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Beast: John Bonham and the Rise of Led Zeppelin
The first biography of Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, considered by many to be one of the greatest drummers in rock history, and a genuine wild man of epic (and sadly fatal) proportions.
'BEAST' is the first-ever biography of the iconic John Bonham, considered by many to be one of the greatest (if not the greatest) rock drummer of all time. Bonham first learned to play the drums at the age of five, and despite never taking formal lessons, began drumming for local bands immediately upon graduating from secondary school. By the late 1960s, Bonham was looking for a more solid gig in order to provide his growing family with a more regular income. Meanwhile, following the dissolution of the popular blues rock band The Yardbirds, lead guitarist Jimmy Page sought the company of new bandmates to help him record an album and tour Scandinavia as the New Yardbirds. A few months later, Bonham was recruited to join the band who would eventually become known as Led Zeppelin-and before the year was out, Bonham and his three bandmates would become the richest rock band in the world.
In their first year, Led Zeppelin released two albums and completed four US and four UK concert tours. As their popularity exploded, they moved from ballrooms and smaller clubs to larger auditoriums, and eventually started selling out full arenas. Throughout the 1970s, Led Zeppelin reached new heights of commercial and critical success, making them one of the most influential groups of the era, both in musical style and in their approach towards the workings of the entertainment industry. They added extravagant lasers, light shows, and mirror balls to their performances; wore flamboyant and often glittering outfits; traveled in a private jet airliner and rented out entire sections of hotels; and soon become the subject of frequently repeated stories of debauchery and destruction while on tour. In 1977, the group performed what would be their final live appearance in the US, following months of rising fervor and rioting from their fandom. And in September of 1980, Bonham-plagued by alcoholism, anxiety, and the after-effects of years of excess-was found dead by his bandmates.
To this day, Bonham is posthumously described as one of the most important, well-known, and influential drummers in rock, topping best of lists describing him as an inimitable, all-time great. As Adam Budofsky, managing editor of 'Modern Drummer', explained, "If the king of rock 'n' roll was Elvis Presley, then the king of rock drumming was certainly John Bonham."
'BEAST' is the first-ever biography of the iconic John Bonham, considered by many to be one of the greatest (if not the greatest) rock drummer of all time. Bonham first learned to play the drums at the age of five, and despite never taking formal lessons, began drumming for local bands immediately upon graduating from secondary school. By the late 1960s, Bonham was looking for a more solid gig in order to provide his growing family with a more regular income. Meanwhile, following the dissolution of the popular blues rock band The Yardbirds, lead guitarist Jimmy Page sought the company of new bandmates to help him record an album and tour Scandinavia as the New Yardbirds. A few months later, Bonham was recruited to join the band who would eventually become known as Led Zeppelin-and before the year was out, Bonham and his three bandmates would become the richest rock band in the world.
In their first year, Led Zeppelin released two albums and completed four US and four UK concert tours. As their popularity exploded, they moved from ballrooms and smaller clubs to larger auditoriums, and eventually started selling out full arenas. Throughout the 1970s, Led Zeppelin reached new heights of commercial and critical success, making them one of the most influential groups of the era, both in musical style and in their approach towards the workings of the entertainment industry. They added extravagant lasers, light shows, and mirror balls to their performances; wore flamboyant and often glittering outfits; traveled in a private jet airliner and rented out entire sections of hotels; and soon become the subject of frequently repeated stories of debauchery and destruction while on tour. In 1977, the group performed what would be their final live appearance in the US, following months of rising fervor and rioting from their fandom. And in September of 1980, Bonham-plagued by alcoholism, anxiety, and the after-effects of years of excess-was found dead by his bandmates.
To this day, Bonham is posthumously described as one of the most important, well-known, and influential drummers in rock, topping best of lists describing him as an inimitable, all-time great. As Adam Budofsky, managing editor of 'Modern Drummer', explained, "If the king of rock 'n' roll was Elvis Presley, then the king of rock drumming was certainly John Bonham."
15 pages, Audio CD
First published September 7, 2021
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July 5, 2021
Four Stars
I remember after The Beatles had just broken up in 1970 my older brother bringing home a Led Zeppelin album and saying that this band was going to be the next big thing. I never was much enamoured of them, but enjoyed listening to my brother's band belt out Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song", white strobe lights pulsating, in a local club in the early eighties. Then I purchased a Led Zeppelin boxed set in the 90's for my husband, which I lightly borrowed- but it wasn't a huge favorite. I admit I am mesmerized watching old concert footage of a beautiful, young Jimmy Page making guitar god moves in black velvet embroidered stage outfits. But when all is said and done, I am more mystified and intrigued by the tragedies that befell this group, along with Jimmy Page's interest in the occult, and how the band ceased to be after the untimely early death of its drummer, John Bonham. After watching a recent Dan Rather interview with Robert Plant, it sparked my interest in them again and I've been purchasing kindle books on Led Zeppelin and its individual band members to delve into their history further. So when I saw this offering I jumped at the chance to read it.
I came to this book only knowing that John Bonham died from alcohol intoxication / choking on his own vomit in his sleep. After reading this biography, his early death seems inevitable. He grew up in Birmingham, England, and had a very strong sense of home. He hated to leave it. He met his wife Pat when they were teenagers, and she was soon pregnant and they married quickly. He loved her intensely and never strayed from her. They first had a son Jason, and years later, a daughter named Zoe. John Bonham's father "Jacko" owned a construction company, and John and his brother Mick both worked there. John would be doing carpentry work for his father's business during the day, and play drums late into the night with various bands. He had his wife and son to support, so he had to make sure he had a regular job for security. Although he was a great and inventive drummer, sometimes his drumming was so loud and powerful he would get kicked out of bands. Robert Plant lived in the same area known as "Black Country" and they were friends before they were ever famous.
Jimmy Page was in The Yardbirds and was also a hard working session guitarist. When The Yardbirds were reaching its demise, Page was looking to create his own band. When bassist John Paul Jones heard that Page was creating this band, he asked if he could join. Jones was also a well known session musician, but much more than that. His biggest, time-consuming job was creating arrangements for studio recordings of the musical outfits that hired him. It was an overwhelming job, and he just wanted to get out and play with a band. Bonham was already touring with a band and making a regular guaranteed income, which wife Pat much approved of. So it was a leap of faith and a blessing when she agreed for John to join this newly created band which would at first tour as "The New Yardbirds", because The Yardbirds contractually still had a tour booked to fulfill. At the end of these remaining gigs, they changed their name officially to Led Zeppelin. This name came about when rumors spread about Page scouring the music scene for promising young musicians. Drummer for The Who Keith Moon predicted that Page's ambition to expand the scope of hard rock would "go down like a lead balloon", while bassist John Entwistle corrected his band colleague: it would "go down like a lead Zeppelin".
John Bonham became famous for his 15-30 minute drum solos which were never boring. He originally named them "Pat's Delight" after his wife, but was later renamed "Moby Dick". He even used just his bare hands at times during these solos, as well as incorporated sonic accents. He preferred Ludwig drum kits, and a new one was delivered to Headley Grange, a small Hampshire manor (purportedly haunted) where Zeppelin recorded some of their albums. Not wanting to transport this large drum kit upstairs to other floors, the kit was assembled in the massive entrance hallway in front of the spiral staircase. This turned out to be a fortuitous accident as it created an incredible drum sound on "When the Levee Breaks".
When Led Zeppelin started making huge money, they had to stay out of England a certain amount of days for tax shelter reasons. This turned out to be a huge problem for Bonham. He was a homebody, and missed his wife and kids desperately. He drank heavily and got into loads of trouble trashing hotel rooms and getting into fights with people. Reading about these incidents was very disturbing for all the senseless destruction that took place in various hotels. Bonham also became famous for attending other band's concerts and insisting on taking over the drums. In some cases, it really ruined a special evening for the band involved, especially if Bonham was in a drunken and dangerous state. There was another horrible story about how Bonham walked up to an older gentleman on a plane and ripped off and smashed his glasses for no reason at all. However, when Robert Plant's 5-year old son Karac suddenly died from a stomach ailment, Bonham was there to comfort him. Likewise, when Bonham died, Robert was tasked with breaking the tragic news to his long time friend's wife and family.
This is the first book I've ever read about Led Zeppelin, and learned a lot. It focused mainly on John Bonham, but also touched on the individual band members and the detailed creation of each of their albums. It was a long and lush read of a very iconic rock band and its amazingly talented drummer.
Thank you to the publisher Hachette Books for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
I remember after The Beatles had just broken up in 1970 my older brother bringing home a Led Zeppelin album and saying that this band was going to be the next big thing. I never was much enamoured of them, but enjoyed listening to my brother's band belt out Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song", white strobe lights pulsating, in a local club in the early eighties. Then I purchased a Led Zeppelin boxed set in the 90's for my husband, which I lightly borrowed- but it wasn't a huge favorite. I admit I am mesmerized watching old concert footage of a beautiful, young Jimmy Page making guitar god moves in black velvet embroidered stage outfits. But when all is said and done, I am more mystified and intrigued by the tragedies that befell this group, along with Jimmy Page's interest in the occult, and how the band ceased to be after the untimely early death of its drummer, John Bonham. After watching a recent Dan Rather interview with Robert Plant, it sparked my interest in them again and I've been purchasing kindle books on Led Zeppelin and its individual band members to delve into their history further. So when I saw this offering I jumped at the chance to read it.
I came to this book only knowing that John Bonham died from alcohol intoxication / choking on his own vomit in his sleep. After reading this biography, his early death seems inevitable. He grew up in Birmingham, England, and had a very strong sense of home. He hated to leave it. He met his wife Pat when they were teenagers, and she was soon pregnant and they married quickly. He loved her intensely and never strayed from her. They first had a son Jason, and years later, a daughter named Zoe. John Bonham's father "Jacko" owned a construction company, and John and his brother Mick both worked there. John would be doing carpentry work for his father's business during the day, and play drums late into the night with various bands. He had his wife and son to support, so he had to make sure he had a regular job for security. Although he was a great and inventive drummer, sometimes his drumming was so loud and powerful he would get kicked out of bands. Robert Plant lived in the same area known as "Black Country" and they were friends before they were ever famous.
Jimmy Page was in The Yardbirds and was also a hard working session guitarist. When The Yardbirds were reaching its demise, Page was looking to create his own band. When bassist John Paul Jones heard that Page was creating this band, he asked if he could join. Jones was also a well known session musician, but much more than that. His biggest, time-consuming job was creating arrangements for studio recordings of the musical outfits that hired him. It was an overwhelming job, and he just wanted to get out and play with a band. Bonham was already touring with a band and making a regular guaranteed income, which wife Pat much approved of. So it was a leap of faith and a blessing when she agreed for John to join this newly created band which would at first tour as "The New Yardbirds", because The Yardbirds contractually still had a tour booked to fulfill. At the end of these remaining gigs, they changed their name officially to Led Zeppelin. This name came about when rumors spread about Page scouring the music scene for promising young musicians. Drummer for The Who Keith Moon predicted that Page's ambition to expand the scope of hard rock would "go down like a lead balloon", while bassist John Entwistle corrected his band colleague: it would "go down like a lead Zeppelin".
John Bonham became famous for his 15-30 minute drum solos which were never boring. He originally named them "Pat's Delight" after his wife, but was later renamed "Moby Dick". He even used just his bare hands at times during these solos, as well as incorporated sonic accents. He preferred Ludwig drum kits, and a new one was delivered to Headley Grange, a small Hampshire manor (purportedly haunted) where Zeppelin recorded some of their albums. Not wanting to transport this large drum kit upstairs to other floors, the kit was assembled in the massive entrance hallway in front of the spiral staircase. This turned out to be a fortuitous accident as it created an incredible drum sound on "When the Levee Breaks".
When Led Zeppelin started making huge money, they had to stay out of England a certain amount of days for tax shelter reasons. This turned out to be a huge problem for Bonham. He was a homebody, and missed his wife and kids desperately. He drank heavily and got into loads of trouble trashing hotel rooms and getting into fights with people. Reading about these incidents was very disturbing for all the senseless destruction that took place in various hotels. Bonham also became famous for attending other band's concerts and insisting on taking over the drums. In some cases, it really ruined a special evening for the band involved, especially if Bonham was in a drunken and dangerous state. There was another horrible story about how Bonham walked up to an older gentleman on a plane and ripped off and smashed his glasses for no reason at all. However, when Robert Plant's 5-year old son Karac suddenly died from a stomach ailment, Bonham was there to comfort him. Likewise, when Bonham died, Robert was tasked with breaking the tragic news to his long time friend's wife and family.
This is the first book I've ever read about Led Zeppelin, and learned a lot. It focused mainly on John Bonham, but also touched on the individual band members and the detailed creation of each of their albums. It was a long and lush read of a very iconic rock band and its amazingly talented drummer.
Thank you to the publisher Hachette Books for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
May 19, 2021
John Bonham rightly so was one of the most controversial figures of Rock and Roll. This biography is for the most part a biography of Led Zeppelin, but with Bonzo as the focus.
Bonham's early years in the Birmingham area begin the book, including his early fascination with drumming and the family business of construction. As a teenager, Bonham played with every band in town. At 17, he became a husband and a father rather quickly, beginning a lifelong devotion to his family, the separation from which during the massive world tours, left him with nothing but frustration and an appetite for inebriated destruction unparalleled by anyone in rock history.
This painstakingly researched book spends its time tracing the originality of Bonham's drumming and the production of each album and the solos in concert. Nevertheless, there is no candycoating the out of control beast that Bonham became on the road, leaving wrecked hotel rooms, bloody walls, and never ending fights. His appetite for booze surpassed that of many rugby teams.
A picture is painted here of a tormented maestro with undeniable talent, but who drowned in the excesses of stardom. Get your accompanying playlist ready. It will come in useful as the author discusses various songs and you need to hear what is being described.
Bonham's early years in the Birmingham area begin the book, including his early fascination with drumming and the family business of construction. As a teenager, Bonham played with every band in town. At 17, he became a husband and a father rather quickly, beginning a lifelong devotion to his family, the separation from which during the massive world tours, left him with nothing but frustration and an appetite for inebriated destruction unparalleled by anyone in rock history.
This painstakingly researched book spends its time tracing the originality of Bonham's drumming and the production of each album and the solos in concert. Nevertheless, there is no candycoating the out of control beast that Bonham became on the road, leaving wrecked hotel rooms, bloody walls, and never ending fights. His appetite for booze surpassed that of many rugby teams.
A picture is painted here of a tormented maestro with undeniable talent, but who drowned in the excesses of stardom. Get your accompanying playlist ready. It will come in useful as the author discusses various songs and you need to hear what is being described.
July 23, 2022
Super solid bio on John Henry Bonham, the legendary drummer for the mighty Zep, who is arguably the best drummer in rock and roll.
Kushins, a musician himself, is able to break down Bonham's drumming technique and this really aided me in appreciating Bonham even more than I did going into this book.
I was not aware that when he was born that his heart stopped and he was literally brought back to life. Very fascinating.
A true family man and someone who greatly missed his family while on tour. In order to get his mind off of being away from home and most likely coming down from playing for 3 hours, Bonham would drink to excess, destroy hotel rooms and turn into a "beast" towards anyone he deemed was slighting him.
Really good book for those who are fans of Led Zeppelin!
Kushins, a musician himself, is able to break down Bonham's drumming technique and this really aided me in appreciating Bonham even more than I did going into this book.
I was not aware that when he was born that his heart stopped and he was literally brought back to life. Very fascinating.
A true family man and someone who greatly missed his family while on tour. In order to get his mind off of being away from home and most likely coming down from playing for 3 hours, Bonham would drink to excess, destroy hotel rooms and turn into a "beast" towards anyone he deemed was slighting him.
Really good book for those who are fans of Led Zeppelin!
April 10, 2022
While reading "Beast: John Bonham and the Rise of Led Zeppelin" by C.M. Kushins, I was astonished to recognize large parts of the book lifted directly from previously published books by rock journalist Chris Welch and by John Bonham’s late brother Mick. Isn’t that called plagiarism? Worse yet, the content from Mick’s book is presented in a manner which misleads the reader to believe Mick was speaking to the author. Very deceptive and unethical. As a reader, decide for yourself whether you want to read a flashy new book that woo-hoo has a forward written by Dave Grohl, or decide if you would rather read and support the books of the authors that C.M. Kushins stole from. It seems authors like Kushins are marketing to a new audience and don’t realize there are readers out there who have read everything there is on Zeppelin over the years and will recognize when existing books are “borrowed” from.
July 21, 2022
Gives me no pleasure to give a book a one star rating, yet I can not even remotely recommend a biography whose title comes from a nasty nickname given to the great Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham behind his back when he was alive? Of all the bloody names to call this book, they had to call it "Beast"?? Automatically the book starts out on the negative, with a sensationalist title that I'm fairly certain John Bonham and his family, friends and bandmates would not approve of. I mean, how would YOU like it if someone wrote a biography about YOU and called it "Beast"? And on top of all that...John Bonham's friends called him "Bonzo." This book, from the start, is no friend to John Bonham.
Still, I did try at least to give author C.M. Kushins and publisher Hachette Books a fighting chance. "Beast" starts out well enough, and I was enjoying reading about (once again) the rise of John Bonham and his band Led Zeppelin. Then I noticed a number of mistakes, which I forgave in the hope that the errors would be few in number. I could forgive a few errors, as long as the book was good. Then close to the half-way point, I realized that the errors grew in number, and got more sloppy...to the point where no matter how good "Beast" might be, it could never recover from undermining its own validity through its overabundance of factual errors, and using questionable sources.
So in addition to dropping the ball on the book's title, "Beast" borrows heavily from Mick Bonham's excellent book "John Bonham: The Powerhouse Behind Led Zeppelin," which normally would be fine, except C.M. Kushins also borrows from books and authors that have been historically disparaged for telling tall tales about Led Zeppelin. We're talking about Stephen Davis, who wrote two books of bollocks about Zeppelin, the late Richard Cole, who upset the members of Led Zeppelin with a "tell-all" trash book he wrote because he was desperate and needed the money, as well as Mick Wall whose enthusiasm for Zeppelin sadly never matched his fact-checking capabilities.
In addition to all that, C.M. Kushins fills up his "Beast" book with concert reviews from Led Zeppelin's years of playing live in concert, which in short would have been fine, yet the author relies so much on music critics reviews of Zeppelin shows that it seemed as if he just cut and paste ANY review he found, regardless of relevant content. After the 150th review that says "Zeppelin were strong at the Coliseum," etc...the placement of reviews in a biography becomes redundant, adds ZERO. to the story. Besides, who gives a shite what some critic thinks of a Zeppelin concert, considering hundreds of Zeppelin concerts are available to listen to on line? If C.M. Kushins actually took the time to listen to even ONE of Zeppelin's concerts online, he might have had something to actually write about.
...then, of course, there are the blatant errors. Some of the mistakes in "Beast" are so bad, that it felt as if the author made them willfully, deliberately. Any of these errors could have been fact-checked on Google, but no, C.M. Kushins and Hachette Books just hit PRINT and hoped they would sell a few books. Makes me wonder who they thought "Beast" was made for? Who was/is their target audience? Was it that C.M. Kushins and Hachette aimed for the lowest demographic of Bonham/Zeppelin fans, because any die-hard Zeppelin lover would recognize the careless mistakes...
Page 311: John Bonham swapped out his acrylic Ludwig Vistalite kit for the 1975 Zeppelin tour and instead used a "Silver Sparkle" wood drum kit? NOPE. That is not true at all, Bonzo played the Vistalite kit. Stupidly, then the author further explains his point by quoting from Bonham's drum tech from two years later?? Huh? Discussing the 1972 Zeppelin tour on page 240: "Early in the tour they played two shows at Madison Square Garden..." NOPE, they did not, Zeppelin skipped the Garden that year and played Nassau Coliseum instead. Page 398 says that Zeppelin performed "Out On The Tiles" at the 1979 Knebworth concert in order to give "John a moment to shine, making up for "Moby Dick" being excluded..." NOPE, not true. Zeppelin performed just the opening two bars of "Out On The Tiles" as an into to "Black Dog." Why make such careless mistakes, when the Knebworth shows and set lists are available online?
If you think mistakes like these don't matter, then you and I have vastly different views on what a biography is. When one reads a biography, the reader has to trust that the writer is telling a true story, based on careful research and verified facts. Yet with "Beast," too many of the facts are either unverified or just plain wrong. This makes the reader consider "if this and that point are not true, then WHAT ELSE is not true in this book?!" How can you trust "Beast" when the author wrote the book with no thought, and no care as to the details and facts about John Bonham and Led Zeppelin? The answer? You can't. "Beast" is a load of bollocks, and can not be trusted.
Still, I did try at least to give author C.M. Kushins and publisher Hachette Books a fighting chance. "Beast" starts out well enough, and I was enjoying reading about (once again) the rise of John Bonham and his band Led Zeppelin. Then I noticed a number of mistakes, which I forgave in the hope that the errors would be few in number. I could forgive a few errors, as long as the book was good. Then close to the half-way point, I realized that the errors grew in number, and got more sloppy...to the point where no matter how good "Beast" might be, it could never recover from undermining its own validity through its overabundance of factual errors, and using questionable sources.
So in addition to dropping the ball on the book's title, "Beast" borrows heavily from Mick Bonham's excellent book "John Bonham: The Powerhouse Behind Led Zeppelin," which normally would be fine, except C.M. Kushins also borrows from books and authors that have been historically disparaged for telling tall tales about Led Zeppelin. We're talking about Stephen Davis, who wrote two books of bollocks about Zeppelin, the late Richard Cole, who upset the members of Led Zeppelin with a "tell-all" trash book he wrote because he was desperate and needed the money, as well as Mick Wall whose enthusiasm for Zeppelin sadly never matched his fact-checking capabilities.
In addition to all that, C.M. Kushins fills up his "Beast" book with concert reviews from Led Zeppelin's years of playing live in concert, which in short would have been fine, yet the author relies so much on music critics reviews of Zeppelin shows that it seemed as if he just cut and paste ANY review he found, regardless of relevant content. After the 150th review that says "Zeppelin were strong at the Coliseum," etc...the placement of reviews in a biography becomes redundant, adds ZERO. to the story. Besides, who gives a shite what some critic thinks of a Zeppelin concert, considering hundreds of Zeppelin concerts are available to listen to on line? If C.M. Kushins actually took the time to listen to even ONE of Zeppelin's concerts online, he might have had something to actually write about.
...then, of course, there are the blatant errors. Some of the mistakes in "Beast" are so bad, that it felt as if the author made them willfully, deliberately. Any of these errors could have been fact-checked on Google, but no, C.M. Kushins and Hachette Books just hit PRINT and hoped they would sell a few books. Makes me wonder who they thought "Beast" was made for? Who was/is their target audience? Was it that C.M. Kushins and Hachette aimed for the lowest demographic of Bonham/Zeppelin fans, because any die-hard Zeppelin lover would recognize the careless mistakes...
Page 311: John Bonham swapped out his acrylic Ludwig Vistalite kit for the 1975 Zeppelin tour and instead used a "Silver Sparkle" wood drum kit? NOPE. That is not true at all, Bonzo played the Vistalite kit. Stupidly, then the author further explains his point by quoting from Bonham's drum tech from two years later?? Huh? Discussing the 1972 Zeppelin tour on page 240: "Early in the tour they played two shows at Madison Square Garden..." NOPE, they did not, Zeppelin skipped the Garden that year and played Nassau Coliseum instead. Page 398 says that Zeppelin performed "Out On The Tiles" at the 1979 Knebworth concert in order to give "John a moment to shine, making up for "Moby Dick" being excluded..." NOPE, not true. Zeppelin performed just the opening two bars of "Out On The Tiles" as an into to "Black Dog." Why make such careless mistakes, when the Knebworth shows and set lists are available online?
If you think mistakes like these don't matter, then you and I have vastly different views on what a biography is. When one reads a biography, the reader has to trust that the writer is telling a true story, based on careful research and verified facts. Yet with "Beast," too many of the facts are either unverified or just plain wrong. This makes the reader consider "if this and that point are not true, then WHAT ELSE is not true in this book?!" How can you trust "Beast" when the author wrote the book with no thought, and no care as to the details and facts about John Bonham and Led Zeppelin? The answer? You can't. "Beast" is a load of bollocks, and can not be trusted.
December 26, 2023
If I could give this book zero stars, I would. I copied and pasted this from a review I wrote on Amazon (with a couple of last-minute tweaks) to warn potential buyers about what a piece of trash this book is. I recently noticed Amazon buried this review in favor of more five star reviews. We wouldn't want people exposed to the nasty truth, would we? Anyway, here you go:
I have finished reading this book, and throughout it I noticed many glaring, huge mistakes and inaccuracies. It's hard to take a book seriously when half the "information" in it is dead wrong. This author really didn't do much research, apparently. Here are a few things that are just plain wrong or misleading. I would consider these spoilers, so read at your own discretion:
- He says that the band "flew into Scandinavia" for their first-ever tour on September 14, 1968. Led Zeppelin's first-ever public performance (as The New Yardbirds) was on September 7, 1968. There are PICTURES of this gig, for goodness' sake! And the tour was nearly over by September 14. I can't see how this guy got this so wrong.
- He says that John Bonham used the Green Sparkle Ludwig "in the studio and onstage for the next half decade" after acquiring it in 1970. I believe he did prefer it in the studio for some time. But as far as in concert goes, anyone who has ever seen pictures taken after Zeppelin's March/April tour of Europe in 1973 will see that he started using the (vastly inferior-sounding, in my opinion) amber Vistalite kit on their '73 summer tour of America. Or you can just watch The Song Remains The Same and see it. As an aside, I think the Green Sparkle kit was Bonzo's best-sounding.
- He completely botches the dates of Led Zeppelin's now-legendary first run at the Boston Tea Party in January 1969. He mentions them playing there on January 28; the Boston run had been over for two days at that point. As far as we know, Led Zeppelin didn't play anywhere on January 28, 1969. They next played New York City on the 31st.
- He says they finished the remaining dates of their February 1970 Scandinavian tour as "The Nobs" due to fears of legal action from Baroness Eva Von Zeppelin, who objected to their use of the name. They did play as The Nobs: for one show, and one show only. Not the remainder of the tour.
- The author really, REALLY seems to want to get the impression across that "Out on the Tiles" - the complete, non-segue version - was both a live staple and showcase for Bonzo during early '70's Led Zeppelin concerts. I don't know if it's wishful thinking on the author's part, or just plain disregard for actual facts, but this just isn't true. As far as is known, Led Zeppelin played a complete live version of "Out on the Tiles" only twice: once at the L.A. Forum on September 4, 1970 (the famous "Live on Blueberry Hill" bootleg) and once more at Madison Square Garden on September 19, 1970 (the live recording of which was only rediscovered - or liberated - in the early 2000's). I get the impression from this book that C.M. Kushins hasn't paid much attention to Led Zeppelin live shows.
- He says Jimmy Page played the Stairway to Heaven solo (studio version) on his Telecaster, plugged into a Marshall amp. Again, the author is wrong - or half-right: he did play it on a Telecaster; however, it was plugged into a Supro amp. Page makes mention of this in quite a few interviews to demonstrate how you can get a huge sound on a small amplifier if you mic it correctly. Page is a master of this technique.
- This one might seem super-nitpicky, but I don't care. Because it would have been so easy for this guy to get these right. Firstly, he says the working title of "The Song Remains The Same" was '"That" Campaign.'" It wasn't; it was called "The Campaign." The difference to me is that one sounds stupid ("That"), and one sounds like a viable working title ("The"). Same goes for the working title of Kashmir. He says it was "Driving to Kashmir." Again, he gets a remarkably simple thing wrong. It was "Driving Through Kashmir", and all you'd have to do to get it right is look at the reissue cd covers, or even the listing here on Amazon. This just screams lazy, shoddy, perhaps even non-existent, research to me.
- He mentions "Out On The Tiles" being used as the intro riff to "Moby Dick" at live shows in the early '70's. This isn't true; Led Zeppelin didn't use that song as the intro to Bonham's drum solo until the 1977 tour, at which point it had been renamed as "Over the Top." The riff was used as the intro to "Black Dog", not "Moby Dick" in the early '70's.
- He contradicts himself when relating the story of how Bonzo's drums were set up in the stairwell at Headley Grange. First he says that Bonzo and Jonesy set them up, and then in the very next paragraph he quotes Jimmy Page saying that the delivery guys set it up there. Which one is it, C.M.?
- He says Led Zeppelin played two nights at Madison Square Garden in June of 1972. They didn't even play MSG *once* in 1972; they played June 14 and 15th at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, out on Long Island. Having been at concerts in both venues, I can assure you there's a huge difference between the two: one is a dump on Long Island with notoriously overzealous "security", and the other is Madison Square Garden.
- He claims Led Zeppelin opened their summer 1972 concerts with " Rock and Roll" into "Celebration Day." NONE of their summer '72 shows opened in this fashion! "Immigrant Song" into "Heartbreaker" was the opener for the summer 1972 concerts, with the eerie drone added before "Immigrant Song" around the mid-point of the tour (June 15 at Nassau). "Rock and Roll" was part of an alternating list of songs played as encores in summer '72; it didn't open a show until October 2, 1972 in Japan. It makes you wonder if this guy has ever even heard a 1972 Led Zeppelin concert before (if not, that's a shame as it was their finest live year, in my opinion). One more thing: he says the tour wrapped up "in August" - how annoyingly vague, not to mention way off timewise. It didn't end in August, it ended on June 28, 1972 in Tucson, Arizona.
- For some bizarre reason, he claims that Bonham started using a silver sparkle Ludwig drum kit in the midst of the Earl's Court run in May 1975. Not only does photo/video of these concerts bear out the fact that Bonham continued using the amber Vistalite kit through the final night on May 25, Bonham never was seen playing a silver sparkle Ludwig onstage between 1975 and his last live performance on July 7, 1980 in Berlin. There are some suggestions that he might have used such a kit during the recording of Presence in late 1975, but so far no solid evidence has surfaced. He did switch to a silver kit from the 1977 tour until the end: the famous stainless steel one that every Zeppelin fan has probably seen pictures/video of. There was nothing sparkly or wood-shelled about it. I don't know why this guy put this outlandish claim in this book.
Any reviews on here or Amazon that use phrases such as "meticulously researched" or "great book!" are obviously written by people who either have no clue about Led Zeppelin, are friends of Mr. Kushins or perhaps by Mr. Kushins himself. I cannot reiterate strongly enough what a pile of DRIVEL this book is! This book became like the proverbial "car accident that you can't look away from" to me. I continued to read it out of sheer curiosity about just how much this guy was going to get wrong. I don't mean all of this to come off like a know-it-all, it's just that it drives me crazy to think that people are reading (and most likely believing) this drivel that just isn't remotely true - and I feel that the truth should be pointed out. It might seem nitpicky to some, but I find that such huge, provable mistakes speak to a poorly written and researched book. Buyer (and reader) beware!
I have finished reading this book, and throughout it I noticed many glaring, huge mistakes and inaccuracies. It's hard to take a book seriously when half the "information" in it is dead wrong. This author really didn't do much research, apparently. Here are a few things that are just plain wrong or misleading. I would consider these spoilers, so read at your own discretion:
- He says that the band "flew into Scandinavia" for their first-ever tour on September 14, 1968. Led Zeppelin's first-ever public performance (as The New Yardbirds) was on September 7, 1968. There are PICTURES of this gig, for goodness' sake! And the tour was nearly over by September 14. I can't see how this guy got this so wrong.
- He says that John Bonham used the Green Sparkle Ludwig "in the studio and onstage for the next half decade" after acquiring it in 1970. I believe he did prefer it in the studio for some time. But as far as in concert goes, anyone who has ever seen pictures taken after Zeppelin's March/April tour of Europe in 1973 will see that he started using the (vastly inferior-sounding, in my opinion) amber Vistalite kit on their '73 summer tour of America. Or you can just watch The Song Remains The Same and see it. As an aside, I think the Green Sparkle kit was Bonzo's best-sounding.
- He completely botches the dates of Led Zeppelin's now-legendary first run at the Boston Tea Party in January 1969. He mentions them playing there on January 28; the Boston run had been over for two days at that point. As far as we know, Led Zeppelin didn't play anywhere on January 28, 1969. They next played New York City on the 31st.
- He says they finished the remaining dates of their February 1970 Scandinavian tour as "The Nobs" due to fears of legal action from Baroness Eva Von Zeppelin, who objected to their use of the name. They did play as The Nobs: for one show, and one show only. Not the remainder of the tour.
- The author really, REALLY seems to want to get the impression across that "Out on the Tiles" - the complete, non-segue version - was both a live staple and showcase for Bonzo during early '70's Led Zeppelin concerts. I don't know if it's wishful thinking on the author's part, or just plain disregard for actual facts, but this just isn't true. As far as is known, Led Zeppelin played a complete live version of "Out on the Tiles" only twice: once at the L.A. Forum on September 4, 1970 (the famous "Live on Blueberry Hill" bootleg) and once more at Madison Square Garden on September 19, 1970 (the live recording of which was only rediscovered - or liberated - in the early 2000's). I get the impression from this book that C.M. Kushins hasn't paid much attention to Led Zeppelin live shows.
- He says Jimmy Page played the Stairway to Heaven solo (studio version) on his Telecaster, plugged into a Marshall amp. Again, the author is wrong - or half-right: he did play it on a Telecaster; however, it was plugged into a Supro amp. Page makes mention of this in quite a few interviews to demonstrate how you can get a huge sound on a small amplifier if you mic it correctly. Page is a master of this technique.
- This one might seem super-nitpicky, but I don't care. Because it would have been so easy for this guy to get these right. Firstly, he says the working title of "The Song Remains The Same" was '"That" Campaign.'" It wasn't; it was called "The Campaign." The difference to me is that one sounds stupid ("That"), and one sounds like a viable working title ("The"). Same goes for the working title of Kashmir. He says it was "Driving to Kashmir." Again, he gets a remarkably simple thing wrong. It was "Driving Through Kashmir", and all you'd have to do to get it right is look at the reissue cd covers, or even the listing here on Amazon. This just screams lazy, shoddy, perhaps even non-existent, research to me.
- He mentions "Out On The Tiles" being used as the intro riff to "Moby Dick" at live shows in the early '70's. This isn't true; Led Zeppelin didn't use that song as the intro to Bonham's drum solo until the 1977 tour, at which point it had been renamed as "Over the Top." The riff was used as the intro to "Black Dog", not "Moby Dick" in the early '70's.
- He contradicts himself when relating the story of how Bonzo's drums were set up in the stairwell at Headley Grange. First he says that Bonzo and Jonesy set them up, and then in the very next paragraph he quotes Jimmy Page saying that the delivery guys set it up there. Which one is it, C.M.?
- He says Led Zeppelin played two nights at Madison Square Garden in June of 1972. They didn't even play MSG *once* in 1972; they played June 14 and 15th at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, out on Long Island. Having been at concerts in both venues, I can assure you there's a huge difference between the two: one is a dump on Long Island with notoriously overzealous "security", and the other is Madison Square Garden.
- He claims Led Zeppelin opened their summer 1972 concerts with " Rock and Roll" into "Celebration Day." NONE of their summer '72 shows opened in this fashion! "Immigrant Song" into "Heartbreaker" was the opener for the summer 1972 concerts, with the eerie drone added before "Immigrant Song" around the mid-point of the tour (June 15 at Nassau). "Rock and Roll" was part of an alternating list of songs played as encores in summer '72; it didn't open a show until October 2, 1972 in Japan. It makes you wonder if this guy has ever even heard a 1972 Led Zeppelin concert before (if not, that's a shame as it was their finest live year, in my opinion). One more thing: he says the tour wrapped up "in August" - how annoyingly vague, not to mention way off timewise. It didn't end in August, it ended on June 28, 1972 in Tucson, Arizona.
- For some bizarre reason, he claims that Bonham started using a silver sparkle Ludwig drum kit in the midst of the Earl's Court run in May 1975. Not only does photo/video of these concerts bear out the fact that Bonham continued using the amber Vistalite kit through the final night on May 25, Bonham never was seen playing a silver sparkle Ludwig onstage between 1975 and his last live performance on July 7, 1980 in Berlin. There are some suggestions that he might have used such a kit during the recording of Presence in late 1975, but so far no solid evidence has surfaced. He did switch to a silver kit from the 1977 tour until the end: the famous stainless steel one that every Zeppelin fan has probably seen pictures/video of. There was nothing sparkly or wood-shelled about it. I don't know why this guy put this outlandish claim in this book.
Any reviews on here or Amazon that use phrases such as "meticulously researched" or "great book!" are obviously written by people who either have no clue about Led Zeppelin, are friends of Mr. Kushins or perhaps by Mr. Kushins himself. I cannot reiterate strongly enough what a pile of DRIVEL this book is! This book became like the proverbial "car accident that you can't look away from" to me. I continued to read it out of sheer curiosity about just how much this guy was going to get wrong. I don't mean all of this to come off like a know-it-all, it's just that it drives me crazy to think that people are reading (and most likely believing) this drivel that just isn't remotely true - and I feel that the truth should be pointed out. It might seem nitpicky to some, but I find that such huge, provable mistakes speak to a poorly written and researched book. Buyer (and reader) beware!
February 18, 2022
Some pieces I knew, others were new to me. John Bonham died at age 32. One can only wonder what else he, and Led Zeppelin, would have accomplished with more time. Thanks for all the great beats you left us Bonzo. Highly recommend, if you want to understand the impact John had on music and future generations of aspiring drummers.
May 25, 2022
Only for the most dedicated fans that know their paradiddles.
This book tries to build itself as an investigation into Bonham's personality, a personality that accounted for his vast talent, and also for his untimely, depressing death.
Thing is, with all my love for one of the best drummers that ever took the to the sticks, this journey is not long enough to warrant a book this long. Or even, I dare say, a book. It's a story about a man caught in the steep price of his own desires to make a living through his passion. The huge conflict between Bonham's desires (to be rich and famous and to live a simple handyman's life in the country), has ultimately culminated in an inability to restrain his anxiety. This resulted in drinking and violance, and we know how that turned out.
This book drowns that simple story within countless repetitive poorly edited details, most of them already known for years, and taken wholesale from other works.
If I had more time, I would connect all the samey snippets of journalistic reviews of Bonham's solos quoted in the book, and superpose them with a version of Moby D. I would probably need one of its longer recordings.
In defense of some of the book's merits, I'll say that the audiobook version has some awesome impressions of various stage managers, roadies, and even some high profile celebrities. It's a very light read which will probably teach even you, an avid fan, a little bit more trivia about your favorite albums.
With more and more drummer biographies being printed these days, I wish to illustrate what a good piece of media about drumming should look like.
My dream book will have examples of, you know, ACTUAL DRUMMING PATTERNS, mixed with the story and interviews. Maybe have a drummer explain the jargon for the uninitiated or beginner? Maybe this should be a podcast, covering each album and pointing towards the discussed bits. This actually happened before with The Beatles, why shouldn't it happen with more iconic bands?
Why shouldn't these books be a class in actual music appreciation and not only in personality and gossip appreciation?
Sadly, due to copyright hell, this won't ever happen unless a royalty-paying organization will take the mantle and produce it. Which is, as we know, highly unlikely.
This book tries to build itself as an investigation into Bonham's personality, a personality that accounted for his vast talent, and also for his untimely, depressing death.
Thing is, with all my love for one of the best drummers that ever took the to the sticks, this journey is not long enough to warrant a book this long. Or even, I dare say, a book. It's a story about a man caught in the steep price of his own desires to make a living through his passion. The huge conflict between Bonham's desires (to be rich and famous and to live a simple handyman's life in the country), has ultimately culminated in an inability to restrain his anxiety. This resulted in drinking and violance, and we know how that turned out.
This book drowns that simple story within countless repetitive poorly edited details, most of them already known for years, and taken wholesale from other works.
If I had more time, I would connect all the samey snippets of journalistic reviews of Bonham's solos quoted in the book, and superpose them with a version of Moby D. I would probably need one of its longer recordings.
In defense of some of the book's merits, I'll say that the audiobook version has some awesome impressions of various stage managers, roadies, and even some high profile celebrities. It's a very light read which will probably teach even you, an avid fan, a little bit more trivia about your favorite albums.
With more and more drummer biographies being printed these days, I wish to illustrate what a good piece of media about drumming should look like.
My dream book will have examples of, you know, ACTUAL DRUMMING PATTERNS, mixed with the story and interviews. Maybe have a drummer explain the jargon for the uninitiated or beginner? Maybe this should be a podcast, covering each album and pointing towards the discussed bits. This actually happened before with The Beatles, why shouldn't it happen with more iconic bands?
Why shouldn't these books be a class in actual music appreciation and not only in personality and gossip appreciation?
Sadly, due to copyright hell, this won't ever happen unless a royalty-paying organization will take the mantle and produce it. Which is, as we know, highly unlikely.
October 21, 2021
4 1/2 stars. I spent countless hours as a teenager listening to Led Zeppelin (and I still do) so this book was a good one for me. Led Zeppelin is one of the bands I wish I could go back in time to see live I was still too young for concerts when John Bonham died and without him, Led Zeppelin could never be the same since each member brought their own special magic to the band to make them who they were. Sadly, Bonham is one of way too many talented artists taken far too soon.
June 26, 2023
Some prominent rock bands have found success after the death or departure of a band member: AC/DC, KISS, Van Halen. But there would be no Led Zeppelin after John Bonham's death (at age 32) in 1980. This biography makes that quite clear, Bonham providing a thunder (in sound and personality) few drummers, if any, can approximate in rock history. It's a good one-volume look at a man (and band) that raised the bar of expectation (for albums and concerts), and permanently.
November 27, 2021
John Henry Bonham, the thunder behind one of the most prolific rock groups, Led Zeppelin. One of the first bands to be classified as Heavy Metal, who took the 70s' by storm with their wailing guitars and mythical themes, but what really set Zeppelin apart from their peers was the powerhouse seated behind the throne, Bonzo. A true master of the craft with his solid pocket, incredible footwork, and infectious grooves, it's no surprise why his influence continues to inspire future generations to pick up the sticks.
However, outside of Bonzo's drumming accolades, the countless memoirs published throughout the years seem to only capture his drunken escapades and untimely demise, until now. Finally, we get the tell-all tale of the larger-than-life persona. Beginning with his miracle birth, and teenage escapades throughout his hometown Birmingham. As well as Bonzo's numerous projects, with personal stories, shared with prior bandmates and friends who had the opportunity to befriend the gentle giant. In addition, the author also touches on John's more intimate details, such as his marriage to Pat, and his life as a father while being a rock legend. As well as Bonzo's darker side, which was brought out through excessive drinking and isolation while touring, and led to his eventual downfall. The author shares all the details and gives us a closer glimpse into the legend behind Led Zeppelin, with an unbiased viewpoint but a definite appreciation for uncovering just who was John Bonham.
However, outside of Bonzo's drumming accolades, the countless memoirs published throughout the years seem to only capture his drunken escapades and untimely demise, until now. Finally, we get the tell-all tale of the larger-than-life persona. Beginning with his miracle birth, and teenage escapades throughout his hometown Birmingham. As well as Bonzo's numerous projects, with personal stories, shared with prior bandmates and friends who had the opportunity to befriend the gentle giant. In addition, the author also touches on John's more intimate details, such as his marriage to Pat, and his life as a father while being a rock legend. As well as Bonzo's darker side, which was brought out through excessive drinking and isolation while touring, and led to his eventual downfall. The author shares all the details and gives us a closer glimpse into the legend behind Led Zeppelin, with an unbiased viewpoint but a definite appreciation for uncovering just who was John Bonham.
March 29, 2022
Led Zeppelin Bonzo eli John Bonham (1948–1980) oli yksi legendaarisimista rock-rumpaleista, joka vaikutti merkittävästi Zeppelinin soundiin. C. M. Kushinsin elämäkerta on ensimmäisiä nimenomaan Bonzoon keskittyviä LZ-elämäkertoja. Kushinsin lähdeaineistona on ollut varsinkin lehtijuttuja – mm. konserttiarvosteluja – ja aikaisemmin julkaistuja muistelmateoksia ja elämäkertoja. Niinpä Beast ei tarjoa mitenkään valtavasti uutta tietoa lukijalle joka on jo lukenut muutaman Zeppelin-elämäkerran.
Jos Kushinsia on uskominen, vakavasta alkoholismista huolimatta Bonzo oli kiertueellakin pohjimmiltaan kelpo perheenisä, joka hukutti koti-ikävänsä viinaan muttei esim. käynyt vieraissa (jollei ns. haiepisodia lasketa). Joskus nuorempana Zeppelinin kiertuetörttöilyissä jaksoi nähdä jotakin rock'n'roll-glamouria, mutta näin "kypsemmällä iällä" luettuna voi vain sanoa, että onhan bändipoikien touhu pahoinpitelyineen ja hotellihuoneiden hajottamisineen ollut aivan tolkutonta. Ei ihme, että esim. Robert Plantin nykyhaastatteluista saattaa lukea rivien välistä tiettyä vaivaantuneisuutta.
John Bonham kuoli viinaan vain 32-vuotiaana eli hirveän nuorena.
Jos Kushinsia on uskominen, vakavasta alkoholismista huolimatta Bonzo oli kiertueellakin pohjimmiltaan kelpo perheenisä, joka hukutti koti-ikävänsä viinaan muttei esim. käynyt vieraissa (jollei ns. haiepisodia lasketa). Joskus nuorempana Zeppelinin kiertuetörttöilyissä jaksoi nähdä jotakin rock'n'roll-glamouria, mutta näin "kypsemmällä iällä" luettuna voi vain sanoa, että onhan bändipoikien touhu pahoinpitelyineen ja hotellihuoneiden hajottamisineen ollut aivan tolkutonta. Ei ihme, että esim. Robert Plantin nykyhaastatteluista saattaa lukea rivien välistä tiettyä vaivaantuneisuutta.
John Bonham kuoli viinaan vain 32-vuotiaana eli hirveän nuorena.
June 28, 2021
2.5 STARS: Led Zeppelin is to my mind the best band of all time and John Bonham is the best drummer by a slight margin over Keith Moon of the Who. This book is a fairly accurate of a rendition of the band and Bonham's roll in it. Just that I've read all of it somewhere else with less heavy handness in other books.
John Bonham and the Rise of Led Zeppelin is the first-ever biography of the iconic John Bonham, considered by many to be one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) rock drummer of all time. , Bonham and his three band mates would become the richest rock band in the world.
John Bonham and the Rise of Led Zeppelin is the first-ever biography of the iconic John Bonham, considered by many to be one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) rock drummer of all time. , Bonham and his three band mates would become the richest rock band in the world.
August 8, 2021
This is an exhaustively and meticulously researched biography of John Bonham, the talented and legendary drummer for Led Zeppelin. Zep Heads, especially those in awe of Bonham in particular, should find this book quite satisfactory. For the first quarter of the book, I found Bonham's continual striving to become a professional drummer, and his inexhaustible efforts to find a band that would become successful, quite admirable. He came from a working class family in a small northern British town, and this wasn't exactly an easy task. He suffered many many many years of failure and rejection before managing to meet Robert Plant on the club scene in Birmingham, and once he became the singer for Jimmy Page's new project - which would become Zep - Page himself, and then become drummer for the new band, which was almost instantly successful.
The problem is that as Bonham becomes more and more successful, he also becomes more and more of an egregious human being. There is no doubt the man was a raving alcoholic, and I'm sure that did not help matters. Bonham does not seem happy unless he is making others miserable. He assaults both men and women. He screams at people. He destroys hotel rooms. He charges the stages of other bands. He very often drives drunk and "plays chicken" with other cars - driving in the wrong lane and only veering out of the lane at the last second. And I can't stop thinking about the poor female reporter that he apparently tried to rape before the gargantuan Peter Grant (the band's tough as nails manager) pulled him off her. The woman had been sent by Life magazine to cover the band, and that was her "reward" for it. The book devolves into tales of this kind of behavior, it becomes monotonous, and unfortunately, it made me thoroughly dislike Bonham. (And don't get me started on Jimmy Page, who has a sexual affair with a 14 year old when he's in his late 20s)
The author offers no judgment on this behavior - and I'm not saying that is a biographer's job, it's not - however, the word choices in describing this behavior make it very clear that this is all considered just rock n roll. "Antics," "pranks," "games," etc is used to describe behavior that would land most of us in prison. By the time Bonham drinks himself to death at 32 years old, I breathed a sigh of relief that he passed on without killing someone else.
The problem is that as Bonham becomes more and more successful, he also becomes more and more of an egregious human being. There is no doubt the man was a raving alcoholic, and I'm sure that did not help matters. Bonham does not seem happy unless he is making others miserable. He assaults both men and women. He screams at people. He destroys hotel rooms. He charges the stages of other bands. He very often drives drunk and "plays chicken" with other cars - driving in the wrong lane and only veering out of the lane at the last second. And I can't stop thinking about the poor female reporter that he apparently tried to rape before the gargantuan Peter Grant (the band's tough as nails manager) pulled him off her. The woman had been sent by Life magazine to cover the band, and that was her "reward" for it. The book devolves into tales of this kind of behavior, it becomes monotonous, and unfortunately, it made me thoroughly dislike Bonham. (And don't get me started on Jimmy Page, who has a sexual affair with a 14 year old when he's in his late 20s)
The author offers no judgment on this behavior - and I'm not saying that is a biographer's job, it's not - however, the word choices in describing this behavior make it very clear that this is all considered just rock n roll. "Antics," "pranks," "games," etc is used to describe behavior that would land most of us in prison. By the time Bonham drinks himself to death at 32 years old, I breathed a sigh of relief that he passed on without killing someone else.
January 2, 2022
I had read a few other books about Zeppelin and enjoyed this too, as it was more focused on their drummer, John Bonham - Bonzo.
It is a joyous and sad story all wrapped into one. The books does a great job in documenting the rise of Led Zeppelin and the four members of the band. An interesting twist was to add, at the right intervals, the story from the perspective of Bonzo. His fear of performing, his frustration with being away from his home in England and the tax exile that he suffered through. Sadly, one of the contributors to his demise was his tax exile, which for the life of me I don’t understand why he didn’t have a second home where he and his family could live while outside of England. He certainly had the funds to do this. At one point he spent a full year away from England and the band wasn’t even touring.
I enjoyed some of the more technical aspects of the book, specific to John’s drumming techniques, even though I’m not knowledgable of the intricacies of these techniques.
The crazy shit that went down during the tours is well documented and was discussed here too. But until now, I didn’t appreciate why John went on these destructive binges while on tour. This book help frame the person and the demons he fought.
The book was also a nice walk down the path of each album and it’s creation. From the location and stories told during each and their impact on the music. I hadn’t previously connected that they recorded Kashmir @ Hadley Grange. As one of my fav tunes, it’s now quit obvious that the drum sound was produced at that very unique location. At several break points in the book, I took the opportunity to go back and listen to each album in the context of how it was created and told through the book. That was fun for sure.
It seems to me that LZ was approaching its expiration date when Bonzo suddenly died. Sadly, the raw energy required of their music, appeared to me, impossible to replicate the older the band members got. I can’t begin to imagine what music the band would have created had Bonzo not passed away.
If I could go back to the 1970’s and do one thing that I missed, it would be to attend a LZ concert. Wish I had a time machine.
It is a joyous and sad story all wrapped into one. The books does a great job in documenting the rise of Led Zeppelin and the four members of the band. An interesting twist was to add, at the right intervals, the story from the perspective of Bonzo. His fear of performing, his frustration with being away from his home in England and the tax exile that he suffered through. Sadly, one of the contributors to his demise was his tax exile, which for the life of me I don’t understand why he didn’t have a second home where he and his family could live while outside of England. He certainly had the funds to do this. At one point he spent a full year away from England and the band wasn’t even touring.
I enjoyed some of the more technical aspects of the book, specific to John’s drumming techniques, even though I’m not knowledgable of the intricacies of these techniques.
The crazy shit that went down during the tours is well documented and was discussed here too. But until now, I didn’t appreciate why John went on these destructive binges while on tour. This book help frame the person and the demons he fought.
The book was also a nice walk down the path of each album and it’s creation. From the location and stories told during each and their impact on the music. I hadn’t previously connected that they recorded Kashmir @ Hadley Grange. As one of my fav tunes, it’s now quit obvious that the drum sound was produced at that very unique location. At several break points in the book, I took the opportunity to go back and listen to each album in the context of how it was created and told through the book. That was fun for sure.
It seems to me that LZ was approaching its expiration date when Bonzo suddenly died. Sadly, the raw energy required of their music, appeared to me, impossible to replicate the older the band members got. I can’t begin to imagine what music the band would have created had Bonzo not passed away.
If I could go back to the 1970’s and do one thing that I missed, it would be to attend a LZ concert. Wish I had a time machine.
September 6, 2021
I grew up listening to Led Zeppelin, but after reading Beast and learning how they developed as musicians, and how creative they were, made me go back and listen to many of their songs again. To be honest, I never read about bands, I just enjoyed the music. So other than hearing how some bands destroyed the hotel rooms, smashed instruments on stage, I never paid attention to those things. I paid attention to the music.
John Bonham was a total surprise. He spent his early years working at the family construction company while playing locally with any band he could, from swing bands to blues to rock. He married his sweetheart at age 17 when she became pregnant and they were the center of his universe. From the beginning he seemed a little wild, but always focused on his music and his family.
Once Led Zeppelin formed, they quickly became successful, and just kept getting better. At the same time, the stress increased, they were upset with their coverage by the press, and John resented the lack of understanding when it came to his prowess on the drums. And for a homebody like John, the extensive touring just about tore him apart, leading to excessive drinking and outbursts of violence, thus earning the nickname the Beast for his darkest periods. Sober, he was a gentle, generous man; drunk he was violent.
I liked the anecdotes that showed the different sides of John, how he could charm people with his personality, but also how destructive he could be. His fear of flying, his anxiety before going on stage, and his love of building things and raising show bulls. This book just gave me so much insight into his prowess as a drummer, his devotion to his family, and his insecurities.
I received an advanced reader copy from Hatchette Books and NetGallery;this is my honest review.
John Bonham was a total surprise. He spent his early years working at the family construction company while playing locally with any band he could, from swing bands to blues to rock. He married his sweetheart at age 17 when she became pregnant and they were the center of his universe. From the beginning he seemed a little wild, but always focused on his music and his family.
Once Led Zeppelin formed, they quickly became successful, and just kept getting better. At the same time, the stress increased, they were upset with their coverage by the press, and John resented the lack of understanding when it came to his prowess on the drums. And for a homebody like John, the extensive touring just about tore him apart, leading to excessive drinking and outbursts of violence, thus earning the nickname the Beast for his darkest periods. Sober, he was a gentle, generous man; drunk he was violent.
I liked the anecdotes that showed the different sides of John, how he could charm people with his personality, but also how destructive he could be. His fear of flying, his anxiety before going on stage, and his love of building things and raising show bulls. This book just gave me so much insight into his prowess as a drummer, his devotion to his family, and his insecurities.
I received an advanced reader copy from Hatchette Books and NetGallery;this is my honest review.
May 3, 2022
I wanted to like Beast more than I did. Unfortunately, it became a roadblock in my reading—one of those books that I likely should have shelved halfway through so I could read something else.
I don’t take joy in saying that as Bonzo is one of my favorite drummers. That said, reading more about Bonzo’s dark side, aka Beast, took him down a few notches in my esteem for him.
I’d heard the popular stories about his behavior before, but to read how repetitive his disastrous, drunken antics became is to wonder why no one seemed to help him get help. Again, the blessing of an incredible artistic talent seems cursed with unresolved issues that ultimately led to a life too short.
While Beast offers a few memorable anecdotes and faithfully recounts Zeppelin’s shows and discography, each chapter felt like more of the same, with similar-sounding reviews quoted every time and the same series of events playing out in the same order. (Then again, maybe that repetition is part of what so angered Bonham.)
I also wish there’d been more digging into why John Bonham acted the way he did above the simple answer, “He missed home.”
On the plus side, I’m now listening to every Zep album in chronological order. For a drummer who’s so far only listened to their popular songs, this has been an incredible experience.
I’d recommend Beast only to die-hard fans.
I don’t take joy in saying that as Bonzo is one of my favorite drummers. That said, reading more about Bonzo’s dark side, aka Beast, took him down a few notches in my esteem for him.
I’d heard the popular stories about his behavior before, but to read how repetitive his disastrous, drunken antics became is to wonder why no one seemed to help him get help. Again, the blessing of an incredible artistic talent seems cursed with unresolved issues that ultimately led to a life too short.
While Beast offers a few memorable anecdotes and faithfully recounts Zeppelin’s shows and discography, each chapter felt like more of the same, with similar-sounding reviews quoted every time and the same series of events playing out in the same order. (Then again, maybe that repetition is part of what so angered Bonham.)
I also wish there’d been more digging into why John Bonham acted the way he did above the simple answer, “He missed home.”
On the plus side, I’m now listening to every Zep album in chronological order. For a drummer who’s so far only listened to their popular songs, this has been an incredible experience.
I’d recommend Beast only to die-hard fans.
July 27, 2022
Exceptional biography of the late John Bonham, drummer for Led Zeppelin, recounting his complicated life and untimely death. As most Led Zeppelin fans know only too well, John Bonham had a reputation while on the road. He could be violent, angry, difficult and tormented. C. M. Kushins, however, does a marvelous job of humanizing him and explaining, to the extent anyone can, why he behaved as he did while touring and compares it to the gentleman farmer he was when at home with the great loves of his life -- his wife Pat and children Jason and Zoe. His understanding of John's anticipatory anxiety before shows was incredibly insightful. While "Bonzo" could easily pull off his incomparable drumming, he had, as most of us do, doubts about his performance and the anxiety before shows drove him to overuse of alcohol and drugs. The poignant moments recounted here of his time with his beloved family is moving and it is almost inconceivable that it could be the same man with the frightful notoriety as a "beast" when on tour. A touching and moving tribute to a man who was the greatest drummer of all time and a legitimate attempt to make sense of his dual personalities. Gone too soon and missed by music fans worldwide.
August 29, 2022
If you are a drummer (like me) it's worth the read just to read the occasional technical drum talk and stories that go with Bonham. He had one of the best drum sounds in history and he's respected by a large portion of the music community as one of the best to ever play. He's a legend and so is Led Zeppelin itself. Their manager Peter Grant was very effective at his job and Jimmy Page knew exactly what to deliver in the band he created.
Ultimately, Bonham was both a caring and flawed person. Nobody is perfect and one must keep this in mind while reading this book. It seems like stardom can bring out the best and worst in people. It's a tragic story but wow did this guy make it big.
My favorite small mention in the book (without giving too much away) is that there was a time when John Bonham, Keith Moon, and Ringo Starr all went together to see Bob Marley in concert. Tell me that's not just awesome.
Ultimately, Bonham was both a caring and flawed person. Nobody is perfect and one must keep this in mind while reading this book. It seems like stardom can bring out the best and worst in people. It's a tragic story but wow did this guy make it big.
My favorite small mention in the book (without giving too much away) is that there was a time when John Bonham, Keith Moon, and Ringo Starr all went together to see Bob Marley in concert. Tell me that's not just awesome.
November 20, 2023
I have been listening to them since their first record came out and I still listen to them today. This is a thoroughly in-depth look into Bonham's life before the band how he got into playing the drums, the different drum players he would follow some that he sought out, and how even when the band finally got together he was such a driving force, especially at concerts. You can hear it on the records when you are listening to the entire album you get a feel of his playing and how he drives a song even when he plays low not loud. The different members of the band talk about and also how difficult it was to continue without him and how they could not think about replacing him. This is a very good book and one that I have already read twice so I thought I better do my review. Very much worth the read.
February 28, 2024
John Bonham is the greatest rock drummer ever. Nothing I read in this book added to or took away from that. I should have asked myself, prior to page one, "Do you really think you need to read an entire book about John Bonham? Would you like to know what every newspaper in every town thought about his Moby Dick solo at that particular show? Are you a gear head? Specifically, are you a drum gear head? Does it bother you that apparently the author gets all the gear stuff wrong, anyway? Would you rather spend this time listening to the music he left behind?" That brings me to why it's not a one-star: When Kushins decides to write about Bonham's approach to various songs, I could not help but immediately listen to that song, and having heard them all so many hundreds of times, those songs (and Bonzo's parts) still sound great.
May 4, 2025
John Bonham, “the greatest drummer in rock ‘n’ roll history,” a biography. C.M. Kushins describes every high and low in this 426 page book with testimonies of many different people including stories from the band themselves and Bonham’s family. It goes through the years 1948-1968 about his upbringing and childhood. Also, it covers the years 1968-1980 about the bands beginning, peak, and ending until his death in September of ‘80 at 32. If you’re looking to learn about classic rock bands, read “Beast.” It mentions all of the classics and their relation to Led Zeppelin. Specifically, if you’re looking to learn about Led Zeppelin, definitely read this. Reading this made me feel like I was in there witnessing every intricate moment, and had even brought me to tears by the end. Speaking of the ending, it’s powerful. I’ve never read anything similar to Bonham’s life.
January 13, 2022
A Led Zep bio seen through a John Bonham lens and as such, it does a really good job of detailing how Led Zeppelin the band really operated ... great songs, great performances and a wonderful reminder of why so many of us love Zep and their music ... there is a lot here about John and the band and excess and debauchery that makes you wince, but the music and the musicians prevail ... John Bonham was always a wounded soul, shouting into the wilderness in a hyper-indulgent space and time - someone should have thrown him a lifeline
November 13, 2023
It's a solid book on one of my favorite drummers. John "Bonzo" Bonham was indeed one of a kind. He came up with unique patterns for Led Zeppelin's songs that helped define their sound. It's no surprise that when Bonham passed, the band immediately decided to call it quits because no one would be able to replace him.
The book is also a stark and sad reality of the dangers of substance abuse and how it can ruin and ultimately take a precious life.
The book is also a stark and sad reality of the dangers of substance abuse and how it can ruin and ultimately take a precious life.
May 7, 2024
Biography of the legendary drummer, from his middle class childhood near Birmingham, England, through his emergence of the music scene and his meteoric time in Led Zeppelin. Solid biography, that isn’t quite as good as the author’s Warren Zevon biography. Slightly repetitive book the can anger with the sheer amount of nonsense Bonham was allowed to get away with. He was never held accountable for his actions. Surprising that he didn’t pass away countless earlier times in his life.
December 1, 2024
For drum tragics only. Too long. Repetitive at times. The tone of the narrator of the audio book & the language of the book comes across all prim & proper which is mighty incongruous given the fare. The style of writing made me feel at arm’s length from bonham and the band somehow.
Read it while exploring led zepplin’s catalogue & learning to play the drums so the timing was good.
2 stars with a bonus star for inspiration when learning to drum.
Read it while exploring led zepplin’s catalogue & learning to play the drums so the timing was good.
2 stars with a bonus star for inspiration when learning to drum.
June 19, 2025
Enjoyed reading this book as a huge Bonzo fan. Unfortunately the section on the Australian tour was not well researched. The author claimed there were 3 concerts at each capital city - not correct; all concerts were held in indoor venues except for Adelaide- not correct; Melbourne had the outdoor concert where it rained with the band leaving the stage after around 30 minutes of playing. I know this as I was there. So leads me to think what else is not correct?
December 10, 2021
Incredibly detailed insight into John Bonham’s life and his music career with Led Zeppelin, in almost in excruciating detail at times. But the sections on the drunkenness and hotel room destruction got old after a while. I would have loved to see him and his band mates play live. As good as the recordings are, live is always better.
January 1, 2022
A great read if you dig a behind-the-scenes look at one of the greatest drummers in one of the most infamous rock bands of all time — John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. This fascinating story behind Bonzo is bittersweet and a warning to the dangers of alcohol and other drugs. A brilliant talent extinguished far too early by his inner demons and self-destructive behavior.
July 10, 2022
A complete biography of the best drummer to have ever lived: John Bonham of Led Zeppelin.
John's use of drumming techniques incorporated from Jazz and Blues transformed the Rock world in the late 1960s. Even though Led Zeppelin released 7 albums with John and went on over a dozen tours, his career was short-lived due to alcohol and he passed at 32 years of age.
A really amazing biography!
John's use of drumming techniques incorporated from Jazz and Blues transformed the Rock world in the late 1960s. Even though Led Zeppelin released 7 albums with John and went on over a dozen tours, his career was short-lived due to alcohol and he passed at 32 years of age.
A really amazing biography!
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