I read this book sometime around 1975 when it first surfaced as a highly literate diary chronicling the Rolling Stones 1972 tour of America.Basking in the reflected glory of the (then and arguably still)'greatest rock n' roll band in the world';the author is afforded access all areas,and guides the reader from bickering rehearsal sessions,through rigid security meetings and late flights,until finally you are granted a carte blanche ticket for the greatest show on earth.Greenfield's cultured and informative reporting hurls you head-first into the crazed and ruthless world of the maelstrom that is The Rolling Stones in all their sometimes heavy-handed glory.Wonderfully entertaining stories unfold throughout this incredible journey as the outlaws
in love march like kings,across the decadent sprawling lawns of
mighty America.Pure zeitgeist.Great stuff.
After reading this book you just wanna'play 'Exile on Main St.'
at serious volume and wish that you never had to go to work again.(Oh'well..)

Why would anyone want to read a book about a tour that took place more than 30 years ago, in support of what is arguably the Rolling Stones most overrated album?? (Yes, Exile on Main Street does have some very good material, and excellent performances, but the "bathroom" (read: poor) sound quality, heralded by too many critics as being "influential" does not hold up well after all these years. Some of us would like to understand the lyrics, please!) Because the book is very well written by a good, observant, refreshingly unbiased journalist, and because like Jim Bouton's baseball classic Ball Four, S.T.P. was one of the first books that spawned an entire genre of rock books about specific bands. Many of the episodes still hold interest today, particularly the Playboy Mansion scenes in Chicago, and the details of the bands arrest and subsequent release (arranged by then-Mayor of Boston Kevin White to prevent a riot) from a Rhode Island jail: the Stones were supposed to be playing a concert at the very moment they were incarcerated. Many interesting characters stand out as well, particularly Truman Capote, Princess Lee Radziwill, and Jagger himself. One thing I feel must be noted: If you are younger than fortysomething, you may be surprised at the sheer amount of ANGER felt by many of the kids, who were just itching to clash with police. In many ways, that was typical of the times, and thankfully, for the most part, such behavior would not be tolerated today. In sum, if you are a Stones fan, or a fan of great rock writing, get S.T.P. ASAP. Trust me, like the namesake gas treatment, it'll put a tiger in your tank!!!

The first hundred or so pages are so fixated on Mick Jagger that you wonder if Mr Greenfiel is ever going to notice that the Rolling Stones consist of way more than a frontman. But once he finally does realize that - apparently a concert or two was enough to convince him - it's a pretty good read. There are some obvious inaccuracies (including mistaking butterflies for doves); and the stuff about the people and events orbiting around the Stones on this tour is sometimes overlong. Some of it, though, works nicely to bring back the atmosphere of the times.

It's unfortunate that Mr Greenfiel didn't have the courtesy to correct Keith's surname in this re-edition - who cares how the publicists were misspelling it at the time?! That grates, as do the lame attempts to capture regional pronunciation. Just talk normal, please, Mr Greenfiel! And repeat after me: it's *Richards*.

In other words: Stanley Booth's _True Adventures of the Rolling Stones_ is miles better - really fine writing, a superior grasp of what the Stones are about, *and* he knows what Keith's surname is - but this one'll do between re-readings of Stanley's.

After being out of print for almost 30 years, I'm glad to see S.T.P. finally available. I've seen and heard references to it for years. I almost broke down and bought a used copy of it on eBay several times. I'm sure glad I waited (and saved a lot of money). While not focused entirely on the Stones themselves, this book does a good job of giving you the flavor of what it was like to tour North America in the summer of '72 with the Stones (and assorted hangers-on) as they brought Exile On Main Street (and Stevie Wonder) to the masses. I couldn't make it all the way through without pulling out my DVD copy of C.S. Blues (the making of which was mentioned in the book). A great look back at the Stones in their prime.

A readable and interesting book. I wasn't that interested in those on the peripherals of the Stones touring party, which fills much of this book, but the bits including the Stones themselves are very interesting and entertaining. In the intro, the author says this book has been out of print since 1974, and just got back in print in June, 2002. (I just read a passing reference to it in the Nov., 2002 issue of VOGUE. First I'd heard about it.) He's there when Mick and Keith get arrested for hitting a photographer. He's there when the Governor of Rhode Island tells the chief of police to spring Mick and Keith from jail, for public safety (the waiting audience for a Stones show could riot if deprived of the Stones!). He's there to show that being on tour with the greatest rock and roll band in the world CAN, truly and believably, get mind-numbingly dull. It's an interesting inside look, by a journalist who is impressively objective. (He doesn't despise nor worship the Stones, and actually gives an interesting run down of why, at that time, the Stones actually were NOT very wealthy, despite ten years of success. That's changed since, of course.) Worth reading if you're a Stones fan.