Keith Richards' "Life"!

autumnsky · Post by **autumnsky** » Saturday Jun 11, 2011

Any one else read this book yet? Started reading and couldn't put it down. Richards is a remarkable writer! One of the best autobiographies I've ever read! He doesn't leave much to the imagination. From his humble roots to rock star, he talks about the good, the bad and the ugly. But then after all, "It's Only Rock and Roll"!

TJ Kelly · Post by **TJ Kelly** » Saturday Jun 11, 2011

Yes I did and also liked it.

Nikki Sixx - Heroin Diaries blew chunks

Sammy Hagar - Red is an excellent read

Rick Springfield - Late Late at Night is not bad

evolanji · Post by **evolanji** » Saturday Jun 11, 2011

I personaly liked herion Diaries but than again I'm a huge Motley Crue fan and I also work/worked in D & A so reading his versions of how he felt in that moment was pretty interesting

autumnsky · Post by **autumnsky** » Sunday Jun 12, 2011

Some other great reads:

Midnight Rider---About the Allman Bros.
Freebird---No brainer.
Girls Like Us---Joni Mitchell, Carol King, and Carly Simon---Excellent!!!
Catch A Wave---By Brian Wilson---These guys REALLY had issues!
My Son Jimi---Al Hendrix---A very touching memoir
Pearl---Janis Joplin
Faithful---Marianne Faithful
Clapton---Strange Brew? No, strange dude! Ya gotta read it and decide for yourself!
Wonderful Tonight---Patty Boyd---kinda ties in with the Clapton book.
I could go on, but would rather hear from you guys!

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Monday Jun 13, 2011

This Wheel's On Fire by Levon Helm, the story of the group, The Band.

You should follow this up with watching The Last Waltz on DVD.

http://www.amazon.com/This-Wheels-Fire- ... 1556524056

autumnsky · Post by **autumnsky** » Monday Jun 13, 2011

Just heard this great news, like about 30 seconds ago---Gregg Allman is publishing a book called "Unflinching" due to be released in early 2012!!! Can't wait for this one!!!

ZappasXWife · Post by **ZappasXWife** » Tuesday Jun 14, 2011

Have read many books like that but my favorites are

-Dark Star (not a big Dead fan but this was a good read)
-Girls Like Us
-Long Time Gone (David Crosby)
-Old Gods Long Dead (or something like that. Stones.)
-Behind the Shades Revisited (Dylan)
-Chronicles (Dylan)

My favorite though: Bill Graham Presents. Really awesome story of a self-made man and the beginnings of a new era of music. I highly recommend!

I might check out the new Keith Richards book too, thanks.

autumnsky · Post by **autumnsky** » Tuesday Jun 14, 2011

Yeah, definately check out Richards' book, and the Bill Graham book sounds like a winner, too! Glad to hear that you also liked "Girls Like Us"----some pretty good eye-openers in THAT one don't ya think?

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Tuesday Jun 14, 2011

did he write it or a ghost?

autumnsky · Post by **autumnsky** » Tuesday Jun 14, 2011

The outside cover just says Keith Richards, but the inside says "With James Fox". Says that he's a London journalist that has known Richards since 1970. Maybe he helped with the actual writing, proofreading and all of that stuff. If you decide to read the book, I think it's pretty obvious that it is done as though Keith is telling the story. Believe me, it is very well worth reading!!! I had preordered the hardback version from Amazon before it came out and couldn't stop reading it when it arrived. I was disappointed that it wouldn't fit in my carry-on when I went on vacation. Luckily, I found a bookstore in the airport that had a softcover copy, so I bought that and picked up where I left off. It's has around 547 pages, but I never found ONE of them to be boring!!!

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Tuesday Jun 14, 2011

autumnsky wrote:The outside cover just says Keith Richards, but the inside says "With James Fox". Says that he's a London journalist that has known Richards since 1970. Maybe he helped with the actual writing, proofreading and all of that stuff. If you decide to read the book, I think it's pretty obvious that it is done as though Keith is telling the story. Believe me, it is very well worth reading!!! I had preordered the hardback version from Amazon before it came out and couldn't stop reading it when it arrived. I was disappointed that it wouldn't fit in my carry-on when I went on vacation. Luckily, I found a bookstore in the airport that had a softcover copy, so I bought that and picked up where I left off. It's has around 547 pages, but I never found ONE of them to be boring!!!

What will i learn once read? I usually find "autobios' to be so narcissistic. i generally don't get a thrill about reading about some idiot celebrities life.

so what's in it for me?

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Tuesday Jun 14, 2011

autumnsky wrote:The outside cover just says Keith Richards, but the inside says "With James Fox". Says that he's a London journalist that has known Richards since 1970. Maybe he helped with the actual writing, proofreading and all of that stuff. If you decide to read the book, I think it's pretty obvious that it is done as though Keith is telling the story. Believe me, it is very well worth reading!!! I had preordered the hardback version from Amazon before it came out and couldn't stop reading it when it arrived. I was disappointed that it wouldn't fit in my carry-on when I went on vacation. Luckily, I found a bookstore in the airport that had a softcover copy, so I bought that and picked up where I left off. It's has around 547 pages, but I never found ONE of them to be boring!!!

What will i learn once read? I usually find "autobios' to be so narcissistic. i generally don't get a thrill about reading about some idiot celebrities life.

so what's in it for me? he gets a sale on another book, what do i get?

ps wasn't for jagger who would know this guy?

autumnsky · Post by **autumnsky** » Tuesday Jun 14, 2011

You will learn that far from being a "rock star", Richards is a real person who's made mistakes, took chances, loved and lost. He's not afraid to honestly dish the dirt on himself. He talks about being beaten up every day on the way to school as a kid, singing in the school choir winning many awards with them only to be kicked out after he had out-grown the part, thus his beginning of thumbing his nose at society. He talks about first loves, first bands, first highs, hanging with other muscians both famous and some he met during his traveling and country hopping to avoid high tax rates. Various recording studios and sessions, done both straight and after days straight of no sleep. Re-arrests and relapses---how many other "stars" would actually talk openly about puking and shitting yourself while detoxing? He shares his love of his children and the untimely death of his third child with Anita Pallenberg. How his right hand man, for a while, was his seven year old son Marlin. I could go on, you'll just have to trust me and others who have read this book. I hear it's a number one seller in the U.S.! I guess if you have any doubts, you could always ask Keith himself---he lives in Connecticut!

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Tuesday Jun 14, 2011

faster pussycat wrote:
autumnsky wrote:The outside cover just says Keith Richards, but the inside says "With James Fox". Says that he's a London journalist that has known Richards since 1970. Maybe he helped with the actual writing, proofreading and all of that stuff. If you decide to read the book, I think it's pretty obvious that it is done as though Keith is telling the story. Believe me, it is very well worth reading!!! I had preordered the hardback version from Amazon before it came out and couldn't stop reading it when it arrived. I was disappointed that it wouldn't fit in my carry-on when I went on vacation. Luckily, I found a bookstore in the airport that had a softcover copy, so I bought that and picked up where I left off. It's has around 547 pages, but I never found ONE of them to be boring!!!
What will i learn once read? I usually find "autobios' to be so narcissistic. i generally don't get a thrill about reading about some idiot celebrities life.

so what's in it for me? he gets a sale on another book, what do i get?

ps wasn't for jagger who would know this guy?

If it wasn't for Keith's signature guitar riffs, who would know Jagger?

ZappasXWife · Post by **ZappasXWife** » Tuesday Jun 14, 2011

@ faster pussycat...a good music biography talks a lot about the making of the music, the birth and development of albums, and inspires me to check out albums by them I may not be so familiar with, also music by their friends and their inspirations I may not be familiar with.

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Thursday Jun 16, 2011

ZappasXWife wrote:@ faster pussycat...a good music biography talks a lot about the making of the music, the birth and development of albums, and inspires me to check out albums by them I may not be so familiar with, also music by their friends and their inspirations I may not be familiar with.

ok, you have a good point there. I guess i'm not just that interested in the stones. i won't read steve tyler's autobio either.

ZappasXWife · Post by **ZappasXWife** » Thursday Jun 16, 2011

Steven Tyler...ugh...what a pompous ass. I can only imagine what his book is like.

Bag · Post by **Bag** » Sunday Jun 19, 2011

"Hammer Of The Gods" about Led Zeppelin was a good read, but then, I'm a huge LZ fan...