For the casual Rolling Stones fan the band will forever
be known by the dynamic duo of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The so-called Glimmer Twins have been synonymous with
success of the Rolling Stones, dubbed by many as the World’s Greatest Rock ’n’
Roll band; but the truth is the band got its start when blues fan, guitarist
Brian Jones began to cobble together a group of like minded musicians that
would evolve into the Stones.
In Brian Jones –
The Making of the Rolling Stones, author Paul Trynka draws a sharp dividing
line between the two camps; those that support the status of Brian Jones as the
founding force and those who fall into the Jagger/Richards camp as the spark of
the band’s ultimate greatness.
Trynka truly highlights, but doesn’t necessarily clear
up the mystery that shrouds much of the mystery that surrounds the band; the
strained relationships, the seemingly endless parade of women (who often added
fuel to the fiery relationships) the drugs, the mis-management and the
super-sized personalities and egos that are part and parcel of the band.
Trynka focuses a lot of attention on Jones’ troubled
early life and the impact that it had on his personality, his apparent obsessions
and his ultimate demise. While there has been much speculation surrounding the
death of Brian Jones, Trynka doesn’t really wade into the conspiracy debate; instead
choosing to touch on many of the theories that have been espoused and
investigated by both the police and the media.
What is made clear in the pages of Brain Jones is that despite 50 years of music and media including
countless articles and books there remains a staggering amount that is unknown
or unclear about the band’s history. That may stem from the passage of time,
the clearly divided camps and conflicting allegiances, the deep dives into drug
abuse and the desire to keep things all a part of the mythology of the Stones.
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