"When I Left Home" by Buddy Guy (2012)

Did you enjoy the film “Cadillac Records”? Wonder how much of it was real? Well, if you did you will love this book written by a man who was there. No, Muddy never painted the studio as shown in the film. If anyone would have been painting it would have been Buddy. Muddy was too busy making Leonard Chess money to be painting.

Told in a natural cadence which reflects Mr. Guy’s speaking style, this book is like a bridge between the early years of rock and roll, and the later days, after the British invasion. Mr. Guy has played with everyone under the sun; from Muddy Waters and Hubert Sumlin, to more contemporary musicians like Jimi Hendrix; who simply took Buddy’s music to the next level; and Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton; not to leave out his musical friendship with Keith Richards and the Rolling Stones.

Lonnie Johnson was his original musical inspiration, but he soon fell under the spell of performers such as John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon and Lightnin’ Hopkins. But it was his exposure to Muddy Water’s recordings which propelled him to want to become a professional musician. The record “Rolloin’ Stone” literally burned inside of him, forcing him to move to Chicago where the “blues was.”

While driving a tow truck by day, and playing by night in some of the seediest clubs in Chicago, he quickly became a fantastic guitarist and was gigging with some of the best musicians on the scene. But the money wasn’t enough to pay the bills and it would be a long, colorful struggle until the day he could quit that tow truck job and pick up his guitar full time.

Many people remember Junior Wells and Buddy Guy as musical partners; and they were. But the story of their often stormy relationship is one that will interest, entertain and inform you all at the same time.

The stories here which he tells will have you writing letters to movie producers for an encore of Cadillac Records. This is a quickly read, yet highly informative, book about the American music scene and the influence it had upon the world of music.

"Brian Jones" by Paul Trynka (2014)

Brian Jones is almost the “forgotten” Rolling Stone; and yet he was the founding member. A strong case can be made for Ian Stewart holding that position, but it was Brian Jones relationship with Alexis Corner which spawned the Rolling Stones. It was also Brian who named the band after the Muddy Waters hit of the same name.

A devoted champion of the blues way before Clapton or even John Mayall; an early explorer of the sitar at same time as George Harrison; and  even the open tunings which Keith Richards uses today and credits to Ry Cooder ; all came from Brian Jones. You can listen to the early albums and hear for yourself. And the African drums on Midnight Rambler; just a few months before his death; were his, in idea as well as execution.

He virtually wrote the final music for “Ruby Tuesday”, “Under My thumb” and “Paint It Black”; never receiving written credit or royalties for any one of those iconic recordings; which would both become smash hits and earn millions for Jagger-Richards. The early Nanker-Phlege musical collaboration; which was named by him and incorporated all of their musical efforts; was conveniently abandoned, further diminishing his perceived role in the group; and marginalizing him in his own eyes, as well as the public’s.

Slide guitar playing was the provence of African-American blues up until that time.  Championed by Jones long before anyone else was doing it in Europe, he influenced everyone around him and set the course for pop music’s entry into serious blues. He even introduced Howlin’ Wolf on American TV during prime time on “Shindig”.

Style wise, his clothes sparked the fashions of Oxford Street as he exchanged clothing with anyone; male or female; he met during the day. This resulted in an array of styles which became iconic of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, as well as the uni-sex fashions which emerged at the time. His “pageboy like” haircut was the basis for The Byrds hairstyle; not the Beatles. Even Ringo Starr copied that long pageboy look from Brian Jones for a short while in 1965. And let’s not forget to mention the granny glasses and vests predating Sonny Bono’s.

But in the bands history; chronicled for the 5oth Anniversary of its founding; his influence has been minimized, and in some cases erased altogether. Even in the book “Life” by Keith Richards; which is one of my favorite autobiographies; he is reduced to almost a side note; never receiving his just due.

The celebrated drug busts by Detective Sgt. Pilcher and the Flying Squads; who counted John Lennon and George Harrison among their other celebrity conquests; also hit the guitarist in a hard way. The harassment of Mr. Jones by Scotland Yard rivals any of the later problems faced by Keith Richards.

The controversy surrounding his death and the resulting conspiracy theories are explored and debunked. The deathbed confession of the man who claims to have drowned him in the swimming pool does seem to be as Mr. Richards describes it in “Life”; just something that can never be verified.

Jones had 4 children; all born out of wedlock.  Linda Lawrence; who was pregnant with Jones child when she married Donovan; provides some interesting insights into the way the guitarist dealt with relationships at the time. How he avoided paternity suits and legal actions concerning support for those children is a mystery to me. He even had one father coming to his house demanding money for support of one of his children. Surely, this is no flattering portrait of Mr. Jones, which makes the book all that more credible.

If you enjoyed Keith Richards “Life”, then you owe it to yourself to read this book. They belong side by side. It will not detract from the former; rather it will give you a clearer picture of what happened to one of the most talented of the original Rolling Stones; the one who actually put the ad in the paper which resulted in Ian Stewart meeting Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, and which gave birth to the band.

"Labeled with Love" - Squeeze (1981)

The English never get full credit for their interpretation; and writing; of American style country music. From the Rolling Stones to early Fleetwood Mac, English pop music is replete with wonderful country music which never gets played on American country stations.There is no real reason that “Faraway Eyes” isn’t played, right along with “No Expectations” or even the original version of “Honky Tonk Woman”, called “Country Honk”, which was written in Australia.

I was going to write something about pop music and how the words are like the paints used by traditional artists. Then I ran across this country ballad by Squeeze, an English band from the late 1970's and early 80's. They still tour today, and Jools Holland, the founding member, is finally back on keyboards. As for the vocals, well Glenn Tilbrook still sounds exactly the same as in this 1982 live performance of "Labelled With Love." By the time this performance was filmed, Holland had already left the band. I saw them once in Spain, with Jools Holland, it was the first time I'd ever heard of them. This was about 1979 or so. They were fantastic.

What I really like about this song is the full range of imagery that Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford have displayed in their writing. The song is from the 1981 album "East Side Story." You can actually see and feel the cold chill of an English winter as this old woman struggles through each year, pawning her valuables to keep the electric on. I can smell the cat piss. And when she reminisces about having married the soldier and moving to America, I can feel the desert heat and see the trailer they probably lived in, though it is never mentioned.

Chris Difford had this to say about how he arrived at the lyrics, after seeing a photograph of an old woman sitting at a bar in Paris in the 1930's; "'Labeled With Love' was an adult lyric in a way that the older generation could latch on to and understand. My mother absolutely loved it. The story is about the end of a relationship after the war. I'd been reading about American soldiers in Britain during the war who married English girls and whisked them off their feet to the States."

As with all of their collaborations, Tilbrook and Difford are among the more visual of the "pop" writers to emerge from the 60's style of songwriting. Together they bridged the "punk" rock years, and Squeeze became one of the bands that kept "pop" alive through the 1980's. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video as much as I do. Here are the lyrics;

"Labelled With Love" - Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford

She unscrews the top of her new whisky bottle,

and shuffles around in her candle-lit hovel.

Like some kind of witch with blue fingers in mittens,

She smells like the cat and the neighbours she sickens.

The black and white T.V. has long seen a picture,

The cross on the wall is a permanent fixture.

The postman delivers the final reminders,

She sells off the silver and poodles of china.

Drinks to remember I, me and myself

Winds up the clock, and knocks dust from the shelf.

Home is a love that I miss very much,

So the past has been bottled and labelled with love.

During the wartime an American pilot

made every air-raid a time of excitement.

She moved to his prairie and married the Texan,

She learnt from a distance how love was a lesson.

He became drinker and she became mother,

She knew that one day she’d be one or the other.

He ate himself older, and drank himself dizzy,

Proud of her features she kept herself pretty..

Drinks to remember I, me and myself,

Winds up the clock, and knocks dust from the shelf.

Home is a love that I miss very much,

So the past has been bottled and labelled with love.

He like a cowboy died drunk in a slumber,

out on the porch in the middle of summer.

She crossed the ocean back home to her family,

But they had retired to roads that were sandy.

She moved home alone without friends or relations,

lived in a world full of aged reservations.

On moth-eaten armchairs, she’d say that she’d sod-all

the friends who had left her to drink from the bottle.

Drinks to remember I, me and myself,

Winds up the clock, and knocks dust from the shelf.

Home is a love that I miss very much,

So the past has been bottled and labelled with love.

"The Nearness of You" - by Haogy Carmichael (1941) 2 Versions

There are two ways in which I wanted to approach this post. The first was through Keith Richards’ autobiography “Life”; which I am in the process of re-reading. I wanted to simply compare the original version of this song by Hoagy Carmichael with the one recorded by Mr. Richards along about 1979. It was written in 1941 and has been recorded by just about every major name in show business. But it’s not a song you would usually associate with Keith Richards.

The second approach was more along the lines of “look what happens to the Rolling Stones whenever Mick Jagger leaves the stage.” In the video above the band backs Keith in his rendition of “The Nearness of You”, and towards the end he performs a beautiful guitar solo in the way in which only he can.

It’s a bit like the performance of “You’ve Got the Silver” in the “Shine a Light” concert at the Beacon Theater. (I was actually on the list for the $25 tickets and didn’t go!) There was all this high rock and roll energy filling the air one moment and then this beautiful, cooling performance by Keith and Ron Wood; mesmerizing the audience with the song.

The best part of watching the performance of this Hoagy Carmichael song is the back story. In the book “Life” the author recounts having made a tape of himself, along with Bobby Keys, doing a version of the song.  He then gave it to an associate who forwarded it on to Mr. Carmichael. This is about 6 months before Mr. Carmichael passed away in 1981. He actually listened to it and took the time to phone Keith Richards in Barbados to tell him how much he admired it.

As a matter of fact he claimed that Keith Richards version was closer to the way he had originally conceived the song! To say that Keith was bowled over by the phone call would be a major understatement. So, here are the Stones; sans Mick Jagger; doing a wonderful version of the song written by Mr. Carmichael over 70 years ago.

And here is the link to Hoagy’s version; I was unable to find any live footage and I couldn’t get the big machine to allow me to download the audio except by a link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5nInrZdcVs

Mr. Carmichael circa 1953

"The Autobiography" by Chuck Berry (1987)

The only problem with this book is that it’s just too short, covering only the years from Mr. Berry’s birth in St. Louis in 1926 until 1986 when he wrote this book. At the time he was just beginning to edit the the classic rockumentary “Hail, Hail, Rock and Roll!” with Keith Richards. That film, together with this book, gives a complete picture of what went into the making of the man, but both leave out the next 25 years; from 1987 until today; and with Mr. Berry still walking amongst us, it would be nice to have a more current view into his life.

That said; you could not ask for a more personable read from a man who is iconic of the music he plays; rock and roll. John Lennon once said that “If you were to try and give Rock and Roll another name it might be called Chuck Berry.” And, he was right.

Skillfully written, with no ghost writer, Mr. Berry takes you on a no-holds barred tour de force of his life. Beginning with his childhood, and some of his first sexual stirrings, he paints a vivid picture of a young man yearning to be free in every way possible. This is the attitude which would bring him world-wide fame, and at the same time, this attitude helped to lead him off the beaten path at times, resulting in his incarceration for robbery at age 17, and then again for a supposed violation of the Mann Act in the early 1960’s. He also served 120 days for tax evasion in the early 1970’s, at a time when his career had gained new momentum. His candor in describing these periods in his life is admirable.

Mr. Berry was a victim of the unscrupulous practices which were then the norm in the music publishing business, including the song “Maybellene”, which listed DJ Allan Freed and Russ Fratto, the publisher, as co-writers. It took 25 years for Mr. Berry to get the rights back for his own song. And even then, most of the back royalties would never be realized.

The strong influence of his parents is evident in almost every aspect of the book, as the author recalls his father’s warning words of wisdom several times throughout this remarkable book. Filled with alliteration and internal rhymes, the book reads as fluently as one of his songs.

With a keen business sense, Mr. Berry is able to parlay his success in the entertainment industry into a successful career in real estate on the side. Beginning in 1957 he began work on Berry Park, a place where people could gather, picnic and listen to music in his hometown of St. Louis. It is still a work in progress, but does house a nightclub, and several other buildings, as well as a small lake. Several concerts were held there during the 1970’s, all to the benefit of the community.

The history of his joining, and then taking over, Johnnie Johnson’s band is given careful attention, helping to dispel the often told story that Mr. Berry simply came in and “took over.” As with most things, there is a second side to the story. Like-wise with the famous, but much overblown, story about not lyp-synching on American Bandstand as requested by Dick Clark. Although they did have a difference of opinion about the subject, it was never the clash of titans it was made out to be.

This is a very good book written by a very complex man who struggled to attain his goals at a time when many obstacles were placed in his path by society. It was written when Mr. Berry was 60 years old, and he is still with us today. It would be a gift to have Mr. Berry pen another volume covering the years since this book was written. So much has happened since then, including the release of “Hail, Hail, Rock and Roll”; a small clip of which is posted below.

At the risk of being redundant I will quote John Lennon once again; “If you were to try and give Rock and Roll another name it might be called Chuck Berry.” He was definitely right.

The Front Porch Spider and Her Kid

I was coming in from getting the mail when I noticed that Sue had left up a portion of last year’s Halloween decorations; which ticked me off on two counts. First of all; I like Halloween, but don’t go in much for all the decorations. Secondly; I was mad at myself for not having noticed sooner than 10 months, making us look like the hillbillies of the block. Hell, why not leave the Christmas lights up this year? Then it moved.

Looking at the thing more closely revealed a real spider web; perfect in construction; with a long thick and curly strand running through it from top to bottom. And, to my surprise, in the center there was a baby spider; or spiderette as I suppose you’d call it; and it was hanging out with Mom and doing what baby spiders do best, which is very unclear to me.

At any rate, this discovery poses an ethical question for me; what do I do about this behemoth of an eight legged, land locked octopus and her kid? One quick swipe with a broom and they’d be gone, but what for? They don’t pose any danger to me, and I don’t have a fear of them unless it’s in a plane which suddenly becomes filled with them crawling out of every crevice. They made a movie like that; I didn't see it.

Well, I suppose for now I’ll just keep my eye on the situation. Who knows, she may just decide to hang around until Halloween when she’ll be in style. It's one less window to decorate...

Now, here's the Rolling Stones  performing "The Spider and the Fly" in the studio. Best version ever.

James Brown and the Rolling Stones on the T.A.M.I. Show (1964)

The T.A.M.I. show was the brainchild of director Steve Binder, who put it all together in late 1964 as a way of gathering all of the greatest current "pop" acts in one show. The acronym stood for Teenage Music International, or Teenage Awards Music International, depending on where you look it up. It was a genius move, staged at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in October and filmed in Electronovision, a technology which enabled the TV footage to be transferred onto the big screen. The line-up allowed the audience to experience a variety of performers, such as the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Lesley Gore, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, James Brown and his Famous Flames, along with the Rolling Stones. As a matter of fact, the Rolling Stones had to follow James Brown as the closing act.

Just before they were to step on stage the Stones were watching this performance of James Brown, with his Famous Flames, from the wings. They were very worried, with Mick Jagger wondering how the band would ever be able to follow the act they were witnessing. Clearly, James Brown should have been the closing act. Additionally, during the 4 days of rehearsals for the show, James Brown did not rehearse. He had a unique act, and coming fresh off the road, he felt no need to. Consequently, the Stones, like so many others at the time, had never seen James Brown perform; they had only heard his records.

With Jagger worried about his dance moves, and Keith Richard concerned about following one of the greatest R and B bands of all time, they wound up pouring everything they had into their act, which included the newly released "Time Is On My Side." Watch Jagger dance. Although no real match for the Godfather of Soul, he really does a lot more than he ever had before during this performance.

Music crosses all boundaries, and the T.A.M.I. show was a landmark concert which brought together white and black music in the middle of some of the most racially charged times in the nation's history. And that music had an extraordinary effect on some of the biggest social issues of the time.

Here are the Rolling Stones, immediately following James Brown and his Famous Flames;

"You Can't Always Get What You Want" by Sam Cutler

In a real close-up look at the darker side of Rock and Roll, Sam Cutler, former tour manager for the Rolling Stones 1969 tour; which ended in complete disaster at Altamont Speedway in California; asks the hard questions, and provides some of the harder answers to the "how's and why's" behind the disastrous killing of a gun wielding young black man at the hands of the Hell's Angels in December 1969. The resulting furor over the killing, coupled with the trial of Sonny Barger, heralded the end of the Woodstock Nation, which had been born only 4 months earlier in upstate New York.

Mr. Cutler examines the differences, and egos, which formed the disaster, and then simply vanished, leaving him to face the legal issues. With a keen eye for detail, and just enough sex and drugs thrown in to make it interesting, he has covered all the bases, from the security concerns to ticket scalping. The madness of touring with the Stones is apparent in the whirlwind pace of the author's writing.

Also, there is an added bonus for those who did not know, or like me, were unaware of Mr. Cutler's connection to the Grateful Dead. He became, on the strength of their connection through the Altamont Speedway concert, at which the Dead never played, tour manager for the Grateful Dead for decades to come. His accounts of Jerry Garcia, and what the man was really like, are very revealing, and will definitely be of interest to his fans. Although not a huge Dead fan myself, the business end of the Grateful Dead empire was really a fascinating thing to watch grow. It simply happened, which is, of course what that band is all about. Happening.

A great quick read for fans of either band, and illustrated just enough to make it interesting, this is one memoir which will not disappoint the reader.

Keith Richards - Mailer Award Winner

"This is one for the books, if you get my drift - you hacks," the 67-year-old Rolling Stones guitarist joked Tuesday as he accepted the Mailer Prize for Distinguished Biography, a prize earned by his million-selling memoir "Life." Wearing tinted glasses, a long scarf around his neck and a wide red band around his sprawl of salt and pepper hair, Richards stood before hundreds dressed in suits and gowns at the Mandarin Hotel in Manhattan and loosened up as if presiding over a celebrity roast. He chuckled. He swore. He reasoned that since he had been writing - songs - since age 16, his appearance at a literary event was not a total "intrusion."

Read the entire article here;

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/publishing/keith-richards-life-wins-mailer-book-prize-1005490752.story

It always pleases me when I have read a book which goes on to win an award. It makes me feel as if I really do know a good book when I read one. Keith Richards, who just last week won the Mailer Award for his autobiography "Life", is a good example. I reviewed that book last January, a few months after its release. It was a very credible work. So, I was not too surprised to see that it garnered the Mailer Award last week in New York City. The Mailer Award, is of course, named after Norman Mailer, the iconic news columnist, and author, who passed away in 2007. I grew up on his columns in the New York Daily News. He was the workingman's writer, a journalist who saw more of the underbelly of New York City than almost anyone else in the 1960's.

In case you missed that review, and to give myself a day of rest, I am re-posting it. If you still haven't read this book, give it a whirl. It's well worth the time.

"Life" by Keith Richards

One of the hardest, and most enjoyable aspects of reviewing this book by Keith Richards, is the enormous amount of information he has to impart to the reader. There are, for instance, the names of many musicians who influenced Mr. Richards, but who are totally unrecognizable to those of us on this side of the Atlantic. Take "Wizz" Jones as an example. Mr. Richards cites him as an early influence. Mr. Jones was a British folk singer along the lines of our own Bob Dylan, and he used to drop by the toilet at the art school where all the kids would hang out and play guitar. This was in Chapter 2, so I had to stop reading and get acquainted with "Wizz" Jones. And thanks to our good friend You Tube, it's not that hard to do. Here is Mr. Wizz Jones, on BBC in 1960;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDsQSOf6_ow

Don't take me wrong, I'm not complaining. This is just the type of book I love! One that will stretch my knowledge of the music I love and where it came from. And this book starts giving on page one! Then it keeps on delivering until the very last page.

I have been a Keith Richards fan since I first heard him singing "Connection" with the Stones in 1966. And when he wrote and sang "You've Got the Silver" on "Let It Bleed" in 1969, I was hooked on Keith Richards for life. The man is a human musical note. He sees most things musically, lyrically. That he is able to then translate these visions and craft them into music that rocks the entire world is amazing. That he has done it for almost 50 years is astounding!

I won't bore you with a review of this book and a rehashing of some of the wilder exploits. It would only cheapen this incredible work by Mr. Richards. Let's just say that there is enough sex, drugs and rock and roll in the book to keep the more voyeuristic amongst us very happy. And to that end, the book delivers very well.

But for those looking to read a more serious side of the man known to millions as "Keef", this book is THE place to be. The author explores every aspect of his life, from growing up in post war England, which was still on rations through 1954, his days at art college, an examination of how the British primary schools worked at the time, and everything else you will need to know in order to measure the man.

Musically, the book is a treasure. Mr. Richards explains his method of guitar playing and song writing, right down to the five string open G tuning which he uses on many of The Rolling Stones records, as well as in concert. This portion of the book was so inspiring that I immediatley retuned one of my guitars so that I could check it out myself. I'll keep you posted on that one!

Exploring his sometimes volatile relationship with Mick Jagger is also a very interesting part of the book. How fame affects different people is fascinating, and even more so when told by someone who has lived it.

From the early Bohemian days of the Rolling Stones, founded by Ian Stewart, to the chaotic days of Brian Jones death, and then on through the politics and drug scandals of the late 1990's and beyond, this book is a ticking bomb. Each page explodes with information about the music business, touring, and the petty differences that can plague old friendships on the road.

Many people will be interested in the history of Keith Richards drug use, and on this subject, once again, he dishes up the full story. He does not, as I have read in other reviews, glorify drug use at all, rather he just tells it the way it is. You make the choices for yourself. This whole topic of hard drug use is an education in itself, and written honestly by someone who has been through it all, several times.

The legal problems of the 1970's, when Mr. Richards was under indictment in Canada for trafficking, is of special interest. It is the typical story of a Government catching a tiger by the tail and not knowing what to do with it. And the story of the blind girl, who helps to influence the decision of the judge, will really let you in on who Keith Richards is beneath the surface. I'm no spoiler, so you'll have to read the book if you want to hear that one.

This book holds nothing back. Mr. Richards is completely candid about his family life and the book contains just enough photos to let you peek inside of that world. When dealing with the loss of his infant son Tara, in 1979, he moved me to tears, no exaggeration, and I'm a pretty hard case when it comes to that sort of thing.

His stories are, at times, interspersed with an account of the same event, told from someone else's point of view. This lends credibility to many of the more amazing stories. And there are many!

There are a couple of extra special portions of the book for me. One is the description of the making of the film "Hail, Hail, Rock and Roll", made in 1988. Keith Richards had always been a big fan of Chuck Berry's, but felt that Chuck had been touring for so long, using only "pick up" bands in each town, that he had lost his edge. So he put together a group to back Chuck Berry, with Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, Bobby Keys on sax, and a host of others, including Chuck Berry's original piano player, Johnnie Johnson. Actually, it had been Mr. Johnson's band until Chuck Berry took it over. That film has always been very special to me and it was nice to hear how it all came together.

But the most impressive thing to me was the phone call from Hoagy Carmichael, the man who wrote "Stardust" and a million other songs back in the 1930's through the 50's. The man who was friends with Bix Biederbicke. The man who co-starred with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in "To Have and Have Not." He called to say that he had heard a version of Keith doing "The Nearness of You", which had been written in the 1940's. It was a slow song, but Keith had done a tape of it for his lawyer, and had stepped it up to a barrelhouse piano number. He was knocked for a loop when Mr. Carmichael told him that this was the way he originally had envisioned the song.This was only 6 months before Hoagy Carmichael died, and Mr. Richards relishes that call to this very day.

I could go on and on about this book. But it would be better if you'd just read it. This is the side of Keith Richards that so many of his fans have embraced over the years. It is also a side of him that many do not know. Great book.

"Life" by Keith Richards

One of the hardest, and most enjoyable aspects of reviewing this book by Keith Richards, is the enormous amount of information he has to impart to the reader. There are, for instance, the names of many musicians who influenced Mr. Richards, but who are totally unrecognizable to those of us on this side of the Atlantic. Take "Wizz" Jones as an example. Mr. Richards cites him as an early influence. Mr. Jones was a British folk singer along the lines of our own Bob Dylan, and he used to drop by the toilet at the art school where all the kids would hang out and play guitar. This was in Chapter 2, so I had to stop reading and get acquainted with "Wizz" Jones. And thanks to our good friend You Tube, it's not that hard to do. Here is Mr. Wizz Jones, on BBC in 1960;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDsQSOf6_ow

Don't take me wrong, I'm not complaining. This is just the type of book I love! One that will stretch my knowledge of the music I love and where it came from. And this book starts giving on page one! Then it keeps on delivering until the very last page.

I have been a Keith Richards fan since I first heard him singing "Connection" with the Stones in 1966. And when he wrote and sang "You've Got the Silver" on "Let It Bleed" in 1969, I was hooked on Keith Richards for life. The man is a human musical note. He sees most things musically, lyrically. That he is able to then translate these visions and craft them into music that rocks the entire world is amazing. That he has done it for almost 50 years is astounding!

I won't bore you with a review of this book and a rehashing of some of the wilder exploits. It would only cheapen this incredible work by Mr. Richards. Let's just say that there is enough sex, drugs and rock and roll in the book to keep the more voyeuristic amongst us very happy. And to that end, the book delivers very well.

But for those looking to read a more serious side of the man known to millions as "Keef", this book is THE place to be. The author explores every aspect of his life, from growing up in post war England, which was still on rations through 1954, his days at art college, an examination of how the British primary schools worked at the time, and everything else you will need to know in order to measure the man.

Musically, the book is a treasure. Mr. Richards explains his method of guitar playing and song writing, right down to the five string open G tuning which he uses on many of The Rolling Stones records, as well as in concert. This portion of the book was so inspiring that I immediatley retuned one of my guitars so that I could check it out myself. I'll keep you posted on that one!

Exploring his sometimes volatile relationship with Mick Jagger is also a very interesting part of the book. How fame affects different people is fascinating, and even more so when told by someone who has lived it.

From the early Bohemian days of the Rolling Stones, founded by Ian Stewart, to the chaotic days of Brian Jones death, and then on through the politics and drug scandals of the late 1990's and beyond, this book is a ticking bomb. Each page explodes with information about the music business, touring, and the petty differences that can plague old friendships on the road.

Many people will be interested in the history of Keith Richards drug use, and on this subject, once again, he dishes up the full story. He does not, as I have read in other reviews, glorify drug use at all, rather he just tells it the way it is. You make the choices for yourself. This whole topic of hard drug use is an education in itself, and written honestly by someone who has been through it all, several times.

The legal problems of the 1970's, when Mr. Richards was under indictment in Canada for trafficking, is of special interest. It is the typical story of a Government catching a tiger by the tail and not knowing what to do with it. And the story of the blind girl, who helps to influence the decision of the judge, will really let you in on who Keith Richards is beneath the surface. I'm no spoiler, so you'll have to read the book if you want to hear that one.

This book holds nothing back. Mr. Richards is completely candid about his family life and the book contains just enough photos to let you peek inside of that world. When dealing with the loss of his infant son Tara, in 1979, he moved me to tears, no exaggeration, and I'm a pretty hard case when it comes to that sort of thing.

His stories are, at times, interspersed with an account of the same event, told from someone else's point of view. This lends credibility to many of the more amazing stories. And there are many!

There are a couple of extra special portions of the book for me. One is the description of the making of the film "Hail, Hail, Rock and Roll", made in 1988. Keith Richards had always been a big fan of Chuck Berry's, but felt that Chuck had been touring for so long, using only "pick up" bands in each town, that he had lost his edge. So he put together a group to back Chuck Berry, with Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, Bobby Keys on sax, and a host of others, including Chuck Berry's original piano player, Johnnie Johnson. Actually, it had been Mr. Johnson's band until Chuck Berry took it over. That film has always been very special to me and it was nice to hear how it all came together.

But the most impressive thing to me was the phone call from Hoagy Carmichael, the man who wrote "Stardust" and a million other songs back in the 1930's through the 50's. The man who was friends with Bix Biederbicke. The man who co-starred with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in "To Have and Have Not." He called to say that he had heard a version of Keith doing "The Nearness of You", which had been written in the 1940's. It was a slow song, but Keith had done a tape of it for his lawyer, and had stepped it up to a barrelhouse piano number. He was knocked for a loop when Mr. Carmichael told him that this was the way he originally had envisioned the song.This was only 6 months before Hoagy Carmichael died, and Mr. Richards relishes that call to this very day.

I could go on and on about this book. But it would be better if you'd just read it. This is the side of Keith Richards that so many of his fans have embraced over the years. It is also a side of him that many do not know. Great book.

Under Their Thumb by Bill German

Usually I won't review a book on Rock and Roll, but this one is a gem. Being a Stones fan probably has alot to do with it! I do read celebrity autobiographies but consider them a kind of selfish delight. Ok- I'm a literary snob- but this book rocks!

For those who don't know of Bill German, a little background- he ran the Stones "fanzine" Beggars Banquet for 17 years - started it in his bedroom in Brooklyn, NY. (Another reason I like this book) He was a student at South Shore High in Canarsie and began the publication on a school mimeograph machine.

From there he started handing the thing out to whoever would take one- staked out the hotels where the Stones were staying- got a copy in Keith Richards hands and eventually became embedded with the band- making all the tours fron 1978 to 1995. Along the way he became friends with the Stones and this book offers a rare and unusual look at the concert promotion game as well as inside band politics.

Great insights into the Stones family and personal life- the emphasis here is not only on the drugs- this is about the business end of the show- and also the music. If you want the kiss all tell all stuff read Ron Woods' autobiography "Woody." A great read in itself- but this one goes beyond the sensationalism.

I could sample you some of the great stuff in this book- but if you are a Stones fan- you are going to want to read this for yourself. It is a self made sucess story that could only come out of Brooklyn. A delightful read.