Mostly Moon

["Scott Schrade" <schrade@akrobiz.com>]

> I just had some thoughts on Keith Moon. I am a pretty good drummer myself, 

Modesty not required.

> but what really made Kieth such a great drummer is his overall sense of 
> musicality.  He was like a one man orchestra on the percussion.

Right.  Not just tempo & beats, but moods & feelings.

> Entwhistle said Moon would have been a much better drummer had he ever sat 
> down and figured out what he was actually doing, and if he practiced more.

While not disagreeing with The OX (who should be so foolish?), I have to say that 
the knee-jerk reaction here is to say that Moon's kind of talent is best enjoyed & not 
analyzed.  But that's not entirely true.  I love listening to Moon's playing, carefully, trying
to figure out what he's doing, how he's approaching the song.  

It's not difficult.  You say, "OK, I see what he's doing.  I got it!"  And maybe you
could even approximate it, too.  But Moon's genius is that *he* thought of it.  

"Oh, OK.  An on-the-snare-beat-cymbal-slap there!  A double-bass-triplet-roll there!
A guitar-matching-quiet-subtle-pattern-on-the-bells-of-the-cymbals here!  Got it!!"

Dynamics.  Moon's dynamic range is unsurpassed.

> But I do beleive, as others have said, Moon was just a natural drummer and 
> could go for months without drumming and still could  return to top form 
> rapidly.  Although apparently it did take him longer to warm up on WBN and 
> WAY.

I think Moon's drums on WBN are some of his best.  Right up there with QUAD.
Imaginative, too  There's a little instrumental passage in "However Much I Booze,"
right *before* the bridge that begins with 'And the night comes down like a cell door
closing,' where Moon is keeping a basic, unadorned beat for a few measures.  The
tension kinda builds because you know he can't hold out much longer.  And then
sure enough, he jumps out of the basic beat & up onto the toms.  Back to the basic
beat.  Back up to the toms.  More basic beat.  Now a snare/tom fuzzy flourish!

Wonderful.  Brilliant.  Original.

And listen to how he keeps the beat in "In A Hand Or A Face" during the "round  &
round" parts.  The quick, double-snare shots.  And before the last series of  "round
& round," after the upward key change.....a sixteenth-note roll which melds into an 
eighth-note roll!!!!

*That's* bang for my buck!!  I'm not gettin' short-changed there!!!

> Finally, you know what is really horsehit is how several critics have said 
> Moon's playing was deteriorating on QUAD, and that he was throwing in fills 
> where he had no business to. 

Yes.  Horseshit.  Let's not even comment on horsehit.

> I would say on rating the greatest rock drummer ever it would be a tie for 
> first between Zeppelin's Bonham and Moon. Maybe Ginger Baker, and Mitch 
> Mitchell could also fall into the level too,  

I like drummers who are a bit mischievous & daring.  Moon - of course.  Ginger
Baker - why yes.  Mitch Mitchel - without a doubt.  Bonham - er, maybe with a
stutter-beat on the bass drum now & then but for the most part, the "B" in Bonham
has always stood for "Boring" as far as I'm concerned.  But he sure was steady though,
wasn't he?  Set your watch to him & all that.  Big sticks, too.  He used big sticks.

Yawn.

Oh, & speaking of Ginger Baker, I finally picked up the 4-CD Cream box set that's
been out for a couple/few years.  Great stuff here.  Raw, delicate, humorous, brazen,
*and* intellectually stimulating.  Highly recommended!!  Even E.C.'s not too annoying!
I take a lot of Cream in my cup of Clapton!


- SCHRADE in Akron