For 17 years, German recorded the comings and goings of the Rolling Stones in his fanzine Beggars Banquet
; in this surprisingly lifeless memoir, he documents his relationship with the band. German’s fandom with the Stones began when he was 12. When he heard songs like “Bitch” and “Sweet Virginia,” he was inexplicably hooked on the band’s music, and he envied the DJs who got to play their music and the journalists who covered the band. By the time he was 16, German had decided to produce a newsletter devoted to his favorite group, printing the first 100 copies of Beggars Banquet
on his Brooklyn high school’s mimeograph machine in 1978. Although his classmates were unenthusiastic (they were more interested in disco and Saturday Night Fever
than Exile on Main Street
), the Stones and their management eventually became aware of German’s efforts. By 1983, the Stones wanted to make Beggars Banquet
the official fanzine of their fan club and stuffed the record sleeves of their new release, Undercover
, with it. When the Stones’ manager reneged on his promise of payment, German learned a hard business lesson and ended the arrangement, but he never lost his affection for the band. He chronicles his close relationships with Keith Richards and Ron Woods (with whom he coauthored a book) as well as his lukewarm relationship with Mick. Richards emerges from German’s memoir as a sweet and loving guy, while Jagger appears an arrogant prima donna who has little time for his band mates or his family. (Feb.)
