I was reading an old 100 Worst Guitar Solos article and saw straight in at number 8 Keith's solo on Ain’t Too Proud to Beg!

What are your thoughts on his solo?

The full entry is below:

8 ROLLING STONES
“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”
It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (1974)
GUITARIST: Keith Richards

Keith Richards says he never understood why Mick Taylor left the Rolling Stones, but this horrendous, lurching and sputtering solo might have had something to do with his exit. Was Taylor angry with Richards for ruining an otherwise decent cover of a Motown classic? Was he too proud to beg to play the solo himself? Or was he just plain tired of playing with a group he considered rank amateurs? “I couldn’t believe how bad they were,” Taylor has said of the group. “Their playing was out of tune, and they sounded like a garage band. I often wondered how the Stones could make hit records.” Maybe it was only rock and roll, but Taylor apparently didn’t like it, and he bailed from the Stones less than two months after this record came out.

Is this great solo really played by Keith? Always thought it was that Taylor-guy. In no way the song is ruined by the solo. It´s brilliant! See what has become of Taylor who thought he would be better off on his own than playing in this "unbelievable bad band". He fell on his face, imo a well deserved punsihment for being so haughty.

Aint Too Proud Too Beg is one of the best cover-versions the Stones ever did, very energetic and explovisve, no matter who played the guitar.

Love! A no bullshit solo, piercing into the core of what rock'n'roll is all about.

Few other guitar players dare to be as direct.

Taylor wasn't angry at anything, as he didn't play on the track at all.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-09-04 15:30 by DandelionPowderman.

The problem with this song are the lyrics. Aint too proud to Beg??? Are you kidding me? I would never take that approach. Worrried About You makes more sense.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-09-04 15:35 by Chris Fountain.

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FP
I was reading an old 100 Worst Guitar Solos article and saw straight in at number 8 Keith's solo on Ain’t Too Proud to Beg!

What are your thoughts on his solo?

The full entry is below:

8 ROLLING STONES
“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”
It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (1974)
GUITARIST: Keith Richards

Keith Richards says he never understood why Mick Taylor left the Rolling Stones, but this horrendous, lurching and sputtering solo might have had something to do with his exit. Was Taylor angry with Richards for ruining an otherwise decent cover of a Motown classic? Was he too proud to beg to play the solo himself? Or was he just plain tired of playing with a group he considered rank amateurs? “I couldn’t believe how bad they were,” Taylor has said of the group. “Their playing was out of tune, and they sounded like a garage band. I often wondered how the Stones could make hit records.” Maybe it was only rock and roll, but Taylor apparently didn’t like it, and he bailed from the Stones less than two months after this record came out.

They hadn't played live for two years when he said that. The music world, and especially the equipment and the concert PAs had changed totally in those two years. They probably sounded shite when he said it.

However, while recording IORR he wouldn't have said that.

So you're shuffling the cards here - I don't know if that's intentional to stir up something?

A fantastic solo, that makes the optimum out of a rather pale Motown song. I like the Stones version and particularly Keith's aggressive solo. Stones' Ain't Too Proud to Beg is even actually no cover, but a song on its own ...

I think the trouble was Keith played this solo with his feet while grinning at Taylor...and it still completely rocked. That had to piss off the old librarian...

This solo is of the same order as that solo on King Bee, either the Stones' or the Slim Harpo version. All summarised with that old cliché: less is more.

one of his best...if you can't feel this, I advice you go see a doctor.

If you do not like the studio version - then avoid the live version on the bigger bang tour from Austin Texas. Its hard to watch and listen to.Keith is playing in the wrong key.

play the guitar boy.

We didn't care...Austin was going off that beautiful Texas night. The Heineken was flowing and Charlie was on fire. We appreciated Keith trying a different tuning on that song...and a few others

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OpenG
If you do not like the studio version - then avoid the live version on the bigger bang tour from Austin Texas. Its hard to watch and listen to.Keith is playing in the wrong key.

play the guitar boy.

Yeah - but overall that is a very good concert. They nailed Get off my Cloud. And the atmosphere of Godzillla Park was great from a video view.

Interesting how the title suggests a discussion about the solo in ATPTB, but then its twisted into another theory about why MT left the band.

I love this solo. Fantastic guitar sound.

Love! It took me a while to get what that solo is doing, but it's absolutely perfect.
I'm sitting here glowing like a fool just thinking about it. That Keith Richards is a wild and funky cat,
and he knows what he's doing.

It's a hideous solo, one of the worst on any Stones record

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FP
Or was he just plain tired of playing with a group he considered rank amateurs? “I couldn’t believe how bad they were,” Taylor has said of the group. “Their playing was out of tune, and they sounded like a garage band. I often wondered how the Stones could make hit records.” Maybe it was only rock and roll, but Taylor apparently didn’t like it, and he bailed from the Stones less than two months after this record came out.

If Taylor had any of these feelings in him, then what a shame. He left one of the greatest bands in rock history (still around, you see). And he missed out on some great albums, tours, and a ton of money. Whatever it was that was Taylor's loss and Ron Wood's gain (and Ron Wood has persevered to his credit...a wise man).

Makes me wonder why he was not included (after a few guest appearances) on the last zip code tour of America,,,



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-09-04 17:08 by nightskyman.

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nightskyman
Makes me wonder why he was not included (after a few guest appearances) on the last zip code tour of America,,,

Mick & Keith lifted him up from the bottom and gave him the opportunity to make some money by doing these (artisically unnecessary) guest-appearances. And then they decided they helped him enough. They were very generous to carry unfaithful MT around the world in 2012-13. But of course they wouldn´t take care of him for the rest of his life. Maybe his behaviour became haughty again as time went on, who knows.

The original post quote is not from me but from a Guitarworld article, see full list of terrible solos below:

[www.guitarworld.com]

Again the problem is with lyrics.


ROLLING STONES
“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”
It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (1974)
GUITARIST: Keith Richards

Keith Richards says he never understood why Mick Taylor left the Rolling Stones, but this horrendous, lurching and sputtering solo might have had something to do with his exit. Was Taylor angry with Richards for ruining an otherwise decent cover of a Motown classic? Was he too proud to beg to play the solo himself? Or was he just plain tired of playing with a group he considered rank amateurs? “I couldn’t believe how bad they were,” Taylor has said of the group. “Their playing was out of tune, and they sounded like a garage band. I often wondered how the Stones could make hit records.” Maybe it was only rock and roll, but Taylor apparently didn’t like it, and he bailed from the Stones less than two months after this record came out.

I like it and I can't see anything wrong with that solo.

Also included on that list is this one:

67 THE ROLLING STONES
“Sympathy for the Devil”
Four Flicks DVD (2003)
GUITARIST: Keith Richards

Everyone raved about how well Ron Wood was playing on the Stones’ most recent tour, probably because Woody had to work extra hard just to cover for Keith. During the band’s Madison Square Garden show, Keef essays his most famous solo as if he has no idea what song the rest of the band is playing.

What's the source of this "100 Worst Guitar Solos article"...Mad magazine?


It's a great solo by any definition, and is the highlight of this cover version imo.
With that said, I prefer the Temptations original.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

If someone asks you "how does it feel to be strung out on heroin" play them this solo. It says everything about junkie state of mind.

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Chris Fountain
The problem with this song are the lyrics. Aint too proud to Beg??? Are you kidding me? I would never take that approach. Worrried About You makes more sense.

Good for you

The video is what sticks in the mind, the Stones dressed as a cross between Sgt Peppers era Beatles and wedding cakes.

The solo is syncopated for sure!

Love it. I guess they have not heard some of his train wreck live solo's of the past decade or so.

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Hairball
What's the source of this "100 Worst Guitar Solos article"...Mad magazine?


It's a great solo by any definition, and is the highlight of this cover version imo.
With that said, I prefer the Temptations original.

it's definitely the highlight. i'm pretty sure i've almost turned off this song a dozen times and then remembered the solo was coming up, listened to it, and then shut off the song.

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Turner68

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Hairball
What's the source of this "100 Worst Guitar Solos article"...Mad magazine?


It's a great solo by any definition, and is the highlight of this cover version imo.
With that said, I prefer the Temptations original.

it's definitely the highlight. i'm pretty sure i've almost turned off this song a dozen times and then remembered the solo was coming up, listened to it, and then shut off the song.

I'd agree, but in a very roundabout way. This is an awful cover, in my opinion, and the solo is the awfullest thing about it. That kind of makes it a highlight, I guess?

If it were a little louder and a touch more dissonant I'd've given Keef points for avant-garde postmodernism ... but it's not quite THAT out there.

In term of overall guitar solos it doesn't really compare but it terms of Keith solos it's certainly near the top. It conveys some emotion, fits it the song well and has good tone..what's not to like really.