Except for books by Genesis, here you are mine (not in order)

BEST

the Rolling Stones Story - George Tremlett - the 60's by an insider
the True Adventures of the Rolling Stones - Stanley Booth - approved by KR
Ain't it Time We Said Goodbye - Bob Greenfield - the decandent RS, part 1
STP - a Journey Through America with the RS - Bob Greenfield - the decadent RS, part.2
On Tour - Leibovitz/Sykies/Jagger - the TOTA
An illustrated Hisotory - Roy Carr - everything he has written is true: from the alternate Hot Rocks to the 20-minute-long 'Going Home'
An Unauthorized Biography - David Dalton - a bible
A Stone Alone - BW
ALO's books

WORST

A Prince Among Stones - I've found it somehow disturbing
All biographies ('Life' included) - they've never told us the true stories they cover (maybe with the only exception of RW's one
All the coffee-table books approved by the RS - add nothing to what we already know, just perfect Chiristmas presents
Tony Spanish Sanchez's book full of bu****it

I'll not take major issue with your list, but will add..

Phelge's book!
Under Their Thumb - Bill German
You Can't Always Get What You Want - Sam Cutler

and, this book about Robert Fraser - Groovy Bob - as much for the Stones' association, as for it being a superbly written book.

--
Captain Corella
60 Years a Fan

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CaptainCorella
and, this book about Robert Fraser - Groovy Bob - as much for the Stones' association, as for it being a superbly written book.

Huh? My copy of Groovy Bob is a collage of various quotes about Robert Fraser from various people, mostly celebrities. Page after page of quotations. A paragraph about Bob from Paul McCartney, followed by a paragraph from Dennis "King Koopa" Hopper, etc.

Granted, these quotations are a paragraph or more in length, but I wouldn't really call it writing. More like "arranging".

Just my opinion.

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MILKYWAY

Just my opinion.

More an observation and a right one at that as it is a compilation of quotes which tell his life story.

It's a good book.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-03 00:18 by His Majesty.

Yeah Groovy Bob is a good book ...
...even if the Idi Amin bit made me butt-cheeks tighten



ROCKMAN

Love You Live - Fanfare for the Common Fan

Love this book

\m/

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1963luca0
Except for books by Genesis ....

Why the exclusion? Too bourgeois?

Under the "BEST" heading, I would add:

Ethan Russell's Let It Bleed
John Perry's book on the Making of Exile on Main St.
Richard Havers's The Stones in the Park

***I liked Spanish Tony's book. I viewed it as a work of fiction.

and if we are including books about people connected to the Stones:
Robert Greenfield's A Day in the Life (Tommy Weber)

Ignoring the great photo books by Michael Cooper, Bent Rej, Bob Bonis, Gered Mankowitz etc these are what I consider to be the best books on The Rolling Stones.

A great and entertaining read, puts you right in the room with the boys--even if said room might make you want to hold your nose and barf. Tells it like it was, while they were just a grubbin' and clubbin' blues-rock band, just their true personalities without all the enigmatic rock star myth--because, of course, at that point, they hadn't become stars just yet.


It will make you cringe, what Marianne reveals Mick really thought of Keith, at least in the early days. But all in all, about as intimate a portrait was one can get from one who was truly on the inside to witness their glory years of 1965 to 1969.


This was my introduction to the life of Brian Jones. One memory from the book that stands out is how Brian barged into a shop one day--was it a hairdressers?--demanding that he be allowed to use their sink and hair dryer so that he could wash his hair--nevermind that he had already washed his hair two or three times that day. It's been about 30 years since I last read it, and I'll have to obtain a copy and give it another read, especially since the Terry Rawlings book is my latter day frame of reference.


Best book by a Rolling Stone on the Rolling Stones, just in terms of providing the basic outline of the story of their origins and prime era. If I were to recommend a book to someone who was curious about the story and beginnings of the band and had never read up on the subject, this book would be the one. Great photos and memorabilia clips as well, to give the reader a solid feel for the times.

Life by Keith Richards is best, but I never spend time finding out the worst

HM:

This is the first time I have heard of Dance with the Devil. Looking online, I see a lot of people who have posted high praise for it. I wonder why I am just now hearing about it?

In any event, thanks for the heads up!

<<This is the first time I have heard of Dance with the Devil.... I wonder why I am just now hearing about it?>>

Probably because you are familiar with the book as it exists under the title of The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones, which is the reprint version of Dance with the Devil, with "minor revisions".

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stonehearted
<<This is the first time I have heard of Dance with the Devil.... I wonder why I am just now hearing about it?>>

Probably because you are familiar with the book as it exists under the title of The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones, which is the reprint version of Dance with the Devil, with "minor revisions".

You are correct, sir/madam. I am familiar with The True Adventures and in fact have a vintage copy of it. The True Adventures is a fine book indeed.

Thanks, stonehearted, for the clarification.

Oh, and as for worst books on the Stones, I would nominate anything under the name of Alan Clayson, who has perfected the art of saying absolutely nothing in 200 pages or less. As proof, I offer up the following:



....in which we find that the subject is a "man about the house" that no one would say a disrespectful word about.

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MILKYWAY

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CaptainCorella
and, this book about Robert Fraser - Groovy Bob - as much for the Stones' association, as for it being a superbly written book.

Huh? My copy of Groovy Bob is a collage of various quotes about Robert Fraser from various people, mostly celebrities. Page after page of quotations. A paragraph about Bob from Paul McCartney, followed by a paragraph from Dennis "King Koopa" Hopper, etc.

Granted, these quotations are a paragraph or more in length, but I wouldn't really call it writing. More like "arranging".

Just my opinion.

I rechecked the book, and you are correct and I was wrong.

Now I have to find the book I really meant to suggest!

My worst book votes go to...


Jeremy Reed - The Last Decadent

An awful, bollocks, absolute load of shite book.

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CaptainCorella
I'll not take major issue with your list, but will add..

Phelge's book!
Under Their Thumb - Bill German

both +1.

Phillip Norman's book The Stones is a good read as is his Jagger bio.

There are very few decent books about the Stones IMHO. At least compared to people like Dylan, the Beatles Lou Reed etc

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His Majesty
My worst book votes go to...

Jeremy Reed - The Last Decadent

An awful, bollocks, absolute load of shite book.

An arena large enough to hold the scale of my agreement with you does not exist. The only reason I have not shredded my copy is that I keep it to show people what sort of narcissistic crap is written by people who know zero about such an important subject.

--
Captain Corella
60 Years a Fan