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Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones
Under Their Thumb is an up-close and extremely personal dispatch from the amazing, exclusive world of the Rolling Stones, by someone who was lucky enough to live it–and sober enough to remember it all.
“The epic tale of an obsessive teenager who launched a Rolling Stones fanzine and spent the next two decades capturing the band’s whirlwind metamorphosis from behind the scenes. . . . First-rate, firsthand account of the world’s greatest rock ’n’ roll band, and a disenchanted chronicle of its increasingly crass commercialization.”—Kirkus Reviews
As a teenager, Bill German knew exactly what he wanted to do with his chronicle the career and adventures of his favorite rock band, the Rolling Stones. And in 1978, on his sixteenth birthday, he set out to make his dream a reality. Feverishly typed in his Brooklyn bedroom, and surreptitiously printed in his high school’s mimeograph room German’s Stones-only newsletter, Beggars Banquet, was born. His teachers discouraged it, his parents dismissed it as a phase, and his disco-loving classmates preferred the Bee Gees, but, for German, this primitive, pre-Internet fanzine was a labor of love. And a fateful encounter with his idols on the streets of New York soon proved his efforts weren’t in vain.
Impressed with Beggars Banquet, the Stones gave the ’zine instant cred on the rock scene by singing its praises–and by inviting German to hang with the band. At first a fish out of water in the company of rock royalty, German found himself spilling orange juice on a priceless rug in Mick Jagger’s house and getting pegged as a narc by pals of Keith Richards and Ron Wood. But before long he became a familiar fixture in the inner sanctum, not just reporting Stones stories but living them. He was a player in the Mick-versus-Keith feud and was an eyewitness to Keith’s midlife crisis and Ron’s overindulgences. He even had a reluctant role in covering up Mick’s peccadilloes. “In the span of a few months,” German recalls, “I’d gone from wanting to know everything about my favorite rock stars to knowing too much.”
In this warts-and-all book, which includes many never-before-seen photographs, German takes us to the Stones’ homes, recording sessions, and concerts around the world. He charts the band’s rocky path from the unthinkable depths of a near breakup to the obscenely lucrative heights of their blockbuster tours. And ultimately, German reveals why his childhood dream come true became a passion he finally had to part with.
“The epic tale of an obsessive teenager who launched a Rolling Stones fanzine and spent the next two decades capturing the band’s whirlwind metamorphosis from behind the scenes. . . . First-rate, firsthand account of the world’s greatest rock ’n’ roll band, and a disenchanted chronicle of its increasingly crass commercialization.”—Kirkus Reviews
As a teenager, Bill German knew exactly what he wanted to do with his chronicle the career and adventures of his favorite rock band, the Rolling Stones. And in 1978, on his sixteenth birthday, he set out to make his dream a reality. Feverishly typed in his Brooklyn bedroom, and surreptitiously printed in his high school’s mimeograph room German’s Stones-only newsletter, Beggars Banquet, was born. His teachers discouraged it, his parents dismissed it as a phase, and his disco-loving classmates preferred the Bee Gees, but, for German, this primitive, pre-Internet fanzine was a labor of love. And a fateful encounter with his idols on the streets of New York soon proved his efforts weren’t in vain.
Impressed with Beggars Banquet, the Stones gave the ’zine instant cred on the rock scene by singing its praises–and by inviting German to hang with the band. At first a fish out of water in the company of rock royalty, German found himself spilling orange juice on a priceless rug in Mick Jagger’s house and getting pegged as a narc by pals of Keith Richards and Ron Wood. But before long he became a familiar fixture in the inner sanctum, not just reporting Stones stories but living them. He was a player in the Mick-versus-Keith feud and was an eyewitness to Keith’s midlife crisis and Ron’s overindulgences. He even had a reluctant role in covering up Mick’s peccadilloes. “In the span of a few months,” German recalls, “I’d gone from wanting to know everything about my favorite rock stars to knowing too much.”
In this warts-and-all book, which includes many never-before-seen photographs, German takes us to the Stones’ homes, recording sessions, and concerts around the world. He charts the band’s rocky path from the unthinkable depths of a near breakup to the obscenely lucrative heights of their blockbuster tours. And ultimately, German reveals why his childhood dream come true became a passion he finally had to part with.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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246 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
February 14, 2020
A tremendous read. The author writes of his years of interaction with the Stones in a journalist matter of fact style.
The author started a Stones Fanzine in high school and spent years with the Stones. His discussion of contemplating suicide during an early mid life crisis was eye opening. Work was fun....then fun became work.
His time with the band coincided with the band, and everything else, becoming corporate. It appears if Mick Jagger was not the biggest star front man in rock and roll history, he would have been a great accountant. The embodiment of aloof corporate is Mick Jagger.
Keith Richards and Ron Wood appear to be wonderful human beings. Nobody seems to know who Mick Jagger is.....maybe not even Mick Jagger.
There is always a cast of characters surrounding successful enterprises like the Stones with various functions and job titles that seem to forget everyone can be replaced. Bill German struggles his entire time to maintain independence and a sense of self worth surrounded by all kinds of people that would struggle in any other life endeavor except hanger on with the Stones.
The book is an interesting look into the lives of a lot of people. It is not fawning over the members of the band.
The author started a Stones Fanzine in high school and spent years with the Stones. His discussion of contemplating suicide during an early mid life crisis was eye opening. Work was fun....then fun became work.
His time with the band coincided with the band, and everything else, becoming corporate. It appears if Mick Jagger was not the biggest star front man in rock and roll history, he would have been a great accountant. The embodiment of aloof corporate is Mick Jagger.
Keith Richards and Ron Wood appear to be wonderful human beings. Nobody seems to know who Mick Jagger is.....maybe not even Mick Jagger.
There is always a cast of characters surrounding successful enterprises like the Stones with various functions and job titles that seem to forget everyone can be replaced. Bill German struggles his entire time to maintain independence and a sense of self worth surrounded by all kinds of people that would struggle in any other life endeavor except hanger on with the Stones.
The book is an interesting look into the lives of a lot of people. It is not fawning over the members of the band.
December 28, 2010
This was a very entertaining read. I recommend to anyone, espeically if you are a Stones fan. Bill German was a Stones fan, who founded a fanzine that ended up becoming the official Rolling Stones newsletter. He ended up working for them for many years. Not only are the Stones stories he share interesting, his journey is really worth the read!
January 16, 2017
A Must Read.
I recommend this for any and every true Rolling Stones fan. Bill German takes you with him on his surreal journey like no one else can or ever will. I just finished reading it but I'm not done reading it. It's that good. Thank you Bill German, Keith, Woody(I mean, Ronnie. Oops :) and gang!
I recommend this for any and every true Rolling Stones fan. Bill German takes you with him on his surreal journey like no one else can or ever will. I just finished reading it but I'm not done reading it. It's that good. Thank you Bill German, Keith, Woody(I mean, Ronnie. Oops :) and gang!
January 14, 2018
One of the most interesting and informative book I've read about The Stones !
Bill German's journey was a fascinating one which could only have happened in the 70's.
Great anecdotes about life around the Stones and the many characters in the band and surrounding them ! Well worth checking out if you have any interest in the Rolling Stones !
Bill German's journey was a fascinating one which could only have happened in the 70's.
Great anecdotes about life around the Stones and the many characters in the band and surrounding them ! Well worth checking out if you have any interest in the Rolling Stones !
June 22, 2009
I ended up skimming this book after reading the first 50 pages or so. It made me terribly uncomfortable because I couldn't get past the feeling that the author was inflating very small events and interactions with the Rolling Stones into much bigger deals than they really were. His entire self worth and livelihood are so caught up in the band and their acknowledgement of him that it made me terribly sad.
April 11, 2024
This is #23 in my 5X5 library challenge, where I head down to the 5th stack of a row, go to the 5th shelf from the top, then choose any book from that shelf. Non-fiction. 782.421 is secular music. This shelf had selections about rap, rock, reggae, folk, and pop.
I don't listen much to any music outside of church, so it was a stretch to find something interesting to read on this library shelf, but the chatty style of this memoir by Rolling Stones fanzine editor Bill German appealed to me. For cultural enrichment I listened to some Stones music. All I ever care to.
The book follows Bill's journey as a fanzine journalist (The Beggar's Banquet, which he began during high school). He spends 17 years of his life following the Stones wherever they go, privately and publicly. He becomes a friend, sort of. He makes very little money, puts in incredible amounts of time, has no personal life, and ends up pretty burned out in his early thirties with few prospects for employment. So he wrote this book.
Was it really worth it, Bill? Does it matter that Stones fans knew what New York restaurant Mick or Keith ate at on a particular date?
Morbidly fascinating, but a bit tedious to read, with all the details of his struggles to get access, to get photos, to get quotes, to scrape together a life in the midst of a personal obsession.
One fascinating detail was the furor over when the Stones first raised concert tickets from $15 to..... $30. How dare they limit the ability of the ordinary fan to afford a ticket!
I don't listen much to any music outside of church, so it was a stretch to find something interesting to read on this library shelf, but the chatty style of this memoir by Rolling Stones fanzine editor Bill German appealed to me. For cultural enrichment I listened to some Stones music. All I ever care to.
The book follows Bill's journey as a fanzine journalist (The Beggar's Banquet, which he began during high school). He spends 17 years of his life following the Stones wherever they go, privately and publicly. He becomes a friend, sort of. He makes very little money, puts in incredible amounts of time, has no personal life, and ends up pretty burned out in his early thirties with few prospects for employment. So he wrote this book.
Was it really worth it, Bill? Does it matter that Stones fans knew what New York restaurant Mick or Keith ate at on a particular date?
Morbidly fascinating, but a bit tedious to read, with all the details of his struggles to get access, to get photos, to get quotes, to scrape together a life in the midst of a personal obsession.
One fascinating detail was the furor over when the Stones first raised concert tickets from $15 to..... $30. How dare they limit the ability of the ordinary fan to afford a ticket!
November 27, 2017
This is written by the author of the Stones newsletter, which, I subscribed to as a kid. He started his newsletter as a teenager and a fan and worked his way into the lives of the Stones, so, that aspect is very interesting. He goes into tales you can't get from any other source - like, day to day life of Keith and Ronnie - how they lived, where they lived, what they may do on a boring Thursday afternoon. He talks in great detail about the album "Dirty Work" and I understand now why it's so guitar heavy. However, the most interesting aspect of the book and it will appeal to ANY rock fan, not just fans of the Stones, is the corporate take over of rock'n'roll. Bill dissects why people like you and me can't get good seats to a concert of our favorite band. He fully explains the death of sloppy-rock-spur of the moment rock shows of the big acts. Well done, Bill. I couldn't put this one down. Oh, yeah, no spoiler alert here - Mick is a jerk.
January 15, 2017
Fanaticism and the Rolling Stones. How a niice boy from Brooklyn got obsessed with the Stones for seventeen years.
Bill German gives a great inside look at the world of rock and roll stars told from the dual perspective of a fan a nd a journalist. He follows his band around for numerous world tours and along the way founds a fanzine called Beggars Banquet t o document his journeys. He learns and shares many fascinating stories about l life on the road with a touring band as long-lived as the Stones. He covers some seventeen years in depth and portrays the habits and foibles of its stars, Mick Jagger, Ron Wood, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, a nd Bill Wyman. Jagger comes across as very unpleasant and Wood as very much underappreciated as an artist and friend.
Bill German gives a great inside look at the world of rock and roll stars told from the dual perspective of a fan a nd a journalist. He follows his band around for numerous world tours and along the way founds a fanzine called Beggars Banquet t o document his journeys. He learns and shares many fascinating stories about l life on the road with a touring band as long-lived as the Stones. He covers some seventeen years in depth and portrays the habits and foibles of its stars, Mick Jagger, Ron Wood, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, a nd Bill Wyman. Jagger comes across as very unpleasant and Wood as very much underappreciated as an artist and friend.
February 8, 2024
A must-read for all Stones fans and any rock ‘n roller!
This amazing memoir isn’t just a behind-the-scenes look at the bad boys of rock ‘n roll, it’s a stunning coming-of-age story. German’s humor shines brightly whether he just spilled orange juice on Mick Jagger’s pricey area rug or observing the rock vs. disco factions in his Brooklyn neighborhood. His family, in particular, provides very interesting and entertaining scenes. But the main event is the Rolling Stones and you get a tour de force with this read. It’s got the feel of the film Almost Famous—except the story isn’t about a fictitious band, it’s the Stones! Beautifully written, this page-turner brings you into the world of Keith, Mick, Charlie, Bill, Mick T, Brian, Ian and others, sparing no details.
This amazing memoir isn’t just a behind-the-scenes look at the bad boys of rock ‘n roll, it’s a stunning coming-of-age story. German’s humor shines brightly whether he just spilled orange juice on Mick Jagger’s pricey area rug or observing the rock vs. disco factions in his Brooklyn neighborhood. His family, in particular, provides very interesting and entertaining scenes. But the main event is the Rolling Stones and you get a tour de force with this read. It’s got the feel of the film Almost Famous—except the story isn’t about a fictitious band, it’s the Stones! Beautifully written, this page-turner brings you into the world of Keith, Mick, Charlie, Bill, Mick T, Brian, Ian and others, sparing no details.
May 9, 2018
Hats off to the nice young boy from Brooklyn. Before we had the www our fingertips, out of the few fanzine's that were available by snail mail, Bill German's "Beggars Banquet" was a cut above the rest. What I was reading was " as it was" Because He Was There! Under their Thumb takes you right there and then.
August 13, 2024
Best book about the Rolling Stones I've ever read (and I've read a lot of them) unbelievable story about how a 16 old kid starts up a Stones newsletter in high school and becomes friends with Ron Woods and Keith Richard's! Takes you through the late 70's and all the 80's Stones years, a lot of good Keith and Mick behind the scenes stories too.
March 27, 2017
Good read
I have not been a big Stones fan but have listened to them over the years. Bill German' s book gives insight into the personalities of the Stones. I do wish he would have said more about his post- Stones career at the end of the book.
I have not been a big Stones fan but have listened to them over the years. Bill German' s book gives insight into the personalities of the Stones. I do wish he would have said more about his post- Stones career at the end of the book.
August 5, 2018
I found this book interesting and a change from the usual Stones book.
Written by the person who put out their fan magazine for many years, so it has first hand stories from another viewpoint. Also it focuses on the 80's and 90's rather than the 60's and 70's. Worth it if you are a fan.
Written by the person who put out their fan magazine for many years, so it has first hand stories from another viewpoint. Also it focuses on the 80's and 90's rather than the 60's and 70's. Worth it if you are a fan.
April 29, 2023
Coolest person in best position to write a book on the Stones for me. This is what I find to be a very interesting perspective and I really enjoyed this. You feel like you're better than back stage.
August 14, 2023
I'd give this book 6 stars, if I could
Very well written and entertaining. An interesting twist to a story about the Stones. It provided some great insights into their personalities and the chaos that surrounds them.
Very well written and entertaining. An interesting twist to a story about the Stones. It provided some great insights into their personalities and the chaos that surrounds them.
April 3, 2020
Excellent read, takes the reader behind the scenes with great detail on the personalities of Ron Wood and Keith Richards. Covers concerts for a 13 year span.
November 8, 2022
If you’re a Stones fan, you must read this
April 17, 2024
A fascinating, behind-the-curtain look at life in The Stones’ camp during their tumultuous 80’s period. An engaging and informative read.
March 11, 2013
Bill German was a die hard teen age fan of the Stones. From his bedroom he started a fanzine and from Brooklyn made connections that brought him into the Stones' orbit. The band was well established at this point so he didn't see the phenomena from its roots. He saw, and more importantly understood, the people, the music and the environment surrounding the Rolling Stones for their next 16 or 17 years.
This book has a lot to offer on many levels. It describes the culture of a major tour, the people who work behind the scenes, the lifestyle of the performers at the top and corporate co-optation of rock and roll. He scooped major news outlets and delivered insight, enthusiasm and excitement. He couldn't print all he knew, or all he wanted to say. The book shows how even a dedicated grass roots freelancer is vulnerable to a system where sometimes stories and perspective have to be held to maintain the access needed to print another day.
German shows how major league tours are structured. He describes the ticketing process from the general public's access to that of the press and the entourage. He has descriptive stories about transportation, VIP greeting sessions, local tours for the principals and entourage, tour newsletters that arrive under hotel doors, the pseudonyms, the "privileges" of taking photographs, getting interviews, the A and B list parties and more.
German operates before cell phones, fax and blogging. He cuts and pastes the content which he physically takes to the printer, picks up and then staples and stamps. He relates to his subscribers who are listed on index cards. He answers their mail and meets many of them, rooms with them and sometimes is able to get them access to a Stone. He takes care to award contest winners fairly and make refunds when he suspends the newsletter.
Descriptions of the entourage and the people who make it happen such as the Ticket Lady, JC (and his ultimate fate), Freddy (and his ultimate fate), Jane Rose and others are priceless. Casey Kasum and other famous rock Djs have not told us about them, their influence, situations or positions on such tours.
This book chronicles corporatization of the Stones. As their contracts got bigger, the Stones themselves got less and less control. They could not grant an interview, not even to a blood relative. If photographed with an alcoholic beverage, it had to be the sponsor's: Bud. Friends and family deferred front row seats to paid models for videoed performances. Other very corporate-like decisions are made by band members, such as tax considerations as to where they will live.
German shows where he holds back to keep the channels open. He mentions opportunities to parlay his inside knowledge or access into venues much more lucrative than his zine. There is a larger metaphor here for the press on which our democracy depends. The self censorship reminds me of the NY Times admitting to holding a wire tapping story until after the US election (presumably to keep channels to the White House open).
The book shows the Stones as people. They seem to remain as human as one could expect within the constraints of the structure that has grown up around them. Mick seems to be the only one to have fallen under his own spell.
Besides the popular appeal of a book like this, there is plenty of substance here. This book can be used in business courses for its insight as to rock and roll as an industry. There is also a lot here for journalism classes to discuss regarding methods and compromises. For anyone who loves the Stones it is a must read.
This book has a lot to offer on many levels. It describes the culture of a major tour, the people who work behind the scenes, the lifestyle of the performers at the top and corporate co-optation of rock and roll. He scooped major news outlets and delivered insight, enthusiasm and excitement. He couldn't print all he knew, or all he wanted to say. The book shows how even a dedicated grass roots freelancer is vulnerable to a system where sometimes stories and perspective have to be held to maintain the access needed to print another day.
German shows how major league tours are structured. He describes the ticketing process from the general public's access to that of the press and the entourage. He has descriptive stories about transportation, VIP greeting sessions, local tours for the principals and entourage, tour newsletters that arrive under hotel doors, the pseudonyms, the "privileges" of taking photographs, getting interviews, the A and B list parties and more.
German operates before cell phones, fax and blogging. He cuts and pastes the content which he physically takes to the printer, picks up and then staples and stamps. He relates to his subscribers who are listed on index cards. He answers their mail and meets many of them, rooms with them and sometimes is able to get them access to a Stone. He takes care to award contest winners fairly and make refunds when he suspends the newsletter.
Descriptions of the entourage and the people who make it happen such as the Ticket Lady, JC (and his ultimate fate), Freddy (and his ultimate fate), Jane Rose and others are priceless. Casey Kasum and other famous rock Djs have not told us about them, their influence, situations or positions on such tours.
This book chronicles corporatization of the Stones. As their contracts got bigger, the Stones themselves got less and less control. They could not grant an interview, not even to a blood relative. If photographed with an alcoholic beverage, it had to be the sponsor's: Bud. Friends and family deferred front row seats to paid models for videoed performances. Other very corporate-like decisions are made by band members, such as tax considerations as to where they will live.
German shows where he holds back to keep the channels open. He mentions opportunities to parlay his inside knowledge or access into venues much more lucrative than his zine. There is a larger metaphor here for the press on which our democracy depends. The self censorship reminds me of the NY Times admitting to holding a wire tapping story until after the US election (presumably to keep channels to the White House open).
The book shows the Stones as people. They seem to remain as human as one could expect within the constraints of the structure that has grown up around them. Mick seems to be the only one to have fallen under his own spell.
Besides the popular appeal of a book like this, there is plenty of substance here. This book can be used in business courses for its insight as to rock and roll as an industry. There is also a lot here for journalism classes to discuss regarding methods and compromises. For anyone who loves the Stones it is a must read.
April 3, 2010
So far the only thing I like about this book are the pictures of a young Keith Richards.
-----------------------------------
And I've finished. This book should have been fun to read. I mean, the title makes me think that Bill German was IN with the Stones and was going to tell me some great stories that would make me even more sad that I work for Corporate America. Instead, I got a whiny dude making me feel like reading was a chore. Not cool, Bill German. I started doggy-earing (is that a word?) the pages that got a big eye roll from me. You should see my book.
So Bill German loved the Stones, started a fanzine while he was in high school (Beggars Banquet) to report on his favorite band, and tried really hard to get an in with said favorite band. And he found one! This guy did what most people fantasize about and got to know his favorite band on the planet. He hung out with them, toured with them, plain old talked with them. This book should have been fun to read. It was not. Bill German wants to make sure that readers know that he was hanging out with the Stones. For 349 pages. Example? "I was invited directly." Or "Jo (one of the wives) invited me directly." I get it. You were in with these guys. I don't know why you felt the need to prove it for 349 pages. It made me question your in-ness (is that a word?).
Moving on. The title is Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with The Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It). Um, this makes me think that you were living the rock star life with them, having many near death experiences becuase you put to much crap up your nose. You deceived me, Bill German. You never put crap up your nose, there were no (yes, NONE) stories about the ridiculous things some of the biggest rock stars on the planet did...of course you lived to tell about it. At no time was your life compromised. Lame.
Also, the writing is awful. Bill German dreamed of being a journalist (also mentioned 314 times, and I began to imagine him saying it hoity-toity, like JUHnuhlist, in italics), a writer. Unfortunately he sucks at writing. He tries very hard. Which is probably why Mick Jagger never ever liked the dude, even though he hung on them for over 15 years. So 1 star because this book made me think that Mick Jagger and I have the same taste in people and that made me feel cool. But I digress. Examples of sentences in this book: "I thought I'd kill two Stones with one Bird." This is in reference to German meeting up with two Stones one night to talk with them for info for Beggars Banquet. Lame. Also: "Whether other strings were attached, I'd soon find out." This is a comment on a paragraph directly above, where German is discussing the All Access pass he'd received for one of the Stones tours. There was a string so you could wear it around your neck (DUH). And yes he pointed that out for the reader, obviously so he could add his cheese ball follow up sentence. Come on, Bill German.
So. Dude made reading about the Stones a total bore. I laughed out loud for all the wrong reasons. Sadface.
-----------------------------------
And I've finished. This book should have been fun to read. I mean, the title makes me think that Bill German was IN with the Stones and was going to tell me some great stories that would make me even more sad that I work for Corporate America. Instead, I got a whiny dude making me feel like reading was a chore. Not cool, Bill German. I started doggy-earing (is that a word?) the pages that got a big eye roll from me. You should see my book.
So Bill German loved the Stones, started a fanzine while he was in high school (Beggars Banquet) to report on his favorite band, and tried really hard to get an in with said favorite band. And he found one! This guy did what most people fantasize about and got to know his favorite band on the planet. He hung out with them, toured with them, plain old talked with them. This book should have been fun to read. It was not. Bill German wants to make sure that readers know that he was hanging out with the Stones. For 349 pages. Example? "I was invited directly." Or "Jo (one of the wives) invited me directly." I get it. You were in with these guys. I don't know why you felt the need to prove it for 349 pages. It made me question your in-ness (is that a word?).
Moving on. The title is Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with The Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It). Um, this makes me think that you were living the rock star life with them, having many near death experiences becuase you put to much crap up your nose. You deceived me, Bill German. You never put crap up your nose, there were no (yes, NONE) stories about the ridiculous things some of the biggest rock stars on the planet did...of course you lived to tell about it. At no time was your life compromised. Lame.
Also, the writing is awful. Bill German dreamed of being a journalist (also mentioned 314 times, and I began to imagine him saying it hoity-toity, like JUHnuhlist, in italics), a writer. Unfortunately he sucks at writing. He tries very hard. Which is probably why Mick Jagger never ever liked the dude, even though he hung on them for over 15 years. So 1 star because this book made me think that Mick Jagger and I have the same taste in people and that made me feel cool. But I digress. Examples of sentences in this book: "I thought I'd kill two Stones with one Bird." This is in reference to German meeting up with two Stones one night to talk with them for info for Beggars Banquet. Lame. Also: "Whether other strings were attached, I'd soon find out." This is a comment on a paragraph directly above, where German is discussing the All Access pass he'd received for one of the Stones tours. There was a string so you could wear it around your neck (DUH). And yes he pointed that out for the reader, obviously so he could add his cheese ball follow up sentence. Come on, Bill German.
So. Dude made reading about the Stones a total bore. I laughed out loud for all the wrong reasons. Sadface.
January 27, 2009
This review originally appeared in the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It)
Nonfiction. By Bill German. Villard Books, $25. Grade: B
Book in a nutshell: Bill German lived out the ultimate fanboy fantasy. In 1978, he started Beggars Banquet, a Rolling Stones music zine. This started an 18-year journey in which German befriended his idols and Beggars Banquet became the official Stones’ newsletter.
German chronicles this unlikely rocket ride in his new book, which reads like an “Almost Famous” for the Stones set. As a teenager he becomes cozy with guitarists Keith Richards and Ron Woods (with whom he co-authored an art book), elicits dirty looks and tongue lashings from Mick Jagger and quits NYU to follow the Stones on tour.
But though he penetrates the inner sanctum, German maintains an outsider’s perspective, writing with a style that captures the band members with their guards down, for better and worse (Mick, for one, comes across as a tool), yet through it all maintains an endearing adoration for his heroes.
German’s style is also very readable, and though the narrative has a few gaps and fails to deliver a cohesive raison d’être in the final chapter, this is a true page-turner—especially for bona fide music geeks.
Best tidbit: For all the offstage dirt German uncovers, he never loses sight of the onstage magic that drew him to the Stones in the first place. Perhaps the book’s most touching moment is a London concert in tribute to deceased Stones’ co-founder Ian Stewart. The Stones reunite in a small club along with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Pete Townshend and rock out a set of classic blues—an event German calls his all-time favorite Stones show.
Pros: The most interesting characters are the band’s loyal road companions, including a drug dealer-turned-schoolteacher, a fearsome bodyguard who distributes free tickets to sick children on the sly and even a patriarchal Holocaust survivor who parties harder than Keith Richards.
Cons: Though obviously a labor of love, it never answers the “So what?” question. What happened to German after he shut down Beggars Banquet? How did this experience impact the rest of his life? Why publish his memoirs now?
Final words: The book reads as though German were sitting next to you at the bar and recounting these tales—which is how all good stories of rock ’n’ roll and misspent youth should be told.
Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It)
Nonfiction. By Bill German. Villard Books, $25. Grade: B
Book in a nutshell: Bill German lived out the ultimate fanboy fantasy. In 1978, he started Beggars Banquet, a Rolling Stones music zine. This started an 18-year journey in which German befriended his idols and Beggars Banquet became the official Stones’ newsletter.
German chronicles this unlikely rocket ride in his new book, which reads like an “Almost Famous” for the Stones set. As a teenager he becomes cozy with guitarists Keith Richards and Ron Woods (with whom he co-authored an art book), elicits dirty looks and tongue lashings from Mick Jagger and quits NYU to follow the Stones on tour.
But though he penetrates the inner sanctum, German maintains an outsider’s perspective, writing with a style that captures the band members with their guards down, for better and worse (Mick, for one, comes across as a tool), yet through it all maintains an endearing adoration for his heroes.
German’s style is also very readable, and though the narrative has a few gaps and fails to deliver a cohesive raison d’être in the final chapter, this is a true page-turner—especially for bona fide music geeks.
Best tidbit: For all the offstage dirt German uncovers, he never loses sight of the onstage magic that drew him to the Stones in the first place. Perhaps the book’s most touching moment is a London concert in tribute to deceased Stones’ co-founder Ian Stewart. The Stones reunite in a small club along with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Pete Townshend and rock out a set of classic blues—an event German calls his all-time favorite Stones show.
Pros: The most interesting characters are the band’s loyal road companions, including a drug dealer-turned-schoolteacher, a fearsome bodyguard who distributes free tickets to sick children on the sly and even a patriarchal Holocaust survivor who parties harder than Keith Richards.
Cons: Though obviously a labor of love, it never answers the “So what?” question. What happened to German after he shut down Beggars Banquet? How did this experience impact the rest of his life? Why publish his memoirs now?
Final words: The book reads as though German were sitting next to you at the bar and recounting these tales—which is how all good stories of rock ’n’ roll and misspent youth should be told.
June 17, 2009
I'm a sucker for rock and roll legends. Especially if the legend includes sex, drugs, groupies and death. Since this is the Rolling Stones Bill is writing about, I was not disappointed.
Long interesting story short, when Bill was a lad, he started a fanzine for his favorite band, the Rolling Stones. The planets aligned and Bill found himself face to face with his idols, giving Ron Wood a copy of "Beggar's Banquet". Before he knows it, he is the editor of the official Stone's newsletter, interviewing both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in their respective homes and witnessing a 3:00 am "jam" with Ron Wood and Stevie Ray Vaugh in Ron's kitchen.
Bill spent almost twenty years following the band around the world and "got out when the gettin' was good" after seeing that there was more to life than just the band.
Bill was recently on Long Island for a book signing and I had the pleasure of hearing him regale his stories on a standing room only crowd. He has a great sense of humor and the ability to draw you in so you feel as if you are witnessing it, too.
This is a must add for any fan of the Stone's or a collector of rock and roll legends, like me.
Long interesting story short, when Bill was a lad, he started a fanzine for his favorite band, the Rolling Stones. The planets aligned and Bill found himself face to face with his idols, giving Ron Wood a copy of "Beggar's Banquet". Before he knows it, he is the editor of the official Stone's newsletter, interviewing both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in their respective homes and witnessing a 3:00 am "jam" with Ron Wood and Stevie Ray Vaugh in Ron's kitchen.
Bill spent almost twenty years following the band around the world and "got out when the gettin' was good" after seeing that there was more to life than just the band.
Bill was recently on Long Island for a book signing and I had the pleasure of hearing him regale his stories on a standing room only crowd. He has a great sense of humor and the ability to draw you in so you feel as if you are witnessing it, too.
This is a must add for any fan of the Stone's or a collector of rock and roll legends, like me.
January 5, 2010
"Under Their Thumb" catalogs the dangerously magnetic pull that celebrity and desire to follow a pipe dream can have on a young person's life.
Bill German forgoes food, comfortable living conditions, companionship, sex, medical care, family, NYU journalism school--for the chance to hang with the stones. For 15 years, he gets dogged, mocked, evaded, and given crap combed-through minutiae by the band's assistants and salaried member, Ron Wood, that he "may" use in his Rolling Stones' fanzine, "Beggars Banquet".
Reminiscent of "Gimpel the Fool" at best, this book showcases longing, pathos, and wasted youth more commonly.
It kept me reading, which is what saves it from being a wasted book that provides little knowledge of a rock band; instead, it shows just what a machine full of hangers-on the Rolling Stones had become by the '80s. I'm uncertain what else to say. I admire Bill German's tenacity, but I'm sad that what he got for it was some less-than-stellar press clippings and 15 years down the tubes.
Bill German forgoes food, comfortable living conditions, companionship, sex, medical care, family, NYU journalism school--for the chance to hang with the stones. For 15 years, he gets dogged, mocked, evaded, and given crap combed-through minutiae by the band's assistants and salaried member, Ron Wood, that he "may" use in his Rolling Stones' fanzine, "Beggars Banquet".
Reminiscent of "Gimpel the Fool" at best, this book showcases longing, pathos, and wasted youth more commonly.
It kept me reading, which is what saves it from being a wasted book that provides little knowledge of a rock band; instead, it shows just what a machine full of hangers-on the Rolling Stones had become by the '80s. I'm uncertain what else to say. I admire Bill German's tenacity, but I'm sad that what he got for it was some less-than-stellar press clippings and 15 years down the tubes.
May 4, 2009
Are you curious about the Stones post umm 1978? No?!
Well. . .are you interested in what a pain in the ass it was for a dude to run a fanzine called Beggars Banquet for 15 years during the Stones' creative nadir?
I didn't think I would be. But I'll give it to this dude - he kept me turning pages. . .
He hung out a lot with Woody. . .so much that they had an inside joke pertaining to bananas. Just eating them. Nothing prurient. So that's an inside joke that's not gonna get used in the next Apatow joint (or maybe it will I haven't seen his last couple).
He spent a little time hanging out with Keith. It seems like Keith took a liking to him.
He never even spoke with Charlie.
I guess Mick didn't really like him that much and gave him the evil eye a bunch.
But if you like rock you'll probably read this in a day like me. Better than actually listening to Dirty Work.
Well. . .are you interested in what a pain in the ass it was for a dude to run a fanzine called Beggars Banquet for 15 years during the Stones' creative nadir?
I didn't think I would be. But I'll give it to this dude - he kept me turning pages. . .
He hung out a lot with Woody. . .so much that they had an inside joke pertaining to bananas. Just eating them. Nothing prurient. So that's an inside joke that's not gonna get used in the next Apatow joint (or maybe it will I haven't seen his last couple).
He spent a little time hanging out with Keith. It seems like Keith took a liking to him.
He never even spoke with Charlie.
I guess Mick didn't really like him that much and gave him the evil eye a bunch.
But if you like rock you'll probably read this in a day like me. Better than actually listening to Dirty Work.
March 12, 2009
This book is great because the author, Bill German, who ran the grassroots homemade Stones fanzine "Beggars Banquet," is a stickler for accuracy -- he describes himself as an archivist and historian. He was a super fan who managed to get into the Stones camp and became friends with Keith Richards and Ron Wood. German's story really fleshes out the Stones history, and follows their development from a great band into a merchandising behemoth, a situation which left German depressed -- "rock is now in the hands of bean counters" he says of the mid-1990s Stones tours. As any Stones fan would hope and expect, Keith emerges as the hero of the book, providing just the right wisdom at the right time. This book covers the early 1980s to mid 1990s which German describes as the Stones "New York period." This might be the best book on the Rolling Stones.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2010
German's decade plus of obsessive dedication the Stones, devoid of much fiscal sense or career ambition (vastly overrated characteristics anyway) makes for a compelling read for anyone who ever alienated friends and neighbors playing Get Yer Ya-Yas out too loud and too late.
His tone is nicely devoid of the self-aggrandizing that often characterizes such memoirs. The book mostly avoids prurient cheap thrills and focuses on the music. German went apeshit for the sound of the Stones at an early age and that was the driving force behind his cranking out the Stones newsletter Beggar's Banquet month after month, year after year.
Kudos to him for telling Keith Richards that the Stones co-leader's mingling with German's parents at a party is "a sign of the apocalypse."
Other good one-liners abound, read it for yourself and see.
His tone is nicely devoid of the self-aggrandizing that often characterizes such memoirs. The book mostly avoids prurient cheap thrills and focuses on the music. German went apeshit for the sound of the Stones at an early age and that was the driving force behind his cranking out the Stones newsletter Beggar's Banquet month after month, year after year.
Kudos to him for telling Keith Richards that the Stones co-leader's mingling with German's parents at a party is "a sign of the apocalypse."
Other good one-liners abound, read it for yourself and see.
April 4, 2009
I'm no afficionado on the Stones and I still found every page of this memoir worthwhile. German stays the course of twenty-plus years on the Stones' trail and tells some great stories about the band, but also about the crazy crowds that followed them. There is an underlying theme about the commercialization of rock-n-roll music that is predictable from a fan who knew them (personally and well) way before they filled arenas, but Bill German's treatment of their selling out is personal; I could relate to it. If German were writing this book to affirm his friendship with Woody and Keith and (sometimes) Mick, it would be a different book altogether.
September 16, 2010
This was interesting not only for what you learn about the Stones and their grand ascent to the top of commercialized music. But also for the kind of sad story of a young man blinded by his near adoration of the Stones to the point that it takes over his life. He seesaws between somewhat influential and barely hanging on, but he never seems to question that. "Mixed up" in the subtitle says it well. It is fascinating to read how this one-day-leads-to-the-next life went on for so long. It had its satisfactions (ahem) but Mr German never seemed to mature while he was under their, and hos own, thumbs.
January 17, 2012
OMG...I'm finished, and I disliked the book and the author intensely. He makes flip fun of people in this juvenile attempt at writing. The ultimate groupie with his Rolling Stones fanzine (Beggar's Banquet) he is like a Peter Pan who never grew up.
The author wants our sympathy and understanding while being condescending as he whines about his life through old TV references that are either unrecognizable or so out-dated they are embarrassing. There are too many rock books that are better than this one. Don't waste your time or money on this one.
I gave it two stars only because I didn't want to be reminded how I wasted my money. Two stars fools me into that!
The author wants our sympathy and understanding while being condescending as he whines about his life through old TV references that are either unrecognizable or so out-dated they are embarrassing. There are too many rock books that are better than this one. Don't waste your time or money on this one.
I gave it two stars only because I didn't want to be reminded how I wasted my money. Two stars fools me into that!
October 20, 2012
Grabbed this book for a re-read since I was going to a book signing by the author at our local library. Really is a great view of the Stones during an usually somwhat under-examined period of time in their long career. The author's voice throughout is well balanced between his lifelong status as a fan and his professional role of journalist. Not to be read if you are looking for analysis of musical influences or how to tune your guitar to Keith's favorite open tuning but for a glimpse into the day to day life of some of the biggest rock stars ever this book is definitely a good read.
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