Why Lars Ulrich called John Bonham the greatest drummer: “I was so intimidated and so awestruck”
For as long as there have been talented musicians, there has been a constant debate about who the best of all time is. When we talk about drummers, you don’t have much of a conversation about some of the best percussionists out there until Lars Ulrich is brought up, and rightly so.
As one of the founding members of one of the greatest rock bands of all time, Metallica, Lars Ulrich is often cited as one of the greatest drummers ever to pick up sticks. His drumming style is chaotic, as Metallica often dips and weaves in and out of different styles and intensities of music. However, despite the chaos, he can also give enough structure to songs to hold everything together successfully.
There were a number of drummers who came before Ulrich who were massive influences on the instrument. In fact, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that Ulrich wouldn’t have amounted to the drummer he did without the influence of some of the early names in rock, metal and prog. Two of the biggest names from these movements are Neil Peart from Rush and John Bonham from Led Zeppelin.
It’s common for fans of both bands to debate who they think the better artist is. They have different styles of playing and contributed to very different bands, so it’s tough to say with any certainty who would be the best. This leads to elongated, heated debates between fans, as they always struggle to settle on who comes out above the other.
During a heated debate on the Howard Stern Show, Stern got Ulrich on the other end of the line to see if he could conclude the ongoing debate. He has a lot of love for Neil Peart, both because of what he has achieved as a drummer and what he’s like as a person. Ulrich recalls when Metallica was merely a twinkle in the music industry’s eye; Peart was supportive and enthusiastic about their music.
“I was 20 years old, not a pot to piss in […] I was so intimidated and so awestruck,” said Ulrich, looking back on the day that Peart rang him, “Neil was just like a rock god. We spoke 30, 45 minutes on the phone and we’re geeking out on drums […] The whole thing was like a fairytale.”
Although Ulrich is a big fan of Rush and Neil Peart, he admitted that he thought John Bonham was better out of the two. Despite being a close call, he admitted there is something about Bonham that’s difficult to put your finger on, an unspoken quality only possessed by those at the top of their game.
“I’ve been asked that question on and off for 40 years, it’s very hard,” said Ulrich, “No disrespect to Neil but I’ll have to go with John Bonham. ‘When the Levee Breaks’ and you know, songs like ‘All My Love’, that’s just sort of the blueprint for that pocket that I continue to want to bring to Metallica … that’s just my inspiration.”
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