Moonie's Demise...

[James Sigel <JSigel@winston.com>]

>at the end, keith was a poor drummer???  he was still the best and brought
>lots of fire to the who...if u need proof take a look at the last concert he
>performed...at shepperton studios in may of 78...
>
>I would respectfully disagree.  KM's drumming on Baba O'Riley at Shepperton
>was poor.  At Kilburn a few months earlier, it was worse.  Here I agree with
>Marsh, Keith had lost his touch at the kit.  He possibly could have regained
>hat mastery, but it wasn't there in 1978.
>
>ChicoTodd

I hate to jump into such a philosophical discussion; it's all semantics anyway.  Some think Keith was finished, some think not.  The truth is (and I've read all surviving Who members confirm this) that after several months of non-playing, Keith would forget how to play.  I read Pete once say the Who By Numbers rehearsals were very slow because Keith had to re-learn his drums again.  He'd have to practice again and again to get it right.  Anecdotes about the recording of the Who Are You album are full of Keith's trouble with drumming.  Hell, he'd been living in Malibu and was certainly not playing all the time.  When it came time to record, as the stories go, he would be right on at one moment, then he couldn't play at all next.  

I agree, that Keith's drumming at the end was poor - FOR HIM.  But even so, as somebody who toys with a drum kit from time to time, I only wish I could play as good as a bad Keith.  Besides, for my money, the song "Who Are You" is one of Keith's greatest performances caught on record.

Until the next topic...

Jim in Chicago

"We're the slaves of the phony leaders; breathe the air we have blown you."  PT


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