“I get an incredible raging glee when they (the audience) get out of their seats.”
- Keith Richards
It’s conversational. Keith is telling his stories to you. I felt like I was in a bar talking with him about pieces of his life. The book is aptly titled: Life
. It’s solidly assembled. That credit may go to co-author James Fox. (Note: I thought this book flowed, others in my book club though it was all over the place. I’m not sure if my years of working with musicians, has led to me to think like they do, but I had no problem following this book.)Keith’s enthusiasm for music is what really drives Life. He’s still curious about styles, about improving his playing and finding out what’s next. He’s insightful and observant. Nothing is a better example of this than his take on the music business. “It’s the sleaziest business without being a gangster.” This guy has seen it all and this is what he deduces.
The biggest statement he makes in the book is “We turned American people back on to their own music. And that’s probably our greatest contribution to music.” It’s a humble quote from a member of one of the greatest rock and roll bands.
As hoped for Keith takes you through the writing of songs such as Satisfaction and Tumbling Dice. “Great songs write themselves.” I’ve heard this from other musicians.
The slices of life from his early days are eye opening in a cultural way. Keith kept diaries and the reader benefits from it. His Aunt Patty saved letters he wrote to her, which included a description of the first time he met Mick. He credits the Boy Scouts with building his self-esteem.
He thought Americans were brash and extremely self-confident, but that’s not what The Rolling Stones experienced on their first tours here. He sensed that Americans were insecure. His band had longer hair, spoke with British accents and dressed differently. “The only hostility I can recall on a constant basis was from white people. You got the impression you were a threat.” I recently watched an interview with Leiber and Stoller who said the same thing Keith did, that the blacks embraced them and were more at ease. Both camps are big blues fans.
There is a bit of guitar-speak in the beginning third of the book. Even though I used to play guitar, I had no idea what he was talking about. He is Keith Richards, so it’s necessary that this be part of the book. It should not discourage a non-player from reading Life.
Having been a manager, I love that he is so dedicated and loyal to his manager Jane Rose. She’s done right by him and he appreciates it. He credits her with helping him kick his heroin habit.
Miscellaneous anecdotes which I found to be interesting and surprising:
- Bobby Goldsboro (of Honey fame) showed him an elusive guitar trick.
- Ronnie (Spector) Bennett took Keith to see James Brown at the Apollo Theater. The discipline in James Brown’s band impressed him more than anything.
- Wilson Pickett used to keep shotguns on both sides of the stage.
- Jumping Jack Flash was named after his gardener. What you hear on the record is acoustic guitars recorded on a cassette. It’s his favorite riff.
Keith also talks about his relationships with band members, his family and his crew. He is not shy about telling it like it is. Mick Jagger is taken to task a few times.
Somehow after all Keith has been through, he doesn’t come off as crazy as I was expecting. He’s well aware of his surroundings and circumstances. He’s very loyal to friends and family. Most people think he has more lives than a cat. His longevity must be attributed to the strict regiment he adheres to before a tour. “All I do to train and preserve energy is keep breathing”.
. From the packaging to merch to the video, 
) Babs and Babs (another surprise: it's about the left and right brain). There were a few selections from 
, which is Guster's latest arsenal of power packed tunes. In the show Ryan describes their music as Pop, the same way one would describe the music of 
is one of my favorite yule time movies (only 
could top it). 
was written by 
for free. As a Christmas gift, the band sent out an email yesterday so fans could download 8 live tracks recorded on the tour. Choose your format. Some of the songs included are I Won't Back Down (Charlotte), Breakdown (Bristow, VA) and Good Enough (Philly). 
. She admits to how lucky she was to be able to sing and perform for a living. It brought her money and adoration from fans. She loved playing the drums and she loved performing. On the other hand, according to the accounts in this book, in her mother’s eyes she was always second fiddle to her brother Richard. The family moved heaven and earth so that Richard could have a music career. The mother thought that relocating to Los Angeles from New Haven, CT would further Richard’s career. This may have worked, but it also put the spotlight on Karen, something her mother Agnes would have never predicted. Towards the end of Karen’s life, she has a meeting with her therapist, mother, father and brother. Her mother was unable to tell Karen she loves her. 
, another story of parenting gone awry. (In an ironic note, Karen’s mother’s maiden name is Tatum. O’Neal was named after jazz musician Art Tatum.) In Tatum’s case, both parents turn to either/or drugs and alcohol, essentially leaving the children to raise themselves. In Karen’s story, her parents are very present. Her mother would probably be called a helicopter mom today. She rules her kids. No one can make a move without her. When the duo leaves the house (Karen was already 26 at this point), they both feel guilty. Ironically Karen spent the last night of her life in Richard’s old bedroom in her parent’s house, although she had her own home. 
, the way Karen had approved it. Some of the best parts of this book are the discussions with Ramone, the musicians who played on those sessions and how the record came together. Karen used some of her own money. Ramone recruited Billy Joel’s band, including drummer 
When they were a viable band, it was hard for me to get past their dated clothes and strange haircuts. The music was sappy. Richard Carpenter’s arrangements were exceptional, just not my cup of tea. It’s easy to speculate on what would have happened if Karen got better before her body shut down. I’d bet that she would be considered one of the premier singers today and would have been able to sustain a long career. 
special running for the month of December with titles ranging from Rosanne Cash's 
to 
to 
to 
from Plain White T's. 
. Per Billy's website he wrote, “Life gave me a golden key when I fell in love with rock n roll music. It was the key to the answer of how to live and achieve your dreams. This world opened up to me with all the good opportunities but also every temptation—the drugs, the booze, the women, the 24-hour around-the-clock excess. And yet you have to write good songs to survive. Life had to be lived to do all that! Now I’m putting it all down in book form—from the heart. I’m going out on a limb here, so watch my back.” Who he needs to watch his back? I'm sure he's getting a nice advance to tell all. 
video. The site of her being raised on a cross in the final moments of the song prompted MTV to ban the video. 
by Cheap Trick and
by The Clash. It would be a shame to see a label with such a great past go down the drain. This piece seems to think it's inevitable.
. 
at the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, which I've already written about. This was most likely her crowning moment, singing a song she originally wanted nothing to do with. She has regrets. Mistake #1 as she called it, was demanding that Atlantic let her out of her recording contract. This was very early in her career. Her first record was released in 1962 when she was still a teenager. The beauty of Wilkinson's writing is that he doesn't judge, he lets her story unfold. Bettye's brashness is evident. She comes across not so much as a survivor (despite getting pregnant at 15, her childhood seemed stable), but as a determined individual who goes with her gut. Alec refers to her Kennedy Center performance as intended. "I didn't come there to try anything," she told him. "Whoever else in on that show, they have to die tonight. I haven't had the opportunity to be adored already when I walk out onstage." "If I have to rise to the occasion of killing you, I will." That's determination. That's honesty. She performed like she was going to battle. When she hit the stage, she commanded it. 
, in which she covers the British songbook. She hated the British Invasion, as it took over the radio and knocked she and her fellow R&B musicians off the charts. With new arrangements, she has clearly come to terms with the Brits. It's another phase in her career, one that seems to put the spotlight on her. 
. Guster crowned director