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Beast

John Bonham and the Rise of Led Zeppelin

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By: C. M. Kushins, Dave Grohl - introduction
Narrated by: Matthew Wolf, Chris Abell
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About this listen

 A compelling narrative biography of the legendary drummer John Bonham, his wild ride with iconic rock band Led Zeppelin, and the highs and lows that made up his wild (and tragically short) life.

John Bonham is considered by many to be one of the greatest drummers of all time. He was recruited to join the band who would eventually become known as Led Zeppelin–and before the year was out, Bonham and his bandmates would become the richest rock band in the world.

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. In September of 1980, Bonham–plagued by alcoholism, anxiety, and the after-effects of years of excess–was found dead by his bandmates.

As Adam Budofsky, managing editor of Modern Drummer, explains, "If the king of rock 'n' roll was Elvis Presley, then the king of rock drumming was certainly John Bonham." Entertainment & Celebrities Music

Critic Reviews

"C.M. Kushins gives us a wild, behind-the-scenes look at one of the greatest rock bands ever, and brings John ‘Bonzo’ Bonham back to life in this well-written rock classic."
—Peter Leonard, Bestselling Author of Voices of the Dead
All stars
Most relevant
Enjoyed this story immensely, well narrated, thorough description of John Henry Bonham, as well as how Led Zeppelin evolved.

Great Trip into History.

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great story well researched but I will never like people putting on accents to sound like the people they are quoting. the reader is very easy to listen to and I highly recommend

a good story to listen to For drummers and Zeppelin fans alike

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The story was ruined by the English narrator's inability to correctly pronounce the word debut.

Narrator destroys enjoyment...

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