“Life” is one of the most successful musical books ever
October 26, 2010 Keith Richards published his autobiography “Life”one of the most successful musical books ever. After all, the protagonist is one of the most extraordinary characters (and musicians) that rock has ever given us. The following is our review of the guitarist’s memoir Rolling Stones.
The rock news have taught us that the most interesting, entertaining, authentic and enlightening interviews ever published and created could only have one of Keith Richards, Tom Waits and Frank Zappa as their protagonist. People who, with any observation, were able to sculpt in stone an aphorism destined to become a classic, revealing musical and cultural truths with the force of a joke. In Keef’s case, in particular, it would have been more than sufficient to paste his quotes together in sequence to make a compelling book. But ‘Life’, his autobiography, is much more, it is much more than this.
Written like the script of a film based on a narrative voice that you can no longer abandon after the first ten lines, it was edited by James Fox, a journalist whom the author has known for 40 years and who acted as the most essay by record producers called into the studio by a champion.
He let the artist be himself, he encouraged him to open some doors that had been closed for too long and he limited himself to stitching together the episodes without being influenced too much by the chronology. The editing stands out for an absence so ostentatious as to lead to refinement: the narrator is so good, on the other hand, that it leads one to think that he could be a failed author. He doesn’t write, he talks to you. The style is colloquial and, as we suspected, the old dandy is also such on the level of prose: rich, virtuous, reeled off with perfect timing, with the sensitivity of an art student and the sincerity of a bluesman, she is refined but does not give up to foul language, used without restraint and without excess.
“Life” is a book spoken and transcribed as such, and part of its value lies in the rhythm of the narrative. The other part, the big one, is the contents and experiences. Like a sentient Forrest Gump wandering through fifty years of rock, Keith Richards has been through it all, learned a lot, experienced a lot, impacted hard. And here, disarmed by the guitar, he doesn’t hold back like when he’s on stage. Honest to a fault, as in the no ifs and buts judgments about Brian Jones and Anita Pallenberg, mother of two of his four children. Illuminating when he talks about his esteem and affection for John Lennon and his disappointment towards his idol Chuck Berry. Perfectly at ease with the legend, when he self-appoints himself as one of the (coincidental) reasons for Hendrix’s fame. Latent criminal, always traveling the world with a knife and gun in tow. Extraordinarily British despite having a Delta soul. Helpless only child. Ladies’ man: it wasn’t just drugs and rock and roll…
Memorable episodes? Dozens, really.
The first car accident of his son Marlon – not yet born. The arrest in Arkansas together with Ron Wood with which the book opens. The thin red thread that unites his guitar to a classic like “Malagueña” (“two chords… and it’s done”). He and Anita incognito checking into the hotel as Count and Countess Castiglione. The mythical passages you expect? Certain. Mick sliced to pieces because of his vanity, but still loved like a brother. Altamont, Villa Nelcote and Toronto, mentioned but without too much emphasis because everything is already in the documents. The punch to Ronnie. Friendship with Bobby Keys and Gram Parsons. One string less and the “open G”. And the heroine, of course, with the aftermath of ‘cold turkeys’ and arrests: all reported without making concessions, with cynicism, sarcasm and humour, but without acting. “Life” is pretty much the journey we assumed Keith had taken. We had gleaned this from reading about him over the years. But none of us had imagined that Keef would be so careful during the trip. Or that he remembered. We always knew, however, that he wouldn’t have a single problem telling us. “Life” is the musical book of the decade.
