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Mick: The Wild Life and Mad Genius of Jagger
“He’s a smart little mother******,I’ll give him that.” —KEITH RICHARDS on MICK JAGGER IS he Jumpin’ Jack Flash? A Street Fighting Man? A Man of Wealth and Taste? All this, it turns out, and far more. By any definition, Mick Jagger is a force of nature, a complete original—and undeniably one of the dominant cultural figures of our time. Swaggering, strutting, sometimes elus...more
ebook, 384 pages
Published
July 10th 2012
by Gallery Books
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Chris Anderson's effort resembles a recent biography on Clint Eastwood - you come away amazed at the audacity of the man, and the sleaziness of their behavior. Mick has a huge sickness for seducing the wives and girlfriends of a close friend...Carly Simon WAS singing about Mick in "You're So Vain." So this is what Keith must have elaborated in his memoirs, which Anderson makes reference too.
What's missing, though, is how the Glimmer Twins were able to work together all those years creating all...more
What's missing, though, is how the Glimmer Twins were able to work together all those years creating all...more
This is actually a followup to Andersen's 1993 biography of Mick Jagger called, JAGGER UNAUTHORIZED. After reading Keith Richard's delightful autobiography, LIFE, this new book about 'the other Glimmer Twin' is a real letdown. It is as if he cobbled together a bunch of tabloid articles about Mick Jagger, stitched them together, and failed to add any insight whatsoever. And, most of the 'facts' aren't really corroborated, so they are merely opinions of what other people (and many with numerous ax...more
Well, okay. I get the wild life part, but the mad genius?
Like a lot of rock bios, this is a little on the gooey side sometimes.
And Andersen makes some iffy statements, like "Goat's Head Soup" getting good reviews (it didn't), and Don McLean's "American Pie" being about Altamont (it's about the death of Buddy Holly and others in a plane crash).
The book is a quick read; I knocked it off in one sitting, albeit a three-hour sitting.
Some interesting background on Jagger, especially the influence of...more
Like a lot of rock bios, this is a little on the gooey side sometimes.
And Andersen makes some iffy statements, like "Goat's Head Soup" getting good reviews (it didn't), and Don McLean's "American Pie" being about Altamont (it's about the death of Buddy Holly and others in a plane crash).
The book is a quick read; I knocked it off in one sitting, albeit a three-hour sitting.
Some interesting background on Jagger, especially the influence of...more
"#1 bestselling biographer Christopher Andersen provides this no-holds-barred biography as shocking and uncompromising as Mick Jagger himself, timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Rolling Stones and their world tour.Mick Jagger is one of the dominant cultural figures of our time—swaggering, strutting, sinister, and mesmerizing—yet he has vowed never to write his own life story. Now, Christopher Andersen provides an explosive, compelling, and definitive biography for Stones fans of...more
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Mick Jagger is surely the King of Rock., There can be some debate about that, but he certainly is royalty. And apparently has always aspired to get up close and personal with royalty. I think we all know by now that Mick is quite a status snob.
I love the Stones as a band. Individually not so much. Perhaps Charlie Watts is a guy I would like to have a conversation with, but Mick or Keith, not really.
However, their music is so much a part of the musical theme of my life, it's danceable, memorable...more
I love the Stones as a band. Individually not so much. Perhaps Charlie Watts is a guy I would like to have a conversation with, but Mick or Keith, not really.
However, their music is so much a part of the musical theme of my life, it's danceable, memorable...more
4.5 stars.
This resembles a tabloid story, which makes it an easy read and entertaining, if shocking. Anderson seems to have done his homework with much research and interviews.: Oh Mick, You have been a very naughty boy!
It chronicles a life of sex, drugs and (not so much) rock and roll.It spans from childhood to the formation of the Rolling Stones to the present 50th anniversary of the founding of the band.
We have heard of some of the 4000+ women and a few of the men Mick has been involved wi...more
This resembles a tabloid story, which makes it an easy read and entertaining, if shocking. Anderson seems to have done his homework with much research and interviews.: Oh Mick, You have been a very naughty boy!
It chronicles a life of sex, drugs and (not so much) rock and roll.It spans from childhood to the formation of the Rolling Stones to the present 50th anniversary of the founding of the band.
We have heard of some of the 4000+ women and a few of the men Mick has been involved wi...more
So you can actually be more vainglorious. Interesting...
This is my second biography, first on a musician, and I now wonder what good a third read would be on someone not that famous. I admit, the large portion of excitement was caused by the back-cover annotation about his ca. 4k mistresses, but the story is actually very boring and more of a deterrent. To myself, I guess. Not that I was a star or anything..
Not recommending this one. It feels that if you are a Rolling Stones fan, you may lose t...more
This is my second biography, first on a musician, and I now wonder what good a third read would be on someone not that famous. I admit, the large portion of excitement was caused by the back-cover annotation about his ca. 4k mistresses, but the story is actually very boring and more of a deterrent. To myself, I guess. Not that I was a star or anything..
Not recommending this one. It feels that if you are a Rolling Stones fan, you may lose t...more
You know you're in for a quality read when a nonfictional biography features novelistic scenes of dialogue (sample: "Prince Charles tapped the honours list. "I never thought he'd be on there" the Prince mused).
Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer on hand. After reading about the number and variety of Mick Jagger's sexual conquests, you'll feel a strong need to disinfect yourself. In between those stories, there is also some useful information about a rock band for which Mr. Jagger works.
In all serio...more
Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer on hand. After reading about the number and variety of Mick Jagger's sexual conquests, you'll feel a strong need to disinfect yourself. In between those stories, there is also some useful information about a rock band for which Mr. Jagger works.
In all serio...more
Here is how I would summarize this book:
Mick’s reported narcissism can be hard to take if you are around him much i.e., if you are one of his many intimate partners, family, friend, band member, or if you read a long book about him.
You won’t learn anything new about Mick in this book. Especially since all the juicy excerpts were published extensively in the media as teasers. It is a fun, inconsequential book, none the less.
It is very similar to all of Andersen’s books in terms of scope and dept...more
Mick’s reported narcissism can be hard to take if you are around him much i.e., if you are one of his many intimate partners, family, friend, band member, or if you read a long book about him.
You won’t learn anything new about Mick in this book. Especially since all the juicy excerpts were published extensively in the media as teasers. It is a fun, inconsequential book, none the less.
It is very similar to all of Andersen’s books in terms of scope and dept...more
Warning to all Jagger groupies: you're just another Lady Jane to him. And if you don't know what that means, you'll just have to read this book. As one model-girlfriend is quoted as saying "Mick is incapable of being faithful." I could say REALLY? But that would beg the question of his entire life. Christopher Andersen's credentials of contributing editor of Time, senior editor of People, and writer for The New York Times, Life, and Vanity Fair is gives him the ability to pull all the loose end...more
As my DH likes to say, "oof". This is a fair-to-midling trash read. The author specializes in quick biographies. Nothing is substantianted by Mick Jagger. There is the random quote but nothing directly by the author from Jagger. The title suggests that you're going to find out about the mad genius of Jagger but there is precious little about what makes him great. I'm a big Mick fan and I'm willing to give him a fair amount of latitude on some of his strange behavior, but this guy really wants to...more
When I picked up my copy of Mick: The Wild Life and Mad Genius of Mick Jagger, I hadn't realized that I had read a previous work by the author. Christopher Andersen appears to have made quite a living with biographies of political figures and select celebrities. This, in fact, is not his first book about Jagger, and since I have not read Jagger Unauthorized I cannot reveal whether or not Mick is a dressed-up revision of the former. I'm willing to bet not - though as I read the Goodreads summary...more
An extrordinary life, and well researched and written narrative. Sometimes, as with other Bio's from this author, I wonder how he seems to get bombshell new information that other Biographers don't get. Be that as it may, this story of Jagger's career should be a must read for any Rolling Stones fan. While the stories of his 'conquests' seem to overtake the majority of the second half of the book, it left me actually feeling a bit sad, mostly because of how his behavior has impacted his family....more
Of all biographers I have read, consider Andersen to be the best. But for some reason I never really got that interested in this overview. It did seem to be 50 percent about sexual promiscuity and less than that on music, but perhaps that is the most honest view of Jagger. In the end I guess I was disappointed that Mick Jagger could not be made to appear at least a little likable. But I try to remember as humans we need the dark side, the enemy, something to push against, and someone has to fill...more
If you're not terribly interested in The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger or Rock Music this book is probably a 3 star but I enjoyed it. My only complaint is that if you've read some of the many other books on Jagger, Richards or The Stones there isn't too much new between these covers. The writing is good, and it's informative. The Wild Life and Mad Genius of Jagger is an apt title! I'd recommend this book to the curious over many others. Should have had more photos though.
Okay, I've never been a fan of the Stones (although I like some of their music), and Mick Jagger in my mind is practically the devil incarnate. But, he is a fascinating character and I wanted to read about his life. This book is really entertaining. It tells Mick's story from childhood up to 2012 and his life now with L'Wren Scott. Very interesting, I read it in two days. He's a savvy businessman, loves his children, a horrible husband, and sleasier than I ever knew !
When I picked up this title, I knew it would be a gossip-y read that was light on the music and heavy on the scandal. However, I wasn't prepared for the tabloid-quality level of "facts" peppered throughout the text. Author Christopher Anderson may be the ONLY person left in the world who believes the infamous "Mars Bar" story regarding Marianne Faithfull when the Stones were busted in 1967, and this book is full of this type of speculation and quarter-truths.
A somewhat tabloid-esque bio of Mick Jagger. Written as if it were destined for the News of the World. At every turn, the bleakness of bad things is exaggerated, the number and variety of partners is emphasized, Jagger's reported sycophancy for the upper classes is dragged out . The continual translation of British terms to American is intrusive. The music is de-emphasized. Sex and drugs and rock and roll, without the latter. Definitely not in the same league as the Keith Richards autobiography...more
Another collection of stories cobbled together from various sources and timed for the 50th anniversary. There is nothing much new for a Rolling Stones fan in this book. It all seems a bit exaggerated and speculative, with the negatives to the forefront and the music basically forgotten about.
There are better books on the subject out there, written by people who actually have a personal connection to the Rolling Stones.
There are better books on the subject out there, written by people who actually have a personal connection to the Rolling Stones.
Not much -- an interesting, superficial overview, well researched apparently, of Mick's philandering, and breeding practices -- but having read Keith Richard's A Life, I found this one to be very superficial as far as ANY references to the creative process goes. One major eye-opener: the total sluttiness of Carla Bruni! No wonder Sarkozy was so jealous!
WOW! If this was fiction I would think it was over the top. It proves that fact is often stranger than fiction. More of a Stones fan now, than in previous years, I apparently missed reams of gossip and references in the songs. I don't know if a biography could be more fascinating. No one moves or lives like Jagger.
Perhaps a little too much focus on Mick's attempt to bed every living human being regardless of gender. I wish it would have spent a little more time on the music and his collaboration with Keith Richards. As earlier mentioned, a little tabloid-esque. Richard's "Life" is a much better read.
I found this to be a bit of a Jagger ass kiss, but it was well written. The biographer tends to leave obvious clues to the identities of some of the women in Jagger's past rather than naming names. All said, Sir Mick was a right bastard but has led quite a colorful life up till this point.
Just another account of the misbehaving,arrogant ,famous control freak.
He has slept with over 4000 women - I can understand a fling with Bowie l . . But Eric Clapton??? C'mon give me a break . . . Always wondered how he earned the nickname "slow hand" . . . Now I think I know
He has slept with over 4000 women - I can understand a fling with Bowie l . . But Eric Clapton??? C'mon give me a break . . . Always wondered how he earned the nickname "slow hand" . . . Now I think I know
Meh, not really the type of book you read for stunning insights. Mostly just to hear the progressively more ridiculous antics, and sexual partners mick gets mixed up with told in a gossip-columnist tone ('and then Keith said to reporters...'). You need a web to keep track of it all.
Warmed over trash. You'd do as well to read a collection of People magazine articles over the years as spend your money on this book. Yet, it is true, I read the entire book, because depravity, character defects and raw genius are a heady mix.
Basically Mick slept with everyone - men, women, anyone. He also is a good business person. He is in love with Keith. Mick has seven children from four women. He also owns houses everywhere. Less about the music and more about the sex.
Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll. Nobody more exemplifies this expression than Mick Jagger. This book really captures the spirit of the times and the man.
In the end though, Jagger is nothing more than a sophisticated (and very wealthy) cad.
In the end though, Jagger is nothing more than a sophisticated (and very wealthy) cad.
Knew next to nothing about this "icon". The fact that he went to the London School of Economics I thought might bring up SOMETHING interesting about him. Alas, no. He doesn't seem to even have funnelled a bit of his billions into charitable projects. Ugh - what a superjerk! Detailed account of Altamonte - Wow!
I do realize that this was simply a cut & paste from tabloids so-called "book" - but nevertheless.
This summer's heat is obviously baking my brain to spend time finishing this book.
I do realize that this was simply a cut & paste from tabloids so-called "book" - but nevertheless.
This summer's heat is obviously baking my brain to spend time finishing this book.
Such a fun read. All I kept thinking while reading this book was - what a life these guys had (and still have)!! What a fun flashback to the 60's and 70's as well as rock n' roll in the 80's too. Mick is a fascinating guy who not only is extremely talented, but very intelligent too with the business side of rock and roll. Highly recommend!
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