Right, Keith Richards is my favourite member of The Rolling Stones and probably my biggest musical hero, so this post isn't at all nasty or malicious. Also, sorry if this has been discussed before (which it undoubtably has) but I'm a relatively new fan.

What's happened to his playing? Over the last few tours he's just deteriorated. Where he used to be a real powerhouse, possibly the world's most solid rhythm guitarist, now he's nowhere near that level. The band's aquired so many additional musicians that Keith just blends into the mix, he's pretty much just one of them himself. The band used to follow him, but he's not too consistant anymore. He hasn't been able to sing and play at the same time for some time (although keith's songs are always a highlight of the gigs for me anyway). His lead playing's not as good as it used to be either (check out Sympathy on Shine A Light). He's not bad, of course, but he's far from the great guitar player he used to be.

Sorry, but Ronnie's much better than him these days, no matter how pissed he is at every opportunity.

It's most likely a combination of:

01. Old Age

02. The abuse he's given his body over the years which is bound to take it's toll eventually

03. His hands being in poor shape (arthritis possibly?)

04. The meds he was taking after the tree fall made him disorientated, drowsy etc.

That said, he is still Keith, and I am grateful that he is still here, doing what he does best which is making music.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-12-20 03:06 by vudicus.

... and posing with nervous laughter during songs........

I don't buy the old age thing. There are plenty of people Keith's age and older who can play competently. I think it mostly has to do with his arthritis and his not giving a shit anymore.

look at KR's hands and the huge bumps in his joints. serious arthritis. it is a wonder he can bend his fingers at all, let alone play a guitar.

Keith's doin' pretty good compared to The Tree Man from Indonesia .....





ROCKMAN

Keith can´t play anymore, very sad but true i´m afraid and that´s mainly because he has problems with his fingers, not his brain.

The problem of the fingers are responsible of slower guitar performing, but it is not an excuse to play out of tune

It's not quite as cut and dried as all that though - check out his beautiful simplistic acoustic playing on "As Tears Go By" on SAL. Its such a beautiful contrast to the abortion that is the electric guitar playing in that film (when he's not being mixed out, that is) it's almost like he's deliberately sabotaging himself.

I think the tree-fall and meds for it have done more to cause this than any other source. He did get back on the horse rather quikly-maybe he has been able to adjust better now. I have faith he has.

His playing has been getting more erratic since the BtB/No Security Tour...In recent tours Ronnie and the rest of the band have been covering for Keef's deteriorating playing skills....I also know someone who was back stage for one of the ABB tour stadium show who claims Keef was partying hardy before the show which does not help the coordination....I would not expect Keef's playing to be better if they should tour again...I would expect they would just cover for him with the rest of the Stones Orchestra.......

Keith’s guitar-chops have suffered due to age and arthritis: the tree-fall and subsequent medication, IMO, have not added to the decline. His playing won’t improve, only worsen. All we can hope is that he hasn’t deteriorated too much since 2007. He is 66 years-old. The dexterity goes and you slow down. This was always going to happen: its just that it is sadly more noticeable with Keith, than with some others.

I've got the same problem Keith has in my fingers and I'm 39 years old! They are starting to look very similar to how Keith's fingers looked for Bridges...all knobby.

Anyway, my left thumb is so bad I can hardly bend it half of what I used to. And here's how that is - when I'm playing, I can't use my thumb anymore for an F chord or whatever. That's how far I can not bend it.

At times during shows my fingers essentially locked up on me. It causes a good bit of pain, it does make playing way more difficult. But some nights it's not so bad. Who knows.

So I would think that has something to do with it. But you watch that video of him playing during JJF from the Bang tour, whatever show that was, and he's not even bothering! It's almost like he's gone fishing. He's just sort of there...

Time to stop. Go out in a blaze of glory in a few "Last Waltz"-style shows that would pay homage to their career. Bring back MT and Bill as special guests (not replacements on a tour), along with a few other guests. No more touring. The machine has run our of gas. How much more do we require of them after all these years? Let them go out gracefully rather than continue a long decline. The Rolling Stones with a Keith that cannot play is not the Rolling Stones.

When the band broke up in the '80's Keith had some very pointed and harsh things to say about Jagger and the state of the band's stage shows. I never doubted his sincerity in critizing Jagger; or that he was tired of the spectacle of the band's shows. He struck out on his own. He seemed to have cleaned up. He had his own band. He wrote his own songs. He successfully put together the Chuck Berry movie. It was a commendable coming out for him. Why he re-joined the band is beyond me. Was it loyalty? Was it the money? Was it laziness? The reconciliation never struck true to me. And his behaviour after that never rang true either. He became the merry quipster. Keith, the clever humorist. He was like a man at party trying too hard to have a good time. I think his stage behaviour betrays his true feelings, although he would never admit the point. I saw him in '69 and '72 and '73 and he played with a vengence. I never saw him waltzing around the stage with the casual indifference of a king strolling around his court. Too many smiles. Too many laughs. Is it the bop on the head? Arthritic fingers? Age? Sure, all of that. But I think he's bored. Who wouldn't be? But it was his choice and I blame him for that.

He "rejoined" because the band has always been his first love. He always claimed he did the solo stuff only because he had to, and decried the fact that he "couldn't keep my band together". He and Jagger made some sort of Grand Pact to put the Stones back together, and since then, you are right: Keith has been more of a merry prankster enjoying his fame and less the driven band-leader. But this started long before the arthritis and bump on the head. I miss the the way he drove the band onstage circa 69-73 especially. He took no prisoners...Today he's happy to bask in the cheers of the crowd and let others keep the music together. He has almost no interaction with Jagger onstage anymore. Compare their chemistry the last ten years to them sharing a mic for Dead Flowers in '72. Quite a different vibe.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-12-20 22:58 by 71Tele.

He "rejoined" ? first time I hear this, did they split up back then?

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NICOS
He "rejoined" ? first time I hear this, did they split up back then?

Not officially. But the band was inactive for a long period after Dirty Work, and their future was uncertain. Others here may know more about this?

Keith is a great guitarist and writer....His skills have deteriorated a bit but its evident over a long tour...I remember seeing the Stones on this last tour...He was great in October and so so in December. Being a musician I know all about off nights, however, he has more off nights as the tour rolls on..I have heard many boots to back up my claim. Even in the Shine A Light movie he has some CLUNKERS...especially his solo in Sympathy For The Devil...I remember hearing it in the movie theatere and wondering.. How did they not do a retake?


Charlie

I am a 50 y.o.guitarist(37 years as a player- hobby, not a pro)and have arthritis in my ring finger. It is slighlty swollen at the top joint and hurts like crazy to the touch most of the time. It hurts when I play and bend it, but nothing that is unbearable.

I can speak from experience that having arthritis and by looking at both of KR's hands which are completely hammered, it is a MIRACLE that he can play the way he does play at age 66. Frankly, I do not know how he does it.

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deuce
I don't buy the old age thing. There are plenty of people Keith's age and older who can play competently. I think it mostly has to do with his arthritis and his not giving a shit anymore.

This basically.His arthritis is obviously stifling but when he really cares about a song,like for instance Learning the Game in Austin,he can sound as great as he ever has,driving the song along,whereas when he seemingly isn't interested in a song(eg Sway) he barely plays and it just sounds terrible.That's the most frustrating thing,not what he is unable to play,but what he could play if he bothered

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JumpinJeppeFlash
Keith can´t play anymore, very sad but true i´m afraid and that´s mainly because he has problems with his fingers, not his brain.

I dont think its just his fingers. He's on anti-seizure medication since his accident. A side effect of that medication can be problems with sedation and co-ordination. I dont think its a coincidence that there were a few occasions from September 2006 where he was prone to a few onstage 'absences', had a couple of falls and that he chooses to NOT play the guitar during his solo spot at the same time that he's singing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-12-21 04:02 by Gazza.

I think this is yet another answer to the old question of "If the old blues guys can play into their 80's, why can't the Stones?" I've been saying on here for a while now that that comparison isn't valid because all the old blues guys ever did to begin with, with very few exceptions, is pretty much just stand there playing and singing (and some of them played sitting down, even when they were younger), so when they reach/reached old age their performances still made/make sense, they aren't old men trying to carry on like 20 year olds. In other words, their performances are age appropriate, and they don't have to try and figure out how to grow old gracefully in rock n roll, because they never put on rock n roll type performances to begin with. But this thread made me realise another aspect. Keith still plays beautifully whenever I see a clip of him playing an acoustic guitar, it seems he can still fingerpick the blues and other stuff as good as ever. So I started thinking, if he can do that backstage while warming up, why can't he play as well onstage? I suddenly realized it's because the kind of playing he does on acoustic is probably much easier with his fingers like they are (and possibly his brain after all it's been thru!) than a balls to the wall rocker like All Down The Line, which is quite fast. That's why he struggles now, he can't keep up with the songs the Stones play. When he's finger-picking an acoustic, he can play at his own pace, and while some of what he plays is quite tricky, especially the three finger Merle Travis/banjo-picking type stuff, it's probably not as hard for him to play in regards to his fingers. Plus, Muddy, B.B., John Lee Hooker, etc., they never played stuff as fast and complex as rock music can be, they never played anything as breakneck as Rip This Joint or Little T&A. I've seen videos of Muddy's last performances in the 70's, I don't think he could have consistently played a song like All Down The Line at that age either. Think about it, most of the old blue artists songs are very simple in structure, almost always in the I-V-IV progression, with your basic verse-chorus-verse format. Little, if any, tricky chord changes, and never very fast. Could you picture B.B. King sitting down in a chair in front of a stadium full of people trying to play Rip This Joint? Probably wouldn't work very well, would it?

This is what's wrong with Keith, I think. It's not that he can't play anymore, it's that he can't play a lot of the Stones songs anymore. He just can't keep up because of his fingers, and possibly because of all the abuse he put himself thru. Let's face it, anytime you hear him talk nowadays, he can sound pretty spacey. Some of that may be an act, but some of it's probably beyond his control. I don't think he's as "there" as Mick and Charlie still are, or even Ronnie, when he's sober.

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boogie1969
Think about it, most of the old blue artists songs are very simple in structure, almost always in the I-V-IV progression, with your basic verse-chorus-verse format. Little, if any, tricky chord changes, and never very fast. Could you picture B.B. King sitting down in a chair in front of a stadium full of people trying to play Rip This Joint? Probably wouldn't work very well, would it?

I don't agree. Your description of simple blues songs sounds could describe Stones songs just as well. Plus the notion that keith's parts are physically hard to play goes against his stated philosophy of "5 strings, 2 fingers, 1 @#$%&," which is more accurate--all of his parts are very easy to play once you find the right tuning. And that's typical of repetitive rock guitar styles; they're very easy to play once you learn what the tricks are. It's coming up with the tricks (like open G) that's the hard part. That and writing the songs. "Rip This Joint" is a piece of cake; you barely have to move your fingers.

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Rockman
Keith's doin' pretty good compared to The Tree Man from Indonesia .....

that is @#$%& ing gross

OLDKR

I think he will be challenged by Mick to really dig deep to pull it together.

Mick is a smart guy and he has to know that the band has to "deliver the goods" in a down economy to justify $200-$300 concert ticket prices.

I remain optomistic and do believe deep down that we will get an outstanding new record, and also a mind blowing concert event.

Woody stays, Keith plays and we are all happy.

New músic that he can play Well and feel good about it. They have to Find a new Voice within their limitations, instead of hiding behind the orchestra, i want to hear his soul again, new músic personal músic. The circus is over time to look within, take us on the final ride. Keith reinvent yourself....

And i Will say this. Playing warhorses everynite would make me very bored andprobably make me drink and drugs.

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Gazza

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JumpinJeppeFlash
Keith can´t play anymore, very sad but true i´m afraid and that´s mainly because he has problems with his fingers, not his brain.

I dont think its just his fingers. He's on anti-seizure medication since his accident. A side effect of that medication can be problems with sedation and co-ordination. I dont think its a coincidence that there were a few occasions from September 2006 where he was prone to a few onstage 'absences', had a couple of falls and that he chooses to NOT play the guitar during his solo spot at the same time that he's singing.

Sure, you have a point there Gazza.

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Loudei
New músic that he can play Well and feel good about it. They have to Find a new Voice within their limitations, instead of hiding behind the orchestra, i want to hear his soul again, new músic personal músic. The circus is over time to look within, take us on the final ride. Keith reinvent yourself....

Yes - I agree with that totally. Someone like Neil Young would carry on making music somehow, even if his arms fell off.

What is it with RS fans and arthritis? I am 47 and I too have arthritis in my fingers. I have played guitar for 30 years as a hobby and it really hurts to play some chords now.

As was said previously, some days are better than others and it's particularly bad at the moment being so cold in the UK.

On the bright side, my dad also has it and he has reached a stage where his hasn't got any worse for the last 15 years, so Keith's may get to a point where it doesn't get any worse.