Everyone has seen The Muppets' Animal maniacally bashing a toy drum kit, his arms flailing and his eyes bulging, and for many that is the lasting symbol of the classic rock drummer. A beast. An animal. A non-thinking ponder worthy of jokes and amusement. But without a great drummer you will never have a great band.

Whether you're a drummer or simply a fan of the greatest rock songs ever, Classic Rock Drummers (available at Borders and Amazon) will tell you everything you ever wanted to know (and more) about classic rock, from A (All Right Now) to Z (Zappa and beyond).

Exploring technique, biographical information, setup, and style analysis, Classic Rock Drummers covers every aspect of rock's greatest drum innovators, including Ginger Baker (Cream), John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Stewart Copeland (The Police), Richie Hayward (Little Feat), Levon Helm (The Band), Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix), Keith Moon (The Who), Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Jeff Porcaro (Toto), Ringo Starr (The Beatles), and Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones).

Classic Rock Drummers is an invaluable resource for musicians and general readers alike, depicting the glory of 70s rock and the intricacies of the era's greatest songs. Each drummer's legendary tracks are examined and dissected in detail, with full transcriptions and historical anecdotes, with musical examples on the accompanying CD.  Choice of notes, how the parts strengthened the music, and lasting influences on the drummers of today and music at large are exposed in Classic Rock Drummers.

Ever wonder how Jeff Porcaro created his classic rock hi-hat part in Boz Scaggs Lowdown? Similarly, John Bonham's tom assaults in Stairway To Heaven, Charlie Watts cowbell kick in Honky Tonk Women, Ringo Starr's backward drumming in Rain, and Levon Helm's country character in The Weight are all revealed in Classic Rock Drummers , by Ken Micallef and Donnie Marshall.

In addition to penning Classic Rock Drummers , Ken Micallef is a regular contributor to Yahoo.com (the blog Better Living Through MP3 ), Remix, Guitar Edge, Modern Drummer and the Boston Phoenix.

Donnie Marshall is one of the southeast's most in-demand drummers and clinicians, having worked with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Bonnie Bramlett, Ronnie Laws, Gladys Knight, Arthur Smith, and The Platters, among others.

Buy the book Classic Rock Drummers on

Buy the book Classic Rock Drummers on

Classic Rock Drummers
(the book)

"A book like this is invaluable in helping to cut the time and arduous process of "getting the ultimate clue" that always seems like some zen koan that can't be achieved without suffering and madness. Messrs. Micallef and Marshall take a lot of the pain and mystery out of it. Note: Highly recommended for GB drummers who have to learn various major styles in a short amount of time before the audition or gig."
Jon Mcauliffe

"This installment of the "Way They Play" series is a welcome addition to anyone's music library. The series uses the styles of original professional musicians to illustrate the techniques that made their drumming great. Accompanying the text is a CD of audio examples, a crucial tool in understanding their lessons. For this edition, the authors have chosen not only titans like John Bonham, Charlie Watts and Ringo Starr, but also iconoclasts like Keith Moon , Ginger Baker and Mitch Mitchell, and somewhat less well-known greats as Richie Heyward and Jeff Porcino, who tragically died when he was only 38. "
Michael Wescott