How come Keef couldn't read his book on tape?

The book on tape, I mean, for Keith Richards' autobio, "Life." I purchased the book on tape (after inheriting my dearly departed mom's audible.com account), and it indicates Johnny Depp is the reader. (I have not actually listened to it, so I don't know whether he's doing it in his Jack Sparrow voice or straight Johnny. I probably should listen for the purposes of balanced critique, but what the heck this is a blog, I'll get to it later.)

Why couldn't Keith have been the reader? What, is he too busy making great music, off recording the next great Stones album with Mick and the boys? HELL NO! (They really haven't made the next great Stones album since "Tattoo You," in case you didn't realize I was being facetious).

Can you imagine how cool it would have been to listen to that book as read by Keith himself, preferably complete with drags off his trusty Marlboro's and those crusty chuckles he loves to throw in? They could have made it a box set with other bits of Keith-abilia. I would absolutely pay more than the going rate for a book read by him; heck, I was tempted to purchase the talking Keith doll from the previous "Pirates" movie just because it was really him talking. (Didn't do it, too expensive.)

I'm not kidding about the time issue -- it's not like the guy is back in the south of France working on "Exile on Main Street II."  Or really doing anything else that is having an impact on pop culture like in the old days. (I'm not saying he should be or really is capable of it anymore. I don't think these lads have the inspiration and the provenance they once had, and neither do any of the rest of us).  I'm sure he could spare a couple of weeks to sit in a studio (heck, even in his living room in Connecticut would be interesting -- or, better yet, a local pub) and read this thing.

Maybe I should start a campaign....maybe I will.

Calling all posts

These posts of the past couple months are from another blog I started to launch, but I think Led Egg is going to be my one-stop-shop for blogging from here on out. All Led, all the time.

Steve Earle/Strawberry Fields
http://greetingsfrom75.blogspot.com/2011/03/steve-earlestrawberry-fieldsbeatles.html

Lemmy Movie
http://greetingsfrom75.blogspot.com/2011/03/lemmy-movie.html

Rory Gallagher/Tommy Bolin
http://greetingsfrom75.blogspot.com/2011/03/first-entry.html

Reading "LZ-75", about Led Zep '75 Tour

The reviews about this book in amazon.com are spot-on; a literary exercise this is not, and author Stephen Davis has done better (his Stones book is authoritative and sizzling throughout, and his Aerosmith autobio with the band is definitive).

Meanwhile, I'm a third of the way in and the basis of the book, Davis' "lost" notebooks from when he covered the tour for Atlantic Monthly, have hardly been mentioned. In fact, he describes a bunch of shows he obviously didn't even witness. I'm not sure he really "covered" the tour, considering. Kind of bogus.

Yet, YET, I keep reading it, and I'm enjoying it. The guy does know from whence he writes, he was there at least for part of it. But what I think sets this guy apart is his ability to place the boys of Zep and their output in the perfect cultural context, usually with a turn of phrase or key factoid. Reading this book is like listening to an aging yet talented jazz drummer laying down a tasty if sometimes cliched solo.