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Stones fans should be happy they have a band. I run a band and when I replace someone great there's always an adjustment period and a sad resignation missing that person. The Brian people question Taylor, Woody will never be as good as either, it goes on and on. Billy Preston, Nicky, two in a trillion billion.., once in a lifetime. The only other guys that come to mind, would be Leon Russell or Bruce Hornsby but Chuck could do just as well on a grand piano. Sometimes his 50th anniv. piano sound was cheesy, I don't know what's going on there.Quote
mickschix
Loved your post GLOOM&DOOM, and I think that he has had to follow the likes of the beloved Ian Stewart and Nickie Hopkins....not easy to follow those two. Chuck has a different style but I have had the pleasure of chatting with him for quite some time during No Security and the man is classy and very modest.
How can anyone not love his playing on " Honky Tonk Woman"? I thought he was especially brilliant during the 50th Anniversary shows, HTW was just one highlite. For you, Chuck!
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DoomandGloom
People here resent him because he so genuinely happy to be on stage. Haters despise real emotion and the notion that he's just a fan, like us.
Maybe some people don't like his playing. Why try to find ulterior motives for that?
your misery is showing again.
Well, for myself, I may or may not be miserable, but I feel Chuck is quite likable. Doesn't stop me from preferring what I heard from the other musicians that had his place before him though. IF.... that is actually the fault of Mick and/or Kieth, it is no less disappointing. Maybe more so really.
I also understand (I think) the desire to perhaps "defend" Chuck either as a musician or simply a good guy, or both, in light of the alternating mirthful and occasionally venomous abuse heaped upon him on this board.
What I might be unclear about is just how many here actually like what Chuck plays with the Stones *better* than what his predecessor brought to the Stones. Any takers there?
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DandelionPowderman
I know he´s a nice guy and a brilliant musician, but so is Jeff Beck - and he is certainly not a good fit for the Stones.
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DandelionPowderman
I know he´s a nice guy and a brilliant musician, but so is Jeff Beck - and he is certainly not a good fit for the Stones.
If being a nice guy was mandatory for being a Stone, then who would be a fan?
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Angus MacBagpipe
Chuck makes a great contribution to "Sympathy" live - Billy Preston or even Stu couldn't do that.
Plus he always look you in the eye, smiles and waves when he goes past on his way to and from the b-stage. The guy is happy to be there, just like us!
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Angus MacBagpipe
Chuck makes a great contribution to "Sympathy" live - Billy Preston or even Stu couldn't do that.
Plus he always look you in the eye, smiles and waves when he goes past on his way to and from the b-stage. The guy is happy to be there, just like us!
It was Nicky who played on the album version. Billy or Stu could have done just as could had they played the same arrangement live on those tours. Chuck did all right on Sympathy the first years. The last tours is a bit too loose, imo.
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Woz
Chuck ROCKS!
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crumbling_mice
I wonder if he has ever sat down and listened to what Hopkins did and just for once, tried to inject something similar?
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crumbling_mice
I wonder if he has ever sat down and listened to what Hopkins did and just for once, tried to inject something similar?
chuck can out-nicky nicky.
there's a special place in hell waiting for souls like yours, btw.
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crumbling_mice
The sad fact is, we are never going to see the Stones without Chuck Leavell. I'm sure he is a brilliant musician and arranger and seemingly an all round good old boy, all of this is great, but of course none of it means he should be in the Stones.
His playing style simply does not add anything to Stones songs, even on basic stuff like Faraway Eyes he manages, somehow to add that little bit of 'Chuck' which is too flamboyant for the song. I wonder if he has ever sat down and listened to what Hopkins did and just for once, tried to inject something similar?
Rock n ROll's own version of Liberace and they should have jettisoned him way back. There are plenty of talented keyboard players who could have added to the Stones sound in a good way, rather than the flamboyant over kill approach by Leavell. His work on Sympathy is truly atrocious, same with Honky TOnk Women. I simply hate his style of playing. Stuck with him I'm afraid as the band see him as a musical security blanket. Chuck Leavell is just not rock n roll.
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crumbling_mice
I wonder if he has ever sat down and listened to what Hopkins did and just for once, tried to inject something similar?
chuck can out-nicky nicky.
there's a special place in hell waiting for souls like yours, btw.
Chuck was a big big fanboy of Nicky's and did a whole lotta work to emulate his style and tempo...cheers to Chuck for that.
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crumbling_mice
The sad fact is, we are never going to see the Stones without Chuck Leavell. I'm sure he is a brilliant musician and arranger and seemingly an all round good old boy, all of this is great, but of course none of it means he should be in the Stones.
His playing style simply does not add anything to Stones songs, even on basic stuff like Faraway Eyes he manages, somehow to add that little bit of 'Chuck' which is too flamboyant for the song. I wonder if he has ever sat down and listened to what Hopkins did and just for once, tried to inject something similar?
Rock n ROll's own version of Liberace and they should have jettisoned him way back. There are plenty of talented keyboard players who could have added to the Stones sound in a good way, rather than the flamboyant over kill approach by Leavell. His work on Sympathy is truly atrocious, same with Honky TOnk Women. I simply hate his style of playing. Stuck with him I'm afraid as the band see him as a musical security blanket. Chuck Leavell is just not rock n roll.
Spot on.
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Denny
His playing (and singing!) of Statesboro Blues in the original post is just brilliant - if you were in the Rolling Stones and heard him play the blues like that, you'd immediately want him to play with your band, too! Unfortunately, the "lads" don't make much of that sort of music anymore, so the arrangements overall will be a bit more middle of the road - including Chuck's parts. But he is clearly a top player in the very style that the Stones' music comes from, and seemingly a real cool dude, too.