Hey there...Anyone know the status of our hero's autobiography, for which he received a handsome advance? Could this be the Holy Grail Stones tome we've all been waiting for?

it's due out in 2010

...and we all flat-out in 2009 ........



ROCKMAN

i don´t think it will be the holy grail. as very often autobiographies with ghostwriters are nothing more than an interview which was put in the right "grammar" I´ve read so many books from artists by themselves and they are mostly just repetitive and not an openi ng of new thoughts or so. It´s great that there will be abook from Keef but let´s be serious, he was a great guitar player, a riffmaster and a showman, also a great songwriter with feeling but i don´t think that he´s a chronologist like Bill and a Storyteller like others (Guthrie, Dylan, etc)

Rolling Stone magazine reported he was having trouble remembering. It made me wonder if they'd got as far as the time when his addiction to heroin was at its worst.

We all know there are doubts about his recollection of Muddy Waters painting the ceiling but you'd think they'd have tackled issues regarding memory at the outset of the project.

Think you're wrong. This book will very much be Keith at his most verbal and full of stuff you've not heard before.

Keith having trouble accurately remembering things hasnt stopped him before, so I dont see that minor detail as being any deterrent to getting an 'autobiography' completed.

'Holy Grail'? Well, we thought that when Bill published 'Stone Alone', Ronnie did his autobiography and the band co operated on stuff like 'A Life on the Road' and 'According to the Rolling Stones', and none of them turned out to be close to a definitive tome.

I dont think Keith's will be any different, but it'll certainly be entertaining.

I remember being so excited when Stone Alone came out and then I read it, and it was 90% about how much money Bill had in the bank each week, and what groupie he was screwing.

Listening to Satisfaction from Oakland '69 show now.

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Gazza
Keith having trouble accurately remembering things hasnt stopped him before, so I dont see that minor detail as being any deterrent to getting an 'autobiography' completed.

Do you mind expanding on that statement, Gazza?

I would have thought that this project would be something more than a run-of-the-mill ghosted story of a celeb's wonderful life with mere facts only being used for the framework.

You seem a bit harsh on Keith's integrity or am I being unfair to you?

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stonesrule
Think you're wrong. This book will very much be Keith at his most verbal and full of stuff you've not heard before.

Quite right. Stories are being fabricated even as we speak.

Keith was critical of Ronnies book (something like "so then I did this, and then I did that, and then I ran out of bread...."). He said he wanted his book to have a "narrative thread". Given that he is well read, I would expect more than a Jordan style cosmetic piece of rubbish. Its his one and only chance at an autobiography. I think it will be superb. I'm sure there will be some shaggy dog stories, and he won't want to debunk the myth he has spent his life building. But I think it will allow us to have a peek behind the scenes. I think it may be more interesting in terms of what it says about Keith, the man - as he is now, rather than historical anecdotes. But of course I am speculating.
The greatest autobiography/memoir of recent years was Dylans Chronicles. Something comparable is too much to expect, but we shall see.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-10-31 23:10 by letitloose.

....Keith's an Erotic Outlaw.... So don't panic it'll be a goodun



ROCKMAN

You could almost read between the lines in Ronnie's book and see "non-disclosure contract" and "fully vetted by lawyers". It was oddly lacking in behind-the-scenes band details. It was like he is always the junior partner, being careful not to anger his big brothers...My take on it anyway...

I'm sure it will be a very good read, but not "definitive". I'm looking forward to reading it.

Definitive??? Keith IS Keith. And he is far from stupid. He is taking this book quite seriously.

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Harlem Shuffler

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Gazza
Keith having trouble accurately remembering things hasnt stopped him before, so I dont see that minor detail as being any deterrent to getting an 'autobiography' completed.

Do you mind expanding on that statement, Gazza?

I would have thought that this project would be something more than a run-of-the-mill ghosted story of a celeb's wonderful life with mere facts only being used for the framework.

You seem a bit harsh on Keith's integrity or am I being unfair to you?

Both!

He has a co-writer so to expect it to be all his own work is a bit unlikely. I didnt suggest for a moment it would be 'ghost written' however.

As for his 'integrity', whilst he is one of the greatest, most quotable and most entertaining raconteurs in the history of popular music, he's been known to embellish a few stories before for dramatic effect (the Mick/Charlie punch up in Amsterdam for example) or totally making things up (e.g. the Muddy Waters painting the ceiling at Chess story)

I do think the book will be a great read, but taking everything he says in it as gospel would be a bit extreme.

No one can dispute that Keith is consistently witty and funny in interviews. I think there is little doubt that his memoirs will be a very entertaining read.

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Rockman
....Keith's an Erotic Outlaw....

Hmmm... Good title for an album!

>> totally making things up (e.g. the Muddy Waters painting the ceiling at Chess story) <<

now now: being wrong about something isn't the same as "totally making things up".

Chess Studios was being painted, and Muddy Waters did show up, and helped the Stones with their gear.
when someone whispered "fvck me, unbelievable: it's Muddy Waters" Keith was looking at the wrong person, that's all,
and the emotional impact of the moment left an indelible tattoo on his psyche.

i'm just speculating, of course - but it's sure plausible! [passing popcorn]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-11-01 14:55 by with sssoul.