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Life cover art

Life

By: Keith Richards
Narrated by: Johnny Depp, Joe Hurley, Keith Richards
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Summary

Life gives listeners unprecedented access to the man behind one of the greatest bands in rock 'n' roll history, and with it some surprising insights into the kind of person he really is beyond the glare of the stage lights.

With the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the riffs, the lyrics, and the songs that roused the world, and over four decades he lived the original rock-and-roll life: taking the chances he wanted, speaking his mind, and making it all work in a way that no one before him had ever done.

Now, at last, the man himself tells us the story of life in the crossfire hurricane. And what a life. Listening obsessively to Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records as a child in post-war Kent. Learning guitar and forming a band with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones. The Rolling Stones' first fame and success as a bad-boy band. The notorious Redlands drug bust and subsequent series of confrontations with a nervous establishment that led to his enduring image as outlaw and folk hero. Creating immortal riffs such as the ones in 'Jumping Jack Flash' and 'Street Fighting Man' and 'Honky Tonk Woman'. Falling in love with Anita Pallenberg, and the death of Brian Jones. Tax exile in France, wildfire tours of the US, Exile on Main Street and Some Girls. Ever increasing fame, isolation and addiction. Falling in love with Patti Hansen. Estrangement from Mick Jagger and subsequent reconciliation. Solo albums and performances with his band the Xpensive Winos. Marriage, family, and the road that goes on for ever.

In a voice that is uniquely and intimately his own, with the disarming honesty that has always been his trademark, Keith Richard brings us the essential life story of our times.

©2010 Keith Richards (P)2010 Orion Publishing Group Limited

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What listeners say about Life

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointed by the change of reader

I bought this after having really enjoyed Clapton's autobiography on Audible.
And i wasn't disappointed with this one either - with Johnny Depp doing an excellent job of reading the book.
But just as I was getting really hooked on, the reader suddenly changed (about a third of the way into the book). And that ruined everything. The other reader is just rubbish - sounds like a mafia boss from a Guy Richie movie - trying too hard to sound like a rock star and frankly, just ends up sounding really really annoying.
So annoying that i've had to stop listening to this book. Which is a shame because the writing itself is not bad and i was really looking forward to it.
Very disappointed with the publisher's choice of the second reader for this book. You cannot do this after letting the user get used to Johnny Depp's voice.

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50 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • mr
  • 16-01-11

Good in parts

Some interesting stories which entertain & reveal but what lets this audio book down is the narration. Johnny Depp does excellent work as usual, but Joe Hurley is not as good and really disappointing in comparison.

Why have two different narrators? Dumb if you ask me.

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31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Narration was truly awful.........

Jonny Depp was perhaps an odd choice but he was vastly preferable to Hurley who grated so much that I found I just couldn't listen. Wish I'd read the book instead..............

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Joe Hurley ruins it.

The stories are amazing but the main issue with this audiobook is reader Joe Hurley.
Buy the book, skip the audio..

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

A great book, utterly ruined by the narration

Book - fantastic. Narration? Great, until they switch from Johnny Depp to Joe Hurley. Firstly, it's jarring and takes you out of the story, so always a bad idea to do this.
Secondly, Hurley's narration is ridiculous and actually made me so angry I had to switch it off. He does this OTT parody of a punch drunk rocker's slur which comes across as totally contrived and insincere, and PERFORMING every line, drawling, slurring, laughing wryly - it's distracting and daft and ruined the rest of this book for me. My advice? Read the book or find another audiobook version. DO NOT BUY THIS you will be so, so dissapointed.

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Poor narration ruins this great book

I'm afraid I'm finding listening to this book both hugely enjoyable and deeply annoying.
I can put up with Johnny Depp's occasional mispronunciation of place names - he wisely chooses to avoid a Keef impersonation unless enacting a conversation and is an engaging narrator.
Unfortunately he is replaced about a third of the way through by Joe Hurley who DOES attempt an impersonation to disastrous effect.
This is a great book but I'm finding the terrible mockney accent of the presumably American Hurley almost unbearable.
I've skipped ahead to find that Depp does reappear towards the end of the book. For the finale the man himself takes over. I'm hoping I can last that long.
What A Shame.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Insightful glimpse of a hedonistic existence

Detailed, humorous insight into the lives of the Stones. Brutally honest, outrageously funny in places and raw in others. Too much detail about the drugs for my liking. Unless you have shared an addiction to heroin, I don't think most people would enjoy the third of the book dedicated the the finer details of being a smack head. Fabulous insight into the inter relationships within the group. Overall a good read but not in the same league as Rods.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely brilliant until the reader changes

I was enjoying this book immensely for the first few chapters with Johnny Depp narrating. Then the voice changed.... seems like I’m not the only one who didn’t like this. Real real shame.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

Sadly, though I (and a friend) struggled through two hours of Johnny Depp's monotonous narration, that was as much as we could bear.

It was hard to know if it was his dull delivery and shocking attempt at an English accent plus mispronunciation of certain place names, etc. or the actual text of the book which was so boring. I agree with one of the previous reviews in that buying the book would have been preferable but, having listened to the first two hours, I am not disposed to waste my money.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

If you only listen to one autobiography...

I have listened/ read hundreds of autobiographies form Max Bygraves to Marilyn Manson. This is the best, I've listened to it several times and will again. What a life, this will never happen again.

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4 people found this helpful