There are very few instrumentalists talented enough to not only play their instrument to the highest standard but become forbearers for the definition of the very essence of the music that can be made of it. To be a great of the guitar, bass or drums is one thing, to be the ultimate and final word on the subject is not an accolade often attributed to players in the modern age. But john Bonham certainly gained it.Bonham’s drumming credentials were unparalleled. His sadly short time behind the kit for Led Zeppelin quickly shot him to the top of the percussion pile, and while many artists have come close to matching his skill, power and technique, few have managed to match his unstoppable charisma with the sticks in his hand. For many, without John Bonham, Led Zeppelin would have never reached the gigantic heights they did, and for Jimmy Page, one song defined his hell-raising ability and humongous contribution.
After John Bonham’s death in 1980, Led Zeppelin found it impossible to continue without him. When the surviving members did reunite on rare occasions, his absence was palpable, leaving a void that no one could truly fill.
Bonham’s skillset and talent has never been questioned, and when it comes to drummers, he’s one of the very few that every fan adores. He gathers up ubiquitous praise from fans and aficionados alike. Artists such as Neil Peart and Dave Grohl admire him as much as any music lover walking down the street will have heard of him.
Bonham had an undeniable aura, one that helped propel him to superstardom. Even though drummers don’t typically have an imposing presence, Bonham was different; every time he thrashed his sticks, it filled the room. His brilliance was once summed up by Nirvana sticksman Grohl, who professed: “John Bonham played the drums like someone who didn’t know what was going to happen next—like he was teetering on the edge of a cliff. No one has come close to that since, and I don’t think anybody ever will. I think he will forever be the greatest drummer of all time.”
However, after his tragic death in 1980, Led Zeppelin knew that they’d lost a jewel in the crown, and making another album with somebody else sitting where he used to sit was simply inconceivable. After all, according to Jimmy Page, Bonham wasn’t just the drummer in the band but arguably the very beating heart of Led Zeppelin.
It was something that he and the band demonstrated from the very beginning, and it is the one song Page thinks of as Bonham’s defining moment for the group: “Well, the first track of the first album is ‘Good Times, Bad Times’ and that’s no accident,” he reflected in an interview with Rolling Stone.
He added: “The reason why it’s on there is because it’s actually quite a short piece of music, but it sums up so much in so many ideas, all in one go. It’s just an explosion that hits you. But one of the key factors of it, apart from the riff, is the actual drumming, because what he does on the drums during that track just changes people’s attitude to drums overnight. That’s all there is to it.”
Page elaborated: “One of the other things that he could do was a roll on the bass drum with one foot and one pedal. It wasn’t two bass drums; it was one foot. You might hear people say, ‘Oh, I can do that.’ But the thing is, you see how long they can do it for, and they’ll soon pack up,” confirmed the noted studio whizz with the kind of knowledge that is unquestionable. “They might do it just for a little bit, but he could do it for ages. His technique was just out of this world, but he had the imagination to go with it as well.”
As Page explained, Bonham was a different breed of drummer than anybody who came before him. Not only was he a powerhouse who could go as hard as anybody, but he was also graced with lethal technical prowess. These two skills made for a dazzling combination that few have ever replicated. Often thought of as one of the loudest drummers of all time, Page proclaims there was so much more: “So, yes, John Bonham could get a lot of volume out of his drums, not by forehand smashes, but just because he knew how to tune the drums in such a way that they would project.”
More than just technique or power, Bonham also had an uncanny connection to the music: “He would have a natural balance to everything he was playing. And then he’d give a bass-drum accent that you’d feel it go into your stomach. His technique was just amazing. He was such fun to play with. But the other thing was that he loved Led Zeppelin. He really loved the band, and he used to play the music at home. So we had a lot of fun, and a lot of fun improvising onstage.”
Clearly, Page greatly cherishes the memories of his time with his late friend. Additionally, it’s heartening to discover that his whole existence revolved around Led Zeppelin, although, in total honesty, they revolved around him, too.
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