Anyone else feel Keith's a real knob in the way he portrayed Brian in his book? He paints Brian as a guy who was barely involved in the band even in the beginning--Just a sideman, and basically gives him very little credit for anything the guy did. He glosses over or omits entirely Brian's contributions to the band and you only really see Brian's bad side--As if Brian was this utterly untalented, utterly bad man who just happened to tag along with The Rolling Stones (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards & Co) for 7 years.

Keith goes on and on gushing about Ian, and Ian was very important no doubt--but so was Brian during his time in the band; at least from '62 to '68. And Brian was a key, core, official member. One of the personalities of the band. An icon of the 60s on his own. The man had a lot of personal flaws, but that's no reason to write him off entirely and sort of bury his part in the band's history. I mean he treats Brian as if he was not much more than a woman beating Pete Best. I've just read up to page 273--dealing with Brian's death--and Keith's bitterness doesn't end there. It only gets worse. And it shocked me.

His attitude toward the idea of Brian being possibly murdered is basically, "Meh. Big deal if he was. Had it coming, really." I mean, Jesus, the guy was flawed but it seems like Keith really HATES Brian even to this day and I don't understand it.

It's one thing to say "The guy was a temperamental asshole and really difficult to work with", but to be like basically, "The fucker was a little crazy bastard who contributed little to nothing, and if he was killed at age 27, well, he was whiny  and probably annoyed Frank Thoroughgood and his builders, so it'd be just manslaughter to me, he had it coming, and he had nothing left in life anyway."

To be honest, Keith was a hero of mine for a long time. He seemed to be a no nonsense, yet cool, laid back guy. A debonair sort of cool cat in his own way. Yeah, he was a heroin addict, but so were many great guitarists and musicians really. It's well known that Brian was like Jerkyll and Hyde in his personality--So I'm not defending him as any saint or anything. He was probably severely bi-polar, had woman issues, and the drugs only made whatever mental problems that were there ten times worse,. He probably was impossible to work with at times, no doubt.

But to be honest, going thus far, Keith's treatment of Brian in his book--in history, basically--has kind of taken the shine off Keith for me as a person. As a guitarist I'll always respect him and love what he's done...But as a person he seems a bit of a cold hearted, bitter bastard who rewrites history based on how he feels about people, which is an utterly wrong thing to do. A passive aggressive bitter man who can't get over shit that's nearly 50 years ago.

I know people in real life who are like that, bitter shells who rewrite and recolor history based on their own emotional biases and either erase people out totally or limit their participation in history to nothing even if they were key players; people who destroy pictures of people they dislike or hate to erase them from history, or only tell you every single bad thing they did and not mention one good thing. It's a great disrespect to the deceased, who aren't there to defend themselves or give their side. If you're writing a book and presenting an inside history to the public, you should take your emotional bias off, give someone credit where it's due, and at least TRY to be objective. Brian was no saint but I imagine he was not a monster 24/7, and whether Keith wants to admit it or not, the guy contributed to tons of their songs from '62-'68. He wasn't just some Pete Best or some hireling. Some of the most beautiful or important elements of the Stones '60s period songs wouldn't be there if not for Brian.

Did Keith's portrayal of Brian come off to anyone else here as incredibly callous and wrong? Did it change anyone's perspective or feelings on Keith even just a little?

I had a audio recording (Johnny Depp) of the book, but if Keith said this.
The fucker was a little crazy bastard who contributed little to nothing, and if he was killed at age 27, well, he was whiny  and probably annoyed Frank Thoroughgood and his builders, so it'd be just manslaughter to me, he had it coming, and he had nothing left in life anyway."  
Then that was really cruel, no need for that! I think Keith was much nicer when he was on heroin with that major Rolling Stone interview in '71, he was a much nicer guy, I got more from that interview & more facts about the band's history then his book & much more interesting!

Heart Of Stone wrote on Jan 24^th, 2012 at 7:39am:

I had a audio recording (Johnny Depp) of the book, but if Keith said this. The fucker was a little crazy bastard who contributed little to nothing, and if he was killed at age 27, well, he was whiny  and probably annoyed Frank Thoroughgood and his builders, so it'd be just manslaughter to me, he had it coming, and he had nothing left in life anyway."   Then that was really cruel, no need for that! I think Keith was much nicer when he was on heroin with that major Rolling Stone interview in '71, he was a much nicer guy, I got more from that interview & more facts about the band's history then his book & much more interesting!

I was paraphrasing but here is the actual quote:


Quote:

"I knew Frank Thorogood, who made a "deathbed confession", that he'd killed Brian Jones by drowning him in the swimming pool, where Brian's body was found some minutes after other people had seen him alive. But I'm always wary of deathbed confessions because the only person there is the person he's supposed to have said it to, some uncle, daughter, or whatever. "On his deathbed he said he'd killed Brian." Whether he did it or not I don't know. Brian had bad asthma, and he was taking quaaludes and Tuinals, which are not the best things to dive under water on. Very easy to choke on that stuff. He was heavily sedated. He had a high tolerance for drugs, I'll give him that. But weigh that against the coroner's report, which showed that he was suffering from pleurisy, an enlarged heart, and a diseased liver. Still, I can imagine the scenario of Brian being so obnoxious to Thorogood and the building crew that he had working on Brian's house that they were just pissing around with him. He went under and didn't come up. But when somebody says, "I did Brian," at the very most I'd put it down to manslaughter. All right, you may have pushed him under, but you weren't there to murder him. He pissed off the builders, whining son of a bitch. It wouldn't have mattered if the builders were there or not, he was at that point in his life when there wasn't any."

Page 272 of my paperback edition.

In Death Of A Rolling Stone by Mandy Aftel, 1982, Mandy interviewed Keith for hours and described him as "extremely polite and helpful to me". This is a biography of Brian that was reccomended to me by another member of the forum.  It seems too be more factual without the sensationalism that sometimes accompanies biographies.

I highly recomend this book.

uncleson wrote on Jan 24^th, 2012 at 12:47pm:

In Death Of A Rolling Stone by Mandy Aftel, 1982, Mandy interviewed Keith for hours and described him as "extremely polite and helpful to me". This is a biography of Brian that was reccomended to me by another member of the forum.  It seems too be more factual without the sensationalism that sometimes accompanies biographies. I highly recomend this book.

I'm going to look into that book, whether I read it or not, I read so many books about Brian that I got from the library, I'm going check it out.

Stonesfan1990, you are WISE beyond your years. You have basically hit the nail on the head, and I agree with what you've said. I don't know how Keith has gotten from his early friendship with Brian, on to his bewilderment at Brian's death, not long after it happened, to the totally over-the-top bitter and severe critic of Brian possible. Brian can't speak for himself. And all this is just a bad reflection on Keith. I just don't understand it.

I know that Keith is all over Ian, saying it was HIS band, etc. But, I'm sorry. Brian started the band. Brian HIRED Ian. He was the second Stone. Brian was the first....and then Brian hired Keith--and took Mick because they were basically a "package deal". Throughout the history of the Stones, Brian has been relegated to annoying sideman....

Sioux wrote on Jan 24^th, 2012 at 6:00pm:

Stonesfan1990, you are WISE beyond your years. You have basically hit the nail on the head, and I agree with what you've said. I don't know how Keith has gotten from his early friendship with Brian, on to his bewilderment at Brian's death, not long after it happened, to the totally over-the-top bitter and severe critic of Brian possible. Brian can't speak for himself. And all this is just a bad reflection on Keith. I just don't understand it. I know that Keith is all over Ian, saying it was HIS band, etc. But, I'm sorry. Brian started the band. Brian HIRED Ian. He was the second Stone. Brian was the first....and then Brian hired Keith--and took Mick because they were basically a "package deal". Throughout the history of the Stones, Brian has been relegated to annoying sideman....

And in Keith's book, it's BEYOND that of a talented sidemen. Keith really glosses over 1965-1967, mentioning Brian just on the sitar on Pain't It, Black, and even mentioning that doesn't go without an air of subtle sort of sarcasm. If you go by Keith's book, Brian was a psychotic, utterly untalented pretty blonde haired weird guy who no one except Anita Pallenberg liked really and he beat her and Keith saved her from Brian. He even touches that he felt Brian might've tried to kill Anita. Him taking Anita isolated Brian in the band, but that didn't matter because as soon as he "gave up the guitar", an act Keith sort of mocks and mentions incredously several times, he was basically out of the band anyway.

Like I said, he makes Brian sound like a psychotic Pete Best: A nobody who contributed little to nothing and did nothing but horrible deeds and somehow got to tag along for seven years. A nobody who has as much or maybe just a little more importance in Stone history as Dick Taylor. The one nice thing he says about Brian is that when he first saw him he was amazed by his slide guitar. That's pretty much the only positive mention he gets out of a 7 year partnership, and like I said, the period where Brian contributed a hell of a lot is glossed over almost entirely except for the more guitar driven hits. He's basically been relegated to a psychotic Mick and Keith wanna be who happened to be in the band when they began. Worse than a sideman; more like he was barely involved at all. I haven't read further yet but I'd imagine Bobby Keys gets more musical credit and is paid more respect to than Brian.

Sioux wrote on Jan 24^th, 2012 at 6:00pm:

Stonesfan1990, you are WISE beyond your years. You have basically hit the nail on the head, and I agree with what you've said. I don't know how Keith has gotten from his early friendship with Brian, on to his bewilderment at Brian's death, not long after it happened, to the totally over-the-top bitter and severe critic of Brian possible. Brian can't speak for himself. And all this is just a bad reflection on Keith. I just don't understand it. I know that Keith is all over Ian, saying it was HIS band, etc. But, I'm sorry. Brian started the band. Brian HIRED Ian. He was the second Stone. Brian was the first....and then Brian hired Keith--and took Mick because they were basically a "package deal". Throughout the history of the Stones, Brian has been relegated to annoying sideman....

I agree with this.  It is very well said. Brian started The Stones, but to hear keith tell it, Ian did, and thats just not the case.
I dont understand, either, why Keith is now so bitter towards Brian.  he seemed to be more understanding in his younger years. I prefer to think of that 71 interview, or the 82 book.

I think KEEF is still mad that Brian beat Anita and over the years it contributed to a larger disgust with Brian and a diminishing opinion of Brian, giving him no fair share of the credit he deserves. Long before KEEF's book came out most of us have formed our own opinions and gathered facts, and learned to understand the circumstances. KEEF was trying to turn opinions against Brian because of the way he treated Anita, no doubt, KEEF neither forgives or forgets. Still its not nice to badmouth a dead guy who isnt around to either apologize or defend himself.  

Bitch wrote on Jan 24^th, 2012 at 8:24pm:

I think KEEF is still mad that Brian beat Anita and over the years it contributed to a larger disgust with Brian and a diminishing opinion of Brian, giving him no fair share of the credit he deserves. Long before KEEF's book came out most of us have formed our own opinions and gathered facts, and learned to understand the circumstances. KEEF was trying to turn opinions against Brian because of the way he treated Anita, no doubt, KEEF neither forgives or forgets. Still its not nice to badmouth a dead guy who isnt around to either apologize or defend himself.

Keith seems like he never grew up himself really. He's still the 20something year old in his head, and hates Brian in that stupid Fratboy sort of way. Perhaps if he'd grown more wise or gained more depth with age, he might try to understand Brian, or ask WHY Brian who he was. Or have the depth to recognize that Brian died at age 27--a baby compared to Keith now in age. Brian might've grown, might've changed, might've wisened up had he had the chance to live a fuller life.  Brian might've grown up. Maybe his issues with women would've been resolved. And it's funny, Keith loves John Lennon but Lennon was just as free with his hands when it came to women. Keith just doesn't seem to see gray; only black and white. Mick, surprisingly, seems to have more depth and less of a cold heart than Keith does.

What's struck me as bizarre is how his attitude toward Brian has changed over the years. The the few years after the event, Keith seemed genuinely saddened over his bandmate's death. There's that interview footage (glimpsed briefly in the 25X5 documentary) in which Keith looks almost despondent. Then there's the 1971 Rolling Stone magazine interview, in which he does admit that Brian could be a bastard, but he also praises him as a musician and as a person. Even as late as 2002, Keith still had some nice things to say about Brian and his talents.

I, too, have to wonder what happened between then and now. I still enjoyed the majority of Keith's book, but his poor treatment of Brian and Bill in particular was not lost on me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb5-oWtQabo&feature=related

Watching that interview, does Brian strike anyone else as being perhaps deeper and a bit more intelligent than the rest of the Stones? He may have been psychologically messed up, but intelligence and being messed up emotionally aren't mutually exclusive. It just seems like, watching him, if he had lived on and lived into an age where drug abuse was understood and when he coud've gotten professional help, he might've become a very deep and much more mature person.

StickyStones wrote on Jan 24^th, 2012 at 11:55pm:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb5-oWtQabo&feature=related Watching that interview, does Brian strike anyone else as being perhaps deeper and a bit more intelligent than the rest of the Stones? ...

FWIW. In October 1969 I had an interesting conversation with Alexis Korner. He was among the people who visited Brian at home after he was fired.
And yes, among other nice words about Brian he described him as a very intelligent guy.

It's often quoted that Brian's IQ was 135.....

Child of the Moon wrote on Jan 24^th, 2012 at 10:57pm:

What's struck me as bizarre is how his attitude toward Brian has changed over the years. The the few years after the event, Keith seemed genuinely saddened over his bandmate's death. There's that interview footage (glimpsed briefly in the 25X5 documentary) in which Keith looks almost despondent. Then there's the 1971 Rolling Stone magazine interview, in which he does admit that Brian could be a bastard, but he also praises him as a musician and as a person. Even as late as 2002, Keith still had some nice things to say about Brian and his talents. I, too, have to wonder what happened between then and now. I still enjoyed the majority of Keith's book, but his poor treatment of Brian and Bill in particular was not lost on me.

I remember that keith interview in 25 x 5 and it looked like keith was fighting off tears..

If you don't have it already I recommend you get Barbara Charone's book about Keith as well as the Mandy Aftel book on Brian. There is a lot of quotes from Keith about Brian in that Charone book.  It's interesting to compare what and how he says things in those two books in comparison to Life. There are some consistancies, but also some glaring contradictions or about turns.

Maybe somewhere inside Keith never really got over Brian's death and his way of dealing with it is pretending (even to himself) that Brian barely existed...Sort of blocking off most of his memories of him, except the bad ones, as they say the bad memories are the ones that stick with you. Basically throwing the hate he has on him is his way of expressing grief and sort of "You had to die before you and I made up. You little bastard, you had to do that". Some sort of misplaced emotion. It's obvious there's something really deep and unresolved there, but it isn't just the hate in his book.

By the way, does anyone know what project Brian is referring to when he mentions a film he planned on working on, about the "eternal theme of love" with three characters--a man, a woman and a third character personifying Love? It sounds really interesting and he says the script was written for it.

Brian is on film talking about that project. Can't remember if he had a name for it, but I guess nothing came of it...

Back to the original subject....I am not, in any way, condoning Brian's behavior towards certain women in his life, but....in reference to Anita, I have read that she could give just about as good as she could take. There is one instance, in some book or other, that when they were both in a drug fueled haze, she broke a chair over Brian's head. Needless to say, they did NOT bring out the best in each other. I think they were basically just too much alike. And the increased drug intake and alcohol consumption, on Brian's part, didn't help matters either. Interestingly enough, some of Brian's other girlfriends in the early/mid 60's, Pat Andrews, Linda Lawrence, Dawn Malloy, never mention Brian being physically abusive with them. And they all three have been very supportive of Brian over the years....

I, too, believe that Brian sufffered from some form of bi-polarizm. There is one type, called dysphoric mania, which has criteria that describe a lot of what Brian seemed to experience--it's essentially depressive and manic episodes that occur simultaneously. Also characterized by extremely excited moods, irritability, anger, agitation, grandiosity, HYTERSEXUALITY, wearing of FLAMBOYANT clothes, PERSECUTORY DELUSIONS.....yep. That pretty much sounds like Brian in the mid/late 60's. If only these things had been better understood, and treated, back in the 60's...

As far as Keith goes, I'm wondering if he doesn't feel a sense of guilt about everything---not guillty as far as Brian's death is concerned, but that they {he and Mick} weren't more sympathetic towards Brian and try to either help him or get him more professional health. Yes, I know that Brian spent some time in the Priory Clinic, but I know he didn't get the treatment he needed. Keith is SO bitter now, he's really irrational about it all. But I think that deep down, if he's not too far gone, Keith still remembers how close he and Brian were in those early Edith Grove days. It may be a case of "Methinks thou dost protest too much." He may not want people to think he could possibly have a soft spot for Brian anywhere

Yes, the Anita thing broke off that friendship for good, but, if Brian hadn't died when he did, I think that he and Keith would have regained some of that early friendship they shared.Brian was only  27 when he died---and yes, he'd lived, and done,  enough for 30 men! But, he was still, really, a young man. And he was changing....I think he could have led a contented life...

Just playing devil's advocate - there are several stories in Keith's book that seem shortened to me, how he deals with Brian is just one of them.

Keith has said a lot of positive things about Brian in the past and I'm sure he meant them at the time.  Brian was well known to treat women badly.  Keith also goes after Mick for treating women callously.   I wonder if know having adult daughters has changed his opinion on these matters over the years.  What he could once over look now just makes him angry.

That could be. But it seems to me as if it's more than just anger with, or at, Brian. It's more like hate. And it just seems way out of context---more severe than one would expect. Keith would love to erase Brian from all Stones history, I think. And that's not possible, since Brian founded, named, managed, and directed the group in the early days! He invited Keith to join HIS band. Keith may not like how Brian ended up, but give the guy credit where credit is due. All the vitriol just reflects badly on Keith.

Yeah KEEF can be coldhearted. I dont think he cares about other peoples feelings when he knocks people down with hurtful words. He comes out with some insulting shit, for example, calling MICKs solo album "Dogshit in the Doorway". Its his right to tell it as he sees it, but that doesnt mean we have to agree with everything he says! Brian did make some really bad decisions, but he also made some very good ones which were totally omitted from the book!

Yes, Bitch--very good points! It's just so strange that, over time, instead of Keith's heart softening towards Brian, the very opposite has happened. It would be interesting to sit down with Keith and really try to find out why his negative feelings about Brian have intensified so drastically over the last number of years. I would love to hear his reaction {if it was shown to him today} to that 1971 interview, in which he still seemed bewildered by Brian's death, and seemed saddened by it all.

Sioux wrote on Jan 26^th, 2012 at 6:04pm:

That could be. But it seems to me as if it's more than just anger with, or at, Brian. It's more like hate. And it just seems way out of context---more severe than one would expect. Keith would love to erase Brian from all Stones history, I think. And that's not possible, since Brian founded, named, managed, and directed the group in the early days! He invited Keith to join HIS band. Keith may not like how Brian ended up, but give the guy credit where credit is due. All the vitriol just reflects badly on Keith.

Keith's book and it's negativity not only changed my outlook on Keith as a man, but even my father's. My father thought Keith was an awesome guy and had been a Stones fan since he was 14, 15 years old. Read the book and all he had to say was "even your heroes disappoint you." And I know other people who read the book and were turned off by Keith as a person, that the book sort of really changed their perception of him.

Bitch wrote on Jan 26^th, 2012 at 8:41pm:

Yeah KEEF can be coldhearted. I dont think he cares about other peoples feelings when he knocks people down with hurtful words. He comes out with some insulting shit, for example, calling MICKs solo album "Dogshit in the Doorway". Its his right to tell it as he sees it, but that doesnt mean we have to agree with everything he says! Brian did make some really bad decisions, but he also made some very good ones which were totally omitted from the book!

There's a difference between being coldhearted and downright cruel. I mean you saw the passage about Brian's death--he almost makes it sound like he had it coming, that he probably was being whiny and annoyed the builders and would've died anyway, even if he wasn't murdered. That's downright hateful, beyond being a cold hearted "call it as I see it" person.

Does he not realize that Brian, for all his myriad flaws, was just 27 years old, a kid compared to Keith now, who could've, with time and the right help, really become the great person he had the potential to be? I mean Brian seems to have been a very sensitive, a very nice spirited, very bright guy who had severe emotional problems which caused his kinder side to be eclipsed by a kind of violent, ugly Mr. Hyde. With growth, maturity, and the right treatment, that side of Brian could've been cured. He sadly wasn't given the time to grow and was taken from the world far too soon.

I think perhaps I have sympathy for Brian because I always try to look both sides of an issue. I usually see good even in people who are really hated. I try to save the whole story of a person and not just the bad side. I come from a family of deeply flawed people, so, who am I to cast stones?

Off topic slightly, but I think Keith has this weird contempt for drug addicts who die. Instead of feeling like, 'Hey, I was lucky, those poor sobs weren't" he seems to have this sort of attitude where the people who were druggies and died were bad people or something. Like I said, a weird contempt. One time he spoke of Jim Morrison, for example, and all he had to say was about Jim's death was "There goes another one" with a laugh and sort of a roll of the eyes.

Keith always write with big feeling and that's why we love him... He already told the Brian's story in flowers & coolness... I think he choose to tell it another way this time just to give us the other side of the moon... Maybe for Anita, and maybe for Brian... "It's said that I stole her. But my take on it is that I rescued her. Actually, in a way, I rescued him. Both of them. They were both on a very destructive course." (Life Chapter 6 page ~119-120...) If someone like so much the '71 interview, you can reread it or stick on your tombstone... It's All About You... Me just waiting for Life II & the next stones songs & shows... Cuz when they'll be on that bloody killing floor again everybody will know that they survive it all... and that all those shits are fucking past... Mick & Keith had written the most beautiful songs (& books) about friendship i've ever heard (english or french). Look at that story... You got the silver-gimme shelter-coming down again-I miss you-all about you-waiting on a friend-party doll-you don't move me-Mixed emotions-Thru & thru-Laugh I nearly died-This place is empty-plundered my soul-Life (i miss my friend...)-don't be a stranger: just knock on my door! Ok................ it's time for coffee! Luv Ya All & Wish Ya BesT!

Life. Death. Its one or the other, and in death you cant defend yourself and in Life you can say anything you want to. So KEEF's book called LIFE may simply be saying I lived to tell my story and thats that. KEEF outlived so many others when so many people thought KEEF would die young and when he didnt, they made the cockroach joke about it. Fvck You I lived and that gives me the right to say whatever I damn please and I dont care if you like it or not! Which is one of the reasons we love KEEF, throw it all at him, and he can just shrug it off, like a tough old nasty cockroach! And after all is said and done KEEFs book made the NY Times Best Seller list so that justifies everything he wrote and his book is in libraries all over the workd, and he loves libraries. Second occupational choice, librarian! SO even if I dont like everything he wrote, I'm happy for his literary sucess.

Bitch wrote on Jan 29^th, 2012 at 10:09am:

Life. Death. Its one or the other, and in death you cant defend yourself and in Life you can say anything you want to. So KEEF's book called LIFE may simply be saying I lived to tell my story and thats that. KEEF outlived so many others when so many people thought KEEF would die young and when he didnt, they made the cockroach joke about it. Fvck You I lived and that gives me the right to say whatever I damn please and I dont care if you like it or not! Which is one of the reasons we love KEEF, throw it all at him, and he can just shrug it off, like a tough old nasty cockroach! And after all is said and done KEEFs book made the NY Times Best Seller list so that justifies everything he wrote and his book is in libraries all over the workd, and he loves libraries. Second occupational choice, librarian! SO even if I dont like everything he wrote, I'm happy for his literary sucess.

See now if I was in Keith's shoes--having seen many friends, loves and musical contemporaries--either be very fucked up, be driven nuts by, or die in doing the same thing I was doing--I'd be grateful. I wouldn't be like, "I lived, they died, fuck 'em." I'd be like "I survived that?! Fuckin' Hell, I'm lucky, I must have an angel or two on my shoulder. Tragedy all of those who weren't as lucky." Cause really, that's what kept Keith alive from the 60s to the 70s--Pure blind luck. Not being a badass or this or that. Just luck. Luck that he didn't have a horrible trip on LSD and end up like Syd Barret; Luck that he didn't simply get the wrong type of Heroin on a particular day in the 70s as Janis did. All that happened in her case was her dealer made a mistake and got the wrong strain of H, more powerful than she usually took. Could've easily happened to Keith. Luck that he didn't drunkenly mistake smack for coke like Jim Morrison did. Luck that he wasn't alone and stoned in a pool around white trash builder types like Brian. Luck that none of his organs gave despite the number of substances he ingested in them. Luck that he wasn't gunned down by a nutty fan. Just plain luck. And instead of having the attitude, "Well, I survived, they didn't, fuck 'em", he should be kissing the ground.

Keith certainly isn't ready for a 12 step program, that's for sure!! he's lucky all right but doesn't count his blessings, the only time I've seen him be a little humble was when his blind angel (In Toronto) went to the judge's home & bother him so much the Judge changed his sentence that could be 20 Years in prison.
It's just the way Keith is, fuck 'em I survived, I wouldn't want to have that attitude ever!!! I don't believe he's an alcoholic, even though he can drink a lot, alcoholics have conscience's, Keith doesn't.

Heart Of Stone wrote on Jan 30^th, 2012 at 12:26pm:

Keith certainly isn't ready for a 12 step program, that's for sure!! he's lucky all right but doesn't count his blessings, the only time I've seen him be a little humble was when his blind angel (In Toronto) went to the judge's home & bother him so much the Judge changed his sentence that could be 20 Years in prison. It's just the way Keith is, fuck 'em I survived, I wouldn't want to have that attitude ever!!! I don't believe he's an alcoholic, even though he can drink a lot, alcoholics have conscience's, Keith doesn't.

Yeah. Keith's book really changed my perspective about both him and Mick. Keith seems to really have no conscience or regrets even if he did shitty things. Keith also seems to be sort of in love or obsessed with his image as you know, "KEITH RICHARDS". Mick seems to have more depth than Keith but at the same time seems to be in love with power and control and everything that comes with fame. And both of them seem to have little problem screwing anyone they have to to keep their status.

The only guys who seemed to have been decent were Bill (even if he's a dirty old man, he does seem to have a conscience and isn't in love with himself), Charlie (I've never seen anything which would make him seem like a scumbag. Generally seems to be the most down to Earth of all of them) and Mick Taylor (Keith claims Taylor has "mental problems" but watching interviews with him back in the day, he just seems to have been a shy introverted kid and I think being around Mick and Keith as the former became more and more egotistical and the latter became more of a druggie was just too much).

Brian was Brian, a deeply faulted, but beautiful soul--And I think if he had lived he wouldn't have turned into a bitter, self loving lush like Keith, and Ronnie is a degenerate drunk who's basically a lapdog to Keith.

Stu seems to have been off in his own world, probably a nice guy but sort of detached from it all. Probably shook his head and sighed a lot watching the rest of them, like a parent watching bratty children. He just seems to have liked doing what he did, playing Boogie Woogie piano and wasn't really interested in being a rockstar. Out of all of them, Stu was probably the most regular person.

But here's the thing: You don't need to lack a conscience to be a badass rockstar. Some of the greatest rock stars were very deep, very humble, decent people (even if they had drug problems or whatever). Keith seemed like a nicer guy when he was on Heroin in the '70s, watching old interviews from that time.

Keef is upset ... that Anita told him ... she got better stick from Mr. Jones ...  :smilebrian

Keith's view of Brian in life is one view, the bitter view, but I was surprised to see this quote by Keith about Brian during the promotion for the book...

"One of the most talented musicians I ever met"

-- Keith Richards, 12-4-2010 Gold Coast Bulletin

StickyStones wrote on Jan 31^st, 2012 at 12:33am:

Brian was Brian, a deeply faulted, but beautiful soul

Based on what do you say he was a beautiful soul?  

My fairly extensive study of Stones lore indicates he was quite the bastard.

Zack wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2012 at 5:56pm:

StickyStones wrote on Jan 31st, 2012 at 12:33am: Brian was Brian, a deeply faulted, but beautiful soul Based on what do you say he was a beautiful soul?   My fairly extensive study of Stones lore indicates he was quite the bastard.

GOT THAT RIGHT.

Brian is dead.

Keith co-wrote something (in the bio sphere).

Maybe both are/were darlings?

Zack wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2012 at 5:56pm:

My fairly extensive study of Stones lore indicates he was quite the bastard.

In some ways, yes he was, in other ways no he wasn't. Whilst he was alive Brian lived the life Mick and Keith dared only to write about! :spooky :smilebrian

But, whats with the selective character assasination!? Mick and Keith were/are grade A knob heads too!!!  ;)
Amongst other things...

Mick is a selfish, cheating bastard.  :wtf2

Keith is an ex junkie, selfish, hypocrite, bastard.   :forfucksake

Bill is a peedo.     :boring


Ladies and Gentlemen...


http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f395/sundaramusic/The%20Rolling%20Stones/4b66d14f.jpg

Philip wrote on Feb 4^th, 2012 at 9:04am:

Zack wrote on Feb 3rd, 2012 at 5:56pm: My fairly extensive study of Stones lore indicates he was quite the bastard. In some ways, yes he was, in other ways no he wasn't. Whilst he was alive Brian lived the life Mick and Keith dared only to write about! :spooky :smilebrian But, whats with the selective character assasination!? Mick and Keith were/are grade A knob heads too!!!  ;) Amongst other things... Mick is a selfish, cheating bastard.  :wtf2 Keith is an ex junkie, selfish, hypocrite, bastard.   :forfucksake Bill is a peedo.     :boring Ladies and Gentlemen... http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f395/sundaramusic/The%20Rolling%20Stones/4b66d14f.jpg

OK man, I'm on board . . . they're ALL bastards! (Except Charlie, of course.)

Zack wrote on Feb 4^th, 2012 at 6:23pm:

Philip wrote on Feb 4th, 2012 at 9:04am: Zack wrote on Feb 3rd, 2012 at 5:56pm: My fairly extensive study of Stones lore indicates he was quite the bastard. In some ways, yes he was, in other ways no he wasn't. Whilst he was alive Brian lived the life Mick and Keith dared only to write about! :spooky :smilebrian But, whats with the selective character assasination!? Mick and Keith were/are grade A knob heads too!!!  ;) Amongst other things... Mick is a selfish, cheating bastard.  :wtf2 Keith is an ex junkie, selfish, hypocrite, bastard.   :forfucksake Bill is a peedo.     :boring Ladies and Gentlemen... http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f395/sundaramusic/The%20Rolling%20Stones/4b66d14f.jpg OK man, I'm on board . . . they're ALL bastards! (Except Charlie, of course.)

Charlie? Another ex-junkie who cannot keep his band playing each year ;oP

Oh fvck everybody, nobody's perfect! Do you remember why you are here?

I remember being particularly taken aback by Keith's 'shit happens' comment regarding Brian's demise in the 25x5 documentary. It seemed he was getting more complimentary towards his former band-mate circa interviews during the Licks Tour, but he appears to be embracing his spiteful and bitter side once more, alas. Aww, bless Keith and his childish ways.

Bitch wrote on Feb 6^th, 2012 at 9:48pm:

Oh fvck everybody, nobody's perfect! Do you remember why you are here?

I remember Bitch... I was only joking... But thank you anyway for saying it! There's too much side here... Mick side, MickT side, Ron side etc... Sometimes I feel like there's no stones-love in it... What I hate most is bashing... I can't stand it... Everytime in my life I had to stand for that stongues logo on my bag, on my coat, on my desk... Those guys have given shape to my life. It's normal to fight against society for what I care... But when I come here... I feel for having a good times with my Stones-Soul-Brothers (and Sisters =P)... I don't care if Mick or Keith or Charlie are full of shit: I Love Them! I love what they give to me... And I'm satisfy with it... I'm sure they're bucking (Star Bucker Star Bucker Star...=) have fun with us. Mick already know anything about Life and like it! They both know that it would sell like hell, and it give place to tell the story the way they feel it.... Something I feel people don't know how to read a book... Life is a big  joke, specially the bangers' chapter, but between those fucking lines there's life! The way he see paradise his so cool, Keith know he's full of shit... He told us nice stories... Just read the chapter about Marlon & Gus living north NY... it was a shame! Keith know it... and put it in his book... for us to know it... Cool to be a rock star? Another guitar crash on the table.... cool? It's a shame to loose his cool that way but... he put it in the book for us to know that's it's not only glorious to be a r'n'r star (btw we already know it, but from him... it's cool). That's why i love that book... it's the longest Glimmer Twins' Song! And after that Mick told us (Somewhere in the some girl's revisited blast) that he wrote Miss You just after Toronto while Keith was still fucking jail! WoW! Don't be a stranger... And they replay the old Glimmer Twins Struggle... Because it his so good for the press... Anyway... I love your writing Bitch... I'll finish it by the last words of a Robert E Howard poem (A Beggar, Singing Without):
"... And what is life but a vision,
And what are the rules of the game
 But a cynical high derision
That laughs at glory and shame?"

Thanks SirMuddy, sometimes I get fed up with all the Stones criticism, and I'm guilty of it too. It was a bit harsh, sorry if I offended anyone.