Exuberant, dynamic, risky, dramatic and exciting... these descriptions represent both the drumming and the all-to-short life of Keith Moon. Playing what amounted to lead drums for Pete Townsend’s rhythm style guitar work, Keith supercharged the Who’s music with flourishes of around-the-kit fills, cymbal crashes and relentless double bass work.

 

From the snare drum crescendos on I Can See for Miles, to the tom-bastic ending for Won’t Get Fooled Again, Moon was a monster. Some of the most memorable live drum performances in rock were his handy-work, yet the sophistication of the studio playing on Tommy and Quadrophenia came from the same mad genius.

For many, the memory of Keith Moon is one of rock star excess, complete with demolished hotels rooms and even a car in a swimming pool.

 

But for those who have listened, his playing is also the stuff of legend, providing the inspiration and a foundation for the styles of many of rock’s most respected drummers.