Ignoring the too much drinking and drug taking debate, has Ronnie fulfilled his potential as a musician and songwriter? I love his stuff with Rod Stewart and his first three albums, but he seems to have happily slipped into the role of second banana to Keith and the Stones. I just think he could have done so much more as a solo artist.

Good Lawd, No.
He has contributed mightily and become an integral member of The Rolling Stones.

And his artwork, of which I have purchased many pieces of, exhibits his enormous talent as well.

"Wasted". Please.

You can say that of every artist. Focus on Mick and Keith's musical gifts from 1968 - 1972 and you can argue they both wasted their talents since then. Hasn't Mick Taylor wasted his talent since December 1974? What about Bill Wyman since 1991? It's true of every artist with any longevity. Ronnie's artistic peak was as Keith to Rod's Mick. You will find his purest and best work with The Faces and on Rod's early solo albums. There is much since then that is pleasurable, but everyone has a peak and it is human nature that a peak comes early.

Wasted is a pretty strong word.. he has done several solo albums where he was able to perform his own songs and, as far as guitar skills go, he's playing very well now, don't see how being on his own would have improved them.

Ronnie found a home musically with the Stones, he's right where he should be.

Ron Wood WAS wasted.



And hey Ronnie, looking good last night.

ETA: wasted as in: High. Drink and drug. The kind that takes up all kinds of time, money. So glad, very glad, he's been off the booze.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-12-18 02:14 by 35love.

I wouldn't say that he has wasted his talent. Certainly not. But I think his talent would have been taken better care of in the circle around Rod Stewart and The Faces.
In the Stones he became the second banana, so to speak. When it comes to art he's a talented dabbler.

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latebloomer
Wasted is a pretty strong word.. he has done several solo albums where he was able to perform his own songs and, as far as guitar skills go, he's playing very well now, don't see how being on his own would have improved them.

Ronnie found a home musically with the Stones, he's right where he should be.

And he's also where he wants to be and doing what he wants to do.

I would've have said yes but his recent resurgence has redeemed him.

I agree with those that say the wording is a bit strong here, but I do think his guitar playing and songwriting might have developed a bit more outside of the Stones.

The Stones were too easy for Ronnie, I'm not sure it challenged his guitar playing enough to develop like he could have. He was obviously challenged on that 1975 tour but by 1981 he probably wasn't. He definitely seemed to stagnate there for quite some time, imo. I do however believe that when Keith started to slow down a bit he was required to step it up a bit more, culminating with his solid performances in the Zip Code tour. His talent is measured in different terms than just the creativity of his guitar playing.

Ronnie is amazing. His artistic abilities are multi-faceted (music/painting) and he seems to have finally gotten his priorities straight in his personal life.

Not everyone is Mick or Keith or Charlie, some are Ronnie. And in the case of the Stones- he has redefined the idea of a supporting role, to become the heart and no body works without it's central pump.

No Ronnie, no Stones.

I consider myself a Ronnie (though I practice Keefism as much as a sober person can) and I get what he does implicitly.

ps
What I find hysterical is that his success could be questioned, he is a member of the greatest living rock band.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-12-18 05:39 by Librarian.

RW is their secret weapon. Too bad they don't let him write/contribute more....and honestly..where would they be tour wise without him....retired.

Ronnie has not wasted his talent.It's documented in his recordings,artwork and stage performances.

The guy is a genius.I think he needs to be given more artistic license within the Stones camp.I would love to see him given opportunites to be allowed to contribute to song writing.And why not a vocal spot during a show?

I seriously don't think that the guy has reached his full potential.

Yep without him the Stones would have dipped below the radar after '75.

If you had said Darryl Jones I would agreed...

2 1 2 0

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Rocky Dijon
You can say that of every artist. Focus on Mick and Keith's musical gifts from 1968 - 1972 and you can argue they both wasted their talents since then. Hasn't Mick Taylor wasted his talent since December 1974? What about Bill Wyman since 1991? It's true of every artist with any longevity. Ronnie's artistic peak was as Keith to Rod's Mick. You will find his purest and best work with The Faces and on Rod's early solo albums. There is much since then that is pleasurable, but everyone has a peak and it is human nature that a peak comes early.

Jeroen

I also have the feeling that he could've brought more but it didn't depend on him.
He was under control of Keith especially in studio.
If you listen carefully to some albums, it's quite surprising not to hear him, he seems to have been put apart.
After Tatoo You, little by little, he's very discreet and there is no second guitar to be heard in many songs, no more solo...
Which is the latest masterpiece of Ronnie Wood with the band in studio ?
Worried about you ?

I liked the expression "second banana", did you come up with that or is that some standard English expression?

But no, as others stated already, I don't think he wasted his talent. I think he fitted in perfectly with the Stones, did some brilliant, some less brilliant stuff. And he saved Keith's ass in the 2007 tours. Outside the Stones he might have done other brilliant stuff or he might have gone lost, as so many rock stars have. I think being with the Stones worked out very well for him and it worked out very well for the Stones too.

Has Ronnie Wood wasted his talent ???

By becoming a guitarist in the most successful band in the world, and has managed to remain there for 40 + years. No he has not wasted his talent in that respect, and i might add that he has taken his limited talent as a guitarist about as far as he could possibly stretch it, when it comes to success.

But on a more personal level, i think its obvious that Ronnie has not been very productive or creative within the Stones when it comes to writing and playing live, as he might have been. You only have to watch various live DVD releases since 89' to see that through his drinking, he has been coasting and just hanging in there. Although recently with his new found sobriety he has turned a corner, and his playing has dramatically improved.
Some might lay the fault of Ronnie's wasted years down to self medication through boredom. Mick and Keith have only wanted Ronnie to play a specific role within the Stones as a working unit. Could this have had a negative effect on Ronnie. I think for many years Ronnie was hired to be Keith's drinking buddy more than anything else, a role he played magnificently, but to the detriment of his own considerable talents.
Yeah Ronnie has wasted his talents imho.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-12-18 11:28 by keithsman.

Well, Keith has openly admitted that he had effectively lapsed into retirement mode following the ABB tour which ended in 2007, which (had he truly done that) would essentially have spelt the end the of the Rolling Stones.

So if you then consider what they've done in terms of live performances since they re-emerged in 2012, and of the overall quality of the performances, a large component of that I would put down to Ronnie's never-failing enthusiasm and perhaps his marginally lower age, although at the age they all are - I suspect the 4 odd years difference between him and the Glimmers isn't that significant. But I do think he has played a valuable role in re-energising the band as a whole. And if you then also consider some of his solo excursions, the most notable of which for me personally was the Jimmy Reed tribute at the Albert Hall, I think you can't help but conclude that he's happy as a pig in s**t with his 'role' or 'position' in the Stones, one which leaves him plenty of time for doing whatever else he wants to do. At the end of the day, he just LOVES playing ... I've seen him turn up here/there/everywhere in London over the years.

The recent "Rock n' Horsepower' charity gig to raise money for prostate cancer research was the loooooooooooooooong awaited FACES reunion with Rod, and for those 40 odd minutes they played - it was absolutely blinding. I can only hope that after S America and after the new Stones record, he and Rod get timetables and money and all that other s**t sorted out and reunite the FACES properly for a clutch of shows. I would happily go to all of them .......

O yeah, and I also have a few bits of his art ....... these three (and I AIN'T EVER SELLIN' THEM) !!!

[www.ebay.co.uk]

[www.sfae.com]

[www.ronniewoodexhibition.com]

So no, don't think he's 'wasting his talent', I think he's GOT talent and he's doin' EXACTLY what he wants.

[ I want to shout, but I can hardly speak ]

Sure. Touring the world with The Faces, releasing half a dozen acclaimed solo albums and being part of the biggest band in the world for 40 years indeed is a waste of talent in my book.

Mathijs

Right, one could argue that in terms of fame and money (well if he hadn't thrown most of it down the drain) he's MAXIMIZED.Made the best of his "talent", on the other end of the spectrum you would have guys like Mick Taylor or Jeff Beck and then countless others we've never heard of because they didn't make it.

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Come On
If you had said Darryl Jones I would agreed...

+1

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IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

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jpasc95
Which is the latest masterpiece of Ronnie Wood with the band in studio ?
Worried about you ?

He didn't play on it.

In a way, all the Stones have wasted their talent when we think of the music, developing and reaching their potentials.

On the other hand, it's amazing what they have achieved when partying so hard and the long breaks they have taken.

So, probably somewhere in the middle..

Have Ronnie wasted his talent more than the others have? Nah.. He played the sole guitar on lots of classic rock history tracks with the Faces, wrote excellent songs in which he recorded on great solo albums as well as co-writing and playing on classic Stones albums. Not many can equal that, really.

I guess "wasted" is the wrong term, but I'd said he made suboptimal use of his talent. In some way his career has been a sideman's career (an important sideman but a sideman non the less). On the other hand: maybe his basic talent is/was to be a sideman. Sure he somehow saved the Stones and still does save them since he's doing the guitar work that Keith is not willing/able to do anymore. Especially during the last tour Ronnie was the one who kept things going and played much more than on previous tour.
From another perspective one can say that the Rolling Stones saved Ronnie, too. At least they gave him a steady job and the opportunity to make a fortune that otherwise might be far out of his reach. Thus he may have been wasting his talent but he got a good price for it (and at least he didn't sell it to the devil).
And when it comes down to money: He might be one of the few rock stars who made much more money than most people with talents comparable to his. (Just think of Mick Taylor's case and many many others).

No.

This is a strange question because he obviously has not wasted his talent. Instead, on the contrary, he's spent most of his life developing it and practicing his art. He has a dual practice, so to speak. I doubt there are many times in his waking existence when he's not making music or drawing or painting. I mean, he doesn't do much else, except for maybe a few other things...

Quote
paulywaul
Well, Keith has openly admitted that he had effectively lapsed into retirement mode following the ABB tour which ended in 2007, which (had he truly done that) would essentially have spelt the end the of the Rolling Stones.

So if you then consider what they've done in terms of live performances since they re-emerged in 2012, and of the overall quality of the performances, a large component of that I would put down to Ronnie's never-failing enthusiasm and perhaps his marginally lower age, although at the age they all are - I suspect the 4 odd years difference between him and the Glimmers isn't that significant. But I do think he has played a valuable role in re-energising the band as a whole. And if you then also consider some of his solo excursions, the most notable of which for me personally was the Jimmy Reed tribute at the Albert Hall, I think you can't help but conclude that he's happy as a pig in s**t with his 'role' or 'position' in the Stones, one which leaves him plenty of time for doing whatever else he wants to do. At the end of the day, he just LOVES playing ... I've seen him turn up here/there/everywhere in London over the years.

The recent "Rock n' Horsepower' charity gig to raise money for prostate cancer research was the loooooooooooooooong awaited FACES reunion with Rod, and for those 40 odd minutes they played - it was absolutely blinding. I can only hope that after S America and after the new Stones record, he and Rod get timetables and money and all that other s**t sorted out and reunite the FACES properly for a clutch of shows. I would happily go to all of them .......

O yeah, and I also have a few bits of his art ....... these three (and I AIN'T EVER SELLIN' THEM) !!!

[www.ebay.co.uk]

[www.sfae.com]

[www.ronniewoodexhibition.com]

So no, don't think he's 'wasting his talent', I think he's GOT talent and he's doin' EXACTLY what he wants.

*Those 3 paintings are fantastic picks, thanks for links. Surprisingly, the horses I think is my favorite. Spectacular.
Keith lapsed into retirement mode after tour 2007, as you say, and we learned (or me) this year from Steve Jordan that he essentially stopped playing all together, Patti stated the basement studio got moved out, Keith starts dictating his 'Life' memoir,
and Ronnie goes face down hard in the pavement with booze, *cringe* in full news color Russian waitress drama, divorce, how many rehabs, in rehab again, it got pretty ugly/ wondered if he was going to pull out and live/ get healthy.
And he did, and in my opinion, thus
has shined bright, confident and sharp ever since.
He smoked it on Fonda Sticky live, the MVP on the tour some said/ I agree.
And he was a total stud on the Faces reunion.
Cheers to you with sparkling water, Mr. Wood.

The guy was in 3 huge bands, the Jeff Beck Group, the Faces, and the Stones. That's quite an achievement for anybody. Especially for a bass player in the Jeff Beck Group becoming the lead guitarist for the Rolling Stones.

Now has he squandered his money? If you read his book he certainly has. But on a talent level I'd say quite the opposite, he made the most of every opportunity.

Let's face it, Mick and Keith weren't going to let anyone come in and take more of a stake in the Stones. Why fight it. Who wouldn't happily accept his role (other than an egomaniac).

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DandelionPowderman
In a way, all the Stones have wasted their talent when we think of the music, developing and reaching their potentials.

On the other hand, it's amazing what they have achieved when partying so hard and the long breaks they have taken.

So, probably somewhere in the middle..

Have Ronnie wasted his talent more than the others have? Nah.. He played the sole guitar on lots of classic rock history tracks with the Faces, wrote excellent songs in which he recorded on great solo albums as well as co-writing and playing on classic Stones albums. Not many can equal that, really.

Good point, when you put it that way:

The Stones go away for 3-4 years at a time, and without having any new music to promote or much in the way of modern media promotion, can sell out STADIUMS, FOOTBALL STADIUMS, in America.

These are old men in their 70s, and millions of people are willing to spend incredible amounts of money for a chance to be in their presence for a couple of hours, even from the nosebleed seats.

Didn't Glyn Johns, or somebody like, that suggest that it was the Stones that wasted Ronnie Wood?

G.Johns said it was the wrong choice for BOTH parts . .