The Drummer [Paperback]

Anthony Neil Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2006

80's band Savage Night was living the hair-metal fantasy when they discover they're in debt while touring overseas. To avoid the IRS, The Drummer shaves his head-banging locks and fakes his own suicide. Fifteen years later, the Singer has tracked him down in hopes of convincing him to come out of hiding for a reunion tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Merle Johnson's past is catching up with him in this enjoyable, if unremarkable, novel from Smith (Psychosomatic). A drummer for the 1980's heavy metal band Savage Night, Cal Christopher quits the music scene in 1990, burns down his mansion and fakes his own death, leaving his band-mates mid-tour and facing bankruptcy. Fourteen years later, living as "Merle" in New Orleans, he's tracked down by ex-lead singer Todd Delacroix, who tries to blackmail him into a band reunion. When he finds Todd laid out in his hotel room, surrounded by bottles of booze and a suicide note exposing Merle's true identity Merle grabs the note and goes on the run from the cops, the press, the IRS and a couple of mystery men. Faces from the past resurface, including former bandmate Doug, who is dying of AIDS, and his sister Alison, Merle's old flame. It all leads up to a messy surprise ending that defies rational explanation, winding down much too fast much too easily. Nevertheless, it's a fun read about drugs, rock and roll, brawls and banging (drums, groupies and otherwise). A portion of the book's proceeds go to Katrina charities.
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About the Author

Anthony Neil Smith is the author of the novel, Psychosomatic, and for five years, served as co-editor of the cult crime fiction site, Plots With Guns.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Two Dollar Radio Movement (September 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976389525
• ISBN-13: 978-0976389521
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,593,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write crime novels. Well, I call them that, but there's a lot of other stuff going on in them, too. PSYCHOSOMATIC, THE DRUMMER, YELLOW MEDICINE, and HOGDOGGIN'.

My e-original CHOKE ON YOUR LIES was published in January 2011.

ALL THE YOUNG WARRIORS from Blasted Heath Press was published on Nov. 1st, '11.

I publish the online noir zine PLOTS WITH GUNS (www.plotswithguns.com), currently edited by Sean O'Kane.

I'm the Director of Creative Writing at Southwest Minnesota State University.

I'm hungry a lot. I like tacos. I like steaks. I like red wine. Usually cheap red wine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rockin' Read, April 28, 2011

By 

Neal Hock "bookhound78" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Drummer (Kindle Edition)

Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. Toss in some secrets and a man on the run. What more could you ask for from a book? It's all there in The Drummer by Anthony Neil Smith.

Merle Johnson is a man of secrets. Lots of them. Deep, dark secrets that haunt him every day of his life. He wants to be left alone and have a "normal" life. So he moves to New Orleans and buys a former funeral home to live in, attempting to just blend in. But the secrets from his past come roaring back one night when a man from his former life shows up at the bar. Soon, the life Merle has tried so hard to put together begins to crumble right before his eyes. Not only might his secrets be exposed, but people's lives now hang in the balance. As he tries to hold everything together, Merle is pushed to his breaking point. Can he ever reclaim the quiet life he worked hard to create and so desperately desires?

I loved this book. I wasn't sure what to expect when I read the book description, but this one sucked me in from the get-go and wouldn't let go. It's much more than just a book about rock 'n' roll; it's crime, love, and mystery all rolled up in one. An atmospheric story with grittiness throughout, you'll feel like you're on the run in New Orleans with Merle. Smith describes it as his "love song to New Orleans," and that's a very apt description. If you're a fan of authors such as James Lee Burke and Tom Piccirilli, make sure you read The Drummer. Or if you're a fan of good stories, read The Drummer. Heck, just go read The Drummer.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rock On!, April 28, 2011

By 

Debbie - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Drummer (Kindle Edition)

I discovered this from a promo in an amazon forum (so it does pay off). I was a rock fan in the 1980s and this certainly brought back memories for me. Descriptions of New Orleans were lush and detailed and I could have been there - same for the life of a rock star. I suspect the author secretly *was* a rock star and this may be an autobiography! :-)

Enjoyed this a lot. Rich, full of flavour and a great read.

Oh and to clear up any misunderstandings - I do not know the author. I just bought and read his book.

5.0 out of 5 stars More Thrilling than Diamond Dave Doing a Karate Kick, December 5, 2011

By 

Jim Gavin - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Drummer (Kindle Edition)

I will say one thing about this book. You don't have to have been to NOLA prior to Katrina, but it helps a lot. I had been twice myself but never made it back before the storm hit. So my cursory knowledge of the city helped me enjoy it and also gave the story a flavor of nostalgia. Thanks, ANS, by the way, since I was drunk when my friend took me to that bar where they had the flamenco dancing and I couldn't remember the name (El Matador). Wonder if it's still there.

Either way, this is a great noir thriller that takes the trope of the man escaping his past and gives it a fresh twist by having the hero escape not from gangsters, but from the world of hair metal, and the constant threat of the shame of a reunion tour hanging over his head that starts the plot going. Smith's passion for the city shines through and really makes you feel like the hero has something to lose - he's not just another drifter, he's found a home, and now he has to find a way to keep it.

If you're old enough to remember when hair metal was cool then you are caapable of appreciating this book. Maybe younger kids could but then they might find the flashbacks to the 80s to be funny instead of nostalgic and kind of sad.

I bought this a while ago but for some reason kept putting it off. Maybe I knew that when I started reading it, I'd have to finish it in one sitting. Smith really makes you feel like he knows this world of music and glamor as well as the gritty streets of New Orleans.