Life

By: Keith Richards, James Fox

Narrated by: Johnny Depp, Joe Hurley

Length: 23 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

The long-awaited autobiography of Keith Richards, guitarist, songwriter, singer, and founding member of the Rolling Stones.

With The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the songs that roused the world, and he lived the original rock and roll life. Now, at last, the man himself tells his story of life in the crossfire hurricane. Listening obsessively to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records, learning guitar and forming a band with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones. The Rolling Stones's first fame and the notorious drug busts that led to his enduring image as an outlaw folk hero. Creating immortal riffs like the ones in "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Honky Tonk Women." His relationship with Anita Pallenberg and the death of Brian Jones. Tax exile in France, wildfire tours of the U.S., isolation and addiction. Falling in love with Patti Hansen. Estrangement from Jagger and subsequent reconciliation. Marriage, family, solo albums and Xpensive Winos, and the road that goes on forever.

With his trademark disarming honesty, Keith Richard brings us the story of a life we have all longed to know more of, unfettered, fearless, and true.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2010 Keith Richards (P)2010 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"[A] high-def, high-velocity portrait of the era when rock 'n' roll came of age, a raw report from deep inside the counterculture maelstrom of how that music swept like a tsunami over Britain and the United States....Mr. Richards has found a way to channel to the reader his own avidity, his own deep soul hunger for music and to make us feel the connections that bind one generation of musicians to another. Along the way he even manages to communicate something of that magic, electromagnetic experience of playing on stage with his mates, be it in a little club or a huge stadium." (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

"[A] slurry romp through the life of a man who knew every pleasure, denied himself nothing, and never paid the price." (David Remnick, The New Yorker)

"A vivid self-portrait and, of the Stones and their musical era, a grand group portrait....spellbinding storytelling." (Richard Corliss, Time)

Its Keith - nuff said -

Production quality is top notch and Joe Hurley actually nails the role better than Depp. When Keith reads its a little rough but "its Keith" what do you expect;

Fantastic

I was never much of a Stones fan, but Keith Richards was always fun to marvel at and I suspected that he'd have some good stories to tell. I was not disappointed and in fact pleasantly surprised.

This book is much like a history of rock and roll from his perspective. He was there for so much of it and his is profound love for music is inspiring. Clearly that has kept him going though an eventful and often harrowing life.

His use of language is magnificent. This guy can really write. And the voice performances add a pleasing dimension that would have been absent in a printed book.

What a life...

This is not the type of book I ususally read, but is why I choose to try it. The voices did fit the book though I thought the readers could have put a little more expression into what they read. I found myself putting the speed at 1 1/2 or 2 just because it was so slow. The slowness did fit the attitude of the book, but I just wanted to get through it faster.
Glad I read it I guess since it did show just what a tough life superstars go through to get to the fame we take for granted. Wonder how his path would have worked with the same talent but less sex and drugs? That was the age, I know, but it was quite overwhelming to me how many escapes they had from serious jail time and death!

Not my kind of book, but feel it did a very good job of showing me part of a real world I never experienced or chose to be in then or now. Also, this was the first autobiography I have listened to while on Audible.

Keith Richards Lifee

What three words best describe Johnny Depp and Joe Hurley ’s performance?

Slightly confusing because the POV switches were not always clear

Any additional comments?

This was an extremely honest and up front autobiography. Few people can be as candid as Keith was without sounding like they are tooting their own horn, especially considering he is a major rock star with alot of horn to toot. He covers about 40 years of history with the stones but it isn't all sequential and the time switch ups make it slightly confusing. But all in all I hugely enjoyed this story and feel like I know him and the history of the Stones much better.

Awesome Autobio with Best Narration

I have loved the Stones almost since the moment I first heard them on a friend's LP (remember those?). Richards proves to be an incredible storyteller, painting vivid pictures of his modest boyhood and love of music, and growing up in post-war England in the 50s and 60s. His account of his discovery of the Blues and his own, mostly self-taught education in music is mesmerizing. Johnny Depp's narration is fantastic; you never feel that you are being read to, instead you a there in the moment, such as when Richards is first approached by Mick Jagger on a train ride into London one day. The two teens bond instantly over their love of Check Berry, Muddy Waters and others, spawning a friendship that will a few years later upend the rock world and lead to the "Greatest Band in the World." His "Life" is articulate, honest, and enthralling.

Shockingly GREAT!!

The readers were AMAZING. Quite unexpected in a sense. I knew the stories would be wild, but they were very endearing and heartfelt with a generous dose of dry English humor to boot. Those offended by language need not take a listen, however all intimate escapades were handled quite decently.

Amazing story - less amazing narration

While KR's Life is a story very much worth listening to, the split narration is a bit distracting. Nevertheless, Joe Hurley's reading was energetic, superb, and more like telling a story that he actually lived.

Good read on one of the defining rock guitarist.

Great read. I'm not the worlds biggest Stones fan, but it was a really interesting read and I have a bigger appreciation for them now. There are a lot of sections that feel rushed, but when your band / legacy spans 50 years, and you have a limited number of pages to put it down, its understandable.

I wish Joe Hurley would have narriated the entire book. Nothing against Mr. Depp, but Mr. Hurley's voice acting is closer to Mr. Richards speaking voice. While I appreciate that Depp didn't try to do a bad english accent, Its a little throwing to go from Depp to Hurley back to Depp to Richards. Depp's voice just feels out of place amongst the other two.

other than that, no complaints on this book, and 23 hours didn't feel like 23 hours.

Roll With it

LOVED IT.. I wish Keef had narrated the whole thing.. the last part where it is his voice is not only genuine.. but hysterically funny. the man has an incredible sense of humor..Loved the book.. love the Stones.. and Happy Birthday Keef ( dec 18) may you live forever!.. but how you have gotten this far is a mystery! LOl

Crear story, myths breaker, or not?

I really enjoyed the middlenmpart when Keith describes how the rock and roll das created. it is strange to realize that rock was not existing when he das a child.
Narration is dificult to understand in some partes of the text, but it gaves the correct tone to the reading.