I must admit that I laid LIFE aside, just because I wanted
to read how Bill writes, and I read the book in 4 days. Brilliant stuff.
Funny and sad in one way. Because it´s a not made up story trying
to let things aside, it´s overwhelmingly honest. Bill reminds
me of a meteor that comes close to the warm sun and then flies on,
still warm, but not close to the sun anymore.

Recommend!

I completely agree. Great book.

Yes - a good book, which clearer than most, shows how unless you have some use, then you are very quickly dismissed, spat out and ostracised. The Stones' inner circle is a tough place to be unless your name is Jagger or Richard's, or Watts

loved this book -

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crumbling_mice
Yes - a good book, which clearer than most, shows how unless you have some use, then you are very quickly dismissed, spat out and ostracised. The Stones' inner circle is a tough place to be unless your name is Jagger or Richard's, or Watts

Yes,exactly.

I loved the book as well.



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

The book is just great. The Beggars Banquet fanzine was absolutely the best source for Stones news in pre-internet area. I loved it and I still have all issues.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-11-14 12:46 by django.

I read the book last year, and then sent away for all the back issues of BEGGAR'S BANQUET, and have been reading a few at a time, here and there, ever since and enjoying them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-11-14 00:33 by Title5Take1.

Does anybody know how the sales went on his book. Can he make a living of it? As far as I know he has nothing to fall back on. I mean beeing a Stonesfan doesn't pay your rent... .

The great thing about Bill German's book is that it sheds light on a period where all we usually hear about is the Still Life Tour, the Mick and Keith rivalry and the getting back together. Bill's book gives a much needed insight to this period. It's like all those stories we've heard about from the sixties and seventies. Those decades are very well documented. It's almost day-by-day accounts in some cases. The 80s wasn't before this book, and we need that for the 90s and 00s too. The only thing we need is a book that sheds light on the period from where Bill German left off (1995) and until today. It can be quite tedious to watch, or read, docus and books that shows their entire career up until 1989, from which point it always quickly becomes "Then we had the big Steel Wheels comeback, Bill left, we made Voodoo Lounge and did a great tour, we did our own version of the unplugged craze called Stripped, we made Bridges To Babylon and did another great tour, celebrated our 40th anniversary with Forty Licks and a tour, did A Bigger Bang and made another cool tour". From that point (Around 1989/1990) on, it's been like that in everything I've seen or read. Nobody pays much attention to that period, which I bloody hate to put it mildly. There's probably tons of stories that The Stones themselves might not want to get out (The Mick and Keith row over Bridges To Babylon for instance - That would be great to have more on that. I want juicy details so I can make a big thing in the Gothenburg newspaper). I didn't know many of Bill German's stories. For good reason too. They were never told before. So who's the next insider who's been left in the side of the road? Who can tell us the never-before told stories of the 90s and 00s?

JumpingKentFlash

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crumbling_mice
Yes - a good book, which clearer than most, shows how unless you have some use, then you are very quickly dismissed, spat out and ostracised. The Stones' inner circle is a tough place to be unless your name is Jagger or Richard's, or Watts

And sometimes tough if your name is Watts. Or Jagger.



I didn't care for Bill German's book all in all, too cringe-worthy---he relays ood info but he's a sycophant and that embarrasses me.

I like Bill's book. He shows you what it is like to penetrate the Stones circle as a male fan. But male or female, you have to serve some purpose, and they wanted him to be the Bag Man...in JAPAN.

Like Icarus, who wanted to fly, and flew so close to the sun, the wax attached to his wings melted and he came crashing down.

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Bliss
Like Icarus, who wanted to fly, and flew so close to the sun, the wax attached to his wings melted and he came crashing down.

Pretty deep dude....

JumpingKentFlash

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Bliss
I like Bill's book. He shows you what it is like to penetrate the Stones circle as a male fan. But male or female, you have to serve some purpose, and they wanted him to be the Bag Man...in JAPAN.

Like Icarus, who wanted to fly, and flew so close to the sun, the wax attached to his wings melted and he came crashing down.

gorgeous and true post, Bliss!

I loved this book.. Hated to hear what a jerk Mick is, I was hoping some of the stories were just b.s. but its obvious he is an ass.
About 100 pages into Life at the moment.

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swiss

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crumbling_mice
Yes - a good book, which clearer than most, shows how unless you have some use, then you are very quickly dismissed, spat out and ostracised. The Stones' inner circle is a tough place to be unless your name is Jagger or Richard's, or Watts

And sometimes tough if your name is Watts. Or Jagger.



I didn't care for Bill German's book all in all, too cringe-worthy---he relays ood info but he's a sycophant and that embarrasses me.

A sycophant would have portrayed the Stones in an overwhelmingly flattering light.

By contrast, they dont come out of it well at all. Jagger especially.

What I like about it is that its an almost unique first hand perspective into how the Stones 'machine' has operated in the second half of their career, which is a period which most books gloss over. Plus it provides a good insight into the inter-band tensions in the 80s, which coincided with the period that he had the most access to them.

Its a very good insight of how a wide-eyed fan has his wildest dreams come true by being part of the band's inner circle - and then has his eyes opened even wider by witnessing how his heroes morphed from being a rock n roll band into a somewhat soulless corporation driven by profit margins.

Very gripping stuff from that perspective - and somewhat disheartening at the same time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-11-14 03:02 by Gazza.

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Gazza

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swiss

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crumbling_mice
Yes - a good book, which clearer than most, shows how unless you have some use, then you are very quickly dismissed, spat out and ostracised. The Stones' inner circle is a tough place to be unless your name is Jagger or Richard's, or Watts

And sometimes tough if your name is Watts. Or Jagger.



I didn't care for Bill German's book all in all, too cringe-worthy---he relays good info but he's a sycophant and that embarrasses me.

A sycophant would have portrayed the Stones in an overwhelmingly flattering light.

By contrast, they dont come out of it well at all. Jagger especially.

What I like about it is that its an almost unique first hand perspective into how the Stones 'machine' has operated in the second half of their career, which is a period which most books gloss over. Plus it provides a good insight into the inter-band tensions in the 80s, which coincided with the period that he had the most access to them.

Its a very good insight of how a wide-eyed fan has his wildest dreams come true by being part of the band's inner circle - and then has his eyes opened even wider by witnessing how his heroes morphed from being a rock n roll band into a somewhat soulless corporation driven by profit margins.

Very gripping stuff from that perspective - and somewhat disheartening at the same time.

ok, a jilted sycophant... tho some interesting info

At first it really grabbed me, but it seemed to peter out.

I liked German's book. One thing I got out of is that Ronnie seems the nicest member of the group, but also the least interesting.

Since they're right around the corner, some might be interested that Bill has two talks/book signings next week:


Tuesday, November 16, at 7:00 pm

Pratt Library

400 Cathedral Street

Baltimore, Maryland

Ph: 410-396-5430



Thursday, November 18, at 7:00 pm

Wissahickon Valley Library

650 Skippack Pike

Blue Bell, Pennsylvania

Ph: 215-643-1320

(saw this at www.billgerman.com)

To that point, I was impressed by how nice Keith and Ronnie came off in German's book. Ronnie, I would have guessed, but Keith surprised me.

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71Tele
I liked German's book. One thing I got out of is that Ronnie seems the nicest member of the group, but also the least interesting.

But listening lately to [www.ronniewoodradio.com] he's impressed me as more articulate than I expected.

I really enjoyed the book, but I couldn't help noticing Bill had a desire for something more with the band than they were willing to give him, and he seemed reluctant to accept that. I eventually started thinking, "Ok, I get your point. It would be cool if they'd all be your buddy and give you the access you want. But they don't seem to really want to want to do that, so for god's sake, please learn to TAKE A HINT!".

I still think it's a great book though, and a must read for all true Stones fans.

Uber fanboy. I read the book and to be honest I can't blame Mick Jagger for being aloof with him. Not sure I'd want anybody having intimate access to my cirlce if I was in Jaggers shoes.

According to my recollection Charlie was also aloof with German. Now I've alsways considered Charlie to be a very balanced, straight guy. I would trust Charlies judgement.

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Baxter Thwaites
Uber fanboy. I read the book and to be honest I can't blame Mick Jagger for being aloof with him. Not sure I'd want anybody having intimate access to my cirlce if I was in Jaggers shoes.

According to my recollection Charlie was also aloof with German. Now I've alsways considered Charlie to be a very balanced, straight guy. I would trust Charlies judgement.

I like the book, and Bill, but I have to agree with you.

You're right about Charlie, but I also think he's the one least likely to be friendly towards someone like Bill (and I know he is usually kind to fans). Apparently, Charlie either notices you and takes a liking, or doesn't. I think he's the definition of aloof.

I don't blame Mick either, for acting the way he did towards Bill. Regardless of his (harmless)intentions, I think Bill came off as another overzealous fan in Mick's eyes. I got the feeling Mick thought, "Who is this guy, what does he want, and (eventually), why can't he take a hint?". "And what DOES Ronnie see in him?".

And that's the problem I had with Bill's take on Mick. By the time Bill came along, Mick had seen a 1,000 people, and Toronto, come and go. I think Bill's intentions were pure, if a bit self-serving and opportunistic, but Jagger had had enough of everything by then, and didn't want to deal with another guy who saw the Rolling Stones as the key to his life. As a result, he just didn't take to Bill like Keith and Ronnie did, and ran very hot and cold with him. From what he writes in the book, I think Bill was never able to see or understand that. He seemed to expect Mick to still be thrilled with the Stones and everything that came with it, like Keith and Ronnie were. But by that time, I don't think Mick was so into a lot of it anymore. Especially the part that meant dealing with a Bill German.

So of course, Mick ends up coming off like a jerk in the book. But I don't think it's that simple. I think Mick didn't care for yet another person trying to get close to him and/or the band, for whatever reasons. Especially if they were trying to work some angle, which Bill was of course, with the magazine. And as harmless and innocent as that may have been, Mick just wasn't into it. For some reason, Bill just couldn't get that.

Bill is a big stones fan. he is a very nice guy and he did a gret work with the book.

and lets face it, Bill did what 90% of us on here would love to do - access the stones inner sanctum and tour with them and hang at their homes etc etc etc...but, as I'm sure we are all too well aware - be careful of meeting your heroes, they are bound to let you down. So maybe it's better to keep that healthy distance?

Mick always seems to have an issue with people that get close to Keith. It's well known that he wasn't thrilled to have Gram Parson around. I wonder how he felt about Bobby Keys or Stanley Booth.
Seems to have been fun to hang around with Ronnie in NYC during the 80's, even though this would've been the start of Ronnie's really heavy drug use. The banana thing is funny as didn't Ian Stewart tell off a German waiter that he wasn't able to eat a banana until he was seven and Ronnie always seems to eating bananas during shows. Bill needed to lose that Colonel Tom tie though.

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crumbling_mice
unless you have some use, then you are very quickly dismissed, spat out and ostracised. The Stones' inner circle is a tough place to be unless your name is Jagger or Richard's, or Watts

Quote from a 2010 KR interview to the French mag "Télérama" :
"That's the way the Stones have always survived : by getting rid of the weak links"
Imho you have to agree with Keith, alas...

This is no doubt my favorite Stones book. I could picture anyone of us in Bill's shoes in these adventures. It gives great insight to the Stones in this period.

It shows Jagger in many lights which I found most interesting. "Under Their Thumb" was very funny at times and other times had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put the book down!

I'm going to order another copy since I gave my copy to a friend who I kept telling, "You have to read this book. You'll love it!" He did!


It's time to read it again! Great job Bill German and I loved the Beggars Banquet news letter.

Bill was in the right place at the right time and we all benefited from his hard work, fun and abuse.

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exilestones
This is no doubt my favorite Stones book. I could picture anyone of us in Bill's shoes in these adventures. It gives great insight to the Stones in this period.

It shows Jagger in many lights which I found most interesting. "Under Their Thumb" was very funny at times and other times had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put the book down!

I'm going to order another copy since I gave my copy to a friend who I kept telling, "You have to read this book. You'll love it!" He did!


It's time to read it again! Great job Bill German and I loved the Beggars Banquet news letter.

Bill was in the right place at the right time and we all benefited from his hard work, fun and abuse.

Bill's book for me is probably one of the best Stones reads. I come back to it often. Very insightful stuff and fills the gap detailing a very important (and maybe unreported) time period in the band.