The Cool Cat with More than 9 Lives

It's hard to imagine any Rolling Stones fan who won't want to read Keith Richards' Life, and anyone who's at all familiar with Richards from past articles won't be buying it for the gossip factor.
Mick Jagger claimed in Sunday's NY Times Style magazine, "Personally, I think it's really quite tedious raking over the past.  Mostly, people only do it for the money."  Notice that he says "most people" - Keith may or may not be included in that company.  It's hard to believe that would have been Richards' motivation, as he turns an exceedingly critical eye upon his own past behavior -- there would have been less painful ways to make money.  And his compliments regarding Mick far outweigh any gibes.  That's not why I bought the book -- and I don't think it's hit the bestseller list because of what Keith might have to say about Mick.  I wanted to hear him tell about how the band started, but especially to hear what he has to say about the songs.  And I got what I was looking for.

Sure, he tells long and harrowing stories about his past drug addiction(s).   Even then, though, what comes through is his concern about how his behavior affected the band and its music.  He's worried more about collateral damage than any harm to himself.  The guy does remember a lot, though, considering his state much of the time, for decades.  His descriptions of the lure and horrors of heroin abuse - and cocaine - seemed to me (a person who has dealt with this in her own family) to be unabashedly honest.  He completely captures the power of addictive desire and the ravages that desire can bring to a person's world and the people around him.  He has no compunction about showing things as they were, no matter how selfish or damaged he may appear.  As revealing  -- and often laugh-out-loud amusing -- as Keith's stories are, the extended quotes by other musicians and friends like Tom Waits are just as revelatory - Waits' being, unsurprisingly for such a literate musician, very good indeed.

What redeems Keith, and always has, is his talent and tremendous love for music and fellow musicians, which is apparent whenever you see him play.  His vulnerability and care for his true "mates" -- male and female -- also comes through, unforced and uncloying.  The man has a great heart, which is probably why so many remain(ed) so loyal to him through thick and thin.

I remember seeing the Chuck Berry film Keith talks about in his book, and thinking how patient he was dealing with Chuck's crazy demands and quirks.  That story's in here, along with many others on fellow musicians (Willie Nelson, John Lennon, Etta James).  For me, though, some of the best parts of the book are when he describes the genesis of a song.  Another reason for wanting Keith's story is you know the man fears no type of censure (the book only reinforces this). 

Re: songwriting, Keith repeatedly says,

                  "Good songs write themselves.You're just being led by the nose, or the ears.
                   The skill is not to interfere with it too much.  Ignore intelligence, ignore everything;
                   just follow it where it takes you. . . You think, where did I steal this from?  No, no,
                   that's original. . . And you realize that songs write themselves; you're just the conveyor." 

Sure, this has been said before, (the same thing happens with poems, as other poets, too, have said before), but I think we're getting some originality here, a truly individual way of wording a truism.  I just like the way he puts it. 

It would be interesting to get Charlie Watts' take on the band's history (Keith has nothing but good things to say about his pal and bandmate, from the get-go).  But if Charlie never does (and it seems unlikely given his quiet reticence), we have this loud and honest memoir by the father of all rock 'n roll pirates.