Overview

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.

Full Product Details

9781668056240

Table of Contents

Reviews

“A thrilling ride through rock ‘n’ roll history told from a perspective we don’t know well enough: the drummer’s. In exquisite detail and deft prose, John Lingan relates the creative insights and technical mastery of 15 of rock’s most influential groove merchants—many 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, Lingan’s 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, it’s the drummer in the back who shovels the coal and keeps the whole damn engine moving. In Backbeats John Lingan delivers an intelligent, heartfelt, and long-overdue tribute to the unsung heroes of modern music. Because let’s face it—if it ain’t got that swing, it don’t mean a thing.” —Brad Tolinski, coauthor of Play 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 integral to moving music forward. The only moments I put this book down were to pause and listen to the perfect examples that Lingan, a drummer himself, cites as crucial moments in recordings. Someone told me that drummers are like baseball catchers; they call the game and see the whole 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 Time’s 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 larger point of drummers' importance, while delivering to the reader something fresh and different. It’s a hit.” —Preston Lauterbach, author of Wall Street Journal Book of the Year The Chitlin Circuit: And the Road to Rock ‘n’ Roll  

“With passion and deep knowledge, John Lingan weaves together the history of popular music via fifteen essays about pivotal drummers, musicians who were integral to moving music forward. The only moments I put this book down were to pause and listen to the perfect examples that Lingan, a drummer himself, cites as crucial moments in recordings. Someone told me that drummers are like baseball catchers; they call the game and see the whole 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 Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History “While singers and guitar players soak up most of the spotlight, it’s the drummer in the back who shovels the coal and keeps the whole damn engine moving. In Backbeats John Lingan delivers an intelligent, heartfelt, and long-overdue tribute to the unsung heroes of modern music. Because let’s face it —if it ain’t got that swing, it don’t mean a thing.” —Brad Tolinski, author of Play It Loud: An Epic History of the Style, Sound, and Revolution of the Electric Guitar “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

“A thrilling ride through rock ‘n’ roll history told from a perspective we don’t know well enough: the drummer’s. In exquisite detail and deft prose, John Lingan relates the creative insights and technical mastery of 15 of rock’s most influential groove merchants—many 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, Lingan’s 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, it’s the drummer in the back who shovels the coal and keeps the whole damn engine moving. In Backbeats John Lingan delivers an intelligent, heartfelt, and long-overdue tribute to the unsung heroes of modern music. Because let’s face it—if it ain’t got that swing, it don’t mean a thing.” —Brad Tolinski, author of Play 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 integral to moving music forward. The only moments I put this book down were to pause and listen to the perfect examples that Lingan, a drummer himself, cites as crucial moments in recordings. Someone told me that drummers are like baseball catchers; they call the game and see the whole 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 Time’s 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

Author Information

John Lingan is the author of Backbeats: 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; and A Song for Everyone: The Story of Creedence Clearwater Revival, named one of the Best Music Books of 2022 by Variety. He has written for The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The Nation, and The Oxford American, among many other publications. He lives in Maryland. 

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