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Life
736 pages
A raspy, unfiltered late-night conversation with a rock-and-roll survivor who remembers everything.
What it feels like
Reading this memoir feels exactly like pulling up a stool next to a legendary raconteur at a dimly lit bar at three in the morning. The narrative voice is incredibly distinct—raspy, unapologetic, and surprisingly tender when it comes to the alchemy of making music. It moves at a brisk, freewheeling pace, sweeping you through the electric highs of the British Invasion and the hazy, chaotic depths of 1970s excess. Despite the legendary debauchery, the underlying mood is one of deep, obsessive devotion to the blues and the complicated brotherhood of a band. It is a gritty, immersive ride that will delight music nerds, pop culture historians, and anyone who loves a candid survivor's tale told with zero regrets and a wicked sense of humor.
- Mood
- hazy
- electric
- chaotic
- intimate
- Tone
- candid
- wry
- unfiltered
- nostalgic
- unapologetic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the alchemy of music · the toll of addiction · brotherhood and betrayal · survival against the odds · the price of fame
- The writing
- Unfiltered, conversational, and surprisingly articulate, reading exactly like a late-night chat with a raspy-voiced raconteur.
- The arc
- From the hungry, obsessive passion of youth through the chaotic, drug-fueled darkness of superstardom, settling into a surprisingly grounded, reflective survival.
- Who it's for
- Music obsessives, rock history buffs, and anyone fascinated by the messy, unvarnished reality of living on the absolute edge.
Content notes
- substance abuse
- addiction
- death of a friend
- coarse language
About the book
Autobiography of the guitarist, songwriter, singer, and founding member of the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards. With the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards lived the original rock and roll life. He tells his story of life in the crossfire hurricane; his listening obsessively to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records, learning guitar and forming a band with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones, the Rolling Stones' first fame and the notorious drug busts that led to his enduring image as outlaw folk hero, creating immortal riffs like the ones in "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Honky Tonk Women." He discusses falling in love with Anita Pallenberg and the death of Brian Jones, his tax exile in France, wildfire tours of the U.S., isolation and addiction, as well as falling in love with Patti Hansen, and his bitter estrangement from Jagger and subsequent reconciliation. He talks about his marriage, family, solo albums and Xpensive Winos; the road that goes on forever.
Description from Open Library.
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