Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones

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     I have to admit my snobbery and ignorance regarding Keith Richards. As a guitarist,  I paid homage to guitarists like Allan Holdsworth, Al DiMeola, Steve Morse, and Eric Johnson. You may not have heard of any of these players. My snobbery is astounding.

    I've always liked the Stones, although my bands (as a teenager) were Aerosmith (first 5 albums only) and Led Zeppelin. I knew every oooh and ahhh that Plant sang. I was into the whole mystique about the band and Plant's tales of whoa, far-off lands (Kashmir), No Quarter...I was entirely in. You get the picture.

    Here is the thing about Keith Richards. He doesn't give a flying f@#! about being the greatest guitarist in the world. He is all about the feel, fun, and rhythm hook, especially. The Chuck Berryish draw you in intros. He just grabs you and slays you with them. How about the best rhythm intro in rock and roll (to me), "Can't You Hear Me Knocking."  Or "Brown Sugar," "Honky Tonk Women," or "Start Me Up." I could go on and on here. Think "Gimme Shelter." Not exactly Chuck Berryish, but brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. And he is the chap who wrote that old and worn-out intro to "Satisfaction," probably the most recognized riff in rock and roll. We've heard it 17,000,000 times, but when it came out, it was fresh.

    Next time you think of Keith Richards as a stoned old rocker, think again. Richards knows his craft. Plus, he's still alive!! Better late than never for me. Makes me wanna pick up my tele (take off the low E string), tune to open G (or some shit like that), and have some fun!

With Richards in mind, I'd jump on Spotify or Apple Music and revisit the Stones. If you are a snob like me, hopefully, you'll start to see his brilliance. I can't think of a Beatles song that grabbed me like any of the above tunes. Except maybe "Revolution." I know there must be some. I'll have to think about that one.

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