McSeven Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 When I read reviews of musican, John Bonham is always made to seem like the rocks best drummer. Why do you all think that it is? What can Bonham do that others can't. What I see is that he brings a Heavy Funk to Zep. His drumming style is unique. You know its Bonzo by sound. Bonzo sticks out more than the Drummers for AcDc/Judas Priest, to name a few. Mc7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of the Hill People Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Kick ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazz Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Swing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarlaxle 56 Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Swing Steve Gadd, gazz gazz, Steve Gadd Good? Yes? Better than Bonham in the swing department? I'd say yes by far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutrocker Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Steve Gadd, gazz gazz, Steve Gadd Good? Yes? Better than Bonham in the swing department? I'd say yes by far. True, but Gadd is predominately a session drummer (his fills at the end of "Aja" by Steely Dan kill me every time). Session men have to adapt to who they're playing with at the time. IMO Bonham would not have been a great session drummer; his style was suited to band oriented Zeppelin style-music, even though the man had as good of a grasp of dynamics as anybody. Take it from the flipside: could you imagine a session king like Steve Gadd or Jim Keltner (along with Bonzo, Keltner's my personal favourite) getting down with Zeppelin? Don't think they'd mesh, even if Steve and Jim are technically better players. What always gets me about John Bonham's drumming is the sound of his playing. Sure, some of the recording engineers and Page's production techniques can take some of the credit for that, but there's something about the equipment Bonzo used and his whole style of playing that gives that totally undeniable "John Bonham Sound", often imitated but never duplicated. The fact that so many songs use Bonzo samples speaks volumes. Sure, there may be more technically proficient drummers out there, but I think Bonham's reputation speaks for itself. Again, my opinion, but give me Bonham over some soulless twat like Neil Peart or Jeff Porcaro or human metronome like Charlie Watts or Phil Rudd any day. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHD Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 This has got me thinking. Are there any live recordings of John pre-Zeppelin in existence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danelectro Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 IMO his strength was his personal style, I don't think anything he did was out of reach for the other drummers of his time. His drumming is pretty straightforward and in many ways that was one of his best qualities, many drummers overplay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docron Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I don't know... but it's definitely something... People who try to imitate him can never quite get it, even if they do it "exactly" as Bonham did it... it's a certain soul/emotion that seeped through... it's something you cannot quantify... and it just can't be re-created, no matter how hard people try. I've personally never heard anyone even come close to the Bonz. Same with Page and his guitar playing... you can't see it or quantify it... you can just tell by hearing it... It's him... Ya know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzfan715 Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I have to agree with Docron here. It's nothing that you can put your finger one, it's something that you just know. Like it's his own personal touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 This has got me thinking. Are there any live recordings of John pre-Zeppelin in existence? The only thing would be any of the Band of Joy stuff that's out there. I have to agree with Docron here. It's nothing that you can put your finger one, it's something that you just know. Like it's his own personal touch. Agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzfan715 Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 What about bootlegs of his stuff with tim Reid? Is it possible for that stuff to exist? Sorry if it wasn't Tim Reid, but I think Bonham worked with someone with a name like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glicine Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 What about bootlegs of his stuff with tim Reid? Is it possible for that stuff to exist? Sorry if it wasn't Tim Reid, but I think Bonham worked with someone with a name like that. I think you mean Tim Rose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzfan715 Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Yes, that's who I mean. Tim Reid is who Jimmy wanted for Zeppelin before he heard of Robert I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Yes, that's who I mean. Tim Reid is who Jimmy wanted for Zeppelin before he heard of Robert I think. That was Terry Reid Would be great if there was some Tim Rose/Bonzo recordings uncovered! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler19 Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 To me Bonham did three things particularly well. One, he got an amazing sound from his kit. I believe a lot of that is due to how hard he could hit. How can anyone not love the intro to TSRTS from LA 1977. I also liked his use of effects on songs such as Kashmir. Two, that he could write/rip-off memorable beats. While he could keep impeccable time, he was more than a mere timekeeper. The magic of When The Levee Breaks isn't how easy or hard it is to play, it's that someone (Bonham) came up with that beat. Three, he knew when not to play and to only play as much as the song needed. A big bunch of the glory of Zeppelin is that the same could be said about all the members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 To me Bonham did three things particularly well. One, he got an amazing sound from his kit. I believe a lot of that is due to how hard he could hit. How can anyone not love the intro to TSRTS from LA 1977. I also liked his use of effects on songs such as Kashmir. Two, that he could write/rip-off memorable beats. While he could keep impeccable time, he was more than a mere timekeeper. The magic of When The Levee Breaks isn't how easy or hard it is to play, it's that someone (Bonham) came up with that beat. Three, he knew when not to play and to only play as much as the song needed. A big bunch of the glory of Zeppelin is that the same could be said about all the members. :yesnod: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 "That's brilliant!" What my Dad said when I showed him "Moby Dick" from RAH 1970. I've played him solos from the likes of Baker, Paice and Ward etc. and the reaction was never as enthusiastic as when I showed him Bonzo. With the others it was usually something like, "Yeah, not bad, not as good as Buddy Rich though..." My Dad used to drum for a local rock 'n' roll band in the 1950s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 "That's brilliant!" What my Dad said when I showed him "Moby Dick" from RAH 1970. I've played him solos from the likes of Baker, Paice and Ward etc. and the reaction was never as enthusiastic as when I showed him Bonzo. With the others it was usually something like, "Yeah, not bad, not as good as Buddy Rich though..." My Dad used to drum for a local rock 'n' roll band in the 1950s. That's very cool your dad used to drum back then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie_72 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I don't know... but it's definitely something... People who try to imitate him can never quite get it, even if they do it "exactly" as Bonham did it... it's a certain soul/emotion that seeped through... it's something you cannot quantify... and it just can't be re-created, no matter how hard people try. I've personally never heard anyone even come close to the Bonz. Same with Page and his guitar playing... you can't see it or quantify it... you can just tell by hearing it... It's him... Ya know? I have to agree with Docron here. It's nothing that you can put your finger one, it's something that you just know. Like it's his own personal touch. My thoughts exactly guys and also I think he could mix up playing hard rock and funk styles better than anyone IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArmsofAtlas Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 There are loads of people that can play drums "better" than Bonzo, but there are few people that are better drummers. For all the talk of production tricks helping to make Bonzo's sound, he sure did have a pretty awesome sound live. He seemed to hit the drum hard, even when he was playing light. He has a very distinct sound, which I would imagine is pretty hard to do on drums. You can list all the jazz drum freaks you want, but Bonzo has a style that is as recognizable as the best drummers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigstickbonzo Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 One aspect of Bonzo's influence that is not often discussed is his influence in the studio when working on the tracks. He had an incredible sense of where and when the drums should be played and how they should sound. Like some have said, he really was the equalizer and alike the other 3, such an integral part of the whole process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Lady Who's Sure Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 its really hard to explain, he just had that perfect "sound" it helps to listen some live zep stuff and then listen to the things from the P&P tour while michael lee was a fantastic drummer, it honestly didn't sound anything like bonzo's set Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Kard Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 He was also famous for his bass drum triplette. He played a single bass drum better then the majority of drummers that play two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackDog71 Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 He just played the song how it needed to be played. He seemed to have the knack for making the drums sound just PERFECT for each and every Zep track. Amazing power, emotion, and flair. These qualities are sorely missed in this modern era of music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfman Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I've seen Gadd play drums for Clapton live a few times. Fucking awesome player! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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