Ronnie: The Autobiography by Ronnie Wood
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Book Reviews of Ronnie: The Autobiography
Book Review: this bird could not put the book down
Summary: 5 Stars
I was not quite sure what to expect when i got this book but it exceeded all my expectations Ronnie Wood it a terrific writer.This book has exerything that a good rock and roll book should have, it has love,the power of friendship, human growth and pages filled with the insanity that happens to a band on the road. It not only tells of his experiences with the stones but with the bands that helped him get there. this book is jam packed with exery great musical ledgend from nearly a half a century.He not only gives insight into his own life but also those whe he encounterd along his musical journey This book is worth reading for so many reasonsBook Review: "Ronnie" Is Well-written and and Entertaining.
Summary: 5 Stars
I rate "Ronnie" as head and shoulders above the other books by rock Icons. It's well-written and easy to read, while others have been hard to read, and lacking with continuity.Book Review: Ronnie, the autobiography
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is candid and interesting, though a bit superficial in many incidents. Dates are not always right, possibly a result of Wood's addiction-impaired memories. Wood comes off as honest, gullible, talented and a good friend. His many mistakes are dealt with openly. He is a bit modest in his talents, but lets others note those. A good book if one is interested in the personal lives of some of the Rolling Stones.Book Review: Much less than I expected.
Summary: 2 Stars
It's hard to believe those who gave this book four or five stars were reading the same one as I just finished. I picked a hardback copy up (first edition, no less) for a buck, simply because I was expecting some interesting anecdotes and insight into the early British rock scene, and (as other reviewers noted) something about the creative background to his work, insight into working with all of those big-name musicians, etc. And while there was some of that (Wood's recounting on playing both with the Faces while doing a summer tour with the Stones, and the details of his replacement of Mick Taylor were interesting enough), there was precious little of this. However, if you want to read about how one squanders tons of money on drugs and shady commercial ventures (with organized crime types Wood associated with), or about his more lurid exploits, this will do (with a heavy focus on drug use, of which he comes across as almost proud of the excess).
While grammatically the book is written okay, it is disjointed and can get difficult to follow. There are many sections where Wood will be recounting some event, and throw in the first names of people involved that he doesn't bother to identify. He'll go on long tangents about somewhat unrelated things. It's also interesting to see how many people Wood believes he 'influenced'.
I've always had a high regard for him, ever since seeing the first U.S. tour with the Small Faces (before they dropped the 'Small' from their name), in fact, since he played bass with the Jeff Beck Group. I'll never forget seeing him break into that great slide guitar sound from the song 'Around the Plynth' from First Step. It remains one of the best rock shows I ever saw, and Wood was on fire. Unfortunately, while I still hold his playing in high regard, as a person he lost some luster (and I'm not even referring to him leaving his wife Jo, "the love of my life" he claimed for a young stripper or his arrest for beating her).
There are are lot of photos in the book, many of them nice to have (especially of the early days in London with so many up-and-coming musicians); there are also a fair number of pictures of Mr. Wood using all manner of drugs, some in blazing color.
If you don't expect too much from this fragmented (and to be fair, somewhat self-serving) book, it might be worth a couple of bucks. That's about it as far as I'm concerned.
Book Review: Ok but nothing special
Summary: 2 Stars
I loved Woody when he was with the Faces, but he hardly delves into that time at all except to write sketchily about destroyed motel rooms, which is fine but it's nothing new to a fan of his. He foreshadows his earlier bands too often with mention of the Stones. Ok we get it, you eventually became a Stone, but I would also like to read about the Faces and the music you made then. His memory is a bit off too, like the story about him being offered to play lead in the New Yardbirds makes little sense and is by all accounts totally incorrect. Stories that might be interesting are barely even delved into. The book jumps around in it's timeline, so if you didnt know Ron Wood's story already you might end up just scratching your head. The book is a fast read at least, and the pictures of Ronnie's artwork are nice to look at. Oh well, rock on Ronnie.
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