Stone Alone: The Story of a Rock 'n Roll Band

by Bill Wyman, Ray Coleman

The bass player of the Rolling Stones sheds new light on the successful rock band, their tumultuous early years, the band's wild reputation, and the effects of drugs on their music and lives

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Rock N Roll, Biography Memoir, British Literature

752 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably as boring as a book about the Stones can get. Sure, there are some good parts, but these do not help, since most of the 600+ pages are taken up by Wyman whining. About how much more he meant and did for the band than was "officially recognized". And about his poor rewards; reports of his meager account holdings are so frequent that I was wondering if I was reading his financial statements rather than diary. But to make sure that we know that it is a rock'n'roll star we're reading about, we are treated to more records; that of woman affairs (which is more numerous than Mick's or Keith's just so you know!). To top this off, there's the defense speak, explaining that Mandy Smith was a very mature 13-year-old (Bill was 48). This is probably the book that I disliked most but still finished.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book on the Stones I have read by one who was there. Goes into meticulous detail about the early band, including lots of info on Stones' founder Brian Jones. Wyman is convinced that Jones was the leader of the band while Keith Richards in his book "Life" gives that accolade to pianist Ian Stewart. Having read many a book on the band, I am convinced that Wyman's view hits closer to the mark. Wyman, while not considered one of the three "frontline" Stones (Jagger, Richards, and Jones) nevertheless was there from the start of their climb to worldwide fame. He has a tendency to recall his many adventures with groupies, but then it WAS the 60's after all, and his background info on what it was like being young in England before the 60's gives a great perspective on why things happened the way they did. A great read.

[Spad53 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bill Wymans autobiography has been much maligned, and I won’t argue with that, but there is an awful lot of interesting stuff in it too. Here is what really happened when The Rolling Stones started up, and yes it was Bryan Jones who was the leader, even though he was quickly ousted by Mick and Keith. Bill thought that Bryan got a bad rap, and has tried to remedy that in this book, rather unsuccessfully I’d say, because Bryan really was pretty awful, except for being a wonderful musician.
Another guy who this book doesn’t do a lot of good, is Bill Wyman himself, his morals and ethics are very questionable. I don’t know if it’s true but Keith Richards, apparently, called him a man who only ever "thinks with his dick". His double standards also shine through in the book, but also the double standards in general during the sixties. The drug trials take up a lot of space, even though Bill never did drugs, but as a diarist he recorded everything to do with The Rolling Stones, and also the girls he (Bryan and Mick too) had sex with. It’s all in the book. That’s also the greatness of it, he’s the Samuel Pepys of the sixties, and the consensus seems to be that Bill’s version (leaving aside what he writes about himself) is as close to the truth as we’re going to get.

Something he doesn’t mention very much is that he was a really good bassist, and musician, it’s interesting that he sometimes let Keith play bass, because Keith was hard to say no to; anyway he was busy playing percussion. His best friend in the group was Charlie; together they were the tightest rhythm section of all the 60’s groups. Heres what another outspoken rock star say’s:
“I’m not saying they don’t keep going, but they need Bill. Without him they’re a funk band. They’ll be the real Rolling Stones when they get Bill back.” Bob Dylan as told to NME 2009
A big problem occurred at the end of the book, after Bryan Jones death and the Hyde Park concert, it stopped. At 1969. I want to know what happened next!

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me over a year to read this, as it sat on my bedside table. This has got to be the most boring, uninspired rock autobio ever! I struggled to get through 2 pages a night. Bill's descriptions were so detached and disconnected, it was hard to tell how he felt about or reacted to anything. Where was the excitement (about the band's successes), the rage (about being marginalized), the guilt (about screwing around on each wife or girlfriend he had), etc.?!? I didn't think anyone could make the 1960's Rolling Stones saga feel tedious, but he did. Well done, Bill.

[Rebecca Mattocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the honesty in this book. Being a huge Brian Jones fan as I am, I was over the moon that Mr. Wyman told it striaght forward about Brian and how he was delt a shady hand by the other stones. The cool thing is, that Mr. Wyman wasn't afraid to include Brian Jones faults also. An honest and complete account of the stones life as a group. Worth the read if you are a Stones fan. You will not be dissappointed!!

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting insight into how Charlie, Bill and at the time Mick Taylor felt about the band under Jagger's ego and Richard's drug issues. The book plods on and eventually becomes boring "bitch" session of Wyman's many complaints coupled with his statements that everything he accomplished was wonderful and flawless. Wyman's relationship with a thirteen year old girl and his justification of it is covered in detail and it just comes off creepy. On the one hand Wyman attempts and somewhat succeeds at appearing as the sense of reason within the Stones when things were out of hand. On the other hand Wyman comes off like a spoiled kid who does whatever the heck he pleases cause he's privileged and figures he'll get away with it. I never finished the end of the book cause eventually his prose rambles. Wyman mentions an ex-wife who consulted on the book and rather than acting as an impartial voice of reason holding the author to a higher standard, it seems she was in attendance as window dressing to validate Wyman's truths as he sees them. I only recommend this book for the die-hard Stones fan.

[Scott Golden · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Meticulous" is the word. Wyman kept a daily diary throughout his entire 30-year tenure with the Stones, and this LONG book reads like a detailed recitation of what those years, especially that first decade in the 60's, was like. Keith's book has more emotion, but Bill's statistic-laden tome gives a clear sense of perspective to how crazy it was to be 'The World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band'.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly detailed

I have read several books about the Stones. Reading this firsthand account was a pleasant experience. Lots of details about the birth of the band and Brian Jones.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good to read around the same time as Keith's memoir. Talk about two sides to a story!

[Richard Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Keith Richard's book - but, for a Rolling Stones fan, still a great account of their early years.

I was a little disappointed that most of the book only covered the Stones up to the end of the sixties (although Wyman does provide a quick, one chapter overview of their whole career at the start of the book)- but perhaps this is the most important part of their story; the journey from the dreams of 3 young men (Brian, Mick and Keith) through rifts and changes to their place as the (second) biggest band in the world.

Sometimes, Wyman's huge depth of recollection gets tedious - there are long stretches where it is simply yet another gig, another riot of teenage girls and groupies. This does give a good picture of the immense workload that the band laboured under from about 1962 to 66, one of almost non-stop touring - but it does get a bit repetitive.

I can't help but compare this to "Life" by Keith Richards - Wyman is great on the detail but lacks introspection. I feel a but mean saying this, but a lot of the book seems like Wyman has an issue with Jagger/ Richards - resenting their fame and place as the driving force and front-men of the band, and his own position being ignored. Maybe he has a point - in Richard's book, Keith barely mentions Wyman at all.

Wyman also appears to lack any sense that his unconstrained infidelity may have contributed to the demise of his marriage to his first wife - he notes that his wife found the constant attention of fans, and Wyman's long absences due to touring really difficult, without any mention of how his stream of groupies may have affected her. He managed to give his wife an STD that he caught from one liaison - doesn't he feel that she may have been a bit annoyed about this?

The book's real strength, and one has to give Wyman credit for this, is the story of Brian Jones. Brian comes across as a tragic figure - his slow estrangement from the Stones and mental health and drug issues are partially due to his own flaws, but also comes from the pressures of fame and the divisions within the band, exploited by some (their Management), indirectly exaggerated by others (Richards/ Jagger). His death is particularly sad - coming at a time when he seemed to be getting past his drug problems, and formally splitting from the Stones giving him the space to be himself.

Wyman's book doesn't have the sheer rock'n'roll power of Richard's memoir, but its depth provides a sharp lens on the music industry of the 60's and the roller-coaster of the Stones story; perhaps it lacks a sharper lens on Wyman himself.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting history of the stones up to 1989. however, in his attempt to make his point about the financial hassles caused by poor management of the stones' business, wyman comes off as unbearably whiny, quoting us the paltry available balance figures of his bank account every other damn page. we get it, the stones fucked up your finances. but one or two examples would have sufficed to illustrate the situation. i wish i had kept a running count of every mention he made of his bank balance. if wyman had a nickel for every time he bitched about his bank balance in that book, he wouldn't have anything to complain about. seriously, there must have been _at least_ a dozen balance quotes, probably more.

that was my biggest issue with the book. it's also not terribly well-written, despite being co-authored by a professional journalist. but its value as a first-hand document of rock history outweighs its literary flaws.

[Bill Baer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great view from the eyes of the quiet Stone answers a number of questions about Brian Jones . A must read for Stones fans

[Barry Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being 7 years older than the other Rolling Stones and married when they met, Bill Wyman was always more stable and level-headed than the others. Having kept a diary, saved most of their press clippings and not being inclined to heavy drug use, he also had a better memory of the events that surrounded the early years of The Rolling Stones. Covering his early story, the formation of the band, and its history up until the death of Brian Jones and his replacement by Mick Taylor at the free concert in Hyde Park this memoir sheds much light on their early career. Any fan of the Stones or of the early pop/rock music scene will find a rich feast in this account of the band's early days. The only criticism one could level is that it isn't accompanied by a part two section that traces the history from then until 1989, when Wyman retired from the group. A valuable document. - BH.

[David Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stone Alone: The Story of a Rock 'n' Roll Band by Bill Wyman with Ray Coleman (Viking 1990) (780.92). This insider volume from Bill Wyman, the bass player for the Rolling Stones, pulled off something I thought impossible: it made me lose interest. Along with drummer Charlie Watts, these two made up the rhythm section that drove the tunes that helped the Rolling Stones become one of the most famous bands on earth.
But Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts had something else in common: they were content to sit back with their mouths shut, play their music, and let the bands' frontmen – Mick Jagger and Keith Richard – share the limelight and deal with the demands of superstardom.
So it stands to reason that Bill Wyman (who purportedly doesn't even do drugs or drink much) should have some fantastic stories of rock 'n' roll excess, right? Well is that right?
Apparently no, that is not right. Or if he does have a deck of tell-all stories, he's saving them for later. What we get here is more random info about Bill's finances than one knows what to do with.
Give this one a pass. My rating: 6.5/10, finished 9/18/18.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is very boring and repetitive. It is probably best for hard core fans that want to know every detail of this period during of the band’s development.

The author kept detailed notes on the early day’s of the Stones. He and his co-author tried to turn it into a book. As a result, you get a detailed accounting of an almost day-to-day life of Wyman and the other Stones life’s from the beginning to the death of the band’s founder Brian Jones. You learn over 500 plus pages how they drove to gigs, who roomed with who, how many random sexual encounters they had, what clothes they wore, what they got paid at gigs, what they drank, etc, etc. Among the detailed information, there are some valuable insights into how this band formed and turned into a significant rock ‘n roll band.

I was able to do a good read over the first 1/4 of the book and then skimmed over the rest. A shorter book with the highlights and insights would have been a better read and I would have come away with a good idea of how the band formed and became mega-superstars in the entertainment industry.

[Paul Rosemeyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wyman retained great detail of the early Stones and I believe he can back up most of these details from clippings and saved diaries. His story telling, in this book, lacked warmth, but does paint a very detailed picture of The Rolling Stones in the Brian Jones era.
Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts.

[Alison · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did read it a few years ago and unfortunately came away with the impression that Bill Wyman was a complete tosser who was obsessed about money and trying to prove that he slept with more women than MJ. What a sad man.

[Carol Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I've ever read about the Rolling Stones -- bass player Bill Wyman not only was an eyewitness he carefully chronicled every concert and every recording session in dozens of scrapbooks covering more than twenty years!

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a big Rolling Stone's fan..had to read it for a class.

[Lambi Lentakis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed remembering what fun I had as a Stones fan, growing up in the "swinging London" of the '60s. However Bill is my least favourite Stone & his listing of all his expenses tended to grate.

[Paul Flattery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly excellent and extremely detailed history of the band.

[Rohit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I share the disappointment of other readers in wishing he wrote about the years following 1969. I felt Bill's best bass playing was in the later years (thinking of the Some Girls/Tattoo You albums). However, his writing stops at the time of Brian Jones' firing and imminent death. I always felt the Stones were a drastically different band after his passing, and I liked reading Bill's take on Brian's influence.

It's annoying that time has erased most Brian Jones narratives that don't focus on his cruelty and self-destruction, especially because the surviving Stones has similar skeletons in their closet. Bill himself is lucky to have not been charged with statutory rape. Bill's assessment of Brian's influence and disillusionment is an untold story that made intuitive sense. As the band became a pop song making machine, Brian's versatility and creativity were less valued. The common story of his exit is that he couldn't write a song, but his musical interests were so vast that it seems he was constrained by a band (or maybe just the Jagger-Richards-Oldham trifecta) that was obsessed with hits.

I wish I learned more about Bill's musical journey with the bass guitar. He wasn't a jazz fan like Charlie or a blues fan like Brian so I'm curious about what drew him to the group and kept him in it. It seems he was always one foot out, especially as Mick and Keith hoarded song writing credits. He mentions frustrations with their dominance, questioning their accounts of the origins of some songs but he doesn't give a ton of detail on the song-making process. It's sometimes hard to believe his ideas were stolen when some of the more iconic Stones' bass lines don't even feature him (Live with Me, Tumbling Dice, Street Fighting Man, Sympathy for the Devil). However, Keith himself praised Bill's bass playing as "tasteful...subtle." A quiet musician (his documentary is even called The Quiet One) needs to supplement his craft with more tangible writing. He's not been destroyed by drugs or alcohol so more writing is always possible.

[Monika · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely the most boring book I have ever read (I always finish a book once I start reading and I cannot recall reading hundreds of pages such a dull text ever before). If being boring is something that I could never hold against anyone, then his attitude towards women and to many people around him is appalling. Girls and rock’ n roll lifestyle seem to belong together. However, he does not seem to get carried away by rock’ n roll lifestyle, but is a sneaking predator taking advantage of his position. He doesn’t not express a single natural emotion when he writes about young girls he spent time with or about anyone else. What a barren life and a person…. Sad and depressing, though after few hundred pages it made me laugh: it is like really bad Adrian Mole diary- full of whining and trivial details. I am surprised that noone advised him against publishing the tedious text and telling how he reveals between the lines his jealous and distorted nature. At the same time, I feel for him; childhood like Bill Wyman’s breaks something in a human.

[Norm · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I've been a Bill-and-Charlie fan forever (too long to calculate!) so I was definitely primed to enjoy this book; I've read and enjoyed Keith's book, and a few other books about the Stones (some good, some not). Gotta say, Bill is a better bassist than he is a writer, no surprise I guess but the book needs a fair amount more editing for it to flow properly. That said, there is a lot of good info about the early years here, especially about Brian and his troubles. If only Bill hadn't insisted on enumerating his sexual conquests so frequently...also the battle scenes between the band and the fans(trying to get on and off the stage without major physical harm) are important but become a bit tedious (though I'm sure it was more tedious in real life than on the page). So, I have to say this is for truly dedicated fans only. Watch his documentary "The Quiet One" instead.

[K.C. Sivils · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of the Rolling Stones, music of the 60s and 70s and the development of pop culture in the 60s and 70s, this book is a must read.

Keith and Mick always draw the bulk of attention when it comes to the Stones. To read a history of the band written by a band member and not an outsider who is not the focal point of the media's attention is fascinating.

Wyman was, and evidently still is, the band's archivist. His attention to detail and the trove of primary sources he has to draw upon is impressive.

[Ben Kalman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very long winded and a lot was simply unnecessary. You could cut every one of the three million girls Wyman slept with that he just had to mention and that alone would chop a decent 100-150 pages away.

Has some quintessential info and is certainly a foil to the typical ego padding of Mick and Keith that most Stones-related books are but it’s a hell of a slog to get through the dross to reach the important info…

[Mike woodcock · Rating 1 out of 5]

slept with the woman owner and her daughter!

I’m sorry Bill I couldn’t finish the book. The comment ‘he slept with the woman owner and her daughter!’ was just typical. Goodness how often do we need to read about the women you guys had. Where is the political and social detail. At times I was left thinking that just doesn’t make sense! The reader will get a feel of the book in the first half. I think your early years are much more interesting.

[Eric Hines · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Stones were my favorite band when I was just getting into music, so the subject matter is of interest to me, and this does seem to be a fairly honestly and fully told story. But Wyman could have used some more active help from his co-writer. Too many lists, too much repetition, not enough reflection. But not ruined by any means.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you like the Stones, you would probably like this one. great insight on the band, Brian Jones gigs and personal life.

[Althea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detailed account of the early days of the Rolling Stones by Bill Wyman.