Ronnie: The Autobiography by Ronnie Wood
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Book Reviews of Ronnie: The Autobiography
Book Review: Ron Wood: A wild and crazy life
Summary: 5 Stars
Man, did Ron, Keith and the others get into some outrageous mischief! It's amazing they weren't jailed forever or buried decades ago. I especially enjoyed Ron's portrayal of their misadventure while driving through Arkansas, when he and Keith ended up in the county courthouse, causing mayhem, and Ron sat in the judge's chair, hammering the gavel and yelling "order in the court". Priceless.
The other great tale involved Charlie, while dressed in a suit and tie, punching out Mick at 3 a.m. - yes, this actually happened.
The reader gains great insights into all of the members of the Stones as well as other renowned artists - Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, Bob Dylan - and the hangers-on of the band, including numerous unsavory drug dealers.
Keith went everywhere with either a pistol or a knife. Bill Wyman stood on stage scouting the audience for attractive women. Ron lived through many waves of financial feast or famine: being an employee of the band, rather than an equity partner, Ron got huge windfalls after each concert tour, and then usually blew the lot on mansions, trips, dubious business ventures, and recreational pharmaceuticals (on one occasion, Ron found himself in a room with a dealer who had so much cocaine, he used a garden spade to shovel it into a bag).
I highly recommend this book. I spent a lot of time laughing out loud, and shaking my head in disbelief, as I read about what Ron saw and did. Ron seems to me to be the nicest guy among the Stones, although Bill (whom I've met at two of his book signings) might come in a close second. Ron would be the one with whom you'd enjoy sitting down and having a drink. I've also read, and recommend, "Stone Alone" by Bill, which chronicles the earlier years of the band, something "Ronnie" cannot do, as Ron joined the Stones in the mid-70s. Another great Stones bio is "Dancing with the Devil", by Stanley Booth.
I hope Ron stays sober, and hangs on to his money for a change!
Book Review: Quirky Memoir
Summary: 5 Stars
It's easy to overlook Ron Wood's contributions to the Stones, but this is the guy who got Mick and Keith back together in the 80s when they almost split for good, at least in Ronnie's version. I believe it. Much of his time has been spent over the years doing coke, freebasing, doing smack, getting drunk and generally numbing himself for reasons never made clear. He claims he's the happiest man on earth, happily married, in the best band of all time etc. So why all the drugs? He doesn't say. Compare this to Clapton's memoir, which makes clear his many hurts etc that made him a doper and drunk during the same period. You've got to love Wood's sunny disposition, though. And his tales of being a Stone are great reading fun. If you are curious -- and who isn't? -- then read this memoir, which now joins Bill Wyman's two books as the best insider looks at the Stones.Book Review: Rock on, Ronnie!
Summary: 5 Stars
Ronnie honestly chronicles his life as a wild individual and is not afraid to show is all of the underbelly as well as the frills and thrills. I found it to be a quick read, due to his easy style. I was glad to see all the photographs that were included too. I think the book shows Ronnie to be a very humble individual who is responsible for being the facilitator that got Keith & Mick back together. He certainly must have added some glue, as they have been together for such a great, long time since he joined the Stones 30 years ago. I think he is a very good artist as well. Not "just" a musician, but an equally talented artist in his time off.
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Book Review: Stones fans, rejoice
Summary: 5 Stars
Ronnie Wood delivers a merry, Guiness-soaked book of tales from inside Stones- (and Faces-) land. The man could easily have gone head to head with Hunter Thompson in terms of drug use, about which he is very frank, but Wood is too good-natured to let his life story ever turn nasty or depressing. Wood displays a total lack of ego, and he seems content to roll with whatever comes next in his howlingly wild, often bumpy, Keith-Richard's-guitarring-and-drinking-partner life. Have a great time, Stones fans. If you like the Ron Wood you see on stage, you'll love this book.
Book Review: Roll On
Summary: 5 Stars
For me, this is one of the best autobiographies in 2007. Written in simple style, with a lots of humor and maybe a date wrong here and there. But not a big deal - at his age, everyone is allowed to make a mistake or two. Ronnie is a very positive person. And this book is a very positive reading. A quick peak into a life of a rock n'roll star at its best.
I was reading this book right after reading Clapton's biography. Maybe therefore such a big contrast. Clapton seems to be really burdened with his past, while Ronnie take his past much easier.