my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
I give you that Daltry's voice sounds nothing like Plant's screeching. Other than that, "Black Dog" is a remake of the Who's turn on "Young Man Blues."
Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.
Well, and Pete plays nothing like Jimmy. And Moon sounds absolutely nothing like Bonham. Other than that, pretty close.
The Fixx -----------> The Killers ( a bit of a stretch)
Icehouse, Johnny Hates Jazz, OMD ------------------> M83
ELO ---------------------------> Fun
The Cars ------------------------------> Click 5, early OK Go
Well if you're to compare the individual members by instruments, the only place where Zep wins is in the vocals dept. Though Daltrey was often good (even very good), he's nowhere near Percy's awesome range. Daltry needed Townsend and Entwistle on vocals as well. Plant didn't need anyone
Moon was a much better and intuitive drummer than Bonham, Entwistle a much better bassist (and horn player) than JP Jones (who had the KBs to make up for) and Townsend a much better composer... and a fairly under-rated guitarist.
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
I was a trueblood fan of both back in my mid-teens, but now I'll have to say that I'd take The Who on just about any day. Zep had some great individual tunes, but there were always stuff I didn't like at all on their albums - and those stolen blueses are dated at best and throwaway at worst. Even my fave Zep, HotH, comes across as flawed 'tho good. Who's Next, on the other hand, is one of *the* brilliant rock records of that and any era.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
On the whole I prefer The Who myself, but it's really apples and oranges.
Daltrey didn't need anyone either; the Who were doing more complex vocal things involving multiple singers.
And if you think Daltrey "needed" anyone, I suggest you check out "Won't Get Fooled Again" one more time. That scream at the reentrance of the band is, to my mind, the ultimate rock and roll vocal.
Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.
Must be perspective: Moon just played all over the place, in total disregard with what Entwistle was doing on bass, just oppositte of Bonham who he and JPJ were right up each other's ass laying down a giant phat groove.....From my point of view, that just makes Moon an "overplaying drummer", but not a good drummer. Overplaying does not equal innovative in my opinion.....and JPJ has a way phatter groove than Entwistle...........As far as guitar, Page and Townshend are apples and oranges (Townshend was almost forced to play rhythm - see below) and so is vocals so those two categories arent applicable to each other
For the record: The Who and Led Zeppelin are just oppositte. LZ had a tight grooving rhythm section that propped up an otherwise mediocre guitarist...On the othewr hand, The Who had a rhythm section that just thrashed away and was ready to fly apart at the seems if not for the guitarist (!) constantly laying down the One (the downbeat) of every bar
EDIT: I'll be the first to admit that The Who's thrashy loose rhythm section nonsense is actually part of their charm, but if Keith Moon had tried to pull that overplaying-disregarding-everybody-else bullshit in one of my bands, I would fire him on the spot. Guys like Vinnie Caliutta know how to play a lot, groove, say something, and compliment what the other players are doing -- thats being "innovative" IMHO
$.02
Last edited by klothos; 04-04-2015 at 02:43 AM.
I really liked Moon's drumming. This comes from someone who is not a drummer person; I normally think drummers should be "seen but not heard", or, more accurately, heard but not noticed.
The thing is, Keith moon was not a "timekeeper". On songs like "Happy Jack" and "I'm a Boy" the drums are not simply a canvas on which the music is painted, they are part of the painting. I think the drumming, more than anything else, is what gave The Who their distinctive sound - at least up to about the time of Who's Next, when Townshend was getting a bit more adventurous and synthesisers were becoming more prominent in their music.
John Lennon=Sean
Magma=Black Oni
Genesis=too many to list
Mmmmhhh!!!... Townsend's guitar solo are much under-rated IMHO. Many of them are actually interesting - at least on studio albums
As for Moon the Loon being as much an asset as a liability in the band, it sure was the case. But the man "felt" the music, more than he "served" it
Yup, The Who without The Loon was simply not cutting the mustard, and it is really too bad they tried to keep the thing alive.
At least Zep understood that losing their drummer, they packed it in
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
I think Moon's "lead" drumming--inspired by Viv Prince--actually worked fairly well for The Who's three-piece progressive pop orientation, which, unlike LZ's blues-rock, didn't really require a pocket drummer. I saw an interview with Townshend a few years ago and he was not enamored of Moon's playing.
Hell, they ain't even old-timey ! - Homer Stokes
The Who just cant win with me ....Like I said, I do think their thrashy loose rhythm section was part of their charm. Certain songs - like "Won't Get Fooled Again" - would probably loose a lot of that edginess with a tighter rhythm section........and when Kenny Jones replaced Moon on "Face Dances", it was the most solid rhythm Ive heard from The Who -- but they lost "something" in the process - that "charm".
They are just "Damned if They Do - Damned if they Don't" with me
That's why I love Zak Starkey in the band- to me he rides the line between being an all out spaz ala Keith and being a solid drummer who holds down the backbeat really well.
In his book Who I Am, Townsend has very mixed feelings about Loon, but not really about his drumming... it's more about his antics (both on and off stage).
He still resents his earloss due to Moon's abuse of pyrotechnics on stage, for ex.
Indeed, Moon's drummng can almost be called "lead druming" , wheras Bonham's can be called "Led druming"
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
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