John Bonham is not overrated

John Bonham was one of the few rock drummers to actually have a recognizable style -- that is even more difficult to attain than a guitarist becoming so individualized as to be recognizable immediately (Hendrix, Gilmour, Brian May, etc.). The enormous sound he attained from a single bass drum is unequaled in power. One of the greatest ever.

Not a beast?  He was the very definition of beast in every way.

Atavachron wrote: Not a beast?  He was the very definition of beast in every way.

Well that's personal opinion. I could see that.
Just saying from a technical/virtuoso standpoint one could say he was not too beastly.
It's also difficult to compare, I mean different time periods, different styles of music.
Point was he is a pretty damn good drummer, and I'm not even a huge LZ fan!

Equality 7-2521 wrote: You can tell Bonham is behind the kit after three seconds of playing.  I can't say that for many drummers.

Indeed.
Suppose its partially the nature of the instrument but not many stand out or are recognizable as themselves.

Atavachron wrote: JJLehto wrote: Atavachron wrote: Not a beast?  He was the very definition of beast in every way. Well that's personal opinion. I could see that. Just saying from a technical/virtuoso standpoint one could say he was not too beastly. It's also difficult to compare, I mean different time periods, different styles of music. Point was he is a pretty damn good drummer, and I'm not even a huge LZ fan! I know you meant 'beast' to mean high technical skills, but to be quite honest I think Bonham technically outdoes and provides far more variation than many drummers considered highly skilled, such as Neil Peart, Keith Moon, and Carl Palmer.

I'm not familiar enough with Palmer to make an accurate comparison but I'll agree with Moon and Peart.
The latter is also good but....well I was never very wowed by him. Never quite saw the immense accolade
*runs from the stones*

He was good. I just don't like his style. But a recognizable one he has, for sure. Though there are less-than-great drummers (from a technical point of view) that also have 100% unique styles (like Lars Ulrich). Maybe it's because I dont really love more than a few Zeppelin songs, I'm not really a Bonham fan but I agree he was among the greats. 

I personally don't give much a damn about Led Zeppelin. I like several of their songs, and don't discount them (blah blah, technically competent, yammer blammer highly influential, google boogle here's a penis in your alphabet soup). I don't rightly give a wart-c**t about his style. It doesn't emotionally affect me in a positive or negative direction. I suppose I 'like' it, but I don't pay attention to it outside of the respective music it is built within. Oh! f**k Moby Dick. Only drum solo I ever once cared about was the one in Comus' Diana, and that was just two pitter pattering congo skins - goes to show how much stock I put in 'drummer style'. 

For what it's worth, I love Love LOVE "When the Levee Breaks" and consider that the band's finest moment, and Bonzo's playing is a major part of why that works.  In some cases, Bonzo's wake-the-dead approach to drumming is absolutely what's needed for a song; the problem is that there are a lot of lesser cases where the drums getting reduced would have made things more palatable for me.  Give me Ian Paice (except for the drum solos, meh) or Bill Ward.

I would argue that for a drummer, priority #1 is timekeeping (you'd think that would be obvious but even at live pro gigs sometimes I wonder) #2 is groove / feel. #501231 is technical ability - with that caveat that technical ability can enhance your groove. Gene Hoglan's ferocious technique enhances his timekeeping which is so precise it allows total chaos to work over the top, and has developed into its own groove / feel which fits the music he plays. The fusion drummers of the 70's were able to combine those things and even when they were over the top, they grooved.

The T wrote: He was good. I just don't like his style. But a recognizable one he has, for sure. Though there are less-than-great drummers (from a technical point of view) that also have 100% unique styles (like Lars Ulrich). Maybe it's because I dont really love more than a few Zeppelin songs, I'm not really a Bonham fan but I agree he was among the greats.

I didn't know being terrible and unable to keep time was a style.