BACKBEATS

Pounding it out.

Music writer Lingan wastes no time in explaining why he chose drummers as the subject of his new book: “Why shouldn’t drums and drummers get a chance to be the main characters of this story for once, after shaping it continuously for so long?” The 15 chapters that follow, each about an influential percussionist, put the musicians in the spotlight, and it makes for fascinating reading. Lingan covers many of the usual suspects—Ringo Starr of the Beatles, Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones, and John Bonham of Led Zeppelin—and skillfully explains their innovations and the influence they had on the rock world. But it’s the non-household names that are truly interesting and that bring out some of the author’s best writing. On Hal Blaine’s performance on the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” he writes, “It’s more than a beat, really, it’s a unique feel, as much as the Cuban clave or a blues shuffle.” And he writes that Al Jackson Jr.’s memorable drums on Booker T. & the M.G.’s “Green Onions” “give the song its danger, too, its military stride.” Lingan does a terrific job explaining the technical aspects of drumming to a lay audience; this book is accessible to any rock fan, even ones who don’t know the difference between a snare and a tom. There is, unfortunately, one flaw: Of the 15 drummers featured, only one—Moe Tucker of the Velvet Underground—is a woman. Lingan does give brief shout-outs to female drummers, including Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney), Sandy West (the Runaways), and Gina Schock (the Go-Go’s), but any one of them could have had her own chapter, to say nothing of Karen Carpenter, one of the greatest musicians to ever sit behind the kit, who doesn’t even get a mention.

Loud but often overlooked, drummers get their due in this entertaining survey.