A panoramic narrative history that will give readers a new understanding of the Rolling Stones, viewed through the impassioned and opinionated lens of the Vanity Fair contributor-and co-creator of HBO’s Vinyl-who was along for the ride as a young reporter on the road with the band in the 1990’s.
Seemingly named after a quote by Keith Richards ‘THE SUN & THE MOON & THE ROLLING STONES’ is kind of cool. Some narratives where writers have spent some time with the subject can of course wander into the land of self-indulgence but somehow despite the persistent throw-backs to the time Richard Cohen spent with the band on the road and in rehearsals in the 1990’s the author manages to keep things rolling, keep things compelling and more importantly not shy away from extravagant detail and interesting asides. It all gives the narrative richness, that even though the story is familiar it somehow seems painted with a new palette or through a different set of eyes.
Of course there aren’t any real stories you won’t have heard before but Cohen isn’t afraid to voice his opinion, and it’s plain that his love for Keith far outstrips any other member of the band. Jones is painted darkly but not without pathos and Jagger gets a bit of a short shift whilst Charlie stays eternally cool and ‘apart’ and the rest remain background characters, part caricature and part shadow.
Best of all is Cohen’s easy style; perceptive and engaging he’s a great storyteller and gets the balance just right. This is well worth a read.
