Book Review: Keith Richards Life

( #KeithRichards )

I finished Keith Richard’s autobiography a few days ago. Called “Life“, Richards starts from his early childhood and makes his way through to modern day (last year). His childhood stories are a high point because he grew up in post WWII England. The sugar rations, old pillboxes, and devastated streets that were a part of “Keef’s” early life set background of his gypsy lifestyle that his grandparents encouraged.

Once Richards meets the other Rolling Stones and starts to get into music, the book slows down for a while. In this section Richards establishes his blue collar credo. As he becomes more wealthy, famous, and drugged, “Keef” cannot maintain his blue collar view point no matter how hard he tries. This is where the book falls apart for me. Be a rock star or be a normal dude. He can’t make up his mind. One chapter he talks about these old slum mansions with no electricity that he has his kid living in and then another he credits the “purest quality pharmaceuticals” to keeping him alive (versus normal street junk). He tries so hard to establish being just a normal working class musician by telling stories of his love of jamming with Jamaicans, you can almost forget it is happening at his fancy estate on the island.

I am being overly critical of the book. Richards weaves a perfectly entertaining narrative. His personal non-musical stories are actually much better than the Rolling Stones tales. I think the fundamental problem is that “Keef” doesn’t want to come off as Mick Jagger. Richards’ issues with Mick come from Jagger leaving behind his working man roots and becoming a control freak. If “Keef” demonstrated any enjoyment from fame and money, he would have to admit that some of Mick’s behavior was in their best interest, which is not going to happen.

What else can I say? Keith Richards has done the finest drugs, the finest women, traveled the world, and knows some very crazy people. He has set fire to more buildings than a pyromaniac and has lived to tell the tale. How can I not recommend the book?