Keith and Buddy Rich

[William Spencer Watson <wswatson@indiana.edu>]

I think it was Magoo (McGoo?) who said Buddy Rich was "several times"
better than Keith Moon.  Depends on how you look at it--does good
drumming= technical prowess or is it something more like effectively
conveying the spirit of the music?  Keith had as much raw ability as
anyone, even Buddy Rich.  Yes, the technically accomplished Rich could
probably play things that Keith couldn't.  But I'd argue that Keith did
things that Rich could not duplicate.  No matter how many hours Rich (or
Simon Phillips, or anyone) spent in a practice room perfecting their
timekeeping, paradiddles, etc., they would not be able to truly duplicate
the sheer ferociousness of the drumming on Live at Leeds, for example.
Many musicians including the all-time greats of drums, such as Elvin
Jones, understood how great Keith was without being technically polished.
I believe Buddy Rich admired Keith too; his band recorded the Tommy
"Overture" on an album that came out in (I think) 1974.  I don't believe
that Buddy Rich was "several times" better than Keith Moon.  I believe he
was someone who spent several times more hours practicing, and therefore
was more polished and less mistake-prone.  I'm not saying 'don't practice
the drums,' but for all the mistakes Keith made (and there were lots of
them) his relative lack of proper technical training did not for the most
part detract from his drumming as great music.  His creative genius and
raw ability won out, and the result was some moments that even the best
drummer in the world (whoever that is) wouldn't be able to duplicate. 

Bill Watson