Re: The Greatest Drummer!
Date: June 7, 2005 22:28
OK, as a drummer for life I have to put in my 2 (or 3) cents. First of all, my impression of Charlie is that he is NOT a great jazz drummer, and has gotten lazy over the years even as a rock drummer. I love Charlie, I love his style, I play kinda like Charlie because of that, but in terms of "greatness" I'd say while he may be a big fan of jazz, he's not up there with the jazz greats.
Next, marclaff commented on Bonham... Yes, he did gain a lot of weight in the late 70's before his death, but he still was great. JB was a real jazz-trained rock and roll drummer, which gave him his simply brilliant technique. You may not like Zeppelin, but John Bonham played with a power and finesse that was, and still is today, unmatched in the rock and roll world. The skill in his kickpedal foot alone was remarkable.
Keith Moon was great in his own psycho-energetic way too, but not quite like JB was. When I played in a classic-rock band, I could approach playing like KM, I can play any Stones song, but there are still Zeppelin tunes with drum fills that are just kind of baffling. Like that little thing at the end of "Rock and Roll"... or in the dreaded Stairway, just before "and as we wind on down the road..." or even a tune like D'yer Mak'r, who could imagine such a crazy beat for a reggae-tinged song?
Ringo is my other favorite rock drummer... Just because what he did was as sharp as can be. His playing was brilliantly artistic and precise, and was just as responsible for the Beatles' magical sound as GH's guitar playing, or anyone else. Listen to the drums on "Strawberry Fields..." and on the end of the Abbey Rd album... The drums aren't phenominally technical, just simply perfectly composed and played. He was as perfect for the Beatles as, well, CW is for our Stones.