British Beat Groups of the 1960s
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Book Review: Keith Richards by Victor Bockris |
January 2001 |
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One of life's survivors? One half of the
"Glimmer Twins", Keith Richards has been the rock of the Rolling
Stones. He has been the least willing to undertake solo ventures preferring to
focus on his first love, the Rolling Stones. Victor Bockris has already written
biographies of a number of artists including Blondie and Lou Reed and has
undertaken extensive research for this book. This includes interviews with many
close to the band although the one glaring omission is Mick Jagger.
Richards comes across as a very focused individual whose enduring passion is for r & b music and the Rolling Stones. As the band went through personnel changes and Jagger flirted with acting and his solo career, Keith Richards kept the band going, always wanting to tour and play live as that it what mattered most. Keith Richards is one of rock's finest guitarists. After all, it is his riff on Satisfaction. While clearly influenced by the like of Chuck Berry, who later became a friend and "difficult" co-performer when Richards organised his backing band, he developed a clear style of his own which has kept the Rolling Stones as the forefront of their profession for almost 40 years. It is Richards who is the driving force behind the Rolling Stones and the key to the Jagger/Richards songwriting partnership. The book does enable you to learn a lot more about Keith Richards. While his unique guitar style and songwriting is not in question, his reputation as a hard-drinking, drug-taker often overshadows his true merits. All of this is covered in the book, the heroin habit that both he and Anita Pallenburg developed, the Redlands bust and subsequent court appearances and being caught in possession in Canada. However, it is Richards the musician and songwriter that shines through and Bockris should be congratulated on finding the correct focus when it could be so easy to concentrate on the hedonistic side. mp, January 2001 |
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Details |
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Published in 1998 by Da Capo Press ISBN: 0-306-80815-3 |
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Last Updated: 1 January 2001
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