Dig this: the Rolling Stones are way cool. Everyone knows how Led Zeppelin carved their own niche and the WHO arguably invented punk rock, but of the four most influential British invasion bands, the Rolling Stones might be my favorite, if not the coolest. While the Beatles consistently broke ground and revolutionized rock, roll and pop music, setting a standard that nobody's been able to touch since, the Stones took black American music and made it their own. There's no glory in thievery but the Stones added their own personal touches to black soul and R&B, delta blues and Chuck Berry's rock. Making their mark on other people's sounds, they were unabashed copycats and left their filthy fingerprints on tunes from the likes of Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. I think it was only on their third UK release that the Stones first contributed original material.
Even though their sound was fueled by a healthy dose of the music of black America, the influence of wine, women and illegal narcotics was clearly evident on their late 60's, early 70's records. Consider Keith's guitar solo at the end of "stray cat blues;" he must've been more faded than a half-shaken etch-a-sketch. There's virtually no melody or structure to the solo at all. Soaked in reverb and dripping through an echoing amp at top volume, the singular notes pierce my ears and shimmer with a liquid-like quality. I picture him recording this in front of a stack of Marshalls, eyes closed, swaying or wobbling gently as the sound blows past him. The solo is so simple and sophomoric that I figure he was just wasted and digging the sensation of the sound itself, not the arrangement of the actual notes (of which there are maybe two).
Mick, of course, was a force to be reckoned with. A serpentine tease who oozed sexuality and possessed a voice that was torn and frayed, he'd steal your heart away clad in tight pants and a t-shirt. Turning on the repressed youth of the post-war generation, the Stones [and all the other acts from this period], couldn't have come at a better time. 
Charlie found shelter behind the rest of the band and kept time with a laidback jazz style. In sharp contrast to the unbridled energy of Keith Moon, Charlie was Mr. Cool. Where other drummers might throw in a little flourish or embellishment, he'd hold fast to the groove and in doing so, propel it forward. Though he had a soft touch and was somewhat stingy with his fills and rolls, Charlie defined what a rock drummer could be.
Even though their sound was fueled by a healthy dose of the music of black America, the influence of wine, women and illegal narcotics was clearly evident on their late 60's, early 70's records. Consider Keith's guitar solo at the end of "stray cat blues;" he must've been more faded than a half-shaken etch-a-sketch. There's virtually no melody or structure to the solo at all. Soaked in reverb and dripping through an echoing amp at top volume, the singular notes pierce my ears and shimmer with a liquid-like quality. I picture him recording this in front of a stack of Marshalls, eyes closed, swaying or wobbling gently as the sound blows past him. The solo is so simple and sophomoric that I figure he was just wasted and digging the sensation of the sound itself, not the arrangement of the actual notes (of which there are maybe two).Mick, of course, was a force to be reckoned with. A serpentine tease who oozed sexuality and possessed a voice that was torn and frayed, he'd steal your heart away clad in tight pants and a t-shirt. Turning on the repressed youth of the post-war generation, the Stones [and all the other acts from this period], couldn't have come at a better time. Charlie found shelter behind the rest of the band and kept time with a laidback jazz style. In sharp contrast to the unbridled energy of Keith Moon, Charlie was Mr. Cool. Where other drummers might throw in a little flourish or embellishment, he'd hold fast to the groove and in doing so, propel it forward. Though he had a soft touch and was somewhat stingy with his fills and rolls, Charlie defined what a rock drummer could be.How's that saying go? A band is no greater than the sum of its parts. Something like that. But with a rotating cast of guitar and bass players, the triad of Mick, Keith and Charlie has remained unbroken for nearly 40 years. These dudes are still touring and raking in the loot. I like to think they do it for the love of the music, but it's probably about the money. Maybe it's both.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment