What made Bonham a Superstar

[McSeven]

What factors do you think made Bonham a superstar? Why is he more revered when it comes to drummers and what can he do that other drummers now and then can't.

To me Bonham makes Zeps music dynamic. He is also a master at groove and can change things up. He is better live than in the Studio. His personality really comes out in his music.

I really belive that Zep would be very different without him.

Mc7

[SickTangerine]

Wasn't there already a topic like this a while ago? Ah well.

I agree, probably his groove and chemistry with the band. The triplets he did with the foot pedal were also quite important for drummers, though I don't think the majority of people think of that when they think of Bonham being one of the greats

[kaiser]

Simply, his talent. He perfected rock and roll drumming. There were better "drummers" before & after him in a technical sense, but no one was a better rock and roll drummer than Bonham. Neil Peart for example is a better drummer than Bonham technically, but Peart can't hold a candle to the sheer rock and rollness of Bonham's playing. I love Ginger Baker, but he considers himself a "jazz musician" & looks down somewhat on Bonham, but Baker was in a great rock and roll band called Cream & as briliant as his drumming was/is he could not touch Bonham as far as the elements that rock and roll embody. Keith Moon whom I consider second to Bonham as far as a rock and roll drummer, is the reverse of the two I just mentioned as he had some technique but loads of reckless abandon & style. No one sounds like Moon but even he just lacked that special something that Bonham had. Bonham had some of the technique of players like Peart & Baker while also maintaining that reckless abandon of a player of Moon. The best way I could put it is, when it came to playing rock and roll music via the drums, Bonham had it ALL. He really did.

[kaiser]

Re-reading what I wrote, I think I could break it down slightly better: Bonham had in flashes some of the amazing technique of Peart, that brilliant echoing touch of Ginger Baker, & as I wrote earlier that reckless abandon of Moon. All of those drummers were the best of what they did/do in in their particular areas, but Bonham just combined all of those best attributes of those three while bringing his own thing to become his own sort of seperate beast that every other rock and roll drummer now has to be compared to. As much as I love Dave Grohl as player & also for how much he reveres Bonham, he knows he has some of the thrash of Bonham but knows he'll never have that funk of Bonham, which Grohl readily admits.

[JiMiHeNdRiX1967]

his drumming

[zdr]

his drumming

[cousinlouie]

LOL His Four Sticks

[1111sticks]

His mumblings while he flogged the skins...........I loved the guyB)

[Ledzep101]

The timing he kept was amazing!

[silvermedalist]

Simply, his talent. He perfected rock and roll drumming. There were better "drummers" before & after him in a technical sense, but no one was a better rock and roll drummer than Bonham. Neil Peart for example is a better drummer than Bonham technically, but Peart can't hold a candle to the sheer rock and rollness of Bonham's playing. I love Ginger Baker, but he considers himself a "jazz musician" & looks down somewhat on Bonham, but Baker was in a great rock and roll band called Cream & as briliant as his drumming was/is he could not touch Bonham as far as the elements that rock and roll embody. Keith Moon whom I consider second to Bonham as far as a rock and roll drummer, is the reverse of the two I just mentioned as he had some technique but loads of reckless abandon & style. No one sounds like Moon but even he just lacked that special something that Bonham had. Bonham had some of the technique of players like Peart & Baker while also maintaining that reckless abandon of a player of Moon. The best way I could put it is, when it came to playing rock and roll music via the drums, Bonham had it ALL. He really did.

Moon is certainly the second best next to Bonham. How can you say Pert was/is better than Bonham technically? No way. He cant touch Bonham. I have heard all of the material. No I am not a drummer, I play guitar, but I have never ever heard anyone rate anyone above Bonham. To me he was a perfectionist on drums. Moon did have a resless abandon style, but when he had to be precise, he could. Bonham and Moon to me stand so far above the rest it is just crazy. Who do you put third? A distant third? Palmer? Should he not be mentioned? Pert seems to have the numbers behind him. I dont know if I really think he is that good, and I do love Rush. How about Aerosmith's drummer in the day?

[roxie1981]

Say no more...

[djzoso]

Listen to every zep song and the truth will be revealed

[Flyingzepp]

John Bonham was our greatest drummer of all time. Hands down. Why? listen to 'In My Time of Dying', 'When the Levee Breaks', 'Good Times Bad Times', or 'The Crunge'. Those are my favorite drum tracks at least... Bonham perfected rock and roll drumming as someone already stated, He was a better technical and more powerful drummer than Ginger Baker or Neal Pert. No one tops Bonham PERIOD.

[Kiwi_Zep_Fan87]

LOL His Four Sticks

LOL! Good Answer!!!

[BUK]

Those Fool In The Rain outtakes have SO MUCH SWING in them. THAT is the element that most modern drummer's lack. He's got old style swing combined with an innate POWER which increases the dynamic range of his drumming. Intense emotion in the track.

[babyzoso]

John Bonham is my favorite member from the band i just love Bonzo everything about him i wouldn't compare Bonham to other legendary drummers. Neil Peart he's a kick ass drummer but it isn't fair to compare Bonzo and Peart they have different styles besides I always thought the reason why Neil was so loud and aggressive is because of his drum sets just look up Peart vs Bonham on youtube and you will see what i'm talking about. As for Keith Moon i would love to hang out with Moon he seems like one of those friends when your feeling hopeless or not in a good mood he's the one who is by your side and keep you comfortable with his great sense of humor. However I wouldn't say Keith is better than John nor John is better than Moon i love them both and may both of them rest in peace. Those two were the innovators they inspired so many drummers out there after them They will never be another Moon and Bonham. In today's modern world some would say Travis Barker and Dave Grohl are the best drummers out there these days which i agree.

[dazedcat]

Bonham was funky, had an amazing groove and was a powerhouse on top of it all. I've been listening to the old BBC recordings and the way he played with Jones locked into the groove was incredible. People might not equate him with having a funky groove, but he really did.

To me that's what made him legendary.

[danelectro59]

Often overlooked is the sound of his kit. I can't recall anyone in those days with a more powerful sound than JHB.

When most drummers and producers back then were muffling the shit out of drums, Bonham used hardly any and had this massive sound that was as close to live as you could get. Partial credit to Jimmy for capturing that sound on record too.

[Bonzo_Stixx]

BONZO's UNIQUE STYLE

In my opinion, the thing that stood out the most about John Bonham and made him the legendary icon that he is today is his interpretation and approach to the way he played each song! When Led Zeppelin first came out most of the drummers were trying to be like Ringo Star and such... Lighter, up-tempo beats yet still evolved from the 50's style drummers who did the 'Rock Around The Clock' style... Then Bonham comes along playing louder, more aggressive and with beats that were laid back, in the pocket-type grooves on songs like "How Many More Times", etc... His sense of timing was amazing and some of the beats he would come up with were so not what you would expect for the song - "When The Levee Breaks" or "Black Dog", for example. So simple and fit so perfect with the rest of the song. There were other great drummers playing hard rock at that time like Ian Paice of Deep Purple or Bill Ward with Black Sabbath - but they didn't sound so completely different in their approach and the overall feel of a song like Bonham did. He never tried to showcase his talents in the arrangement of the song by over playing even on songs where he was getting busy like on the "Immigrant Song" or "Out On The Tiles"... He developed his own style of playing that people will be trying to immitate for many decades to come!! Thank God!

[McSeven]

BONZO's UNIQUE STYLE

In my opinion, the thing that stood out the most about John Bonham and made him the legendary icon that he is today is his interpretation and approach to the way he played each song! When Led Zeppelin first came out most of the drummers were trying to be like Ringo Star and such... Lighter, up-tempo beats yet still evolved from the 50's style drummers who did the 'Rock Around The Clock' style... Then Bonham comes along playing louder, more aggressive and with beats that were laid back, in the pocket-type grooves on songs like "How Many More Times", etc... His sense of timing was amazing and some of the beats he would come up with were so not what you would expect for the song - "When The Levee Breaks" or "Black Dog", for example. So simple and fit so perfect with the rest of the song. There were other great drummers playing hard rock at that time like Ian Paice of Deep Purple or Bill Ward with Black Sabbath - but they didn't sound so completely different in their approach and the overall feel of a song like Bonham did. He never tried to showcase his talents in the arrangement of the song by over playing even on songs where he was getting busy like on the "Immigrant Song" or "Out On The Tiles"... He developed his own style of playing that people will be trying to immitate for many decades to come!! Thank God!

Sometimes when I hear Bonzo's style. It sounds like tribal drums. He also sounds like a Gorilla on the prowl hunting his prey. There is a mobility. While Keith Moon sounds like a monkey.

More later.

[danelectro59]

He also sounds like a Gorilla on the prowl hunting his prey.

aren't they vegan?

oh wait, they do eat bugs off of each other.