KEITH RICHARDS: SATISFACTION

Having written books on Kurt Cobain, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Sting, among others, Sandford is no stranger to the rock bio and attacks his newest venture with skill and style. Despite limited access to "the Human Riff," Sandford taps into scores of sources to construct Richards's story. While his prose might be a little too English for some stateside readers ("Keith's hair was teased high as a guardsman's busby" might not resonate with everyone), Sandford does an expert job of capturing a complicated subject. Stones fans will cherish stories of the band coming together—such as when Richards met a bright young London School of Economics student named Mike Jagger—the genesis of their hits, bandmate Brian Jones's staggering self-destruction and their fateful Altamont performance. There's enough drugs, booze and sex to satisfy even the most lusty soul, with entertaining cameos from the likes of Clapton, the Beatles and Marianne Faithfull, the latter immersed in a tempestuous love triangle with the so-called Glimmer Twins. "Faithfull fell in love with Keith as she rejected Jagger's blundering sexual advances. Which he repeated with astonishing resilience," Sandford writes. "Only a day or two later Keith unselfishly confirmed what Marianne already knew. 'Mick's really stuck on you. Go on, luv, give him a bell. He's not so bad.' " While it's frequently difficult to tell who the author is quoting, his easy storytelling style and expert musical knowledge make for a satisfying read. (Apr.)