The Led Zeppelin song John Bonham hated so much that he refused to try – Far Out Magazine

Led Zeppelinenjoyed a stellar career, with almost everything they created remaining cherished by fans and critics alike. From the high-octane blues rock of their eponymous debut to the pastoral dreamland ofLed Zeppelin IVand even hard progressive rock ofPhysical Graffiti, there are many highlights in their back catalogue, with most of them standing the test of time.

Theres a reason that the English quartet were able to fill the void left by The Beatles with such ease, as the combined brilliance of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham was such a powerful force that all their contemporaries were no match for it.

However, this doesnt mean that they didnt produce misfires. Be itLed Zeppelin IIIorPresence,there are numerous moments in the bands discography that have long been the source of debate between fans and even the band members themselves. One of the most notorious is Dyer Maker, a song taken from the 1973 albumHouses of the Holy. To many people, it is the track that lets an otherwise perfect record down.

Meant to imitate reggae and dub, Dyer Maker is one of the most dated tracks that Led Zeppelin released, and even at the time, drummer Bonham had a major problem with it. As pointed out by John Paul Jones, Bonhams performance reflected just how much he despised the song. According to him, Bonham wasnt a fan of the reggae genre, nor the style of drumming that came with it.

John was interested in everything except jazz and reggae, Jones is quoted as saying Chris WelchsJohn Bonham: A Thunder of Drums. He didnt hate jazz but he hated playing reggae he thought it was really boring.

He wouldnt play anything but the same shuffle beat all the way through it, Jones recalled to Welch, adding thatBonhamhad such a disdain for the track that this is what resulted in its lack of groove. The drumming hero hated it so much that he put very little effort into his part, with Jones claiming that if hed worked more at it, the final product would have been much better.

Jones opined: It would have been all right if he had worked at the part, [but] he wouldnt, so it sounded dreadful.

Despite maintaining that the song would have been better if Bonham had tried harder, Jones also revealed that he agreed with Bonham, going as far as to call it dreadful because their rhythm section did not stick to the golden rule of a reggae band. He told Welch: The whole point of reggae is that the drums and bass really have to be very strict about what they play.

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The Led Zeppelin song John Bonham hated so much that he refused to try - Far Out Magazine