Well, this was not on my to-do list, but a great literary agent in Edinburgh approached me about putting together a book proposal to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Rolling Stones. I have just signed a deal with St. Martins to publish it, aiming for spring 2013.
The idea is to take 50 of my favorite and/or representative songs, spread across all of their career, examine them deeply and contextualize them within the eras in which they appeared, kind of like what I did with the post here on “Gimme Shelter,” and in my book on Exile. But this is more telling the history of the band via the songs. Working title: 50/50: Listening to 50 Years of the Rolling Stones. Extremely fun, but a daunting prospect.
At some point, I hope to write about something other than the Stones. I don’t want to pretend to be an expert. I am only a fan.