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Keith Richards: The Unauthorised Biography
Victor Bockris’s much admired biography of Keith Richards has been constantly revised since its original publication, now with an additional 12,000 words for a new edition of the Omnibus Press paperback that brings the story up to the present day.
First published in eight countries in 1992, at that time Keith Richrds had stood in the shadow of Mick Jagger for thirty years.
Then, as a result of Victor Bockris biography, Richards was put in the spotlight and emerged as the power behind the throne, the creator, the backbone, and the soul of the Rolling Stones.
Here are the true facts behind Richards’ battles with his the women, the drugs and the love-hate-relationship with Jagger.
His struggle with heroin and his status as the rock star most likely to die in the 1970s.
His scarcely believable rebirth as a family man in the 1980s.
Illuminated with revealing quotes and thoughtful insights into the man behind the band that goes on forever.
First published in eight countries in 1992, at that time Keith Richrds had stood in the shadow of Mick Jagger for thirty years.
Then, as a result of Victor Bockris biography, Richards was put in the spotlight and emerged as the power behind the throne, the creator, the backbone, and the soul of the Rolling Stones.
Here are the true facts behind Richards’ battles with his the women, the drugs and the love-hate-relationship with Jagger.
His struggle with heroin and his status as the rock star most likely to die in the 1970s.
His scarcely believable rebirth as a family man in the 1980s.
Illuminated with revealing quotes and thoughtful insights into the man behind the band that goes on forever.
670 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
August 18, 2011
Clearly, we should all eat more shepard's pie, since apparently that's Keith's secret. Well, that and old blues guitar music.
June 25, 2008
Well, as a person who is a huge Keith fan, I really liked this. Some new info that I hadn't heard. Of course, I take it all with a grain of salt, because it was not an authorized bio, but he did talk to people who were part of Keith's life (Anita, although does she remember anything, who knows?).
Anyway, the overall picture of Keith is the one that I like to imagine him as -- just a really charismatic person, who doesn't think of himself as a star, just wants to play music to be happy.
If you've never read anything about Keith this book would be the one to read, until his autobiography comes out. If you love him and have read alot, there won't be alot of new info about him, but the book makes you like him even more.
Anyway, the overall picture of Keith is the one that I like to imagine him as -- just a really charismatic person, who doesn't think of himself as a star, just wants to play music to be happy.
If you've never read anything about Keith this book would be the one to read, until his autobiography comes out. If you love him and have read alot, there won't be alot of new info about him, but the book makes you like him even more.
March 15, 2009
It’s been a long time since I read a Stones bio so, when I saw Bockris’ Keith Richards bio at my local library, I thought I’d give it a whirl. It was a fairly rewarding read. Richards is an interesting cat and, being a pretty big fan of his guitar playing and songwriting, I found myself eagerly burning through his life story. Bockris knows his subject and writes about it well. In fact, my only complaint about this book is that there isn’t enough about Richards’ guitar playing. I mean, it’s discussed throughout the book but, as music bios are so rarely written by musicians, they rarely get to the depth a musician would enjoy. Maybe bio authors figure they should write for the larger audience. I dunno. It leaves me feeling like I skipped lunch. This bio is interesting, regardless and works well as an overview of the life of Keith Richards. What a crazy guy!
December 29, 2010
I "borrowed" this book off the display shelves at R&B when I worked there. It has taken me this long to crack the cover. Thank God I did. What a read. During the '75 US tour Keith was lucky to get a visa to come into the country because he was in the thick of his heroin addiction. He was pulled aside by FBI agents and thought they were just going to arrest him. Instead, they had an interesting proposition. In order to prevent any unwanted, negative publicity to tour sponsors they offered to provide Keith with pharmaceutical grade drugs. It's good to be Keef! There are also some great accounts of him falling over on stage and continuing to play as well as one time he got pissed at Ron Wood (for being a drugged out mess?!?) and he punched him out on stage. He just gets more interesting the more I read about him. There's also enough history to contrast the world they came from and just how they became the world's greatest rock and roll band.
December 17, 2008
Everything you'd want to know bout Keif Baby.
August 27, 2011
How is this man still alive? He has more lives than an old lady's house full of cats. Thank God he is though, because he's one of the best in the business! I love Keef!!!!
February 5, 2015
I was expecting so much more from this book!!!
I know there is another book and I prob got the two mixed up..(thought this was gonna have the same stuff... I mean it's a book on 1 MAN!!!)
But this was all stuff everyone knows... They could have did so much with this story, This mans a ROCK ICON!!! From one of the most highly respected, influential, one of the best bands and they made his story BORING.... (I think he is one of the most over the top guitarists in music EVER!!! The mans been on a list for people betting when he's gonna die for DECADES!!!! )
Just felt that this book feel short of what it could have been
(
I know there is another book and I prob got the two mixed up..(thought this was gonna have the same stuff... I mean it's a book on 1 MAN!!!)
But this was all stuff everyone knows... They could have did so much with this story, This mans a ROCK ICON!!! From one of the most highly respected, influential, one of the best bands and they made his story BORING.... (I think he is one of the most over the top guitarists in music EVER!!! The mans been on a list for people betting when he's gonna die for DECADES!!!! )
Just felt that this book feel short of what it could have been
(
March 24, 2008
Great read and very funny in spots. Only criticism is that the updates since initial publication were sort of cheerleader-ish, repetetive and stupid. But everything else was pretty damn solid. Good bio.
January 5, 2016
This was a terrific read I've always been a fan of The Stones and It was pretty funny in many parts of this novel kept my interest from start to finish God knows the last thing you would ever say about Keith Richards is he's boring lolllllllllll. À great read for any Rolling Stone fan.❤❤❤
January 2, 2013
As for Keith's autobiography - loved it but as I'm a big stones fan, totally biased.
August 14, 2020
3.5 / 5
It’s incredible how Keith Richards is still alive today, considering the staggering amount of drugs he took (he is currently 76 years old at the time of typing this).
I enjoyed making a note of all the Rolling Stones tracks mentioned throughout (and Richards' solo material too).
Bockris used a lot of quotes and source materials (eight pages in total) and stitched them together well enough to make this a cohesive read if a little long-winded in places.
It’s incredible how Keith Richards is still alive today, considering the staggering amount of drugs he took (he is currently 76 years old at the time of typing this).
I enjoyed making a note of all the Rolling Stones tracks mentioned throughout (and Richards' solo material too).
Bockris used a lot of quotes and source materials (eight pages in total) and stitched them together well enough to make this a cohesive read if a little long-winded in places.
September 26, 2010
Really just slapped together. Wish I would have reread Old Gods, Almost Dead.
November 4, 2011
Keith Richards has led a wild and rockstar life. However his book is not very captavating.
December 30, 2017
Lots of interesting facts and stories told in this book. I understand that Keith Richards did/does a lot of drugs but I wasn't impressed with how Bockris spent about 200 pages discussing it; I felt there were more important things to reveal.
March 20, 2015
I am a huge Stones fan. I even like their really bad stuff, like Satanic Majesty. And I'm generally wary of 'unauthorized' biographies. But Bockris' book is good. Not as great as Richard's autobiography, but if you like the Stones, you'll like this...
September 20, 2015
Had the book on the shelf for years but somehow never got around to read it. Finally did and sort of liked it. Richards is an interesting character, but I found the book not exceptional. Not very well written, or badly translated maybe. Anyway, probably should give Richards' autobiography a try...
March 11, 2007
The human riff laid bare, after a fashion. I remember this as being a decent biography, with Bockris actually having access to His Satanic Majesty.
November 13, 2007
A very well written biography about rock'n'roll's ultimate outlaw. Probably best for Stones fans only. Interesting stories beyond the drug use and the music.
December 2, 2008
super. i love the stones. keith as a kid sounds like what he looks like now.
February 20, 2009
what a beautiful creature..:)
Read
July 4, 2009Recommended
September 11, 2009
Better than the average rock bio. The subject is sympathetic and his use of various opiates renders the run o' the mill hangover as not worth talking about.
Read
January 6, 2010It's Keith mate. It's excellent.
Read
March 26, 2010LURID as it should be. Actually, it probably could be lurider.
what an asshole.
what an asshole.
December 31, 2010
I give it a 3 for sloppy writing and some repeated anecdotes, but a 5 for the anecdotes themselves... so, 4.
January 18, 2011
Fantastic book. Did he really write it? Did he remember these things? If so, this is a gold mine. Richards was fooling us all along. He's way smarter and more self aware than anyone thought.
November 23, 2012
Great read! Interesting to read about the "black box" method on heroin addiction.
September 8, 2013
the man has stories. plain and simple
January 5, 2014
Another rock bio that I read years ago and recall more for the drugs than the music.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews