SethLynch

I listened to the audio version of this book. It was very well read by Johnny Depp, Joe Hurley and Keef himself. It was helped by my having to make a few trips back to The West Country – 9 hour round trips on my own. I was able to switch off an go into the story.I’ve previously read a couple of Brian Jones biographies where Richards is painted as the bad guy. This was mainly for stealing Anita Pallenburg and in one for some how instigating Jones’ murder. Richards’ take on it: it’s possible Brian annoyed the fuck out of the builders that one of them held him under the water – but it would have been manslaughter not murder.The story got a little less interesting as time went on. I suspect because Keith’s like got less interesting as time went on. As a young man, learning the guitar, living in poverty, forming the band, becoming famous – these are interesting and new. Even up to the 70′s, tours of America and drug busts are interesting. The later part was about recording albums, who wrote what, Mick becoming an arsehole, and Keith’s obsessive behaviour over food.Having said that, he’s an interesting enough person to keep me listening. During the course of the book he talks a lot about guitar playing – it is his job after-all. I found myself retuning my guitar to open-G to play Brown Sugar and open-D for You Got the Silver. I listened to Let it Bleed a lot over and over. Books that inspire you to do something, even if it is to repetitively listen to an album, are a grade above. They have caused that transportation or inspiration which makes live interesting, enjoyable even.I think this book will have worked better as an audio book. Joe Hurley, in particular, was very good at making you feel you were in a bar talking with Keith Richards. Or at least at a bar with Keith Richards talking at you non-stop for 24 hours. Actually, when put like that it was a very good book. It may have waned a little but 24 hours of non-stop talk and it was still listenable at the end, that’s an achievement.