Bob Spitz proves the Rolling Stones are rock’s greatest band in magnificent new biography

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By early 1963, the Station Hotel in London was quickly becoming the central meeting place for British blues musicians. One cold, snowy night in February, the Rolling Stones – in their original, now-famous lineup – played there for one of their first gigs. They impressed the crowd with energetic versions of classic blues songs, including Muddy Waters’ “I Want to Be Loved” and Jimmy Reed’s “Bright Lights, Big City.”

Brian Jones, who founded the band and played many instruments, worked with Keith Richards on guitar, with Richards known for his energetic and sharp playing style. The band’s drummer, Charlie Watts, a jazz enthusiast and skilled percussionist, kept the music driving with a strong, steady rhythm.

Bill Wyman joined the band as bassist, initially valued more for the amplifier he owned – which the guitarists could use – than his playing ability. However, Wyman quickly proved to be a solid and creative musician. He and Charlie Watts became one of the most celebrated rhythm sections in rock history.

You know, Ian Stewart’s piano playing was a huge part of the early Rolling Stones sound – he really brought that energetic boogie-woogie vibe. It’s a crazy story, but their manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, fired him just months later because he thought Ian was… well, not good-looking enough! Even after that, Ian kept playing and recording, and amazingly, he stayed with the band as their road manager all the way until he passed away in 1985. A seriously talented guy who deserved better, if you ask me.

Mick Jagger led the band, completely lost in the music. He moved across the stage with incredible energy, captivating the audience in a way few singers have. Despite the terrible weather keeping most fans away – only about 30 people showed up – the concert was a hit. The hotel’s talent booker was so impressed, he immediately offered the Rolling Stones a steady job playing there.

As a lifelong cinema and music devotee, I’ve always been fascinated by cultural shifts, and Bob Spitz really captures something special in his Rolling Stones biography. He describes how the band just clicked with a younger generation hungry for music that felt genuinely their own. It wasn’t just the songs themselves, but the raw energy and refusal to compromise – it was music that truly moved you, loud and unapologetic. Spitz’s book, which covers their entire 60-year history, really shows how they became, as many claim, the greatest rock and roll band ever.

Having tackled biographies of everyone from the Beatles to Reagan, the author really nails the chaotic, compelling story of the Rolling Stones. This isn’t just a recounting of hits; it’s a deep dive into the drama that’s kept them fascinating for over sixty years. We see their journey from humble blues beginnings, their rivalry with the Beatles, and the creative highs of albums like Aftermath and Exile on Main Street – alongside some less successful ventures. The book doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff either – Keith Richards’ harrowing battle with addiction, the tragedy of Altamont, and the complex relationships with women like Marianne Faithfull and Bianca Jagger. It covers all the infighting, breakups, and reconciliations. But at its heart, it’s about the surprisingly resilient connection between Jagger and Richards – the force that’s somehow held everything together all these years.

While Spitz doesn’t reveal much previously unknown information, he’s fantastic at bringing the story of the Rolling Stones to life with vivid detail. He focuses on the small but significant moments and stories that make the band’s history truly compelling and moving.

The Rolling Stones’ 1965 hit “Satisfaction” – their first song to top the charts in the U.S. – has a famous origin story. Keith Richards reportedly woke up one night and quickly recorded the song’s famous guitar riff and the line “I can’t get no… satisfaction” on a tape recorder in his Florida hotel room before going back to sleep. However, as music historian Spitz points out, the song didn’t initially come together in the studio. Everything changed when Andrew Loog Oldham bought Richards a fuzz box, which gave the song a rougher, more energetic sound that perfectly complemented Mick Jagger’s lyrics about feeling frustrated and disconnected. This combination ultimately created a timeless classic.

Piercing the Stones mythology

Spitz’s thorough research challenges many commonly held beliefs about the band. For example, contrary to what many fans think, Jones was largely responsible for the falling out with his fellow band members and his eventual tragic death.

Brian Jones, the band’s most experimental musician – known for playing sitar on “Paint It Black” and dulcimer on “Lady Jane” – didn’t write songs, which fueled his envy and feelings of inadequacy, especially as Mick Jagger often took center stage. Jones was a troubled man who had multiple affairs with teenage girls and was physically and emotionally abusive to several women, including his girlfriend, Pallenberg, who eventually left him for Keith Richards. As his personal problems worsened, Jones contributed less and less to the band, eventually becoming incapacitated by drug use. The Rolling Stones fired him in June 1969, though many felt it should have happened years before. Tragically, he died less than a month later, drowning in his swimming pool.

The story of the Rolling Stones’ album “Exile on Main Street” often paints a picture of its creation in a hot, cramped basement at Keith Richards’ villa in the South of France, where the band was living to avoid paying taxes in Britain. This version suggests Richards, struggling with heroin addiction, remarkably wrote hit song after hit using a specific guitar tuning he learned from Ry Cooder, ultimately leading to a legendary album. However, according to David Spitz, that’s not quite how it happened.

While Richards created the guitar riffs for songs like “Rocks Off,” “Happy,” and “Tumbling Dice,” he also struggled with substance abuse, often missed studio time, and brought disruptive people to the recording location. Contrary to the image of the album being finished in a drug-fueled environment in France, the band actually spent six months at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles adding final touches and where Jagger recorded a lot of the vocals.

Beatles vs. Stones

Spitz highlights the fascinating connection between the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. For much of their early careers, the Beatles were far more famous, but that eventually changed.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the song “I Wanna Be Your Man” and gave it to The Rolling Stones. The Stones’ 1963 version, featuring Brian Jones on slide guitar, became their first top 20 hit in the UK. Seeing the success of Lennon and McCartney inspired Mick Jagger and Keith Richards to start writing their own songs. In early 1964, The Beatles made their first trip to the U.S., famously appearing on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and performing at Carnegie Hall. Shortly after, The Rolling Stones began their first American tour in San Bernardino. In 1967, The Beatles released the groundbreaking psychedelic album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The Stones attempted a similar sound with “Their Satanic Majesties Request,” but it wasn’t as well-received.

While the Beatles were starting to break apart, the Rolling Stones were becoming more focused. They released the groundbreaking albums “Beggars Banquet” in late 1968 and “Let It Bleed” the next year – albums that were just as creative and forward-thinking as the Beatles’ “The White Album” and “Abbey Road.” This marked the first time the two bands were considered equally important and influential.

While the Beatles disbanded in 1970, the Rolling Stones continued their success. After Brian Jones’s passing, Mick Taylor, a highly skilled guitarist, joined the band, adding a beautiful contrast to Keith Richards’ playing. This lineup created some of their most celebrated albums, including “Sticky Fingers” and “Exile on Main Street.” Remarkably, the Stones have kept performing live, even with Ronnie Wood replacing Taylor, and were still touring in 2024 following the release of their well-received album, “Hackney Diamonds.” The Beatles, however, stopped touring in 1966 and focused on recording music in the studio.

Many books cover the Rolling Stones, but Mick Jagger’s biography by Spitz really stands out. It’s a must-read for any fan – or even someone who just enjoys their music.

Similar to many writers about the band, Spitz doesn’t spend much time on their work after 1972’s “Exile on Main St.” He quickly dismisses their later albums – 2005’s “A Bigger Bang” and 2016’s blues cover album, “Blue & Lonesome” – as merely “okay” and suggests the band was past its prime. However, this criticism feels both inaccurate and insufficiently explained. Spitz also overlooks the band’s well-regarded live album, “Brussels Affair” (recorded in 1973), and doesn’t address why it wasn’t officially released until much later.

These are minor criticisms. Spitz has created a substantial and worthwhile book, fully justifying its length. Adding another fifty pages to cover the later parts of the subject’s life would have made it even better. As the Rolling Stones famously sang, it’s enjoyable despite any imperfections.

I recently learned about Marc Ballon, who’s a really interesting guy. He used to be a reporter for big publications like the Times, Forbes, and Inc., and now he’s teaching an advanced writing class at USC. He actually lives pretty close to me, in Fullerton!

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2026-04-20 13:33