I remember being a kid ( born in 69 ) and my mom had taken my cousins and I to see Kiss and the thought was we would go see Led Zeppelin for the In Through the Out Door tour. Well of course they never made it to the states. I'm a guitarist who grew up in the guitar business but have always loved and been close to drums as well.
John Bonhams blend of blues, rockabilly, funk, Celtic etc, made him such an original. God bless him. RIP.
Threads have a way of meandering off-point that sometimes take on new lives and subjects.
For me personally Bonham was the guy that made me acknowledge drums as an instrument. I didn't possess a bias against drummers or anything, after all I was about 12 when Zep broke. I recognized that something was DIFFERENT the moment one of my brothers played Zep 1 on our Magnavox console stereo for the first time. Before that I pretty much paid attention to any other instrument/player, but this was remarkably different. He, perhaps more than any other player made me LISTEN more carefully to music in general. To bands and how the members synced/contributed/and made what is truly magic together.
Bonham passing 37 years ago doesn't seem possible, man time flies. Never got to see Zep but did see Page & Plant at Red Rocks years ago and what a show. As far has Jon being a A hole on tour yes that seems to be the word but at home he was supposed to be a great dads and great guy with his friends.
Plant is like a father to Jason and flew instantly to be with the Bonham family after Jon passing and stayed for quite some time.
Jason last I heard was playing drums for Sammy Hagar, not a bad gig. Im sure Jon would be proud to hear Jason play Im sure.
it is incredible to me how a discussion of john bonham morphed into talking about dylan and the band in less than 20 comments... john bonham changed the course of rock drumming when he hit the scene...he was put upfront in the mix in a big way. his drums were large, unmuffled and recorded along with a mike in the center of the room, hence his "stadium" like sound. he started out as just a heavy hitter, but quickly gained finesse in his grooves, in part by listening to and emulating james brown records. listen to his drumming on "no quarter" or "the crunge" and you'll see what i mean. one of my favorite tracks is "the lemon song", which shows off his creative abilities while improvising along with jp jones. live, he was a monster. between he and ian paice of deep purple, no one in rock could touch their energy and technical prowess, especially when playing an arena drum solo. guys like bonham were geniuses, and mere mortals like us could only sit back and wonder at the things they created. they had attitudes, and their talent "excused" them from it. to coin buddy rich "it ain't bragging' if you can back it up!" i will always miss "what could have been", but glad to have been influenced by mr bonhams' masterful playing. rest in peace
Clapton is certainly entitled to his opinion about what was "wrong" about where music was heading, after all, he is "god."
I continue to be amazed at how utterly good The Band was. "Life Is A Carnival" is in my will, to be played at my wake. LOUDLY. Even whilst dead I'll probably hear something new in it. I do every time. (Wow, wotta cool idea for another thread.)
Dylan toured with The Band the following year (’74), and if you want to hear a Rock ’n’ Roll drummer who plays the music the way it should be played, listen to Levon Helm on those recordings. No gratuitous, narcissistic, immature, amusical showing off. Rather, tasteful adult accompaniment played by a mature musician. Though Jagger sang "It’s the singer, not the song", that it not correct. It IS the song; the best musicians know that, and play accordingly---in service to the song, for the greater good of the music.
Of course, playing Led Zeppelin "songs" (;-) is an entirely different proposition that playing Dylan songs. There is no way Helm could have played in LZ, or Bonham in The Band. The fact that Bonham’s playing is essential to LZ, that it is in fact representative of everything they were about, says it all. If you know what I mean.
My High School bandmates and myself loved The Yardbirds. The first three albums, that is. That band (and a few others) became the model for how to play. First with Eric Clapton's playing setting the tone, then Jeff Beck's. When the fourth album (Little Games) came out, we said to each other "WTF happened?!". It was TERRIBLE. I assume you know Jimmy Page was the lead guitarist on album four. He shortly thereafter formed LZ.
When Eric Clapton said, in The Last Waltz, that "Music had been going in the wrong direction for a long time. When I heard Music From Big Pink, I thought, well, someone has finally gone and done it right", it is exactly and precisely Led Zeppelin, and Bonham's playing, that he is calling "wrong". Of course, that's just Clapton's opinion; you are entitled to your own.
Hahahaha! Man, I hope that's true. To this day I still can't watch The Song Remains The Same - makes my skin crawl. One of the worst rock films possible and not the band's finest effort at all. For their best live effort it's How The West Was Won. Kickass great stuff.
I wish I kept all my Rolling Stone magazines to review how poorly it and the American press in general treated the band. I read EVERY music magazine in those days, Melody Maker, Creem, Crawdaddy, and maybe a few others I can't recall now.
I was recuperating from my first of two knee operations when WNEW FM debuted Zep IV one early afternoon. No cell phone. No email. No social media. My friends were still in school and there I was sticking a ruler inside my leg cast to ease the itching, listening to Led Zep IV on a transistor radio in the hospital. I called my friends IMMEDIATELY, most of the time getting their mothers, telling them to call me as soon as they got home. I remember thinking, listening to Stairway for the first time ever, that it must have been 30 minutes long. (Had that same impression the first time I heard We Won't Get Fooled Again). ALL of my friends came to the hospital that afternoon.
That, and the time my second oldest brother came home and tossed Zep 1 on our family's console stereo (it was a Magnavox, tubed!) represent my best two personal Zep stories. Being reminded that Bonham died 37 years ago not only serves to mark some pivotal moments in my life, it made me think about all the times that Zep was the soundtrack to them. The Stones, The Who, Zep, Joni Mitchell, Zappa, The Mothers, The Band, and so many more...
Almost makes me feel like Martin Scorcese shoulda been filming me and my friends.
Didja hear the story about Led Zeppelin and Bob Dylan?
It was 1973, and Led Zeppelin was the biggest band in the world. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, along with LZ manager Peter Grant, went to a party in Los Angeles. Page and Plant saw Dylan there, and wanted to meet him, but were too intimidated to approach him. So they sent Peter Grant over to talk to Bob. Here was their exchange:
Grant: "Hi, I'm Peter Grant, I manage Led Zeppelin, and"
Dylan: "Hey, I didn't come here and tell you MY problems."
Saw Zep and Bonham 4 times in LA forum and once at the Long beach arena. Was going to see them in San Diego, but a bad fog rolled in and i woke up on a beach in Oceanside the next day...lol those where the days
@shadorne , I had Carmine's book. It was my favorite and Carmine's beats and fills were awesome. I don't play anymore, but I kept my practice pad, many sticks, and books by Carmine and Buddy Rich, (I'm told Buddy didn't write his).
Carmine's double-kick was fantastic, so rhythmic. And then came Bonzo with his one 26 inch.
Bonham heard Carmen Appice Vanilla Fudge (radio and records) and copied his rock style using the kick.
Bonham did not know that Carmen played double kick.
Amazing.
Carmen published a book called Realistic Rock for drummers which is extremely good. Lots of tasty licks and fills. It is used to this day and I have studied it. It is one of the best books as a gentle introduction to learning Bonham style.
Read the news about Charles Bradley as well. Fortunately, thanks to iTunes, of which I'm hardly a fan, I downloaded two albums just the other day. Damn good singer.
The first time I heard anything by Chris Whitley he was two years dead already. Blame the lack of good FM radio, nonetheless I set about getting everything he recorded just from one song.
I kind of wish that Bonham's son could have his own career and not one that has him paying endless tribute to his father, but he genuinely seems to enjoy doing so, and people seem genuinely appreciative of it, so what the hell.
Read the header, looked at my wife and said, man it's been a bad week, first Charles Bradley now John Bonham, 10 to 15 seconds later, oh yeah, damned Sr moments.
It’s too bad that Bonham didn’t live long enough to perform post-Led Zeppelin. It would have been interesting to know if there was another side to his signature style; I would hope he would not have used his 26" kick drum (a major influence on Led Zep's sound).
Zep's manager Peter Grant was a HUGE a-hole but he was also responsible for getting Zep their fair shake of the revenues. (Whether or not that was good for fans is another thing.)
Ginger Baker's career has been jazz - lasting far longer than the-blink-of-one's-eye that his gig with Cream/Blind Faith did. It would no doubt irk him immensely to read his own obituary which will cite Cream/Blind Faith as his most notable efforts. Personality aside, he remains an impressive musician.
In that documentary about Baker I've mentioned, when asked his opinion on Bonham's playing he said, "He couldn't swing a sack." Eric Clapton, who pretty much loathed Baker from day one and was appalled when Steve Winwood asked him to join Blind Faith, (without Clapton's knowledge) remarked that Baker was the most melodic drummer he ever played with. That's pretty high praise from a guy most people respect as a great musician, particularly regarding a guy he couldn't stand to be in the same room with.
No, Bonham didn't necessarily "swing" like a jazz drummer because, well, he wasn't a jazz drummer. He was a ROCK drummer, one with a style that many drummers cite as their inspiration for getting behind a kit in the first place. I've seen The Who with and without Keith Moon a few times each. Zep's decision to disband after Bonham's death was the absolute right course to take. With four they were one, alone they are zero - which is not by any means a slight on the remaining members. Mick Taylor's brief stint with the Stones made them a better band, with Keith noting that having another great musician onstage made everyone better.
Oblgny - I also '' read '' that as well about Ginger Baker who had an ego the size of Kansas. You know .....I also read that their manager ; James Grant was an even bigger one. Yes, both were very talented musicians who no doubt have influenced the generations since them. But Ginger baker was more of a jazz drummer from what I recall.
"Good to great drummer but from what I have read ; a real A hole."
By most accounts of his a-holeness, it was driven by his missing being away from home. Its no big secret that the hardships of incessant, lengthy tours often drives people to the easily accessible escapist use of alcohol and drugs. Hardly excusable, but an underlying reason why bad things can happen to otherwise good people/great drummers.
If one wants to gain perspective on a bonafide, card carrying a-hole who also happened to be a great drummer, seek out a documentary on Ginger Baker entitled "Beware Of Mr. Baker." I believe it was aired on Showtime. Mr. Baker's son does not have the same fond memories of his father that Jason Bonham has. I have everything that Mr. Baker has put out post-Cream. The issue of his questionable humanity doesn't matter. Talent doesn't prejudice on whom it's delivered.
Bonham's influence is incontestable regardless of what anyone thinks about his skills as a drummer and/or lack of them. Most of the sh*t that has been written about Zep, and virtually every other rock band is poorly written, high school level drivel. Robbie Robertson's book was a tough read, best taken in short bursts because, while interesting and fun to read, he ain't no author.
On point...
Zeppelin was an incredible band. Hard to believe that 37 years have passed since Bonham died. I saw them 5 times at Madison Square during their 1977 tour, same seats every night. Wow. I got chills.
I can't believe it has been 37 years ....I had my ticket to see Led Zeppelin in 1978 but the tour was canceled. Good to great drummer but from what I have read ; a real A hole
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
