Quietly and with little personal fanfare, Stephen Davis has become one of the most accomplished rock writers in history. While peers like Lester Bangs, Dave Marsh, and Robert Christgau became media stars in their own right, Davis' scholarly-yet-entertaining books probably sold more copies than those three combined. That statistic is mostly due to Hammer Of The Gods, one of the first books (and still the best) about heavy metal icons Led Zeppelin. Few rock writers, however, can claim a body of work both as broad in scope and consistent in quality as Stephen Davis.

Davis has covered pop music for over 30 years, most notably for the New York Times. In addition, he has written Say Kids! What Time Is It? (1987) about the "Howdy Doody" TV show, and has served as a supporting author for several rock autobiographies. These include:

• Moonwalk (Michael Jackson, 1988)
• Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac (Mick Fleetwood, 1990)
• This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band (Levon Helm, 1993)
• Walk This Way (Aerosmith, 1997)

Reggae Bloodlines: In Search of the Music and Culture of Jamaica
by Stephen Davis and Peter Simon (1977, revised 1992)
The first in a series of books Davis has written about reggae, this is a monumentally important account of the origins and rise of modern Jamaican music. Reggae reached its full flower in the mid-70's, and Davis (with photographer Peter Simon) document it in all its glory. Covering the spiritual and political elements of reggae in addition to the music, Davis explains well why this exotic beat has spead far beyond the shores of Jamaica. (Davis and Simon also collaborated on Reggae International in 1983. It has been out-of-print for quite a while.) [top of page]

Bob Marley
by Stephen Davis (1992)
Though Timothy White's Catch A Fire is more widely-touted, it is Davis' thoroughly-researched biography that Rolling Stone called "easily the best book about Bob Marley." It is certainly the book I would recommend to anyone wanting to read just one book about the reggae giant. While Davis' approach is journalistic, he also writes with a plain and sincere love for the music and respect for the man. [top of page]

Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga
by Stephen Davis (1986, revised 1997)
Davis delved deep behind the scenes to tell the true story of this legendary band - the shocking behavior as well as the brilliant music. One of the more infamous books in the rock bibliography, it is, in fact, a well-researched, well-written history. Davis dug up sources, photos, and documents to verify the seemingly tall tales, but he expends his greatest energy revealing the secrets behind the music itself. [top of page]

Old Gods Almost Dead: The 40-Year Odyssey of the Rolling Stones
by Stephen Davis (2001)
Like Satan's minions, books about the Rolling Stones are legion. Not since the 1980's, however, had a serious biography about the Stones been attempted. In the meantime, the Stones achieved what no other 60's rock band did - longevity bordering on immortality. Davis' book, then, was long overdue, and it was well worth the wait. Comprehensive and beautifully illustrated, Old Gods Almost Dead explains why the Rolling Stones juggernaut keeps rocking along. [Davis also wrote Jajouka Rolling Stone: a Fable of Gods and Heroes (1993), a semi-fictional account of the Master Musicians of Jajouka. It is out-of-print.] [top of page]