Keith Moon's musical decline -- if indeed there ever was one -- has always been a point of contention among many who follow the Who's music. I do see such a loss of ability, but the timing and degree of Keith's decline have always been major sources of disagreement. Additionally, the format of his performances -- on record and live -- has always provoked different responses from people with whom I have discussed this matter. First, do you think he declined musically? If so, when did the downfall begin? Second, what were the hallmarks/characteristics of that decline? Third, despite said decline, were there moments after the rot had started that show the Mighty Moon still able to rise to the occasion? I, personally, find Keith -- both musically and personally -- an endlessly fascinating subject.
I've never heard this previously. 'By Numbers' is an excellent and underrated album, although not here according to many threads I've read over the years, and Moon's drumming is terrific. 'Who Are You' is not a favorite of mine, but it's only one record and I didn't think anyone's work on it was first rate, especially Pete the songwriter. Sure, Moon declined. It was precipitous and catatastrophic. He died.
I think he stared to decline after Quadrophenia, went into a fallow period for a few years, and could possibly, with better living, have been able to regain his old spark. His playing on "Who Are You" from Shepperton, as seen in 'The Kids Are Alright' is great. He plays like a tornado on that thing, very reminiscent of the Moon of old, IMO.
Great thread topic. To me, the last consistently brilliant Keith Moon performance is on Quadrophenia. There are a number of occassions on that album where he saves the songs from sounding too "produced", with the synths and the horns and the general thickness of the arrangements, through his drumming. It's especially impressive when one considers that he still manages to be inimitably Keith in the context of songs that were far more structured, in certain respects, than "Substitute" or "Pictures of Lily". Lesser drummers could easily have got locked into playing it straight. I haven't heard much from the '73 tour, but the stories about his passing out in SF and in Boston make me think that the quality of his performances was somewhat erratic, to say the least. By the time they recorded "The Who By Numbers", I think Keith was on his downhill slope—the drums just aren't on the same level as what he did before. Nevertheless, as others have noted, it wasn't a linear decline, and there are flashes of the old energy and agility like on "Who Are You". For any Three Stooges fans out there, I've always thought Keith's decline was kind of like Curly Howard's: too much indulgence in an unhealthy lifestyle began to compromise both talents, but even as they slowed down and became less consistent and magical in their performances, they could still, on good days, match some of their best work from earlier eras.
I thought he was great 'til the end. Some people like to criticize his playing on Who Are You. But, as drummer myself, I've always loved his parts on that album. Kind of a more deliberately rhythmic approach. Less manic and more musical. He replaced a lot of the flailing with interesting parts. And his china cymbal killed on that album. The fact that he couldn't actually flail as well as he had anymore never bothered me. You could say the excitement in rock was waning at exactly the point where Moon's abilities were waning.
Agree about the china cymbal. On the full LP studio cut of Who Are You, when he repeatedly smashes it twice per measure during the last verse, it's absolutely perfect.
I'm not a drummer so I can't explain it in technical terms, but somewhere around '73 or '74, he descended into a style of drumming that I can best describe as lumbering. The hyper-energetic playing of past years, which often found him leading the band rhythmically, started to slip, and on those later records, we hear him struggling to keep up with Townshend and Entwistle. Saddest of all is hearing him try to play the fills and flourishes he once threw out so effortlessly, and sounding instead like he's playing with cricket bats instead of sticks. All that's not to say that his playing on Numbers and Who Are You isn't often a lot of fun, but the toll his lifestyle took on his work is clearly audible.
Interesting comment. I'll have to listen a little more carefully to the post '73 stuff. I think some of that may be a function of Townshend's more complex songs and song structures. The days of the three minute pop gems where Moon could lead the band were over. John Entwistle has also been quoted as saying the Who were at their live peak during the '76 dates.
I love the Who. I agree with mbleicher1 that the last consistently great recorded performance of Moonie is Quadrophenia. There are flashes of brilliance on Who are You and Who By Numbers. The fact that he couldn't figure out the timing for "Music Must Change" really dissapoints me. That song's not so great, it IMO would have benefitted GREATLY by his drumming. And the drumming timing on that song would have been the same as the timing he played before on "Love Reign O'er Me".
I sometimes wonder if that more lumbering effect wasn't at least partly a consequence if Moon attempting to emulate the heavier style of guys like Appice and Bonham. He started to pitch his drums much lower as well.
This is the correct answer. Around this time Keith started to "cheat," as I call it, by developing an approximation of his earlier style which allowed him to appear as though he was doing something difficult (as in the old days), but which was really an easier way of playing a song. The simple answer is, into the 70's, as Keith's drum kit grew larger, his playing got lousier. He lacked discipline and commitment because the booze had overtaken drumming as his main passion. The booze robbed him of his discipline, focus and stamina.
If there was any "decline" I think it was due to having to play to so many click tracks and patterns from "Who's Next" onward. That can be very restrictive to a free-style drummer such as Keith. In his case it's like trying to keep the tasmanian devil on a leash. You can hear it on his intro on "Baba". As soon as he comes in he gets ahead of the synth pattern and has to reel himself back in. Imagine how frustrating that was for a go-for-it drummer like Keith!
For me, it starts going downhill with Quadrphenia. Who's Next, he was tied to the click tracks I think with Pete's sequenced stuff, but I like what he does on that album. With Quad though, as his set expanded, where toms were tuned the same so if he missed his mark it'd still sound ok, and he got further tied to a click track, the fills just seem to be 16ths on any tom without much thought to it. Quad still has great moments, but that's where it starts going downhill for me.
Maybe "attempt to emulate" was a poor choice of words. There's no doubt that he wasn't listning to and being influenced by other major rock drummers of the time. I'm sure the influence rubbed off, there's nothing wrong with that.
The illustrative moment for me is in the song "Success Story," after the line "I may go far if I smash my guitar." The roll that follows makes Moon sound like he's falling down a flight of stairs. The old touch is simply gone.
Clearly there was a decline post-1975. It's sad that Mooonie couldn't figure out a way to play along with Music Must Change but Kenney Jones could. Evan
He uses a similar sounding, albeit crisper played version of that roll in Entwhistles 'Had Enough.' Moon, his earlier period, could make good use of that falling down the stairs effect when he played a fill, except then he would land on his feet rather than his ****.
Well, as it's already been pointed out, Moon had played 6/8 before (albeit with some difficulty). But not going near a drum kit for a full year tends to diminish one's talents.
I agree with the general consensus that Quadrophenia was his last great moment on record. I also agree that, as the kit got bigger, the playing got worse.
Another vote for Keith going downward after Quad... Like an aging athlete he still had some good days in him...
I saw The Who live in the spring of 1976 and I did not notice any decline in his playing that night. I was surprised at just how good he was.
I love his playing on By Numbers - so soulful I don't think you can blame Moonie for Who Are You It's the rest of the group that declined when he passed
BY NUMBERS has some brilliant drumming; Moon's cymbal work is particularly inventive. IIRC, he had some major difficulties during WHO ARE YOU, but pulled himself together and they cut almost all of his drum tracks in a short period towards the end. I also remember Entwistle saying that '76 to him was the peak of their live work. The recordings of the shows I've heard have Moon in good form- not like the dervish of LIVE AT LEEDS- but still having the fire of old. It's also worthy to mention that Keith didn't keep a kit set up in the house and never practiced except when it came time to record or tour(!).
