Saturday 21 February 2015

Born to Drum by Tony Barrell

Born to Drum: The Truth about the World's Greatest Drummers--From John Bonham and Keith Moon to Sheila E. and Dave Grohl by Tony Barrell
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

To have a great band you need a great drummer. For the first time, Tony Barrell shines a long-overdue spotlight on these musicians, offering an exciting look into their world, their art, and their personalities. In Born to Drum, he interviews some of the most famous, revered, and influential drummers of our time—including Chad Smith, Ginger Baker, Clem Burke, Sheila E., Phil Collins, Nick Mason, Patty Schemel, Butch Vig, and Omar Hakim—who share astonishing truths about their work and lives. He investigates the stories of late, great drummers such as Keith Moon and John Bonham, analyzes many of the greatest drum tracks ever recorded, and introduces us to the world’s fastest and loudest drummers, as well as the first musician to pilot a “flying drum kit” onstage.

Filled with fascinating insights into the trade and little-known details about the greats, Born to Drum elevates drummers and their achievements to their rightful place in music lore and pop culture.

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This book was deeply fascinating to read even though I didn't recognize many names in this book. That is one thing I found quite peculiar that I knew of many bands and never knew the drummer's name. I started reading this book thinking that hopefully I would about Phil Collins and Roger Taylor (of Queen, not Duran Duran) and I got what I wished for and so much more. There was so much information here, anecdotes, interesting theories (no not all the drummers are batshit crazy like Keith Moon lol) and I learned a lot. It was interesting to read about women who drums, a subject I knew very, very little about and as I'm a bit morbid did I like reading about drummers that died or almost died because of drugs and alcohol. Don't take drugs and drive if you are a drummer btw!

Another thing I found very interesting besides everything I learned in this book is how I listen to music while and after I read the book, suddenly I'm listening to drums in a whole new way. I have always liked drums, but now old songs feel like new songs when I listen to the drums...

I recommend this book to all music nerds out there!
Thank you Edelweiss for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

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