John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums (Paperback)

~ Welch (Author), Chris Welch (Author), Geoff Nicholls (Author) "John Henry Bonham was born on May 31st 1948 in Redditch, Worcestershire, in the Midlands of England..." (more)
Key Phrases: Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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.

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; illustrated edition edition (October 10, 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: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #67,907 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 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)

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.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reso Head, June 24, 2005

By	Sunshine Greeny - See all my reviews

It's always interesting to find out what makes other drummers tick. This book offers plenty of insight into the legendary Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham; kit configurations, heads, tuning, etc., but not a great deal more than what you could generally surmise if you're a drummer who was influenced early on by Bonham's playing.
He used the Buddy Rich, Big Beat era kit and tuning, with coated Emperor heads, with the reso side tuned a third higher, so when the batter side is struck, the drum produces a nice, fat, resonant big bottom sound. Bonham was one of the first recognizable rock drummers to utilize a smaller kit comprised of very large diameter shells; 14" tom tom, 16" & 18" floors toms, and the trademark oversized 26" bass drum. Later, the "ching ring" on the hats would also become a Bonham signature.

As a youngster, I got my first kit in the early 80s, an orange sparkle Ludwig trap kit, and immediately set about mimicking the sound and feel of drummers who were in late 60s, early 70s bands: Ginger Baker, of Cream, Carmine Appice, of Vanilla Fudge, Paul Whaley, of the notorious LSD-guzzling Blue Cheer, and of course, Bill Ward, of Black Sabbath.
But if you're inspired by those sounds, what drummer wouldn't be influenced by Bonham's "Dazed & Confused" fills, or the bass-heavy stomp of "When The Levee Breaks," or the double and triplet bass notes in "Good Times Bad Times?"
Maybe he wasn't the most versatile drummer(like many good rock drummers, he was self taught), but his style, the sheer heaviness of the wallop he brought to heavy metal, and particularly to his "Moby Dick" solo's, more than made up for it. He's influenced more garage band bashers than anyone could count. His playing reflected a spirituality, and one which he took seriously, comparing misusing and neglecting drums to being just one step below child abuse.

I still play now more than ever, and have a couple of Bonham-sized Ludwig kits, one of which is done in green sparkle, as something of an homage to Bonham, who used that particular kit to record most of the Zeppelin records. "A Thunder of Drums" is a good book for fans or drummers in general. Let the free form flow...

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

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

By A Customer

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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.