Musician memoirs and bios of note
Keith Richards did the unthinkable: He turned rabid rock fans into certifiable bookworms with his tell-all biography, “Life.” Now comes the rush of music memoirs. We look at some of this year’s most notable selections.
Neil Young
“Waging Heavy Peace” (Blue Rider, $30) Much like his recorded output, Young’s memoir is unblinking and unfiltered. He admits up front that he wrote it to support a period of semi-retirement from the stage, and large chunks are dedicated to his personal investments: toy trains, hybrid cars, an MP3-rivaling digital music format he’s developing called Pono. The 500-page tome is only for the die-hards. Those who have stuck with him through the good, bad and just plain weird will find plenty to embrace.
Pete Townshend
“Who I Am: A Memoir” (Harper, $32.50) As the songwriter, guitarist and founding member of the Who, Townshend has lived quite the life. Cramming it all into a book feels like an impossible task, so while this autobiography covers a lot of ground, it often feels lean on detail. Still, in the end the musician offers a candid, not entirely flattering selfportrait while using it as an opportunity to address the child pornography charges that cast him out in 2003.
Rod Stewart
“Rod: The Autobiography” (Crown, $27) Is there another rock star who has embraced his position as enthusiastically as Stewart? In this endearing, often self-effacing book he happily recounts his countless sexual liaisons with models, tales of jetting around the world and, in one horrifying passage, taking drugs through the wrong end, all the while managing not to come off as a complete chump.
Mick Jagger
“Mick Jagger,” by Philip Norman (Ecco, $34.99) The author, who also penned “John Lennon: The Life,” has written several books about the Beatles and the Stones, which adds a certain air of authority to this otherwise unsanctioned biography of Jagger. His biggest feat in this 622page tome is adding color to the familiar caricature, offering substantive background to the drug busts and ego battles, romantic interludes and seemingly endless baby making.
Bruce Springsteen
“Bruce,” by Peter Ames Carlin (Touchstone, $28) Of all the Springsteen biographies out there, this one stands out because the Boss reportedly actually cooperated with the author, who has also written about Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney. We learn of the songwriter’s working-class upbringing, many mood swings and current use of antidepressants (that would explain the awesome live shows). There’s more to dig up, but this is as good a start on the story as any.
Leonard Cohen
“I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen,” by Sylvie Simmons (Ecco, $27.99) The definitive biography of the celebrated Canadian songwriter clears up much of the mystery that surrounds him while amplifying the myth.