Keith Richards has been the living embodiment of rock 'n' roll excess for decades, influencing countless musicians in the process. In 2010 he finally published his long-anticipated autobiography. It was well worth the wait.
The Book
Life, by Keith Richards and James Fox, is written in a very conversational style, and reading it feels like you’re hanging out with a rock star, while he tells you about his incredible life. He writes candidly about the things that have made him into a rock icon: the legendary drugs and alcohol consumption, the multiple arrests, his rocky partnership with Mick Jagger, his obsession with music and much more. Keith also shares many personal anecdotes that a biographer might not know about. For instance, Keith explains his guitar techniques, the best way to win a knife fight, his recipe for bangers and mash, and the complicated logistics of putting on massive rock concerts. It’s a very big book, but he also has a lot to say. After all, as he mentions on page 21, “For many years I slept, on average, twice a week. This means that I have been conscious for at least three lifetimes.”
Life is available in multiple formats.
The Audiobook
I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version of Life. Although it’s about 23 hours long, they are highly entertaining and informative hours. The book is narrated by Johnny Depp, Joe Hurley and then Keith Richards himself. Although the entire book is told from Keith’s point of view, the multiple narrators keep the listening experience fresh.
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