The Rolling Stones Rare and unseen

Mankowitz (Goin' Home with the Rolling Stones '66), who at 18 became the official photographer for the then newly formed Rolling Stones, gathers a rich and revealing trove of images from the band's early years. Capturing the group as they were "finding their style and... becoming themselves," Mankowitz's photos depict the rockers in motion onstage; in their homes and luxury cars; and in heated exchanges with concert security, incidents that underlined their reputation as a more boisterous and rowdy alternative to the Beatles. The portrait that comes together charts the band's rapid ascent to superstardom, yet even as guitarist Keith Richards's and singer Mick Jagger's stars rose, Brian Jones became increasingly alienated from the group he founded--in one photo, he's seen "hiding in his collar and looking like a malevolent goblin." Such images seem to foreshadow Jones's 1969 dismissal from the band and death the same year. Brief essays by the (London) Times rock critic Will Hodgkinson, culture commentator Peter York, and New York Times music and culture reporter Ben Sisario add context, as does a foreword by Richards and an afterword from longtime band manager Andrew Loog Oldham. Published to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the Stones' debut, this is sure to give fans satisfaction. (Apr.)