18-12-2017, 20:38
Keith Richards was born on this day in 1943, in the ‘Garden of England’, Kent. Riff-maker for the Rolling Stones, and seemingly physically indestructible despite many and varied shenanigans which might have finished off a less resilient individual. He hardly needs an introduction, having successfully acquired himself a solid reputation as something of a reprobate. There’s a funny meme going around which says “We need to start worrying about what kind of world we are leaving for Keith Richards”, lol!!
He has around 3,000 guitars which seems a little excessive, but then excess is (or was) his stock in trade – he also, surprisingly, owns a rather magnificent library and is a reader of note, stating that he has leanings towards being a librarian. Now there’s a turn up for the books!!
He likes his acoustic instruments, regarding the acoustic guitar as the basis for his playing, which has been referred to as direct and unpretentious. It also seems to have been his playing that often drove, or led the band, rather than anyone else taking that role (Bill Wyman, for example).
Producer and guest artist on many albums, for many other musicians, he’s released three solo efforts and I’ve listened to the most recent, or a large part of it. Not my cup of tea but quite interesting to hear nonetheless – some strangely endearing ballads. Funny enough – his voice puts me in mind of Mark Knopfler x Bob Dylan now and then (which is where any similarity stops, and with apologies for the blasphemy).
His many clangers have been widely quoted, which is what happens when you’re an irreverent, high profile rock star, but he has been known to remark that when, and if it turns out he is not actually immortal, he’d "…. like to croak magnificently, onstage."
One of those aforementioned songs from his Crosseyed Heart ...
He has around 3,000 guitars which seems a little excessive, but then excess is (or was) his stock in trade – he also, surprisingly, owns a rather magnificent library and is a reader of note, stating that he has leanings towards being a librarian. Now there’s a turn up for the books!!
He likes his acoustic instruments, regarding the acoustic guitar as the basis for his playing, which has been referred to as direct and unpretentious. It also seems to have been his playing that often drove, or led the band, rather than anyone else taking that role (Bill Wyman, for example). Producer and guest artist on many albums, for many other musicians, he’s released three solo efforts and I’ve listened to the most recent, or a large part of it. Not my cup of tea but quite interesting to hear nonetheless – some strangely endearing ballads. Funny enough – his voice puts me in mind of Mark Knopfler x Bob Dylan now and then (which is where any similarity stops, and with apologies for the blasphemy).
His many clangers have been widely quoted, which is what happens when you’re an irreverent, high profile rock star, but he has been known to remark that when, and if it turns out he is not actually immortal, he’d "…. like to croak magnificently, onstage."
One of those aforementioned songs from his Crosseyed Heart ...
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson