Book Review: Life by Keith Richards

I’ve never given much credence to the Beatles vs. Stones argument. To me that’s like being asked to choose between Halloween and Christmas; the blues and soul; love and sex, there simply must be room for both.

So while I refuse to acknowledge the either/or scenario and further refuse to place one in higher regard than the other, I do believe it’s rather undeniable that the Rolling Stones hold the title of Excessive Party Maniacs over the fab four.

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Photo via allaboutjazz.com

For those of you who have never had the experience of being in a legendary touring rock n’ roll band, I give you Life, brought to you by your favorite self-medicating, authority loathing, rock n’ roll superhero, Keith Richards.  Don’t be put off by its girth, each of the book’s 547 pages brim with juicy tidbits chronicling the musician’s life from childhood through his arrested development and eventual superstardom. Each detail recalled, remarkably, by the author with stunning clarity. That Keith, always full of surprises.

Photo via www.druther.blogspot.com

Essentially, Life is the true story of a boy, a true lover of music, who came to create the music that moved others to appreciate the art as much as he did. Plus, there are more than a few wild tour stories, police stand-offs, substance-laden adventures, broken hearts, broken strings, fashion statements, and cool haircuts. But what is so striking about this particular rock memoir is what it lacks, pretention and pretense. If you weren’t into Keith before this will surely convince you that he is, in fact, the coolest man alive. He’s the kind of guy you want to get a beer with (perhaps a perfect political candidate?), the guy you want to emulate, and, somehow, none of this seems to have gone to his head. Life

This is the kind of book that’ll have you sneaking off to bed early, just to squeeze in a few extra chapters. Thank you, Mr. Richards, for giving us a glimpse into the life you’ve led, and for taking us along for the ride.

Photo via www.fashionsmostwanted.blogspot.com

< Life by Keith Richards Available on Amazon.com