i am about 60 pages in. does it get any better? right now nothing is really grabbing me. i have read three books this year by other musicians, neil young, ray davies and eric clapton, and they all caught my attention pretty quickly. the stones are my favorite band so maybe my expectations were too high but right now after about 60 pages this one isn't hitting the mark

For anyone who enjoys reading generally it is a disappointing book in several ways. It's easy to tell where Keith is actually involved instead of letting his people put it together. I suspect Keith would do a much better job today and perhaps be more forthcoming and genuine in his point of view.

As you keep reading you will note that Marlon suddenly becomes the authority on stuff that Keith basically didn't remember. Marlon is a lovely and loyal person who really has been put through the wringer from babyhood on.

I think Keith's co-author and the publisher really did a lousy job in producing the book but they certainly spent the time and money to promote it as far as sales were concerned. And at that time Keith just wasn't in shape to think deeply about his life. He is more focused now than he was then.

I haven't read the book. But just going off other musician books, sometimes if its not grabbing me at the beginning, I try to kind of move towards the middle and see if it gets better. The meat and potatoes, their band life, usually starts coming in and makes it a bit more enjoyable to read. Again, I haven't read Keith's but usually the childhood stuff doesn't grab me as much as when they get to what I'm there to read.

For example, when I read Slash's book, the beginning isn't boring, but I was just waiting for the GNR stuff. I probably skipped to about chapter 7, once they were finally recording Appetite, and I started reading much quicker. It wasn't even a great book, since it was literally just Slash being a junky and his day to day life at that point, but even if it was bad it was the part I was reading the book for. After that I went back and read the rest of it, since I didn't have what I was waiting for standing in my way. Did the same with Pete Townshend's book where I skipped right to Tommy.

Its a bad habit of mine, but it gets me to where I want to be and if I don't enjoy the part I was waiting for, then I usually know that its not for me.

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stonesrule
For anyone who enjoys reading generally it is a disappointing book in several ways. It's easy to tell where Keith is actually involved instead of letting his people put it together. I suspect Keith would do a much better job today and perhaps be more forthcoming and genuine in his point of view.

As you keep reading you will note that Marlon suddenly becomes the authority on stuff that Keith basically didn't remember. Marlon is a lovely and loyal person who really has been put through the wringer from babyhood on.

I think Keith's co-author and the publisher really did a lousy job in producing the book but they certainly spent the time and money to promote it as far as sales were concerned. And at that time Keith just wasn't in shape to think deeply about his life. He is more focused now than he was then.

maybe taking it back to the library while i'm ahead seems like a good idea. ray davies book so far was the easiest read of the 4 musician books i picked up this year. maybe its because he's a much better song writer or because he set the book up more like an actual story and less like a history of details and events

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keefriffhard4life
...ray davies book so far was the easiest read of the 4 musician books i picked up this year. maybe its because he's a much better song writer or because he set the book up more like an actual story and less like a history of details and events

Which Ray Davies book are you referring to - X-Ray or Americana?

If that story from 1975 that opens the book doesn't grab your attention, you can return it to the library immediately

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Plink

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keefriffhard4life
...ray davies book so far was the easiest read of the 4 musician books i picked up this year. maybe its because he's a much better song writer or because he set the book up more like an actual story and less like a history of details and events

Which Ray Davies book are you referring to - X-Ray or Americana?

americana

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DandelionPowderman
If that story from 1975 that opens the book doesn't grab your attention, you can return it to the library immediately

that part was ok then so far the next 50 pages are keith talking about his childhood, name dropping places and people no one knows and it seems to go nowhere

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keefriffhard4life
i am about 60 pages in. does it get any better? right now nothing is really grabbing me. i have read three books this year by other musicians, neil young, ray davies and eric clapton, and they all caught my attention pretty quickly. the stones are my favorite band so maybe my expectations were too high but right now after about 60 pages this one isn't hitting the mark

I loved the first 60pp To me he seemed pretty engaged with the material (about his childhood, etc).
The book is uneven, and reflects a handful of different styles, some of which seem to appeal more [and
less] to different people. I will say I enjoyed a lot of it, and appreciated most of it, and did not
find any of it boring (tho some parts seemed tedious--e.g., when he'd strike a stance that seemed
disingenuous or braggadocious, like the whole "Show me the blade" posturing). I was thrilled overall
while reading it, and hope he will take another swipe at writing about his life at another time,
in a more consistently genuine way.

- swiss

I only managed one chapter so far....... :-(

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swiss

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keefriffhard4life
i am about 60 pages in. does it get any better? right now nothing is really grabbing me. i have read three books this year by other musicians, neil young, ray davies and eric clapton, and they all caught my attention pretty quickly. the stones are my favorite band so maybe my expectations were too high but right now after about 60 pages this one isn't hitting the mark

I loved the first 60pp To me he seemed pretty engaged with the material (about his childhood, etc).
The book is uneven, and reflects a handful of different styles, some of which seem to appeal more [and
less] to different people. I will say I enjoyed a lot of it, and appreciated most of it, and did not
find any of it boring (tho some parts seemed tedious--e.g., when he'd strike a stance that seemed
disingenuous or braggadocious, like the whole "Show me the blade" posturing). I was thrilled overall
while reading it, and hope he will take another swipe at writing about his life at another time,
in a more consistently genuine way.

- swiss

its not boring its just tedious. like i'm reading just a list of events

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keefriffhard4life

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swiss

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keefriffhard4life
i am about 60 pages in. does it get any better? right now nothing is really grabbing me. i have read three books this year by other musicians, neil young, ray davies and eric clapton, and they all caught my attention pretty quickly. the stones are my favorite band so maybe my expectations were too high but right now after about 60 pages this one isn't hitting the mark

I loved the first 60pp To me he seemed pretty engaged with the material (about his childhood, etc).
The book is uneven, and reflects a handful of different styles, some of which seem to appeal more [and
less] to different people. I will say I enjoyed a lot of it, and appreciated most of it, and did not find
any of it boring (tho some parts seemed tedious--e.g., when he'd strike a stance that seemed disingenuous
or braggadocious, like the whole "Show me the blade" posturing). I was thrilled overall while reading
it, and hope he will take another swipe at writing about his life at another time,
in a more consistently genuine way.

- swiss

its not boring its just tedious. like i'm reading just a list of events

I hear what you're saying. To me, it's uneven...some parts are straight-up storytelling and
raconteurism, some are more listing/chronicling events, some are weird flights of fancy, some
parts feel hollow, and some it seems you can feel Keith's heart beating (sometimes when
he's discussing music, or a particular person), sometimes he's arrogant in an over-the-top
sort of detached way, and sometimes right there, and sometimes no emotion/rote,
sometimes funny and Keith-quirky. But it is not a smooth ride. Neither's his playing, for
that matter. But I think if it doesn't grab you (and it did me, for whatever reason--as
said, basically I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read it--big honking frustrating
flaws notwithstanding), then quit!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-08-22 10:18 by swiss.

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keefriffhard4life

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DandelionPowderman
If that story from 1975 that opens the book doesn't grab your attention, you can return it to the library immediately

that part was ok then so far the next 50 pages are keith talking about his childhood, name dropping places and people no one knows and it seems to go nowhere

The part of his childhood was the best part in his book, imo. Eventually, the loose ends will come together. You should at least finish that part.

The guitar workshop-part is also great, btw.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-08-22 09:47 by DandelionPowderman.

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keefriffhard4life
i am about 60 pages in. does it get any better? right now nothing is really grabbing me. i have read three books this year by other musicians, neil young, ray davies and eric clapton, and they all caught my attention pretty quickly. the stones are my favorite band so maybe my expectations were too high but right now after about 60 pages this one isn't hitting the mark

You have read the best part of it already...

- Doxa

i'll keep going and see what happens. i want to hear about the creation of music which is why these parts about childhood tend to drag on for me

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Doxa

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keefriffhard4life
i am about 60 pages in. does it get any better? right now nothing is really grabbing me. i have read three books this year by other musicians, neil young, ray davies and eric clapton, and they all caught my attention pretty quickly. the stones are my favorite band so maybe my expectations were too high but right now after about 60 pages this one isn't hitting the mark

You have read the best part of it already...

- Doxa

Not if he's interested in guitar playing

<<its not boring its just tedious. like i'm reading just a list of events>>

You mean sort of like listening to a drunk in a bar tell his life story?

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stonehearted
<<its not boring its just tedious. like i'm reading just a list of events>>

You mean sort of like listening to a drunk in a bar tell his life story?

lol almost exactly like that but instead of listening to it you are trying to read it

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keefriffhard4life
i am about 60 pages in. does it get any better? right now nothing is really grabbing me. i have read three books this year by other musicians, neil young, ray davies and eric clapton, and they all caught my attention pretty quickly. the stones are my favorite band so maybe my expectations were too high but right now after about 60 pages this one isn't hitting the mark

the best part is the beginning – the rest is pure boredom

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DandelionPowderman

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Doxa

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keefriffhard4life
i am about 60 pages in. does it get any better? right now nothing is really grabbing me. i have read three books this year by other musicians, neil young, ray davies and eric clapton, and they all caught my attention pretty quickly. the stones are my favorite band so maybe my expectations were too high but right now after about 60 pages this one isn't hitting the mark

You have read the best part of it already...

- Doxa

Not if he's interested in guitar playing

And haven't read Keith's description of creating OpenG technique, "three chords, two hands, one @#$%&", etc. yet?

I would say the best reader, looking for a new info, is the one interested in 'if you are a millionaire, how to do drugs'. Or the one who doesn't like Mick Jagger.

- Doxa

I reckon it'd be a complete drag writin' ya autobiography ...
It'd be kinda like when ya have one of them spaced-out whacko dreams and ya tryin' to tell ya friends..

"There I was deep in the jungle wrestlin' these giant snakes when all of a sudden Howlin' Wolf and Diana Dores parachuted in and saved me"........

Then ya look up and everyone is bored shitless... It's buzz to you but nobody else cares ...



ROCKMAN

I'm re-reading it now, in fact. It is indeed uneven; the editors made some silly mistakes;
and it's very different from what I apparently expected (although I wasn't really conscious of having any strong expectations).
But in spite of all that for me it's a satisfying read, and the way Keith closes it feels quite "ahhhhh!"

Part of me is tempted to write that I wish Keith's voice were more steadily clear in it,
but that's just my preconceptions talking, and it reads better when I stay open to what the book actually is
instead of getting fidgety over what I might imagine it ought to be.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-08-22 12:20 by with sssoul.

<when I stay open to what the book actually is
instead of getting fidgety over what I might imagine it ought to be>

That's spot on!

Expectations are the problem, not the book.

Like an album, who the artist is at that time, what they have been through and what they are able and willing to reflect on for all to see is laid out in their creation.

It is a shame that it was written when it was as a much better place and viewpoint was just around the corner. But, there it is, a snap shot of Keith's own thoughts on his life at a particular time in his life.

It's interesting to speculate on Keith's frame of mind when doing this book - I've always thought it was his form of therapy - trying to make sense of the chaos of his life and face up to a lot of stuff he'd buried. He just did it in public instead of in private.

He'd just begun to recover after a series of life events - death of his parents, serious accident resulting in loss of music memory and function plus arthritis( taking away his ability to play ) I suspect he did not think he would be able to tour again after 2007, whatever he said at the time which must have been really scarey but meant he felt he had nothing to lose by letting it all out. He just wanted to create some sort of record of his life and career. Most importantly was the life threatening illness of his wife, who had a less than 50 /50 chance of survival and was only a year or so out of treatment when the book was written. It's well documented that he really went to pieces for a while during her diagnosis and initial treatment. When he prepared the book, He revisited all the feelings of 30 years before which had never been talked through and which,as in therapy , emerged as raw as they were at the time. Keith doesn't seem to do regret but if he did, I wonder if he'd wish he'd left it a bit longer !

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DandelionPowderman
<when I stay open to what the book actually is
instead of getting fidgety over what I might imagine it ought to be>

That's spot on!

Right. And that's where the trouble starts. If we really look at the book as it is, and how it represents its subject, the voice of it, I turned to have two (bad) options after reading it:

(a) is the person really so small-minded (I could use some other, more accurate terms, but I don't want to upset Keith Richards fans more here) as it represents him to be?

(b) if not, what it says of the person who wants himself to be represented like this?

But this said, and despite the fact I lost a lot of respect towards Keith Richards as a person (which is not really that important, and the old wisdom is 'don't get too close to your heroes'), the book contains still a lot of little interesting info and details from here and there. I have referred to it here at IORR many times along the years. Good research material for a pseudo-Stonelogist...

- Doxa

Very good posts, Gemini and EJM. I think that kind of approach - knowing the circumstances when the book was written, etc. - needs to keep in mind when reading the book (or trying to 'understand' it). That 'psychological' approach contradicts the approach with sssoul and DandelionPowderman seem to offer, that of taking the book and its content at face value, which leads, for example, myself into those sad conclusions.

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-08-22 13:38 by Doxa.

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Doxa

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DandelionPowderman
<when I stay open to what the book actually is
instead of getting fidgety over what I might imagine it ought to be>

That's spot on!

Right. And that's where the trouble starts. If we really look at the book as it is, and how it represents its subject, the voice of it, I turned to have two (bad) options after reading it:

(a) is the person really so small-minded (I could use some other, more accurate terms, but I don't want to upset Keith Richards fans more here) as it represents him to be?

(b) if not, what it says of the person who wants himself to be represented like this?

But this said, and despite the fact I lost a lot of respect towards Keith Richards as a person (which is not really that important, and the old wisdom is 'don't get too close to your heroes'), the book contains still a lot of little interesting info and details from here and there. I have referred to it here at IORR many times along the years. Good research material for a pseudo-Stonelogist...

- Doxa

The most surprising thing, imo, is that you, and many of his fans here, almost sound surprised by your latter point.

I would have thought that we knew enough prior to the book release, not to be expecting a totally different Keith Richards, or a "self-glorifying" tale?

IMO, Keith should get some cred for trying to be honest, also when it comes to the things we don't like about him, or what many consider to be petty, small-minded or downright rude. It could easily have been omitted.

But would the book have benefited from it? Maybe, maybe not. I'm leaning towards the latter.

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keefriffhard4life
i am about 60 pages in. does it get any better? right now nothing is really grabbing me. ...

Wait for the part “[MF]had no fun with his tiny todger. I know he’s got an
enormous pair of balls — but it doesn’t quite fill the gap.”

Hmmm, my face value take on the book is that he's a deep lover of music, loved his mum, has quite an ego, has many double standards and also plays a character to keep the real person away from the bullshit of fame and all the weirdness that comes from total strangers thinking they know you.

Not that bad really considering he's been in one one of the most famous bands in the world since he was 18.

Normal life ended for him in 1963.