Backbeats
A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers
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- $20.99
Publisher Description
An electrifying journey through the history of rock and roll, told through the lives of fifteen iconic drummers and their percussion rivals—from John Bonham and Charlie Watts to Ringo Starr and Questlove.
Rock and roll thrives on rhythm, but the drummers who drive that pulse often stay in the shadows. In Backbeats, acclaimed music historian John Lingan brings these unsung heroes into the spotlight, delivering a fascinating journey through six decades of rock history.
Lingan’s deep research and vivid storytelling explores the lives of fifteen pathbreaking drummers and their fellow timekeepers—men and women who together laid down the beat of an era. From Bernard Purdie’s legendary work with Aretha Franklin to Dave Grohl’s funk- and punk-indebted swing for Nirvana, these drummers redefined what was possible in pop music. Iconic figures like Ringo Starr, whose inventive style transformed the Beatles, and Charlie Watts, the steady backbone of the Rolling Stones, take center stage. But Lingan doesn’t stop there—he also shines a light on groundbreaking, underappreciated talents like Maureen Tucker of The Velvet Underground, whose minimalist beats rewrote the rulebook, and Sam Lay, a pivotal figure in rock’s evolution from the blues.
Packed with insider stories and exclusive interviews—from Robert Plant’s reflections on Led Zeppelin’s legendary sessions to superstar recording engineer Steve Albini’s behind-the-scenes accounts—Backbeats offers an eye-opening glimpse into some of rock’s most unforgettable moments, including the seismic shift of Dylan going electric at Newport, James Brown’s explosive creation of funk in the late sixties, and the birth of LA thrash metal in the early eighties.
More than just a tribute to an unrecognized group of virtuosos, this book is a love letter to the art of drumming itself. Backbeats shows how these remarkable artists not only kept the beat but drove rock and roll forward. It’s a must-read for any music lover, offering a fresh and thrilling perspective on a story we only thought we knew.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Music writer Lingan (Homeplace) celebrates the unsung musicians "who often go uncredited, who sit all night between the amps," with this animated tribute to 15 of rock's most influential drummers. Covering the 1950s to the 2010s, he highlights famous names like the Beatles' Ringo Starr and the Rolling Stones' Charlie Watts, whose sense of pace and rhythm shaped the "refined looseness" of the band's sound. Less well-known names include Hal Blaine, who recorded for Phil Spector and with the Beach Boys, and who added accessories to the drum kit that expanded the range of notes one could play, inspiring the "sprawling drum rigs" of Van Halen's Alex Van Halen and Rush's Neil Pert. Also spotlighted is Moe Tucker of the Velvet Underground, who shattered "all the usual requirements for drummers" with her "strange" kit (it featured "an upturned bass drum that she hit with a mallet, and no cymbals") and unconventional image and performance style (after her, drummers "no longer had to be a boy, be traditionally technically gifted, or even play sitting down with four limbs"). Closing out the book are odes to Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) and Questlove (the Roots), both of whom have married newer technology with a classic rock sound. Peppered with colorful anecdotes (Ringo Starr "played with such wild force that stagehands would screw a plywood plank to the back of his risers to prevent his stool from skidding off"), the profiles shed light on how drummers have helped shape rock music's "many sounds and styles." It's both a vibrant group biography and a fresh perspective on what makes rock and roll special.
