ROLLING STONES Guitarist KEITH RICHARDS Not The Biggest LED ZEPPELIN Fan - “JIMMY PAGE Is A Brilliant Player... But I Always Felt There Was Something A Little Hollow About It”

October 8, 2015, 8 years ago

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ROLLING STONES Guitarist KEITH RICHARDS Not The Biggest LED ZEPPELIN Fan - “JIMMY PAGE Is A Brilliant Player... But I Always Felt There Was Something A Little Hollow About It”

During a new interview with RollingStone.com, Rolling Stones guitar legend Keith Richards discusses his feelings on band’s that came after the Stones. Read an excerpt below:

RS: Your quotes about the Beatles went viral recently. I'm curious what you think of the acts that came after the Stones. You and Mick kind of created the archetype for the guitarist–lead singer dynamic, which we later saw in Aerosmith, etc.

KR: “There's always one Keith Richards and there's always a ... [trails off]. Yeah, yeah. I always just take it as a compliment. That's the only smooth way I can take it. Well, I'm glad you like the hairdo and the clothes, boys! But very little of it has to deal with the actual music. That's that image thing, which is a whole different bag, I suppose. Am I supposed to feel flattered? I wonder how much of it has to do with music and posing, and you can't really get the line straight. I mean there are a million guitar players out there. I always think it comes down to, did you find the right guy to play with? You might just be a good, average guitar player, but you find the other guy to play with, and suddenly, it goes to the power of something. It's playing together that is the important thing about bands, and so many bands are manufactured. I mean, even Zeppelin was manufactured by Peter Grant.”

RS: I was never a big Zeppelin guy.

KR: “Me neither. I love Jimmy Page, but as a band, no, with John Bonham thundering down the highway in an uncontrolled 18-wheeler. He had cornered the market there. Jimmy is a brilliant player. But I always felt there was something a little hollow about it, you know?”

Read more at RollingStone.com.

Richards released his eagerly anticipated Crosseyed Heart, his third solo album and his first in over 20 years, September 18th on Virgin EMI/Universal Music.

Crosseyed Heart, a 15-track masterclass encompassing everything that makes Keith Richards one of the 20th century’s most celebrated talents, is a five-star musical journey that takes in reggae, rock, country and the blues.
 
The first taste of Crosseyed Heart was unveiled with the explosive first single, “Trouble”, a taut guitar-based slice of heaven featuring Richards on electric and acoustic guitars, bass, lead and backup vocals. He is richly supported by old friends, drummer Steve Jordan, guitarist Waddy Wachtel and Bernard Fowler on backup vocals. The song was written by and produced by Keith and Steve Jordan.
 
“I had a ball making this new record and working with Steve Jordan and Waddy Wachtel again,” Keith Richards said. “There’s nothing like walking into a studio and having absolutely no idea what you’re going to come out with on the other end. If you're looking for Trouble, you've come to the right place.”
 

Keith wrote or co-wrote the majority of the tracks on Crosseyed Heart, many with co-producer Steve Jordan. Highlights include the country tinged ache of Robbed Blind, the reggae-flavoured Love Overdue, and the aptly-named Blues In The Morning. Richards collaborates with several artists including a captivating duet with Norah Jones on the soulful ballad Illusion, which she co-wrote.
 
Keith Richards, who plays electric and acoustic guitars, bass, piano and vocals on the album, is also joined by guitarist Waddy Wachtel, keyboardist Ivan Neville and background singer Sarah Dash, part of the X-Pensive Winos, who accompanied Richards on his previous solo records.
 
Steve Jordan plays drums and vocals and other artists accompany Richards on individual tracks, including Stax songwriter and keyboardist Spooner Oldham on Lovers Plea, pedal steel by Larry Campbell on Robbed Blind, Aaron Neville on backup vocals on Nothing On Me, and dear friend Bobby Keys on saxophone on Amnesia and Blues In The Morning.


 
Keith has released two other solo studio albums, Talk Is Cheap in 1988 and Main Offender in 1992 as well as a live album entitled, Live at the Hollywood Palladium, December 15, 1988.

 



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