalized drummer couldn't keep up.
Goes to show, most everyone usually has as much weakness as strengths when it comes to playing music. It all comes down to what they're familiar with and willing to learn going forward.
I've heard the Who described as having a lead singer, a lead guitarist, a lead drummer and a lead bassist. They all had an equal capacity to be the focal point of the group
Keith was an acolyte of Gene Krupa, and Krupa's mission was to make drums a lead instrument, which he did.Sing, Sing, Sing etc. So your comment makes sense. 👍🏼
In 1967 I saw The Who. They opened for Herman's Hermits. Keith blew my mind. He had a floor tom reserved for spare drumsticks. His rimshots were breaking the tips off his sticks so there was a stream of broken sticks flying into the audience. Amazing.
Genius. Keith Moon used both ends of the drumsticks to get the best punctuation for the songs performed or recorded. I watched this from up close in 1975. My jaw dropped and I was stunned. NOBODY else did this. This technique was not just one or the other. He rotated between both ends continuously during songs. Not all, but many.
Keith's drumming style has three main characteristics as far as I'm concerned: 1. Pounding eighth notes on the bass drum; 2. Out-of-control sixteenth notes between snare and toms; 3. Alternating motion between cymbals when playing ride. He was totally unique and the people who put him down are usually jazz snobs. That's why it's refreshing to know that he was Tony William's favorite drummer. Also he was Jeff Beck's favorite drummer. If you would like to hear Keith in another context than the Who listen to Beck's Bolero recorded in 1966. It is Beck's first solo recording and has been described as "one of the great rock instrumentals, epic in scope, harmonically and rhythmically ambitious yet infused with primal energy". Beck's Bolero is propelled by a rhythm inspired by Ravel's Boléro. Have a listen here ruclips.net/video/nmO0OZC6Ifk/видео.html
@@rakeshadhin I just checked out that recording. I did not know that existed. What an amazing piece of music history. And it is so cool to hear Keith Moon with another group.
I think you're mistaken, in an interview in 2016 Beck said, “Mahavishnu's drummer Billy Cobham was the best I'd ever heard."
He was one of Neil Peart's favorite drummers. That, to me, is all that needs to be said.
@@cvn6555 Yep along with Mitchell, Bonham and Baker, every one a step above Moon talent wise IMO.
@@Excalibur-Razzmatazz That's unlikely since Mitchell played for the Who as a session drummer while they were in the process of replacing Doug Sandom with Keith Moon. Plus Mitchell was known for his fast, driving, jazz-influenced playing.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember about Moon - he WASN'T the time keeper. That was Pete's job. So, Moon was able to paint a semi-rhythmic soundscape around what the other members were doing. In many ways, The Who's music was closer to free jazz than it was conventional rock, especially live.
YEAH I really love this - I think you're right. He massively challenged those 'conventional band roles'. Perhaps it's a part of what made their chemistry so unique!
Actually, keeping time was Entwistle's job. Townsend said that in an interview.
@@jimo3173 You are absolutely correct. The bass is the timekeeper in a band and the drummer is the driver.
@@guillermo3564 Actually it is usually always the drummer who is the timekeeper and thus the driver in any band while the bass player sets up the groove. In the case of the Who, Entwistle had to keep time because Moon couldn't do it.
Imagine being a drummer seeing and hearing the WHO in the Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, Texas. It was eye opening to see Moon play the music I had been listening to and Entwhistle and Townsend were amazing too.
10:03 I seem to recall reading somewhere that Glyn Johns tried to "reign him in" on Who's Next (due to the use of synthesizers and click tracks). Or, that it was Pete's writing and creative vision/concept that utilized it and Glyn was the producer. Also that Keith wasn't happy about it. But the end result speaks for itself. It is fascinating to think that there was this kind of minimalism thing going on and your job was to have Keith Moon be a part of it. Glyn has said that Keith did it brilliantly.
Moon was perfect for the Who, and was like a crazy artist with a blank canvas with zero rules and regulations attached. The Who for me finished when Keith passed away as they couldn't replace that facet to their overall sound. Great video Pete
Saw the Who in 69/70 in Tucson. Four phenomenal entertainers/musicians including a drummer who could build his own tension and release.
As much of a legend that he is, I reckon Keith thought he was playing the quantised version…but it works and we need people like him!
The music of the 60s n 70s was magic in magic times. You cant quantify it. Computers, Software & the internet fucked up music for good. Every douchebag with computer is making muzak. "Feel" is everything not perfection!
It almost sounds, a lot of the time, as though he heard people like Bernard Purdy, with all his little ghost notes on the snare, and thought "yeah, but what if you played them all out loud, and on some of the other, bigger drums?"
Hahahahahahaha. Never saw a comment linking Moonie and Purdy. Love it.
Great Video! What's interesting to me as a drummer is that Keith's actual drum playing to when one listens " generally", is a little tricky to acertain just how good he really was. A person has to kind of do a deeper dive into old clips of him, say pre 1975 and all you need is one or two of those looks from say, the Isle of White, or the Stones " Rock n Roll Circus and then the mytsique comes into full view. He was lighting fast, ripped around the kit with super speed , originality and showmanship. He was amazing and is my favorite rock Drummer of all time. I've seenm Rush several times, Led Zep ( my first concert) and even started playing drums shortly thereafter, but I have never seen a more interesting , charismatic , free ripping and mesmerizing drummer than Keith. KM forever. Ps but he did really burn out and started slipping near 1975 ( Just saying).
Well put. I love him, but I'd put his decline earlier. Certainly from 75 onward it's conspicuous.
Totally uncontrollable,but highly entertaining,madman offstage. Onstage a different kind of,but controlled,chaos. Moon knew exactly what he was doing and when to do it. A frikken god level player.
As a guy born in 1962 and hearing the Who at a child they were a revelation of sound and mania. Still love them.
You're 10 yrs my junior. Greetings, little brother. I've seen the Who live on stage 4 times, stretching from mid-1960's to mid-70's.
Keith played his drums like a lead instrument. What would Happy Jack have been without him? I think he was undoubtedly the drummer who was most integral to his band.
If it sounds good or great then who gives a fuck the 'experts' claim. I could listen to the who all day
Anytime I hear people say Keith wouldn't fit in with another band, I point out that it was Keith that played the drums on Beck's Bolero, on Jeff Becks album "Truth" and its not at all like The Who Keith, btw, that's Keith's scream in the middle break
Mickey Waller played on Jeff Becks Truth, Keith Moon played the one song, beck's bolero!!...it's all great music though, Cheer's!
Jimmy Page played on "Beck's Bolero", and wanted Keith Moon - and John Entwistle, who was originally supposed to play bass on the session - to join the new band he was forming. But they were under contract and had to pass. Page told Moon about his idea for a "Folk/Acoustic/ Hard Rock" band he was forming. Moon told Page he thought that it would go over like a "lead zeppelin". Jimmy dropped the a in lead and the rest is history...
The Who at their peak were 3 amazing musicians doing there own thing held together by one of the greatest rock singers ever. One of the best of all time.
Whats crazt is Daltrey is definitely one of the greatest rock singers of all time, and in Love Reign O'er Me, had my favourirte vocal performence of all time...and yet by far he was the weakest part of the band. And he was incredible and irriplaceable. I don't think theres ever been a band quite like The Who
He looked sloppy but wasn't sloppy, that's called swing.
Agreed Innovation not quantization...
Thanks for this video.
Obviously of interest to drummers, is how you hold the drumsticks.
Keith Moon played matched grip, but in a weird way. He held his sticks tight, like pens or paintbrushes, sloping downwards. Strangely dainty is how I describe his technique. I've played "Pinball wizard" and "Substitute" on drums, and, yeah it's a drum solo every time, different but in the groove.
A true artist with musical feel, a right character too. You don't get people like him anymore.
Yeah that was a big part of his influence and style wasn't it - you're totally right!
Pete Townsend said (paraphrased) Keith wasn’t a drummer he was an attack on the drums. 😊 grew up listening to him geez he sure had his own style 👍
If you listen to the ENTIRE isolated drum track for "Won't Get Fooled Again" about halfway thru it you will spontaneously bust out laughing at how maniacal it is. DO IT!!
Yeah, that keyboard machine making the repetitive melody sound during the break sorta mellows out the drums and makes it more linear than what Keith Moon actually sounded like once he bursted back into the song.
The much earlier demolition of Petes Lovely gentle love song "So Sad About Us" is just as peak Keith as "Won't get fooled again" or "Baba O'Reily"
@@DG-sf9ei I think those keyboard sounds were actually made by a human. They weren’t sequenced. Great playing.
@@petegreenfield8366 yeah, a human sequenced them, Pete Townsend. It was genius.
@@petegreenfield8366I said keyboard machine and didn't imply that it broke into the studio on it's own during this song,lol, so lighten up. It was programmed by Townsend. Yeah I saw that interview as well. Nothing new
Great playing and overview of Keith Moon's drumming @Drums With Pete. I think you nailed it, Moon's aggressive drumming although not necessarily technical was a turbo boost to The Who's overall sound. Had they employed a steady timekeeper who was solid and in the background they would not have achieved the level of success they eventually did.
I saw Keith with The Who three times. And I saw them three times after Keith's passing. Having three superstars on stage was not nearly as good as four. Keith embodied the fun, power, and danger of Rock. Keith was absolutely unique. His 'presence' was gigantic. And, when push came to shove, he kicked ass.
When and where did you see them?
Greatest Rock Band Ever
I've seen the Who live on stage 4 times, stretching from mid-1960's to mid-70's. I like Moon, in the same sort of way I like some of my loony friends. I've been a drummer since age 14. At that time (1966), I recall walking around downtown London and seeing posters with the word WHO in big letters (and an arrow on the W) and wondering, "what an odd name for a music group."
@brahmburgers I'd love to know where and when you saw them if you remember.
@@tomcarl8021 1966, Rome Italy, I was 15 at an all-boys boarding school (NDI) and I instigated 3 other boys to sneak out at night to see them. I got punished the next day, because I was the instigator. I saw the Who in Colombia MD, when the Zeps opened for them, in 1969 or 70. I couldn't afford the ticket, but a girlfriend called me up an hour b4 the concert and asked "can you get your mom's mustang?" I said 'YEA!". She had 2 comp 2nd row tickets (her dad ran a radio station). It was one of the best concerts, and I had seen dozens in the 60's and 70's with big name groups. Vail was such a groupie that Albert King put her name in his version of the Stones' Honky Tonk Women ("Later, Vail covered me in roses").
I was fortunate to be alive when they started. In a way they were not a band. They were 3 soloists playing at the same time
I think Moon was past his best by 1971, his kit got too big and his alcoholism was owning him; the beautiful, mercurial fluidity of 69 was fading. Someone said he was a timpanist, not a timekeeper/drummer and I agree. I think he was a musical genius rather than the best drummer ever. He transcended his role turning the drums into an expressive musical instrument. He was an artist, with all the emotional sensitivity that suggests. He was just something else and in 100 years it will be Keith Moon that people will recall when they think of 'rock drummer' (if rock is still a thing ...or the world for that matter).
would say 75, Quadrophenia 73 was excelent!
So well said, and so important to be said. Moon's playing began to fall apart after Who's Next. He's already fading (if slightly) on Quadrophenia, taking one step back (supported, of course, as ever, by Townshend's arrangements and Entwistle's éclat). Even his high moment in "The Real Me" is from the Who's live "Baby Don't You Do It" from years earlier. This arc, the rise and fall, in his playing must be prominently taken into account when assessing his talent (which, to me, was mighty).
I was really hoping you were going to get more technical/detail oriented. I wanted to hear about how he played across bar lines. Moon was one of the very few people Frank Zappa actually liked to hang out with, spent time with him around by choice, not because it was necessary for music/buisness purposes.
If he wasn't any good Roger and Pete would have sacked him. Listen to some of his isolated drum tracks, mint playing.. He fitted in with what they did. A good drummer always does what the song requires. Moon was playing with arguably the best Bass Guitarist of all time. Who's playing was everywhere to fill out the sound. Moon's drumming approach had to match that.
You are spot-on about hearing The Who for the first time and then successive times. Bass and vocals and guitar stood out but the drumming, more so.
It worked because they had Entwhistle. 99 out of 100 times that style of playing a fill every bar makes you sound like amateur hour but he somehow made it work for that band and at that time in music.
True art happens when you are able to create something unique and unconventional, something unexpected, something never heard before, something that no one else could or would do, and still move millions of people with it. Sticking to strict rules is as far removed from art as you can get. Whatever some buttoned-up, narrow-minded people may think of his playing, Keith was undeniably a true artist in the truest sense of the term.
Well stated. Perfect and scripted is boring, and I never could understand why anyone would want to hear a duplicated recorded track band on a live stage, no matter the genre. Might as well stay home and just crank the stereo to save the concert ticket fee.
He was the best Keith Moon type drummer who ever lived.
Haha exactly!
I like what Todd Sucherman, Daniel Glass, and Stanton Moore have written in social media posts about Moon’s drumming. To me, they get it. It’s well worth checking out what they wrote and a lot of the misconceptions they clear up. Elvin Jones and Tony Williams appreciated his approach, and that’s good enough for me. If some people prefer more straight ahead pocket drummers I can appreciate that too, but I think he was a genius.
Keith had a groove and bounced all around the beat . Keith was wonderful and really funny too . Wish he was still around
sure, he was a maniac ("Cobwebs and Strange"), but he was reliably there, driving the band ... a prefect accompanist for Who material
Also, check out his unbelievable drum fills in the Who's song "When I was a Boy"...a John Entwistle song, but Keith makes it his song without question...a force of nature...then of course there is the entire Live at Leeds album to consider too!!!
Mooney was BRILLIANT! Not a teached boring machine - he was real!
I've heard many drummers bag on Keith, but they can never seem to replicate him when put to the test. In fact, seeing live footage of the Who the session guys always puss out and don't even attempt to play his fills! lol
He basically drummed like one big long ass riff instead of the typical beat-repeat of 99% of all other drummers.
Thank you for making this video, I grew up listening to the who and it was thrilling 🍀 you've managed to explain things that I and my peers already knew but could never put into words. I loved the music from that era, mostly because of the unique individuals that made it 🍀, again, thank you 🍀
You will never come close to a Keith Moon sound with that kit.
We all know it's true, you're just being a Richard mentioning it
Haha you are absolutely correct - caring for the noise levels my neighbours might face is likely another reason I'll never sound like Keith Moon!
Awesome vid! Keith Moon is an absolute legend! Made drums a lead instrument while somehow still playing for the song..
Crazy drummer, crazy guy! 👏👏👏❤️🥁
Keith Moon was the perfect drummer for The Who.
Moon was a genius and understood his role as a lead instrument player would. When he wanted to he was a good timekeeper but once he became "Keith Moon" he understood that being energetic and improvisational was more important -- to dance around the count and even stomp on it from time to time.
He was a rock bebop drummer to some degree. Rhythmic hooks punctuated with improv and a trade between his bassist as the primary timekeeper.
I worked with a club drummer that ran his mouth about Moon being sloppy and not being such a great drummer. Well that was our last gig together. As a bass player I need to see some life and energy on that set. Moon was totally unique! I’ll always miss him. And now John also!
He was right. It's better to be tight than to be "wild"
@@bobolokoYour right if you want to be forever stuck in obscure small clubs for gigs. Far as the tight rock/variety band that follows all the rules and tries to be perfect & tight without making any mistakes......that's been done so many times that nobody cares if your on stage at a bar/venue or not anymore. I guarantee if The Who or any other major band was concerned about being tight before being creative and making mistakes, we wouldn't be talking about The Who or any of the other legendary bands today.
@@boboloko Drum machines can do that perfectly. Also cheaper and less annoying to deal with. I'd much rather play with a creative human drummer though.
@@AllofJudea That's a false dilemma. You can have creativity and keep good time. Jazz drummers like Blakey, Williams, Roach, and Morello, just to name a few, kept time like a clock and had all sorts of creative flourishes. All of them were more artful than Moon.
Pete, as a Keith Moon influenced drummer (see my channel :) I congratulate you on making a video that is maybe the best analysis of Moon I have seen on YT. Fair play, you have nailed every aspect brilliantly. As a great drummer yourself, you get it, and you get his genius. Rock 'n' roll should be about attitude, excitement, and originality, and Moon had all those things. Ta.
He played every song like it was the last one He was going to play. Yes good! All of it at once. 😎👌
Yeah great insight - the epitome of 'all or nothing'!
I've seen the Who live on stage 4 times, stretching from mid-1960's to mid-70's. I like Moon, in the same sort of way I like some of my loony friends. I've been a drummer since age 14, and yes, Keith was somewhat sloppy, like an unglued kid in an adult body.
Zappa loved him. That's all you gotta know.
Moon is a basher. Wild and undisciplined. But you do anything enough, you get good at it. And he got good at it. It became a tumult of energetic noise pulsating under Townsends swirling rhythm. They attempted to get as full a sound as possible with the three pieces though chaos. And in doing so, they formulated a style. Moons drumming would never work anywhere else. He'd be fired in five minutes. But in the WHO, it was perfect.
That's not quite accurate. For example, listen to The Real Me. He's playing in his classic style, and with incredible precision. As you listen, keep the beat/tempo in your head, and what I'm referring to will become apparent. This is emblematic of his work certainly through 1973.
@@Mst-bh9ti Yeah, thanks for the tip.
well said.
Keith Moon was the lead instrument in The Who. That's the difference that made him hard for rigid traditionalists to comprehend.
He also lead a lot with his left kick in turn making the texture even more interesting
isolated drums on going mobile. Well worth the search
The whole song is a fill. Lol. It’s awesome.
A magical genius on the drums, which couldn't be more obvious.
Anyone who doesn't realize this, including Pete, has a small hole, a missing piece, in their soul.
Keith IS rock and roll.
I don't understand why he even gets a twitch of criticism ... listen to the nonsense of improvisational jazz ... at least Keith hovers around something on the beat. It's not like the Who ever had to stop a song because the beat was lost. That Won't Get Fooled movie version seems to me the single strongest rock song played live. What else compares?
One thing I heard about Keith's playing is that he, unlike most drummers played to the bass player he played to vocals,as I've heard
He was cueing off both. He had to. Enwhistle was the time keeper and Moon relied on that to find his way back to center and they were in constant communication because Moon's improvisation was always on the precipice of falling off a cliff. He relied on Daltry for melodic flourishes to compliment or counterpose the vocals.
He also did rolls starting with his left hand and being right handed you would think he would start with the right.
As a drummer I always started rolls on the right hand
My take on this is Keith Moon was perfect for The Who. Speaking only within the context of The Who he was a phenomenal drummer. With any other band he would sound like a mediocre drummer but only because he wouldn't fit in with any other band. He wouldn't be terrible in another band but that band may have to change their style in order to get the best out of Keith's uniqueness.
You know, I do agree. We'll never reeeally know of course... But we have the solo album he released as an intriguing companion piece to what you're saying. I've never listened to it (it's on my waaay too long listening list) but it doesn't seem to be highly rated!
@@drumswithpete On Keith's solo album he does the lead vocals and only plays drums on a few of the songs. It's not a bad album and is certainly worth a listen.
For a few years I've mentioned how hard it is to play drums to the Who, cause he's all over the place but they all some how sound great together
I saw a load of bands in the 70s.
I saw The Who several times.
The Who was a rock band.
The Who was the best rock band - live.
Keith Moon was the best rock drummer - live.
John Entwistle was the best bass guitarist- full stop.
Pete Townshend may not have been the best lead guitarist but he know how to take the skill he had in rhythm guitar and drive it home.
Never got to see The Who sadly, but grew up with the music over the last 50 years or so. Never paid much attention to Keith Moon (typical arrogant guitar player), just accepted the standard view - 'he's mental'. Then, years later he wasn't there. Townsend made a doco about 'The Who' after that (decades ago) in which he confirmed Moon was mad, but a genius with it. He was amazed that by luck the members of the band were 1 offs that fitted together like a jigsaw. He said if they were having a bad night 'Moonie would just fill in the gaps & hold it together' - 'it can never be the same without him'. Ditto Entwistle - f.....g genius in hindsight too. No Daltrey - doesn’t 'work' either, even if he's not a great singer in the accepted sense. First thing I did when I got The Best of CD (remember those....) was make mp3 of it so I can play it forever. Great music never dies just the folk who made it sadly. A Good tribute to the mans playing, which is what really matters. Thanks.
The Who was Soso after Moons death
And after entwistle died the who died.
Pete once said when Keith died in was like an orchestra dropping out.
Same with entwistle.
When Keith played solos he switched bass drum so that the left foot played the beat and the right played the solo.
But when playing a song he played with his right foot lead.
Something like that.
Moon rarely used hi-hats in the traditional way if at all. And limiting yourself to just Won’t Get Fooled Again, really limits your discussion because while it showcases his abandon doesn’t really demonstrate what makes him HIM. His ability to color light and dark, his gentleness when appropriate, his call and response to the vocals; he wasn’t one dimensional as you seem to paint him
Exactly!
Only song I can think of him using it is in Love Ain't for Keeping, and even then he's bashing the hell out of those hats!
Just listen to 'bargain" from whos next , if anyone questions his playing after hearing that really has no idea. it is next level playing . i break out in a sweat every time , intense ,powerful insane, and absolutely SPOT ON!!!
Keith was on the planet for 32 years..half of which he spent playing in the Who.. he was born to play with these guys.. maybe not so much with anyone else
It's been said a million times, but it was such a special chemistry they had! I can't be sure, but I also don't see it really working with anyone else!
@@drumswithpete Jeff Beck?
Amazing review and a lots on information for us drum nerds.
I love drummers. Keith is one of the greats, for me. He sounds like a 747 taking off right over your head. On an inverted bell curve, Neil Peart, Danny Carey, Mike Portney, etc. are at one peak and Keith Moon, John Bonham, and Mr. Baker are at the opposite. Total hacks like me are deep in the middle, down in valley looking up at the mountaintops of genius.
Haha I think you've really hit an important point - he was SO recognisable! You almost ALWAYS know when hear his drumming. No one else sounds like a 747 haha!
The explosion at 3:10 is well-documented. One quote is "The blast, caused by fireworks drummer Keith Moon had packed into his bass drum, badly singed guitarist Pete Townshend’s hair, left shrapnel in Moon’s arm and momentarily knocked "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" off the air".
Roger looked like he wanted to headbutt Smothers brother there for a second. 1:22
I have ALWAYS thought that 😂 not to mention Entwistle as well, as Smothers is walking away from him, the look John gives him is like "I'll kill you, you bastard"😂
@@rohan_of_arc9895 I was around at the time period that was made and used to watch the Smothers brothers. That was Tommy Smothers' shtick. I thought The Who all got along great with it (remember the British dry sense of humor). Especially passing up probably the most famous rock singer at the time just waving him off and pretending to not know his name (I got the impression that Rodger and he were actually friends). I think Keith and Tommy tried to ad lib something and it just didn't come off.
Tommy Smothers was not fumbling, probably ever, and was a really sharp comedian. He used a stammer to sound make him appear slow, like he was always stuck for words. Arguably his humor was what got them canceled, it was very sharp, dressed as dumb-trying-to-look-smart.
@@johnelectric933 Hey man thank you for your insight.
Roger looks ok with it all, it's John I am not sure about haha! You can never tell with John.
As a Brit I don't know the Somthers Brothers but I am guessing they were a bit of a national institution on your side of the pond. They do look like very astute guys- the part after the destruction when one of them comes back on and says "Uh Dick, I'd like to borrow your bass for a minute" was a bit of genius.
I always loved that whole clip from the moment I saw it as a 15 year old, about 35 years ago now.
The only drummer that matches Keith Moon's impact while not copying him is Narada Michael Walden's drumming with The Mahavishnu Orchestra. It's every bit as wild and outrageous, and totally original.
"Keith Moom spiking his bandmates drinks; bandmates being rushed to hospital". Where on earth did you get that from? I've been a massive Who fan since 1977, and have read everything I can find on them. I have never heard of either of these things.
Exactly as you say - deep in comment threads and the like. That's why I say 'these are stories that come up' - I've no idea if they're true and I wouldn't like to say - I'm really just interested in the music! It's the 'unhinged energy' idea I was really focused on - the fact that people tell those kinds of stories, regardless of validity. You're right though - maybe I needed to be clearer about that.
It wouldnt surprise me if He did Keith was always up on some prank or another.
All of their tea got spiked with lsd at Woodstock, Keith didn't do it though.
A great drummer very unique as are the Who he played off everyone in the band he used his ears and his instincts an amazing energy ❤One of a kind ❤🥁🥁🥁
Bill Bruford once said: Keith Moon doesn’t play drums, he just hits things.
He went back on that in later years.
@@jamesgriffithsmusicok. Didn’t know that.
@@jamesgriffithsmusic Somebody in the industry with influence likely talked to Bill about that comment.
He also shat on Phil Collins at some point didn't he?
People would ask why I never did any drum solos in my band. My singer said, "Everything he plays is a solo!". Actually, I just didn't feel the songs needed a solo or, I just didn't feel like being singled out for umpteen minutes. The only time I DID take a solo was at the start of our last song. and nobody but me knew I was gonna do that. I heard the song in the car on the way to the gig, the rest of the band wrote and recorded it without me. So, I wrote my drum parts in my head in the car so, NOBODY knew what I was gonna do or how it was gonna sound but, they wanted to play it on stage that night. When it came time to do the song, Bob gave this big explanation about how we've never played this song as a full band before so, we have no odea what's gonna happen. Quite often, he likes to count in the songs and, in this case, I didn't want him to do that so, before he got the chance to start, I jumped in with my first and only solo with the band for about 30 seconds and then switched to the first beat I was gonna use, nodded in the bass player, after another 8 bars, I nodded in the guitarist and, after another 8, I switched to a completely different beat and Bob started singing. After the song, we got a standing O and Bob dropped to his knees beating the floor and repeatedly yelling, "THAT'S HOW YOUI DO THAT!!"
Sadly, we never played the song again! 2 gigs later, we broke up!
I love Keith Moon's drumming and I love that it utterly confounds some people, some people who just don't "get it". Ah, well. I hear Linda Ronstadt needs a fan.
The music listeners that require "perfect pitch" and "perfect tempo" and "beautiful melody", I mean, OK, there's something for everyone, thank goodness, and to each their own. But obviously down dirty, loud, bombastic rock and or roll isn't for them. Sometimes it's about mood. Sometimes I'm in a Keith Moon mood and other times I'm in a Phil Rudd mood.
so, in other words, you don't care if music is written/played/arranged well...or perhaps cannot comprehend when it isn't. You have no business claiming that people who do care about these things are unable to enjoy someone's sloppy but interesting mess. Funny that your poles are moon and rudd, wonder what you'd do if you heard an excellent drummer...y'know, someone capable of subtlety, shade, and dynamics. Oh well, you seem happy down in your trough, so rock on, and good luck with your 'moods'.
@@AlanBlack5498 shut up and put yer Toto albums on, middle of the road man.
Keith Moon definitely set a mood didn't he! Maybe it is more helpful to think of him as a 'mood' haha
Traditional roles within a rock band were altered in The Who:
1. Keith Moon's style of drumming was a free-form indefinite pitch commentary on what he was hearing from the other band members.
2. Pete Townsend's rhythm guitar performed the role of a time keeper.
3. John Entwhistle's bass performed the role of a lead guitar.
4. Only Roger Daltrey maintained the traditional role of a vocalist.