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Bob C.
I know I am coming to this thread late but I was at the Toronto show and want to add my thoughts. I have seen every tour (sans licks) since 75. Toronto was outstanding from every standpoint. I think that the rolling Stones shows had become too Vegas starting with VDL and getting more Vegas every tour. Don't get me wrong, I loved the shows, and most people were blown away - but the music was just a part of the show and especially the guitars were just part of the wall of sound.
Now the guitars are right out front and much cleaner. Keith's phrasing is outstanding, clearly compensating for any loss of speed or accuracy. I think fewer horns, and no rhythm via Blondie has helped as well.
For years is has been about the show; now it is about the music. Keith is doing less dancing and more guitar playing. He is a much better guitar player than dancer.

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mighty stork
Keith's playing changes from show to show. Not really his playing but how he wants to play for that particular moment. It's all about feel and not about percission (note for note) as Rock and Roll should be.I think he stated somewhere that rock and roll is from below the waist not in the head. I also think that arthritis could be a factor, have you ever seen his hands close up? This could be another reason they take days off between shows.

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Spud
There are numerous threads on these pages re the " Herbedens nodes" on keith's fingers.

They aren't necessarily painful. They obviously compromise certain fretboard fingerings but he's had them near on 20 years now and has learnt to work around them as it were.

Health issues & "bump on the head" asside, Keith's "sloppy" playing has always been more down to his habitual "winging it" than to anything else.

...That and the "modern era" clowning around and throwing shapes when he ought to be riffing !

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Maindefender

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mighty stork
Keith's playing changes from show to show. Not really his playing but how he wants to play for that particular moment. It's all about feel and not about percission (note for note) as Rock and Roll should be.I think he stated somewhere that rock and roll is from below the waist not in the head. I also think that arthritis could be a factor, have you ever seen his hands close up? This could be another reason they take days off between shows.



Arthritis could be a factor for what? Which shows have you seen on this tour?

Just saying a factor in varying nights. Some days are better than others when you have arthritis. I have heard every show and I think his playing is as good as ever. My main point was Keith doesn't always play a song the same way twice. Thank god.

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Spud
Some folks simply don't get what makes Keith Richards [historically and today] a magical guitar player.

You get it or you don't .

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Sipuncula
Wanna Hold You a good case in point for the start of his decline. It was a highlight of the show in 1997. By Licks, he started forgetting the lyrics and losing his ability to play while singing.

I don't think Keith was uniformly bad throughout Bigger Bang. It was mostly restricted to the 2007 leg in Europe (Drunken Mustached Imposter period). Take a look at some of the show reviews on this site, for instance. I believe there was one show where he fell down twice, another where Mick had to prevent him from tumbling off the B stage, times where he was completely out of sync with the rest of the band, etc. I think at that point the band was just hoping he survived the tour.

I think his laying off the booze (for the most part) has done wonders. Same goes for Ronnie of course.

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GravityBoy
I'd like to read those reviews.

Are they still here?

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Sipuncula

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GravityBoy
I'd like to read those reviews.

Are they still here?

Think so, from the main page. There should be links to the discussion threads as well. I found it fascinating to read the different perspectives people had, having witnessed the same event. It's like they were at completely different shows.

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headly123
Re: Curious about Keith's palying now new

Posted by: duke richardson ()

Date: May 30, 2013 19:14


also to consider- as basically a rhythm player he does what he wants..

never one for soloing, but he will step up and do his best these days..

but the rhythm is there...he leads through the Rambler changes..

lays that Paint It Black intro down every time..as with the other intros..he's the King of Great Intros, on bass too

I think his solos suck. And suck huge. They are choppy and broken up and have zero flow to them. He really just needs to let other handle the solos. I have seen some of the videos and he thinks he just snapped off a great solo but that is him. HE thinks everything he plays is spot on .

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DandelionPowderman

To ask Keith Richards not to bother with Chuck Berry solos anymore is the same as asking rock'n'roll to die, imo...

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1962

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Bob C.
I know I am coming to this thread late but I was at the Toronto show and want to add my thoughts. I have seen every tour (sans licks) since 75. Toronto was outstanding from every standpoint. I think that the rolling Stones shows had become too Vegas starting with VDL and getting more Vegas every tour. Don't get me wrong, I loved the shows, and most people were blown away - but the music was just a part of the show and especially the guitars were just part of the wall of sound.
Now the guitars are right out front and much cleaner. Keith's phrasing is outstanding, clearly compensating for any loss of speed or accuracy. I think fewer horns, and no rhythm via Blondie has helped as well.
For years is has been about the show; now it is about the music. Keith is doing less dancing and more guitar playing. He is a much better guitar player than dancer.

Yes!

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sonomastone

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1962

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Bob C.
I know I am coming to this thread late but I was at the Toronto show and want to add my thoughts. I have seen every tour (sans licks) since 75. Toronto was outstanding from every standpoint. I think that the rolling Stones shows had become too Vegas starting with VDL and getting more Vegas every tour. Don't get me wrong, I loved the shows, and most people were blown away - but the music was just a part of the show and especially the guitars were just part of the wall of sound.
Now the guitars are right out front and much cleaner. Keith's phrasing is outstanding, clearly compensating for any loss of speed or accuracy. I think fewer horns, and no rhythm via Blondie has helped as well.
For years is has been about the show; now it is about the music. Keith is doing less dancing and more guitar playing. He is a much better guitar player than dancer.

Yes!

This is consisent with my experience in Oakland. They are certainly past their prime but far better than they have been, and they are taking their playing seriously, and the show was a blast. Keith's playing was strong, and certainly far better than I expected, and his 2 numbers in particular were very well done, far better than in recent memory.

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Maindefender

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sonomastone

Quote
1962

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Bob C.
I know I am coming to this thread late but I was at the Toronto show and want to add my thoughts. I have seen every tour (sans licks) since 75. Toronto was outstanding from every standpoint. I think that the rolling Stones shows had become too Vegas starting with VDL and getting more Vegas every tour. Don't get me wrong, I loved the shows, and most people were blown away - but the music was just a part of the show and especially the guitars were just part of the wall of sound.
Now the guitars are right out front and much cleaner. Keith's phrasing is outstanding, clearly compensating for any loss of speed or accuracy. I think fewer horns, and no rhythm via Blondie has helped as well.
For years is has been about the show; now it is about the music. Keith is doing less dancing and more guitar playing. He is a much better guitar player than dancer.

Yes!

This is consisent with my experience in Oakland. They are certainly past their prime but far better than they have been, and they are taking their playing seriously, and the show was a blast. Keith's playing was strong, and certainly far better than I expected, and his 2 numbers in particular were very well done, far better than in recent memory.

So this is best best tour since 82???????

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sonomastone

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Maindefender

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sonomastone

Quote
1962

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Bob C.
I know I am coming to this thread late but I was at the Toronto show and want to add my thoughts. I have seen every tour (sans licks) since 75. Toronto was outstanding from every standpoint. I think that the rolling Stones shows had become too Vegas starting with VDL and getting more Vegas every tour. Don't get me wrong, I loved the shows, and most people were blown away - but the music was just a part of the show and especially the guitars were just part of the wall of sound.
Now the guitars are right out front and much cleaner. Keith's phrasing is outstanding, clearly compensating for any loss of speed or accuracy. I think fewer horns, and no rhythm via Blondie has helped as well.
For years is has been about the show; now it is about the music. Keith is doing less dancing and more guitar playing. He is a much better guitar player than dancer.

Yes!

This is consisent with my experience in Oakland. They are certainly past their prime but far better than they have been, and they are taking their playing seriously, and the show was a blast. Keith's playing was strong, and certainly far better than I expected, and his 2 numbers in particular were very well done, far better than in recent memory.

So this is best best tour since 82???????

The only other shows I've seen were '89. I liked this better than '89 mostly because Mick is taking the music more seriously, there's less 'production', and the guitars are louder.

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schillid
pftw04, suggest you edit your first post to fix the misspelling (playing not palying)

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StonesTod
best tour ever

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andrewt

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StonesTod
best tour ever

Legendary! Keith is on fire, don't get too close or you might get burned.

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Munichhilton

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andrewt

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StonesTod
best tour ever

Legendary! Keith is on fire, don't get too close or you might get burned.

Charlie needs a fire suit ...

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Munichhilton

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andrewt

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StonesTod
best tour ever

Legendary! Keith is on fire, don't get too close or you might get burned.

Charlie needs a fire suit ...

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JC21769
I am just kind of amazed Keith Richards is alive. 70 in a few months. NOBODY ever thought that.