Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

An electrifying journey through the history of rock and roll, told through the lives of fifteen iconic drummers and their percussion rivalsfrom 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.

Lingans deep research and vivid storytelling explores the lives of fifteen pathbreaking drummers and their fellow timekeepersmen and women who together laid down the beat of an era. From Bernard Purdies legendary work with Aretha Franklin to Dave Grohls 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 doesnt stop therehe 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 rocks evolution from the blues.

Packed with insider stories and exclusive interviewsfrom Robert Plants reflections on Led Zeppelins legendary sessions to superstar recording engineer Steve Albinis behind-the-scenes accountsBackbeats offers an eye-opening glimpse into some of rocks most unforgettable moments, including the seismic shift of Dylan going electric at Newport, James Browns 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. Its a must-read for any music lover, offering a fresh and thrilling perspective on a story we only thought we knew.

Reviews

A thrilling ride through rock n roll history told from a perspective we dont know well enough: the drummers. In exquisite detail and deft prose, John Lingan relates the creative insights and technical mastery of 15 of rocks most influential groove merchantsmany still unsung. In doing so, he reclaims the rock narrative from all those frontmen and guitarists, showing how the wizards at the back of the stage were moving the music all along. Like a crisp backbeat, Lingans chapters carry us through exciting, unheralded tales of the stage and studio, rendering the great rock n roll story anew.
Ian S. Port, author of The Birth of Loud: Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped Rock n Roll

While singers and guitar players soak up most of the spotlight, its the drummer in the back who shovels the coal and keeps the whole damn engine moving. InBackbeatsJohn Lingan delivers an intelligent, heartfelt, and long-overdue tribute to the unsung heroes of modern music. Because lets face itif it aint got that swing, it dont mean a thing.
Brad Tolinski, coauthor ofPlay It Loud: An Epic History of the Style, Sound, and Revolution of the Electric Guitar

With passion and deep knowledge, John Lingan weaves together the history of popular music via fifteen essays about pivotal drummers,musicians who were integralto moving music forward. The only moments I put this book down were to pause and listen to the perfect examples thatLingan, a drummer himself, cites as crucial moments in recordings. Someonetold me that drummers are like baseball catchers; they call the game and see thewhole field. Here we see and hear the music of our lives unfolding from that wide perspective.
Bill Janovitz, New York Times bestselling author of Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Times Journey Through Rock & Roll History

Backbeats glows with enthusiasm and delivers an insightful glimpse into the sultans of swing who create fire by rubbing two sticks together.
Bob Spitz, New York Times bestselling author of The Beatles: The Biography and Led Zeppelin: The Biography

Sitting ten feet from stardom, drummers have had a central but slightly removed view of rock n roll. A drummer himself, John Lingan captures that unique perspective, sharing the stories, supporting the key contributions of heroes known and unsung, from Sam Lay to Dave Grohl. Lingan holds these stories together in steady rhythm, keeping them in synch with the largerpoint of drummers' importance, while delivering to the reader something fresh and different. Its a hit.
Preston Lauterbach, author of Wall Street Journal Book of the Year The Chitlin Circuit: And the Road to Rock n Roll

Author Bio

John Lingan is the author ofBackbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in Fifteen Drummers; Homeplace: A Southern Town, a Country Legend, and the Last Days of a Mountaintop Honky-Tonk; andA Song for Everyone: The Story of Creedence Clearwater Revival, named one of the Best Music Books of 2022 byVariety. He has written forThe New York Times Magazine,The Washington Post,The Nation, andThe Oxford American, among many other publications. He lives in Maryland.