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Book Nook provides readers with insights into the world of books. Vick Mickunas takes you into the center of the publishing world with the latest book buzz, book reviews, and exclusive chats with authors..Home > Blogs > Book Nook > Archives > 2010 > December > 18 > Entry
Happy Birthday, Keith Richards
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was born on this date in 1943. He recently published his memoir - “Life” (Little, Brown), what an amazing book-I’m half way through it. (OK, I finished the book-to read my review click HERE:)
Richards writes about almost everything you could imagine; the sex, the drugs, the drug busts, his long relationship with Stones singer Mick Jagger, even the rumors about blood transfusions. But mostly it is all about the music; the blues, the rock and roll, the guitars, the LPs, the songwriting, the recording sessions, the musicians, the concert tours, the drugs….
This is one of the most amazing books of 2010. I’m compiling my list of favorites from the past year and this one appears to be a shoo in. I love it.
I was a huge Stones fan. I hitchhiked from Des Moines to Knoxville, Tennessee to see them in 1972. I was just a kid. I told my buddy who made the trip with me to be sure to bring along a note from his mother. We both had notes from our moms giving us permission to be enroute to see the Stones. Of course, we neglected to tell our mothers one slight detail about our trip: that we planned to hitch rides. Those notes sure came in handy when the police stopped us somewhere in the boondocks of Missouri. The cop seemed rather astonished that we had those permission slips with us. He let us continue on our merry way to the concert.
The Stones had Stevie Wonder for an opening act. By the time the Stones came on stage we were really ready for a great show. That’s exactly what we got. They were amazing.Here’s the set list from that 1972 concert in Knoxville:
Brown Sugar
B~tch
Rocks Off
Gimme Shelter
Happy
Tumbling Dice
Love in Vain
Sweet Virginia
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
All Down the Line
Midnight Rambler
Bye Bye Johnny
Rip This Joint
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Street Fighting Man
(thanks for the set list, PageTurner!)
I never really have had a sense of where Keith Richards was coming from. But I’m starting to understand him from reading his book.
For Keef, it is really all about the music….Happy Birthday, Mr. Richards.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (19) | Post your comment | Categories: clearing the cobwebs
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By Victor mickunas
December 23, 2010 5:12 PM | Link to this
Glee, Prose? Why? is Mick Jagger going to be a guest star on that TV show? I wouldn’t know…
By prose
December 23, 2010 12:46 PM | Link to this
Vick and pageturner are oh,so nostalgic. You really haven’t listened to the boys for that long? Snobs, I say. They keep releasing great music and you join the chorus of others saying “they’re too old to R & R”? Balderdash. I’ve seen these tours. I venture to say you two have not. If you had, there is NO way you would have such a jaded and simply wrong opinion of their work. What the hell are you guys listening to? Glee?
By victor mickunas
December 23, 2010 9:55 AM | Link to this
Bulls Eye, Page Turner…
By Page Turner
December 23, 2010 9:28 AM | Link to this
You only skipped the last two decades, Vick? Prose ought to be praising your loyalty. There are those for whom Goat’s Head Soup was the point of departure.
By victor mickunas
December 22, 2010 9:45 AM | Link to this
If you read Keef’s book you’ll discover that Prose is being cute about probably the worst thing that Richards had to say about Mick Jagger. And yes, Prose, I mostly ignored their albums from 1990 until now. Too sad to watch. Keef’s book tends to bear me out. The book follows the trajectory of the Stones’ music. He is at the top of his game as a writer when he is describing the creation of their truly great albums from the mid-60’s until 1972. Exile on Main Street is the climax of the book. There are a few more high points after that but then Mick goes disco at Studio 54 and the boys were not getting along very well. Or do you consider Mick’s insult of Charlie Watts and Charlie’s response of socking Mick in the nose to be getting along? The downhill slide is long…thank heaven for this book.
By prose
December 21, 2010 9:39 PM | Link to this
Oh, come on Vick. You passed on the last 20 years of Stones music? Hard to believe. If you did how could you know what you missed? Voodoo Lounge, Bridges to Babylon and Bigger Bang are excellent. So were the tours. Are you getting a little snobbish or just playing with your todger too often?
By irishguy
December 21, 2010 8:52 PM | Link to this
Now Pete, I didn’t say Charlie “made the show” I think that prior to seeing him live, I didn’t appreciate his contribution to the band nearly as much. I didn’t mean to slight the rest of the boys. Ronnie was fantastic as well.
By Raoul
December 21, 2010 8:30 AM | Link to this
The Stones were the best rock and roll band in the world. They borrowed heavily from American blues and country and nailed it to the amazing back beat of Watt’s drumming. I saw them in Cleveland in 75’ as the 1st stop on a summer long road trip. Even in old Municipal stadium, the sound was fantastic. I plan on getting this book and reading it soon. My favorite album was Exile on Main Street. The album jacket with all the pictures of the Stones making music and partying really set the tone for the 70’s. Their music will stand the test of time.
By victor mickunas
December 20, 2010 10:09 AM | Link to this
That’s true, Bill. He does take some shots at Mick Jagger. But then Keef is being fairly honest it seems and he could not have been this frank without dissing the man he still considers to be like his brother. Richards was an only child so he missed having a sibling. After he woke up from his heroin daze he figured out that Mick had taken control of almost everything. No surprise, there, since Keith was out of it for so long. But Mick has hurt him, like lots of brothers hurt one another. They are still brothers, though. Brothers fight.
By Bill
December 20, 2010 9:51 AM | Link to this
It was a great read. I wish he hadn’t taken some of the pot shots at Mick, though. Very uncool. That said, Keith is the living, breathing history of Rock n Roll.
By victor mickunas
December 19, 2010 10:09 PM | Link to this
OK, I just finished Keef’s book. An amazing story-but I could have skipped the last 100 pages. But then, I skipped the last 20 years of Stones albums. Same difference. Even so-a brilliant book!
By Bill
December 19, 2010 8:25 PM | Link to this
I’m a huge, lifelong Stones fan. If I hear yet another joke about their age or the term “wrinkly rockers” I’m going to stick a fork in my eye. At least get creative people.
By Pete Rose
December 19, 2010 6:04 PM | Link to this
Rock, blues, country= fusion, KR is the quintessential essense of great freaking music. I agee this book will be highly acclaimed. Best damn read this year. Never imagined I’d live, or he’d live long enough to experience this tome. With apologies, I adore the Stones. Charlie Watts is fantasic. But, only an “irishguy” could see the “boys” in concert and have the temerity to say Charlie made the show for him!? I’ve seen them around 20 times and could never make that statement. Happy 67 Keef!
By Mark from St Paul
December 19, 2010 11:07 AM | Link to this
Amusingly, the audio version of the book is narrated by Johnny Depp using his best Jack Sparrow voice (which he says he developed by trying to copy Keith Richards’ speaking mannerisms).
By Slightly Right
December 19, 2010 5:34 AM | Link to this
Keith Richard’s is an extremely talented guitarist. I recently read where he might be ranked as one of the top ten guitarists of all time. Not to change the subject, but I recently read a book by Bill Bryson of DES MOINES titled “The life and times of the thunderbolt kid”. It was a must read if you grew up in the fifties.
By Jim Denker
December 19, 2010 2:13 AM | Link to this
It is a FANTASTIC book, Vic. I wanted to go on forever. In this world of bland celebrities and sports stars who get entirely too much credit, Keef is a unique talent who is easy to love, despite his long list of faults! Next time I am in CT, I will be on the lookout for him. He lives near a friend of ours. Keef: I’ll see you at the dog park, OK??
By irishguy
December 18, 2010 9:43 PM | Link to this
Drove up to Cleveland in ‘79 (I think) to see the Stones at Municipal Stadium for the “World Series of Rock” with Kansas and Peter Tosh. I was most impressed by Charlie Watts. That was some roadtrip…
By Lifestyles Take Their Toll
December 18, 2010 9:30 PM | Link to this
From boyish face in the sixties to death warmed over in the 90’s. This guy is the poster child for rode hard and put away wet. Jagger has aged much better.
By Keith R.
December 18, 2010 4:59 PM | Link to this
If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.