John Henry Bonham is, along with James Douglas Morrison, the person in the musical field to whom I am viscerally connected. Besides being the drummer of my favorite band, we are similar in character; kind and generous, fragile and insecure, impulsive, arrogant, and aggressive on certain occasions. We were even born on the same day. From the very beginning, I had a fatal attraction to this big man with a shy and innocent look, a mocking smile, and of course, for his way of playing.
But you are justly interested in that. Two books have been dedicated to John Bonham: one is the famous "A Thunder Of Drums" by Welch/Nicholls, the other is "John Bonham. Il Motore dei Led Zeppelin" by Mick Bonham, released just over two years ago and much less famous. I will obviously talk about the latter.
It is a book unlike all the others (many) I have read about Led Zeppelin and their members: It is a long story written by a person who followed him throughout much of his life and career; a book written with love that only his younger brother Mick could feel for him, certainly not the group's historical writers. So do not expect the usual anecdotes about wild parties, groupies, drugs, alcohol, and excesses. The portrait that emerges will not be that of the rockstar, but that of a brother, a bit high-spirited, but a loving father and husband. The brother with whom he spent all his childhood and adolescence, who took care of him, never letting him lack affection, defending him in fights, and ensuring that no one made fun of him. It is a chronological story that Mick gives us; from his early passion for drums through the relentless listening of his idol Gene Krupa, to the many odd jobs he did to support himself (John and Pat became parents to Jason very young) and the many bands he played with in that part of the Midlands (Black Country), an incredible breeding ground, in those years, of future world rockstars, up to the start of his professional career in Led Zeppelin. There are many anecdotes, all different. The "madness" is not lacking, but they are told lovingly and with irony, sidestepping the most compromising situations.
A vision that, in my opinion, John deserved. He cannot be remembered only for the Beast that smashed hotel rooms, provoked fights, destroyed cars, or just raged. The problem with alcohol arises precisely from having to manage a life not suited to him. He who found the utmost serenity on his family farm among his cows and on the tractor (with his races in beloved fast cars). Fragility and insecurity found in alcohol a logical and dramatic escape. With alcohol, John seemingly became stronger and more self-assured, able to hold up the emotional weight of fame and tours (unfortunately, this is something we also share!).
The book offers many testimonies, the most disparate ones: from Phil Collins' (which I really enjoyed), to Glen Matlock's with an anecdote at a punk concert that I certainly won't spoil for you. Plus, many photos of an unpublished Bonham in a family context.
Mick passed away prematurely at 49 in 2000, long before the book was published. His wife Linda, who took care of its publication, admits that her husband deliberately omitted some memories of a very intimate and painful nature; the description of the very death is detached and concise, his pain was not easy to explain.
"Nothing and no one could stop John from playing"
"Bonham is Bonham! You may not love Led Zeppelin, but you cannot remain indifferent to the sound created by this great musician"
"If your sound is based only on technique, you'll sound like anyone else. What matters most is being original"
"Boy, your right foot is faster than that of a rabbit!"
Thank you for everything John, my friend, when I hear "When the Levee Breaks" I still can't believe it.
Happy reading. You'll have fun!
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