rollingstones

Life | Keith Richards

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The story of a singular life but also music history, British history, cultural history, drug history.
Pros: Respect for, sharing and collaboration with musicians.
Cons: Casual misogyny, and yet love for women, less about sex than affection, mother issues? (She didn't seem overly affectionate.) Not certain how great a husband or father he's been, and the language occasionally reveals his membership in an earlier generation. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? Full acknowledgement of calamity, when it originates with Keith, when it doesn't, addiction and friction with Mick.
Very much get the sense of an honest recounting because of the 'warts and all' vibes, as much as there are regrets and justifications mixed in. 11mo

Robotswithpersonality 3/? It's disheartening to hear institutions failing a young Richards, school and then law enforcement, but these days, it feels more mainstream left than 60s anti-establishment to recognize that formal school structures are the bare bones in education that can always be improved and expanded upon, and law enforcement is in need of abolition as much as overhaul. 11mo

Robotswithpersonality 4/? Likewise, you hope that rehabilitation and recuperation rather than targeted surveillance and search is the plan for those experiencing addiction.
Richards does occasionally toss out a 'don't recommend, don't try this at home' but he also gets pretty detailed about various drug shenanigans, more casual than contrite. Glad to hear he's off it now. 11mo

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? Never fun to listen to a band go through a schism, but you're left with an image of Richards' checked-out heroin time being productive but mellow leaving Mick with greater control, and an ego that a sobered Richards didn't want to play second fiddle to. It's a subjective retelling, but the delivery and subsequent recounting of some patching up lends credence to the idea. (edited) 11mo

Robotswithpersonality 6/? I've more interest in the history of Richards and the band than the present, admittedly, so I'm willing to let this version of events stand. I can't say I'm a huge Richards groupie, but I think there's a distinct value in the memoirs of elderly cultural figures, dare I say celebrities, because the life span is such that they were involved in the creation of pop culture that was part of the zeitgeist by the time I was culturally aware. 11mo

Robotswithpersonality 7/? Fascinating to see that time come to life.

The audiobook was an interesting experience, because there are long chunks of solid deadpan reading by Johnny Depp, then a very lively, lengthy section of what appear to be the most rollicking years by Joe Hurley, more Depp and an end cap from Richards himself, where he wraps up with more recent events. 11mo

Robotswithpersonality 8/8 Gets a bit muddled because Keith is happy to quote friends for scenes where he doesn't remember as well, might want an eye witness or outsider perspective, and while Hurley puts on voices to distinguish, Depp doesn't. Who knew the more famous actor would be the drier narrator. Guess audiobooks really are a different medium in terms of performance.

⚠️animal death, domestic abuse, 11mo

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