The Big Beat: Conversations with Rock's Greatest Drummers

by Max Weinberg, Robert Santelli

(Book). This much sought-after work has been re-issued after years of being unavailable! In The Big Beat , Max Weinberg speaks to 14 pioneers of rock drumming. Included are fantastic interviews with Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, DJ Fontana, Levon Helm, Jim Keltner, Charlie Watts, Ringo Starr, Roger Hawkins, Bernard Purdie, Dino Danelli, Kenney Jones, Russ Kunkle, Dave Clark and Johnny Bee. This book has been out of print and unavailable for many years. Hudson Music has located the last remaining supply. Highly recommended used copies are for sale on the web for more than $100! Order now, supply is limited.

Genres: Nonfiction

197 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2004

Reviews

[Johann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking at a different book about rock drummers on Amazon when I saw a review recommending this book as being the best on the topic. I looked around a bit and found out this book is somewhat difficult to find at a reasonable price. I was fortunate to find a copy being sold by Goodwill on eBay and savored every page as I read it. Max Weinberg was in a lucky position to interview some of the most influential drummers from the 1950s and 1960s during his hay day with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band in the ‘80s. These interviews were candid and honest and I appreciated being able to peer into those moments with him.

[Dave Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have owned this book since it was published (1984?) and have read specific parts but never sat down and read it all the way through.

I am so glad I found the time to do so.

I'm not a drummer. I'm not a musician. But I am a fan of music. And reading the stories of these iconic drummers and how they rose to fame and their mutual respect was really wonderful.

[David Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cool. Not being a drummer, some of the technical talk was over my head, but the stories and memories told beyond that were great.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read, though Max left out a few, such as Stewart Copeland, Ginger Baker, and Mitch Mitchell. Maybe they didn't want to be interviewed?

[Clara Parrish]

This is a great book, not only for drummers, but for anyone interested in music history. At first, I was planning on only reading the interviews with the drummers I know, but I am glad I read the whole book, because there is a lot of cool information and many interesting stories, and there's always a link with bands I like. They are all connected, in a way.

Favorite interview: Levon Helm.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely for drummers or rock fans, but some top notch interviews by TV's Max Weinberg.