Knew it when I saw him playing in a couple of Faces concerts last year. Seems he really got his confidence and belief back from that. Wasnt it just great watching and hearing his great versatilty on the recent shows. That b bender is something else! Love it.
Most of us have knocked Ronnie through the last 20 or so years. His playing could sometimes be was spotty, inconsistent and many of us thought he was lazy. But maybe it was the drugs and alcohol. Whatever it was, its gone now. One of the highlights of the Jersey shows has been listening to Ronnie actually play. He's been amazing. I imagine sobriety has something to do with it...and he just seems to be reinvigorated. I also think Ronnie should be given credit to being able to maintain some peace within the Stones throughout the years. His naturally open and welcoming personality makes it possible for the Stones to embrace Taylor onto the stage. He isn't a diva - and he's the first to praise someone else and give props. I think that's one of his greatest contributions to the band. Apart from all that - he has sounded this good in decades. I especially loved watching him play with Mayer and Clark - I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He was always a great player and now he's reminding of how great he can be.