Kick It: A Social History of the Drum Kit

by Matt Brennan

The drum kit has provided the pulse of popular music from before the dawn of jazz up to the present day pop charts. Kick It, a provocative social history of the instrument, looks closely at key innovators in the development of the drum kit: inventors and manufacturers like the Ludwig and Zildjian dynasties, jazz icons like Gene Krupa and Max Roach, rock stars from Ringo Starr to Keith Moon, and popular artists who haven't always got their dues as drummers, such as Karen Carpenter and J Dilla. Tackling the history of race relations, global migration, and the changing tension between high and low culture, author Matt Brennan makes the case for the drum kit's role as one of the most transformative musical inventions of the modern era. Kick It shows how the drum kit and drummers helped change modern music--and society as a whole--from the bottom up.

Genres: Music, History, Nonfiction

384 pages, Paperback

Published February 11, 2020

About the author

Matt Brennan writes books about music. His latest book, "Kick It: A Social History of the Drum Kit" (2020) was hailed as "compulsory reading" by Bill Bruford. His previous book "When Genres Collide" (2017) was named as one of Pitchfork's "Favourite Music Books of 2017" and was shortlisted for "Best Music & Performing Arts" book at the 2018 PROSE Awards. By day, Matt is Reader in Popular Music at the University of Glasgow. By night, he plays in a one-man band called Citizen Bravo.

Reviews

[Simon Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a drummer I found this book educational, insightful and fascinating. It's interesting to read about the development of drums and drumming in such well-researched detail. However, hearing of the drums' development against a backdrop of huge social and economic change, their role in bolstering tired old racial tropes and being a mainstay of the USA's burgeoning capitalist economy, makes for absorbing reading. There's quotes from your favourite drummers for sure but this is a book about much more than drums.

[Tom Schlueter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first couple of chapters were interesting, explaining the links between slaves bringing over drums from Africa and how drummers were often considered the bottom rung of any band. But, the author needed more focus as he continued throughout time. There seemed to be a lot of repetition of themes. He would circle back to Ringo Starr or Gene Krupa again and again. And similar to one of my biggest pet peeves -- the useless word "literally," Brennan was stuck on the word "indeed" to begin far too many sentences. Since I was listening to this on Audible, I would hear the word and cringe. Overall, an average book. But, hey, it's about drums, and that's a good thing. :)

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some fairly deep drum-nerding here. And so I loved this - a huge story told from the pre history of the drum kit through to the DJ Shadows and J Dillas of this world - people that didn’t ever play the drum kit but are totally drummers.

[Austin Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly deep and insightful.