Life

De: Keith Richards, James Fox

Narrado por: Johnny Depp, Joe Hurley, Keith Richards

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.

Ins and outs

To be put off by Johnny Depp's great intro or disappointed by Joe Hurley's almost perfect rendition of Keith Richard's voice is quite simply a linear reaction to a sea-full of Keith's unfiltered and lively experiences through the backdrop of the Rolling Stone's birth and growth.These guys lived and breathed that music which shaped our lives everyday during that period of time we were growing up.

If you were born between 1945 and 1955, then you will want to listen to this book so that you can come to terms with the tapestry of your life where all this music still exits and comes back as you hear Keith Richards explain where, when, and more importantly, WHY he created all those great songs.

Here's what you do : As you listen to the book,and begin the journey, every time a new song is mentioned, stop the book, go over to Youtube and listen to it done live by the Stones, then come back to the book. It will parallel your life and peg where you were at the time. Lots of fun and if music has always played an important part of your life, Keith's and Mick's songs will be inextricable adhered to the inside of your skull. It's in the total sum of who we are, right?

This book is a candid view into what propelled the greatest rock and roll band through the 60's, the 70's and some of the 80's and how the Rolling Stones are in part, responsible for the voice of rebellion, the cause for change and defined the freedom that we all yearned for or experienced during those tumultuous times. Maybe it's just me, or maybe it's because I've been a blues guitarist since 1960, but I would not want to imagine a world without this music in it. I mean, who wants to live without rock and roll, man?
This is not a book, this is a rock and roll history lesson.

If every time you hear "Satisfaction" you get that tingle inside of you that puts you back to that night, that party, that girl or guy, that vacation, that point that was DEFINED by this song, you're gonna want to listen to this book.

What a Life

I am well into Chapter 5 of part 3 and I'm amazed. What a life. How has he lived long enough to tell this story? With his love of making music, he has overcome self-debasement and simply had to survive to tell all of this. There is candor and risk and success and error. His addictions and the tragedy of Gram Parson's are intertwined and troubling. He is accused of misogyny, but I don't hear him promising more than he gave and I'm not certain he treated anyone worse than himself. I'm glad he told it as it was instead of some tidy, self-reverential, cleaner version. Oh, and he could care less about redemption, he's been too busy living.

I was jarred and confused when the narration went from Depp to Hurley. Both are excellent, but I don't like the inconsistency of voice and if I could choose between the two, I'd choose Hurley's narration. Hurley has the growl and the grittyness and the laugh and the accent just right.

This is a book to be listened to, a tale told brilliantly in the large smoky living room of an old, musty faded-glory house, perhaps in France. Keith, thanks for letting me sit on the floor as you shared your life so far with all its wonders and warts.

Thumbs up for Depp, Total thumbs down for Hurley

I'm totally enjoying this book including the early post war days in England and now the early 60's. Johnny Depp does a nice job for the first four chapters then the Joe Hurley train wreck hits in chapter 5. I know the real Keith can be painful to listen to at times but Hurley is obviously trying to do his best chain smoking, Jack Daniels swilling Keef and its not working for me. It is too over the top. I'm going to have trouble getting through the next 10 hours or so. Its ashame, too bad Johnny must have had other things to do.

Not a Stoner..

If you could sum up Life in three words, what would they be?

An Excellent Story!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Keith --he showed great heart.

What about Johnny Depp and Joe Hurley ’s performance did you like?

Liked when they used the Cockney accent

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I came into adulthood during the 70's. Of course I knew of the Stones but I never would say I loved or followed their music.

This was just a great story about someone who helped define the times of my life. It was of course an interesting and varied story. And surprisingly...I fell in love with Keith...

The interaction of Richards, and Depp didn't stop.

Where does Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

His chapter on his 5 string open G tuning was worth the price of admission alone. Very informative, insightful, and (as a guitarist) inspiring. It was nice to know that I managed to F**K Up my life with the best of them, and that I'm not alone.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Outside of Keith (which is why I bought the audio book in the first place), probably Woodie (Ron Wood). Both incredible on guitar.

What does Johnny Depp and Joe Hurley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Lets face it, Jack Sparrow (by all accounts) was Keith Richards, and they've been kindred spirits ever since.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

LIFE of a Stone, a guitarist, a junkie, and a person.

Any additional comments?

I just genuinely enjoyed this book. It's interesting to know how some of the Stones songs came to be written. I'd rate it a strong R, but I don't regret listening to it. From the first chapter, you know that you're in for a bumpy ride, so fasten your seat belts.