Mick Jagger

Written by Philip Norman

Narrated by James Langton

Author Phillip Norman, whose previous bestseller, John Lennon: The Life, was praised as a “haunting, mammoth, terrific piece of work” (New York Times Book Review) and whose classic Shout! is widely considered to be the definitive biography of the Beatles, now turns his attention to the iconic front man of the Rolling Stones, “the greatest rock ’n’ roll band in the world.” Norman’s Mick Jagger is an extraordinarily detailed and vibrantly written in-depth account of the life and half-century-long career of one of the most fascinating and complex superstars of rock music—the most comprehensive biography to date of the famously enigmatic musician. Keith Richards had his say in Life. Now it’s time to get to know intimately the other half of the duo responsible for such enduring hits as “Paint It Black,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Gimme Shelter,” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Mick Jagger is a must read for Stones fans, and everyone who can’t get enough of the serious memoirs and biographies of popular musicians, like Patti Smith’s Just Kids, Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? by Steven Tyler, and the Warren Zevon story, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Oct 2, 2012
• ISBN: 9780062204936

Philip Norman

Philip Norman grew up on Ryde Pier, Isle of Wight. His bizarre childhood as the son of an unsuccessful seaside showman inspired his memoir Babycham Night. Norman went on to win the Young Writer of the Year Award contest organized by The Sunday Times Magazine (London), where he became a star interviewer, profiling celebrities ranging from Stevie Wonder to Libyan President Moammar Gaddafi. Norman’s early career as a rock critic led to his first biography, Shout!, which received critical acclaim and sold more than a million copies. He is the author of numerous highly praised works, including John Lennon: The Life; Paul McCartney: The Life; Slowhand: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton; Rave On: The Biography of Buddy Holly; Wild Thing: The Short, Spellbinding Life of Jimi Hendrix; and a memoir of his Sunday Times years, We Danced on Our Desks.

Reviews for Mick Jagger

[uberbutter · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mick Jagger by Philip Norman

★★★★

First off, I am happy I finally finished a book this month! It’s about time!

Many people I have talked to have an opinion – Beatles or The Rolling Stones. And I’m not going to lie; I’m in the Beatles camp all the way. But when my husband showed up with this book from the library for me to read (long story short, he likes to surprise me with a book a month – my own personal book club. But with money constraints we’ve gone from purchasing a book a month to checking one out at the library once a month – always a random book he picks out for me) I decided, what the heck. I know little about Mick Jagger except for juicy tidbits picked up from unreliable sources and the author is a great one at his biographies (I’ve also read his books on The Beatle, John Lennon, and Elton John). I was not disappointed. Perhaps it was because I had low expectations since I’m not a Jagger fan but regardless of whether one likes him or his band – he is an interesting man although from the sound of it, not quite as interesting as his fellow bandmate Keith Richards. The author was fairly objective which is one reason I’ve always enjoyed Philip Norman. I learned a lot of things about Mick Jagger and his band and I must admit that some respect was gained in my reading of this book. After all, high five to any group who has managed to be around since 1962 and can successfully still tour and make records. Keep in mind that is a long one – over 600 pages so if you’re not into biographies, especially on famous people, this may be one to skip. Otherwise, give it a try. You might be surprised. I know I was.

[big_bang_gorilla · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Despite Norman's fine record of turning out outstanding rock biographies, this one is only marginally worth the vast investment of time necessary to slog through it, as his subject is only superficially interesting. Although Jagger's stage persona is not at all reflective of the true man (except for the outsized libido), the oddment of him actually being a rather polite, scholarly, organized individual in real life isn't quite enough of a hook on which to hang a month-long time commitment. On the other hand, this is the sort of doorstop which it's hard to see a great deal that could be subtracted from; in fact, telescoping Jagger's last three decades into 100 pages seems extremely rushed, though admittedly memorable musical output has been scarce for many years..