John Bonham would have turned 60 today. The Led Zeppelin drummer was a majestic beast, equally capable of shaking Olympus as he was at turning a tear with his delicacy. Possessed of Keith Moon's brutality and the complexity of Elvin Jones, Bonham was all things rough 'n' tumble about rock with a much more complex undercurrent than history often affords him. From the water-on-leaves softness of “The Rain Song" through crushing blues workouts like “When The Levee Breaks," Bonzo had an unerring knack for the perfect percussion tact on every highly varied Zeppelin track. He was a wild tornado in his personal life, taken from this mortal coil too soon for diggin' into life's riches a bit too heartily, but artistically he's golden. Few drummers will ever approach his level of craft, instincts, chops or just plain mutha-flucking mojo. We light a candle for you on this birthday, Mr. Bonham. You done good while you were here.
We begin our celebration of Bonham's natal day with one of the most famous, most sampled, most indestructible drum lines of all time - “Kashmir."
Next up, an interview with Bonham and Robert Plant from 1970, where they discuss how Led Zeppelin's music is the next step on from The Beatles. This is a wonderful glimpse into how their music was received back in the day. Plus, dig the crazy hair action!
Let's dive into “The Ocean" from 1973, where Bonham hangs off the bottom of the beat, teasing and tugging, all while keeping a steady platform for the others to freak fabulously over.
And we wrap our birthday remembrance with “The Rain Song," captured at Madison Square Garden in 1973. Dig the crazy Lord of the Rings filmed sequences with Plant, who looks quite the Elvish Lord here. Also, it's zero surprise the Jimmy Page has serious back problems today. Look at the size of that double-neck guitar!
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