Few drummers are as legendary as The Who’s Keith Moon. And at least one isolated drum track proves that Keith Moon deserved as much love as he’s gotten since he first joined The Who in 1964. And the track in question was recorded less than a year before Moon’s death in 1978.
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Keith Moon’s Isolated Drum Track from “Who Are You” is on Another Level
Keith Moon is often remembered for his wild on-stage antics and drug abuse more than anything by casual fans, and that’s honestly quite unfortunate. Though, we’re not exactly surprised. The man put explosives in his drum kit and drove a car into a swimming pool, after all.
When it comes down to it, Moon was a next-level drummer. Without him, who knows if The Who would have been as massively famous as they became? His killer drum tracks backed up a solid chunk of their discography.
Moon was rarely one to exercise restraint. His drumming style reflected and benefited from that. He didn’t always stick to a specific pattern or even timing. Instead, he let music possess him the way a born-to-be musician would.
One great example of that iconic possession is Keith Moon’s isolated drum track from the legendary hit “Who Are You”. This song can be heard on The Whos’ 1978 album of the same name.
The recording, which you can listen to below, was recorded at some point between September 1977 and April 1978. It’s an incredible track, but it’s also haunting given the context. Moon died just months later in September 1978. The record was released only three weeks before Moon passed away from an accidental drug overdose.
Dissecting Keith Moon’s Drumming in “Who Are You”
This is a definitive performance from Keith Moon. It’s far from perfect; in fact, it’s almost messy. But that was Moon’s appeal.
The speed at which he dashed through those cymbals at the song’s introduction is easily recognizable. As he recorded the track, you can see the wild nature of Moon’s very being in his eyes, face, and movements. But the drum track itself is not particularly fast-paced.
Few drummers have managed to perform at a slower BPM with the same wild energy fit for a faster song quite like Moon did.
Photo by David Thorpe/Shutterstock
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