Omnibus Press, 1994
I don't think I'm anything special. Just a regular rock'n'roll myth? Yeah.-- Keith Richards
Over his thirty-odd year career, Keith Richards has done hundreds of interviews. He's said some pretty profound things. He's also said some pretty odd things. This mixture of wit and eccentricity is what many fans love about 'Keef'.
Keith Richards: In His Own Words is a very slim book, only 94 pages and it is fleshed out by a number of good pictures. The book begins with a one page introduction that discusses how Keith is the embodiment of the spirit of rock'n'roll. Nothing new. Of course it mentions the drugs. St. Michael subtly hints at the rivalry between Mick and Keith (Mick is the most quoted Stone) without say that his rivalry is mainly a media creation.
St. Michael has gathered quotes from other sources and he groups them into mini-chapters such as The Band, The Music, The Sixties, Sex & Drugs The last mini-chapter is What Others Say About Him For this section, St. Michael drags out the other members of the Stone, other musicians and Keith's mother: I worried about Keith because of that awful place in Edith Grove. They'd stay in bed all day because they had no money for the heater, food or anything.--Doris Richards
There are some interesting quotes that give readers a glimpse into Keith's personality:
Keith wasn't shy as much as he was quiet. I could make him laugh but most of the time nothing was funny to him. He was very much himself in his own room and his own world. He really is a bit of a softie.--Ronnie Spector
Keith takes risks which makes the whole thing worthwhile. Why bother unless you fuck up? Human beings fuck up. Mick's big risk isn't his performance. His big risk is his political situation. He always rides the risk of the Stones no longer being able to function; Mick has taken the big upfront political risk. As far as legal risks, Keith is the renegade.--Alexis Korner
He's still in love with his music, and literally the lines disappear from his face when he picks up that guitar.--Bono
Most fans will have read many of the quotes in the book from their original sources. The book is still a quick and interesting read. I found myself nodding my head at some of Keith's pronouncements and shaking it at others. No matter what my reaction, I was never bored. If
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