1.  Keith Moon

Ahh, Moonie…  former clown prince and court jester with and oversized personality and heart of gold,  Keith Moon was a drummer and character unlike no other.  If drumming were a tornado Moon “the Loon” would be categorized as an F5, cutting a wide swath of destruction and leaving little in its wake.  Moon wasn’t your typical rock n roll drummer; nah, he was more of a surf music nutter that always propelled the music forward and was not really content to sit back and tap out a simple 4/4 beat.  He wanted your attention and he damn well got it.

There are two things that amaze me when watching a live performance from The Who during their glory days:  1)  the synchronicity between Moon and guitarist Pete Townshend, and 2) just how in the hell Moon does it behind the kit!  For the former just watch how the two interact:  The Who was infamous in how they could take the basic structure of their songs and make them explode with such power and ferociousness in a live setting.  Both of these guys would have their eyes on their fellow comrade as they play off each other and instinctively KNOW when to push, when to pull, and when to come back to the main structure of the song.  That, my friends, is the power of a live band in action.

But for the latter…  I just can’t figure it out.  I mean, I’m no drummer though I can tap a decent beat on the kit, but…  with Moon what you hear and what you see appear to be two different things.  I’ve watched other drummers play and can see what they are doing and it makes sense but in this case I’m bewildered and befuddled.  Watch Moon and it’s all arms and legs that looks like pure chaos but what you hear is so totally exciting and exhilarating, almost as if you are watching a magician in action.  I think part of that is likely due to his unique style as he pushed that beat and rarely relied on keeping time with the hi hat, working various cymbals into his extremely creative and thundering drum rolls.

And the songs!  Like listening to a drum orchestra with some of those manic drum breaks and rumbles-  “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere”, “My Generation”, “Substitute”, “Underture”, “Happy Jack”, “I Can See For Miles” (those first two snare cracks are a thing of beauty-  WHAP WHAP)…  hell, that’s just stuff from the 60s!  As Townshend’s songs grew ever more creative, Moon’s talents grew as well:  “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, “Bargain”, “The Real Me” (An Entwistle tour de force but listen to those drums too!), “Bell Boy” (Moonie on vocal!), “Who Are You”…  the list is endless.  And let’s not forget the classic Who live platter Live At Leeds for prime drum work.

Like Bonham, Keith Moon unfortunately died far too young.  Like Bonham, I play the “what if?” game as well.  But all I can do is share my love of the man’s talents and the overwhelming joy that he has brought not only to me but to countless music fans out there.  Keith Moon may be gone, but his music and influence lives on forever.