John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums [Paperback]

Jeff Nicholls (Author), Chris Welch (Author), Geoff Nicholls (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

John Henry "Bonzo" Bonham was the godfather of hard rock drumming - and he remains an idol to legions of Led Zeppelin and heavy metal fans worldwide. Although Bonham had to be courted away from more lucrative offers, he joined the newly formed band in 1968, helping guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant create such famous songs as "Stairway to Heaven" and "Kashmir" until his sudden death in 1980 at the age of 32. His unmistakable drum patterns are among the most emulated and sampled by todayÕs rock drummers. This book is the first biography focusing on Bonham, providing a detailed track-by-track analysis of his greatest recordings, 45 color photos, and the most detailed and accurate inventory ever of BonhamÕs drum kits and percussion equipment.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chris Welch is the author of numerous biographies and profiles of rock musicians, including the forthcoming Ginger Geezer: Vivian Stanshall and the Story of The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. Welch served as chief reporter for Melody Maker, the UK's leading pop newspaper of the 1960s. Geoff Nicholls is a professional musician and writer. He wrote the award-winning BBC radio series "Byte The Music," and was the drummer/presenter on BBC TV's "Rockschool" series. Contributor to publications ranging from Melody Maker to The Independent, Nicholls coauthored Making Music's drum gear guide What Drum and wrote the acclaimed Rock Drum Method for drum manufacturer Boosey & Hawkes. Chris Welch is the author of numerous biographies and profiles of rock musicians, including the forthcoming Ginger Geezer: Vivian Stanshall and the Story of The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. Welch served as chief reporter for Melody Maker, the UK's leading pop newspaper of the 1960s. Geoff Nicholls is a professional musician and writer. He wrote the award-winning BBC radio series "Byte The Music," and was the drummer/presenter on BBC TV's "Rockschool" series. Contributor to publications ranging from Melody Maker to The Independent, Nicholls coauthored Making Music's drum gear guide What Drum and wrote the acclaimed Rock Drum Method for drum manufacturer Boosey & Hawkes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Backbeat Books (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879306580
• ISBN-13: 978-0879306588
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,181 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Place to Start, May 29, 2003

By 

D. Hawkins (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums (Paperback)

It's nice to finally see a book that focuses on Zeppelin's secret weapon, Bonzo. Not only was he one of the greatest ever, his drum SOUND was without parallel. Reading about how he tuned his drums and other information about he got that sound was invaluable. Like another reviewer stated, too much time was spent on his pre-Zep days, and not enough as part of Hammer of the Gods era. The last chapter, with individual tracks explained was great, but it also have been nice to see some transcriptions of some of his amazing fills, etc. If you buy this book, you also owe it to yourself to buy the new Zeppelin DVD, which allows to see Bonzo in action in a serious way for the first time (it's light years better than "The Song Remains the Same."). If you do want to know where John's greatness came from, this book is a good place to start.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bonzo fans must have!, December 5, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums (Paperback)

The book is very insightful for Bonham's pre-Zeppelin years, then it kind of glazes over the Zep days. There are a few stories from Plant and Jones, but none from Page, which surprised me. There are a couple blatant and obvious errors by the author(s) which stunned me... "Kashmir on Led Zeppelin 4..." "Bonham was 31 yrs old when he died..." (he was 32). It's listed as a paperback, it is, but its appx. 10" x 12" which make the many new photos look great. I'm ready to order another one just to cut some of the new photos out.
I am a drummer and Bonham was my hero. This is a must have book for any Bonzo fan. It breaks down every Zep drum track at the end, which was pretty cool. There is a lot of "Kings English" for Yankees to decipher also. All in all, a great look at the world's greatest drummer. Worth every cent of the price.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Little More About Zep For Misss-Ter Bohnam, Please!!, January 4, 2002

By 

Christopher W. Hager (Bloomfield, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums (Paperback)

At long last an exclusive read about this genius, but it still doesn't do the trick. While I am very interested in Bonzo's pre-Zep days, and how it came to be that he joined Page, Plant, and Jones (although it's mostly well-known by now), I was hoping for an in-depth look and analysis of him as Zep's drummer, the guy I admire so much. Unfortunately, that's not in this book. What I did find was meticulous detail about his adolescent meandering through the local music scene where he lived, leaving one band to join another, and (surprisingly) dressing in somewhat of flashy manner. I wasn't expecting that. I also wasn't expecting this book to devote so much to his pre-Zep work, which is largely uncirculated, while leaving untouched much of his beloved Zep work. Granted, the analysis of select songs he played is on the money, but there's gotta be a whole lotta info about John Henry as Zep's drummer that's yet to be published. Maybe it'll be in the yet-to-be published book by his late brother? Or maybe a biography with contributions from Page, Plant, and Jones (just wishing)? Who knows. Either way, this book is long overdue for those who admire so much of what he meant to Zep's unprecedented sound, and it offers a lot of poignant insights into John that make the book well worth owning. There are also a slew of beautiful pictures that I've never seen before. Five stars is reserved for the book about Bonzo as Zep's drummer.