I've noticed in some threads that some people are always thankful that Chuck is very low in the mix which leads me to think a couple of things:

1. People don't like pianos (keyboards, organs whatever).

2. People don't like the fact that a lot of Stones songs have piano/keyboard parts in them.

3. People don't like the fact that Chuck plays on some songs and is somewhat high in the mix.

As for me personally, I don't mind some good piano (the late Ian Stewart was definitely the man for this, as was Nicky Hopkins) but I can't stand the fact that some piano has been included in some songs like Start Me Up. There's no place for it, especially in that particular song imo.

Just Chuck I believe. But I have nothing against the guy myself.

I don't like his playing. It suprises me that Chuck is so high in the mix and Stu was so low. Stu was a 100 times better. EVERY song has a piano. I don't mind him playing on i.e. Angie that loud, but don't draw al the attention. Stu never did that either.

Just Chuck.

I love pianos. I love Stu's playing, Nicky's playing and even Billy Preston's playing. Chuck's playing is way too kind and gentle for a band like the rolling stones.

Chuck's playing is not just kind and gentle, but so happy and gay. No doubt he is an accomplished musician, a real handyman. But for the Stones he is totally unfitting. Just listen to Gimme Shelter on No security - horrible!

And he completely lacks the grace Nicky and Stu had.

----------------------------
"Music is the frozen tapioca in the ice chest of history."

"Shit!... No shit, awright!"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-10-26 11:39 by Greg.

the resentment seems to be over his being too prominent in the mix, which leaks into animosity toward the guy himself.
Billy got overbearing sometimes too, and folks don't like that much either.
there are tons of keyboard players whose work with the Stones no one objects to -
au contraire, even - so it's clearly not a problem with keyboards per se.



"What do you want - what?!"
- Keith

Start me Up is terrible with Chucks piano and Ronnies solo. Just crank the guitars and put a bit more edge to it. I think people don't like Chuck because it makes the band's songs all the same. When the "feeling" of the song comes from the same piano licks for each song and sets the same mood. Sumtimes the riff or solo will take the song sumwhere new but Chucks piano brings it back.

Just ditch the piano. Even with Ian, I didn't much like the sound. Luckily it was back further in the mix. Stones + Piano = Mismatch. Of course, there are always exceptions. Monkey Man etc.

Then they have to toss away all the Berry-ish numbers as well?

Chuck Berry songs sound great with no piano too. My main concern is hearing plink sounds on SFTD, JJF, Brown Sugar etc. Ya-Yas was low on the piano mix for the most part - that's how the later Live albums should have been. And when I saw them in 1975, Ian was truly in the background. Maybe that's because Billy Preston was hogging the limelight though. Seems like the Stones need their Piano men.

Love pianos...Ian Stewart. Ian Mc, and Chuck too! WHINE, WHINE, WHINE!

On the original version of Sympathy the piano is one of the most prominent insytruments.
As to the original Q of course the problem is Leavell. No one in their right mind will discount such a glorious instrument as the piano. Only such people who perpetrate musical crimes on it. Yes GS on No Security is just...just a crime.

Richard from Canada Wrote:
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> Chuck Berry songs sound great with no piano too.

You think Chuck Berry would be anywhere without Johnnie Johnson? Those songs are written on piano. It would be foolish to leave a piano out. But it has to be boogie woogie, and the promblem is Leavell isn't boogie woogie at all.

When I was 14, a piano jumped from the bushes, stole my baseball cards and called me a @#$%&. I've hated them ever since.

Seriously, who in their right mind would actually hate pianos? They're arguably the most beautiful-sounding instrument of all.

Except when played by Chuck.

-- Keep on rollin'. Keep on. Keep on. Keep on. --

Bluespeyer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When I was 14, a piano jumped from the bushes,
> stole my baseball cards and called me a @#$%&.
> I've hated them ever since.
>
> Seriously, who in their right mind would actually
> hate pianos? They're arguably the most
> beautiful-sounding instrument of all.
>
> Except when played by Chuck.
>
> -- It's no hanging matter --


Yes. Chuck's playing is absolutely not in the style of previous musicians. He is a solo artist and mostly a session musician and should not be a member of the Rolling Stones. He doesn't even play a real piano! One of those crappy sounding keyboards.

Chuck nor pianos are a good fit for the Stones. Especially Chuck.

Splattered, All Over Manhattan Wrote:
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> Chuck nor pianos are a good fit for the Stones.
> Especially Chuck.

You never liked Stu? I sure did!

Reptile Wrote:
>
> You never liked Stu? I sure did!


Good point. Don't like pianos with the Stones from SW to present, so I guess it boils down to Chuck.

Splattered, All Over Manhattan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chuck nor pianos are a good fit for the Stones.
> Especially Chuck.

So, I guess you dislike Loving Cup, Worried about you, Tumbling Dice, Midnight Rambler, Monkey Man, Honky Tonk Women and Memory Motel huh?

sladog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Splattered, All Over Manhattan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Chuck nor pianos are a good fit for the
> Stones.
> > Especially Chuck.
>
> So, I guess you dislike Loving Cup, Worried about
> you, Tumbling Dice, Midnight Rambler, Monkey Man,
> Honky Tonk Women and Memory Motel huh?
>
>
>


Don't dislike any of them. Of the tunes listed, I prefer Midnight Rambler & Memory Motel.

Don't like pianos with the Stones from SW to present, so I guess it boils down to Chuck.

In the time Nicky Hopkins and Ian Stewart played piano on stage, they used a real piano, at least in the seventies and earlier I think. Nowadays it's all keyboards. That's no sound compared to a real piano.
I wonder what it would sound like when the Stones would use a real piano instead of keyboards for the pianoparts.

And yes... I do prefer Ian, Nicky and Billy. Nowadays they let the piano too high in the mix. It has no function for some songs.

I like to hear real boogie woogie on the rock'n roll songs on a real piano!

Richard from Canada Wrote:
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> Stones + Piano = Mismatch.


I'm sorry Richard, but I totally disagree with you here.

I think the Piano is integral to the Stones sound - always has been.

Stones + Overbearingly loud piano in the forefront - Mismatch

I don't even particularly dislike Leavell's playing (he is a good musician and probably a really nice guy). My problem has always been with the sound engineers who put him so high in the mix.

At the end of the day, it is the Stones themselves who are responsible. They hire and fire the people - if they wanted a more guitar orientated sound then orders would soon get through to the sound guy. Only they don't hear it the same as we do because they're on stage with their own monitors, so they probably rely on comments from their teenage daughters...

He is so high in the mix because he has a role comparable to a director of an orchestra - he gives the other musicians clues. A slide means: watch out, here comes the chorus again! The longer the slides, the more the Stones are out of it...

----------------------------
"Music is the frozen tapioca in the ice chest of history."

"Shit!... No shit, awright!"

Pianos are great - provided someone can actually play one.

I think Chuck should only be allowed to play publicly with Billy Joel or Barry Manolow or "groups" like "No Doubt", Britney Spears, etc., etc.

Imo, no band (post-1970) has ever incorporated the piano into the sound of its music as fittingly as the Stones did. It's just another one of the gorgeous sounds that gave the band its incomparable identity.

This doesn't include Chuck's plinky-plink playing, of course.




-- Keep on rollin'. Keep on. Keep on. Keep on. --

PS: The same can be said of the horns.

-- Keep on rollin'. Keep on. Keep on. Keep on. --

Love Piano in rock.... but it sould be a real piano, not an electric. Stu played lovely on 81/82. Chuck is probably a great player. But don't fit in with the Stones....

Listen to Let It Rock from Leeds 1971... listen to that boogie woogie piano.. that's what's missing these days!!

"It suprises me that Chuck is so high in the mix and Stu was so low."

Stu on LYL site 4 - the piano is high.....