[www.instagram.com]

[www.instagram.com]

Here's a pro-shot footage from the concert. Sadly it's only 50 seconds of the show finale.

"Music of Merle" Concert - Show Finale

Just back home in NYC. What a great show

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stone4ever

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keefriff99

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stone4ever

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Bjorn
Great Keith and Sing me back home! Much better than the drunk and coked up Keith that tried to do a good We had it all 2004...And he even played the guitar all through the song! LOVE and health! :-D

I was thinking the same thing, the coked up version of We Had It All was strange to watch.
Wish the Stones had these backing singers, awesome.

Are you referring to this?

[www.youtube.com]

Well yes but not with the irritating guy on guitar in front of the screen. Here's a better link below.
I though Keith was trying too hard, he over sang it in this hyperactive twitchy way, but i still love it though blow and puff don't mix. Keith on coke is not so good with ballads, great for Rock though.
[www.youtube.com]

LOL, that video is terrible, but I can't watch the one you posted unfortunately (copyright issue).

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Aquamarine
Hopefully this show has put to rest the stories about Willie being on the verge of death. Personally I think both Willie and Keith will outlive us all.

Who the hell is spreading that rumor? Willie looks fantastic...his fingers don't move on the fretboard very well anymore, but what do you expect from an 83 year old man?

Years ago Willie Nelson's doctor told him to make a choice between smoking cigarettes or marijuana. Willie chose to give up cigarettes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-04-09 04:38 by chatoyancy.

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keefriff99

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Aquamarine
Hopefully this show has put to rest the stories about Willie being on the verge of death. Personally I think both Willie and Keith will outlive us all.

Who the hell is spreading that rumor? Willie looks fantastic...his fingers don't move on the fretboard very well anymore, but what do you expect from an 83 year old man?

Hey, I'm a big fan and I didn't say *I* believed it, I was saying his appearance at the show was proof that it obviously wasn't true! But there had been a rash of internet rumors, now happily debunked.

Pledging allegiance to the Hag, Keith Richards and Willie Nelson lead an all-star tribute to Merle Haggard


Joshua Timmermans / Blackbird Presents

By Sarah Rodman
April 7, 2017 Reporting From Nasville

Not that anyone needed to be convinced of the depth and breadth of Merle Haggard’s formidable influence — on country music and beyond. But a spectacular case was made for his legacy Thursday night at the Bridgestone Arena here.

One year to the day that Haggard died, more than two dozen artists across genres and multiple generations gathered to pay tribute to the American music legend on what would have been his 80th birthday.

“Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard” featured collaborators and peers (Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn), younger artists (Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves) who aspire to his authenticity and a bevy of pop and rock acolytes (Keith Richards, John Mellencamp and Sheryl Crow) who cite him as an influence.

From the cheeky swagger of Hank Williams Jr.’s take on “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink” — a perfect marriage of singer and song — to the delicacy of Alison Krauss’ intonation of “Sing a Sad Song,” with rich harmonic help from the Cox Family, the three-plus-hour show had an air of both celebration and solemnity.

Veteran character actor W. Earl Brown (“Deadwood,” “True Detective”), a fan and friend of Haggard’s, hosted the event with élan and a broad, booming personality well-suited to keeping things moving.

Guitarist Ben Haggard, Merle’s son, anchored the first part of the show, leading his father’s old band, the Strangers, behind a parade of classic artists who still have plenty left in the tank: John Anderson, Bobby Bare, the still-feisty Tanya Tucker and a full-voiced Connie Smith, who did a gorgeous rendition of “That’s the Way Love Goes.”

Among the younger set, Lambert delivered a note-perfect rendition of the melancholic “Misery and Gin,” an occasional favorite of her regular shows. Chris Janson and Jake Owen were among several artists teaming up to pay homage, with an assured version of “Footlights” that found Janson turning out smoky harmonica wails.

Alabama kept it simple and stripped down for a harmony-laden rendition of the rueful “Silver Wings.” Jamey Johnson gave one of the night’s standout performances with “Kern River,” a hushed tale of both menace and sadness that drew huge cheers from the crowd. The estimably beaded Johnson joined forces with Krauss to tip a cap to songwriter Blaze Foley with a poignant duet of “If I Could Only Fly.” Johnson also offered an arm to help Lynn to the stage for her take on “Today I Started Loving You.”

Interspersed between the sets were tribute videos that included one section devoted to Haggard’s side-splitting appearances on vintage talk and variety shows, doing spot-on impersonations of fellow country stars Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins and Bakersfield compadre Buck Owens.

The second set had just as much bang for the buck, including Lynyrd Skynyrd's stomp through “Honky Tonk Nighttime Man” and a scorching version of “Working Man Blues" from Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers and Gov’t Mule.

The Avett Brothers ably motored through “Mama Tried,” Mellencamp and a core crew (including his former drummer, Kenny Aronoff) performed a haunting rendition of the snarling, desperate “White Line Fever” and Crow soared on “Natural High.”

Richards, a late addition to the lineup, emerged and was his typically shambolic self, lending his piratical charm to “Sing Me Back Home,” which the Stone alone recorded in 1977.

“It’s good to be here,” Richards said, adding with a laugh, “or anywhere.” He also made sure to thank the evening’s truly all-star backing band, which included Aronoff, Don Was on bass, Sam Bush on fiddle and mandolin, Mickey Raphael on harmonica and the McCrary Sisters on support vocals.

While the crowd was appreciative of all the performers, the loudest roar was reserved for Haggard’s close friend and collaborator, Willie Nelson, the Pancho to Haggard’s Lefty.

Nelson joined Richards for the ode to bad behavior “Reasons to Quit” and Toby Keith for a raucous “Ramblin’ Fever.” Appropriately enough, Kenny Chesney served as Nelson’s Lefty for the night on the Southwestern-tinged track, a highlight of the Nelson-Haggard canon.

The show came to a rousing conclusion with an all-hands rendition of Haggard’s signature tune “Okie From Muskogee.” It was a particularly fine touch to have Nelson croon the opening line, “We don’t smoke marijuana in Muskogee.”

The concert was recorded for broadcast at a later date on an as-yet-to-be-determined outlet.

[www.latimes.com]

Great shot of Keith.

He's got that look in his eye he gets when he's in his element -- on stage & Happy.

Come On Mick & Keith -- get the Stones on the road again soon!

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Aquamarine

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keefriff99

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Aquamarine
Hopefully this show has put to rest the stories about Willie being on the verge of death. Personally I think both Willie and Keith will outlive us all.

Who the hell is spreading that rumor? Willie looks fantastic...his fingers don't move on the fretboard very well anymore, but what do you expect from an 83 year old man?

Hey, I'm a big fan and I didn't say *I* believed it, I was saying his appearance at the show was proof that it obviously wasn't true! But there had been a rash of internet rumors, now happily debunked.

No no, I wasn't accusing you of that. I just hadn't heard anything like that...I know he was ill and needed to cancel some dates earlier this year, but hey, at 83, that's going to happen.

I'm actually surprised at how spry and fit he looks.

When Merle died, Keith in tribute said "....he was on the road right until the end, because its just what you do".
Keith obviously still likes being out there and it seems sad that concert wise, he has been, apart from the Stones (short) tours, pretty absent from the stage the last 12 or so years.
Let's hope some solo gigs happen sometime soon. I'm sure The Stones very relaxed schedule could accommodate that.

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jlowe
When Merle died, Keith in tribute said "....he was on the road right until the end, because its just what you do".
Keith obviously still likes being out there and it seems sad that concert wise, he has been, apart from the Stones (short) tours, pretty absent from the stage the last 12 or so years.
Let's hope some solo gigs happen sometime soon. I'm sure The Stones very relaxed schedule could accommodate that.

It seemed a missed opportunity for Keith when Crosseyed Heart came out that he didn't do a mini solo tour - or a even single show, or even a single live performance of just one song on one of the talk shows...or SNL for that matter. He did play two songs at the Apollo tribute, but didn't touch any of his solo material. Then almost a whole year later, the Stones 'mini' tour. Seeing as he had all the opportunities to play on his own the last couple of years and decided against it, doubtful we'll be seeing anything from him anytime soon outside of the Stones - and even that still has a big question mark after it.

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

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GS1978
Great shot of Keith.

He's got that look in his eye he gets when he's in his element -- on stage & Happy.

Come On Mick & Keith -- get the Stones on the road again soon!

Willie does not seem to have that look. He does not even eyeball Keef. i would do that !!
Jeroen

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jlowe
When Merle died, Keith in tribute said "....he was on the road right until the end, because its just what you do".
Keith obviously still likes being out there and it seems sad that concert wise, he has been, apart from the Stones (short) tours, pretty absent from the stage the last 12 or so years.
Let's hope some solo gigs happen sometime soon. I'm sure The Stones very relaxed schedule could accommodate that.

I for one can't wait for that, Keith can still give a good show, sure he will forget words and hit a few bum notes but that's all part of his charm we have grown to love and except. But yeah Keith still has something to offer as a solo artist, he could mix it up with a few Stones tracks , a few country and reggae songs and some good old Wino's numbers, not to mention the long time over due old standards he did while awaiting trial in 77' and the 81' Long View Farm demos. There is much to do for Keith with little time left i imagine. I hope this Stones machine winds to a close this year so Keith gets to do the stuff close to his heart that i know he can pull off. I honestly can't see whats left for the Stones now, they are repeating two thirds of the same show since 89' imho.

Another rehearsal shot from Joshua Timmermans:

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stone4ever

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jlowe
When Merle died, Keith in tribute said "....he was on the road right until the end, because its just what you do".
Keith obviously still likes being out there and it seems sad that concert wise, he has been, apart from the Stones (short) tours, pretty absent from the stage the last 12 or so years.
Let's hope some solo gigs happen sometime soon. I'm sure The Stones very relaxed schedule could accommodate that.

I for one can't wait for that, Keith can still give a good show, sure he will forget words and hit a few bum notes but that's all part of his charm we have grown to love and except. But yeah Keith still has something to offer as a solo artist, he could mix it up with a few Stones tracks , a few country and reggae songs and some good old Wino's numbers, not to mention the long time over due old standards he did while awaiting trial in 77' and the 81' Long View Farm demos. There is much to do for Keith with little time left i imagine. I hope this Stones machine winds to a close this year so Keith gets to do the stuff close to his heart that i know he can pull off. I honestly can't see whats left for the Stones now, they are repeating two thirds of the same show since 89' imho.

It's amazing people fall for Keith's rhetoric.

He's done nothing musically outside of the Stones since 1993 apart from Crosseyed Heart. He shows up for tribute shows here and there, but that's about it.

If he loves music so much, why isn't he out on the road with the Winos or in the studio with them? The bottom line is he's not capable of leading a band anymore. Playing with the Stones is relatively easy because Mick and Chuck shoulder the burden of selecting set lists, setting tempos, count-ins, etc. All Keith has to do is show up and meander his way through the greatest hits, with marginal success depending on the night.

The idea that he's going to suddenly announce a 25-date theater tour with the Winos is laughable. They were never a super-tight band even in their prime...hearing them now would be cringe-worthy to say the least.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-04-09 23:04 by keefriff99.

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keefriff99

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stone4ever

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jlowe
When Merle died, Keith in tribute said "....he was on the road right until the end, because its just what you do".
Keith obviously still likes being out there and it seems sad that concert wise, he has been, apart from the Stones (short) tours, pretty absent from the stage the last 12 or so years.
Let's hope some solo gigs happen sometime soon. I'm sure The Stones very relaxed schedule could accommodate that.

I for one can't wait for that, Keith can still give a good show, sure he will forget words and hit a few bum notes but that's all part of his charm we have grown to love and except. But yeah Keith still has something to offer as a solo artist, he could mix it up with a few Stones tracks , a few country and reggae songs and some good old Wino's numbers, not to mention the long time over due old standards he did while awaiting trial in 77' and the 81' Long View Farm demos. There is much to do for Keith with little time left i imagine. I hope this Stones machine winds to a close this year so Keith gets to do the stuff close to his heart that i know he can pull off. I honestly can't see whats left for the Stones now, they are repeating two thirds of the same show since 89' imho.

It's amazing people fall for Keith's rhetoric.

He's done nothing musically outside of the Stones since 1993 apart from Crosseyed Heart. He shows up for tribute shows here and there, but that's about it.

If he loves music so much, why isn't he out on the road with the Winos or in the studio with them? The bottom line is he's not capable of leading a band anymore. Playing with the Stones is relatively easy because Mick and Chuck shoulder the burden of selecting set lists, setting tempos, count-ins, etc. All Keith has to do is show up and meander his way through the greatest hits, with marginal success depending on the night.

The idea that he's going to suddenly announce a 25-date theater tour with the Winos is laughable. They were never a super-tight band even in their prime...hearing them now would be cringe-worthy to say the least.

He did a lot of guest appearances as well, apart from the tribute concerts: [www.keithrichards.com]

Ah…! da’ Gibbons Boy & Th’ Keef…. ! Gettin’ ready to do th’ do’…! Nashville, Tennesse
April 6, 2017



[www.billygibbons.com]

Heresy! Prepare to be vilified by True Believers!

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Cristiano Radtke

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keefriff99

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stone4ever

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jlowe
When Merle died, Keith in tribute said "....he was on the road right until the end, because its just what you do".
Keith obviously still likes being out there and it seems sad that concert wise, he has been, apart from the Stones (short) tours, pretty absent from the stage the last 12 or so years.
Let's hope some solo gigs happen sometime soon. I'm sure The Stones very relaxed schedule could accommodate that.

I for one can't wait for that, Keith can still give a good show, sure he will forget words and hit a few bum notes but that's all part of his charm we have grown to love and except. But yeah Keith still has something to offer as a solo artist, he could mix it up with a few Stones tracks , a few country and reggae songs and some good old Wino's numbers, not to mention the long time over due old standards he did while awaiting trial in 77' and the 81' Long View Farm demos. There is much to do for Keith with little time left i imagine. I hope this Stones machine winds to a close this year so Keith gets to do the stuff close to his heart that i know he can pull off. I honestly can't see whats left for the Stones now, they are repeating two thirds of the same show since 89' imho.

It's amazing people fall for Keith's rhetoric.

He's done nothing musically outside of the Stones since 1993 apart from Crosseyed Heart. He shows up for tribute shows here and there, but that's about it.

If he loves music so much, why isn't he out on the road with the Winos or in the studio with them? The bottom line is he's not capable of leading a band anymore. Playing with the Stones is relatively easy because Mick and Chuck shoulder the burden of selecting set lists, setting tempos, count-ins, etc. All Keith has to do is show up and meander his way through the greatest hits, with marginal success depending on the night.

The idea that he's going to suddenly announce a 25-date theater tour with the Winos is laughable. They were never a super-tight band even in their prime...hearing them now would be cringe-worthy to say the least.

He did a lot of guest appearances as well, apart from the tribute concerts: [www.keithrichards.com]

Oh I know.

I'm not trying to run Keith down, but he obviously enjoys long periods of inactivity in between Stones tours. He doesn't have anything left to prove to anyone and has more money than he could ever spend, so good on him.

There are plenty of artists from Keith's era that stay incredibly busy, even if it means playing smaller venues or recording with different bands just for the sake of it. Keith isn't like that...there's nothing wrong with it, but let's not try to pretend otherwise.

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keefriff99

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stone4ever

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jlowe
When Merle died, Keith in tribute said "....he was on the road right until the end, because its just what you do".
Keith obviously still likes being out there and it seems sad that concert wise, he has been, apart from the Stones (short) tours, pretty absent from the stage the last 12 or so years.
Let's hope some solo gigs happen sometime soon. I'm sure The Stones very relaxed schedule could accommodate that.

I for one can't wait for that, Keith can still give a good show, sure he will forget words and hit a few bum notes but that's all part of his charm we have grown to love and except. But yeah Keith still has something to offer as a solo artist, he could mix it up with a few Stones tracks , a few country and reggae songs and some good old Wino's numbers, not to mention the long time over due old standards he did while awaiting trial in 77' and the 81' Long View Farm demos. There is much to do for Keith with little time left i imagine. I hope this Stones machine winds to a close this year so Keith gets to do the stuff close to his heart that i know he can pull off. I honestly can't see whats left for the Stones now, they are repeating two thirds of the same show since 89' imho.

It's amazing people fall for Keith's rhetoric.

He's done nothing musically outside of the Stones since 1993 apart from Crosseyed Heart. He shows up for tribute shows here and there, but that's about it.

If he loves music so much, why isn't he out on the road with the Winos or in the studio with them? The bottom line is he's not capable of leading a band anymore. Playing with the Stones is relatively easy because Mick and Chuck shoulder the burden of selecting set lists, setting tempos, count-ins, etc. All Keith has to do is show up and meander his way through the greatest hits, with marginal success depending on the night.

The idea that he's going to suddenly announce a 25-date theater tour with the Winos is laughable. They were never a super-tight band even in their prime...hearing them now would be cringe-worthy to say the least.

I know what you are saying and i fully identify with your frustration, but to give Keith the benefit of the doubt, his loyalty has always been with the Stones, he doesn't want to send Mick off on another solo venture this late in the game.That's why i hope the the Stones call it a day after this years shows if they happen, then with Keith free to do as he wishes i think we will get something from him solo. I know its wishful thinking on my part but just maybe Keith has at least one more surprise for us diehard fans.

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roryfaninva
Heresy! Prepare to be vilified by True Believers!

I don't mean to come off like a jerk. I was a Keith worshiper for years...still am in some ways, but it's difficult to fall for his jive and mythology after the facts are right in front of your eyes for so long.

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keefriff99

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roryfaninva
Heresy! Prepare to be vilified by True Believers!

I don't mean to come off like a jerk. I was a Keith worshiper for years...still am in some ways, but it's difficult to fall for his jive and mythology after the facts are right in front of your eyes for so long.

You're not coming off as a jerk.

But - I don't see anyone looking for or expecting a "25-date theatre tour with the Winos" (or another huge Stones tour either) or thinks they'll be touring in 5 years.

And I think (respectfully) you might be misinterpreting some of these posts.
He's always played from his heart & soul and he's not the same guitar player he was in 1969, or 1972 or 1999. We all know that. And I'm sure he knows that too.
And while I do understand your "jive & mythology" comment, I don't agree that it's coming from him. As we all know, the casual Stones fan at a show wants to see Keith play the solo in SFTD and so -- that's what we've been getting the past 5 years. If they do hit the road again for a few more final shows, I - like many here - hope they dial back a bit on the "war horse"/"casual fan" moments.

Keith can still connect with and move an audience. So I look forward to seeing him on stage again soon.

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GS1978

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keefriff99

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roryfaninva
Heresy! Prepare to be vilified by True Believers!

I don't mean to come off like a jerk. I was a Keith worshiper for years...still am in some ways, but it's difficult to fall for his jive and mythology after the facts are right in front of your eyes for so long.

You're not coming off as a jerk.

But - I don't see anyone looking for or expecting a "25-date theatre tour with the Winos" (or another huge Stones tour either) or thinks they'll be touring in 5 years.

And I think (respectfully) you might be misinterpreting some of these posts.
He's always played from his heart & soul and he's not the same guitar player he was in 1969, or 1972 or 1999. We all know that. And I'm sure he knows that too.
And while I do understand your "jive & mythology" comment, I don't agree that it's coming from him. As we all know, the casual Stones fan at a show wants to see Keith play the solo in SFTD and so -- that's what we've been getting the past 5 years. If they do hit the road again for a few more final shows, I - like many here - hope they dial back a bit on the "war horse"/"casual fan" moments.

Keith can still connect with and move an audience. So I look forward to seeing him on stage again soon.

Perfect

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GS1978

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keefriff99

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roryfaninva
Heresy! Prepare to be vilified by True Believers!

I don't mean to come off like a jerk. I was a Keith worshiper for years...still am in some ways, but it's difficult to fall for his jive and mythology after the facts are right in front of your eyes for so long.

You're not coming off as a jerk.

But - I don't see anyone looking for or expecting a "25-date theatre tour with the Winos" (or another huge Stones tour either) or thinks they'll be touring in 5 years.

And I think (respectfully) you might be misinterpreting some of these posts.
He's always played from his heart & soul and he's not the same guitar player he was in 1969, or 1972 or 1999. We all know that. And I'm sure he knows that too.
And while I do understand your "jive & mythology" comment, I don't agree that it's coming from him. As we all know, the casual Stones fan at a show wants to see Keith play the solo in SFTD and so -- that's what we've been getting the past 5 years. If they do hit the road again for a few more final shows, I - like many here - hope they dial back a bit on the "war horse"/"casual fan" moments.

Keith can still connect with and move an audience. So I look forward to seeing him on stage again soon.

No, I totally get that.

But look at guys like Iggy Pop, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. They've all had various ailments over the years, but they keep on trucking. They record, they tour, they play small venues with stripped-down bands if they have to. Iggy did that album with Josh Homme which was totally different from his normal sound.

They're clearly driven to create art, even if they don't fill stadiums. They find a way to keep creative and vital and do their own thing.

With Keith, he's been coasting for 25 years. I'm glad he released Crosseyed Heart, but he didn't exactly go out of his way to promote it.

I just think he's very comfortable being at home with his family, and that's fine, but when I hear him boasting about being a grizzled road dog or working on new music, it just rings hollow to me. It's the image versus the reality that irritates me.

I dig Willies "paia" shirt....small town on maui near his ranch

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keefriff99
But look at guys like Iggy Pop, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. They've all had various ailments over the years, but they keep on trucking. They record, they tour, they play small venues with stripped-down bands if they have to. Iggy did that album with Josh Homme which was totally different from his normal sound.

They're clearly driven to create art, even if they don't fill stadiums. They find a way to keep creative and vital and do their own thing.

With Keith, he's been coasting for 25 years. I'm glad he released Crosseyed Heart, but he didn't exactly go out of his way to promote it.

I just think he's very comfortable being at home with his family, and that's fine, but when I hear him boasting about being a grizzled road dog or working on new music, it just rings hollow to me. It's the image versus the reality that irritates me.

at his age you'd think he would come down to earth and just be real-"i spent enough time on the road with the stones and i'm happy just playing a few gigs here and there now" or "i just like being home with my books and my family or being on the beach" we would all understand but he just cannot stop with the bullshit.

merle booked about 30 or so gigs each and every year and willy still does about the same,travelling by bus across the country because they like being on the road and playing.
they have been millionaires for years but just get out there and play for the sake of it.
maybe keith could make an answer to willies "on the road again" called "back home again",just can't wait to get back home again...

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keefriff99

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GS1978

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keefriff99

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roryfaninva
Heresy! Prepare to be vilified by True Believers!

I don't mean to come off like a jerk. I was a Keith worshiper for years...still am in some ways, but it's difficult to fall for his jive and mythology after the facts are right in front of your eyes for so long.

You're not coming off as a jerk.

But - I don't see anyone looking for or expecting a "25-date theatre tour with the Winos" (or another huge Stones tour either) or thinks they'll be touring in 5 years.



And I think (respectfully) you might be misinterpreting some of these posts.
He's always played from his heart & soul and he's not the same guitar player he was in 1969, or 1972 or 1999. We all know that. And I'm sure he knows that too.
And while I do understand your "jive & mythology" comment, I don't agree that it's coming from him. As we all know, the casual Stones fan at a show wants to see Keith play the solo in SFTD and so -- that's what we've been getting the past 5 years. If they do hit the road again for a few more final shows, I - like many here - hope they dial back a bit on the "war horse"/"casual fan" moments.

Keith can still connect with and move an audience. So I look forward to seeing him on stage again soon.

No, I totally get that.

But look at guys like Iggy Pop, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. They've all had various ailments over the years, but they keep on trucking. They record, they tour, they play small venues with stripped-down bands if they have to. Iggy did that album with Josh Homme which was totally different from his normal sound.

They're clearly driven to create art, even if they don't fill stadiums. They find a way to keep creative and vital and do their own thing.

With Keith, he's been coasting for 25 years. I'm glad he released Crosseyed Heart, but he didn't exactly go out of his way to promote it.

I just think he's very comfortable being at home with his family, and that's fine, but when I hear him boasting about being a grizzled road dog or working on new music, it just rings hollow to me. It's the image versus the reality that irritates me.

I am with you up to a point, i think Keith should have at least played a show or two to promote Crosseyed Heart, i mean he didn't even play one track off the album anywhere. I found that unbelievable after all the things he says. I thought Keith cared enough about the music to play it to us on some level even if it was a live studio recorded situation without an audience. He did however do the rounds of interviews, a lot of them, but yeah i was so pissed off with Keith's laziness. I wonder if its because he doesn't want to rock the boat and cause Mick to do some solo shows. Its like he started making Crosseyed heart when he thought the Stones were over, and then he waited and waited for the Stones to stop touring before releasing CH, but as we know the Stones never gave it up, so Keith had to finish it and release it while the Stones were still an active unit. That kind of goes against all the things Keith said about Mick when he made She's The Boss, but it wasn't really Keith's fault when he kept trying in vain to get the Stones on the road (unsuccessfully ) in 2009, 2010' and 2011.
Mick made Keith pay for a long time over the contents in Keith's bio Life.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-04-10 20:57 by stone4ever.

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stone4ever


I am with you up to a point, i think Keith should have at least played a show or two to promote Crosseyed Heart, i mean he didn't even play one track off the album anywhere. I found that unbelievable after all the things he says. I thought Keith cared enough about the music to play it to us on some level even if it was a live studio recorded situation without an audience. He did however do the rounds of interviews, a lot of them, but yeah i was so pissed off with Keith's laziness. I wonder if its because he doesn't want to rock the boat and cause Mick to do some solo shows. Its like he started making Crosseyed heart when he thought the Stones were over, and then he waited and waited for the Stones to stop touring before releasing CH, but as we know the Stones never gave it up, so Keith had to finish it and release it while the Stones were still an active unit. That kind of goes against all the things Keith said about Mick when he made She's The Boss, but it wasn't really Keith's fault when he kept trying in vain to get the Stones on the road (unsuccessfully ) in 2009, 2010' and 2011.
Mick made Keith pay for a long time over the contents in Keith's bio Life.

I have a bit different interpretation or recollection what has happened during the last couple of years.

Firstly, after the years following A BIGGER BANG tour, Richards probably had not only thought about the Stones being over, but his own musical career as well. That's at least if we look what he has done or revealed about those years. At one point he even stopped playing the guitar altogether, which lasted about a year or two. "Writing" LIFE was a part of that (retirement), like 'all I have any longer is to tell the story' (actually I was rather sure when I read the book that the Stones are over - there was so much in the book indicating to that). During that time the tragedy of his wife also happened, which also seemingly caused him to rethink the priorities in his life; for example, he get rid of his own studio at his basement as a part of contentrating his life to his wife (a noble but kinda odd thing for a working musician to do). It was his old friend Jordan who kicked the ass of this retired musician and CROSSEYED HEART is the result of Keith 'learning the game again', 'getting his shit back together'. The album was recorded during quite a long time, and unlike with his earlier solo records or Stones records, there wasn't any 'band' to work intensively together for a relatively short time, but just a random amount of musicians he gathered together to cut some occasional tracks here and there. So when the album was finally released - after the Stones 50 Anniversary actitivities - there was no any 'band' Keith would go easily with to promote the album. For that he had to start from a zero, find the right people, learn and arrange the songs, rehearse helluva lot, make a proper show of all that, etc. My estimation is that it is not about his loyalty to the Stones or about laziness, but that he simply were/is not up to that kind of task any longer (I welcome Keith to prove me wrong). I am sure that the Richards of 1988 or 1992 would have never hesitated one sec playing the album/songs live some way or other, but creating CROSSEYED HEART was altogether different business than it was once with TALK IS CHEAP and MAIN OFFENDER that were based on the intensive Winos sessions. But making the album and releasing it is a great thing an sich, which I think surprised all of us positively - but we should not conclude too much of it.

Secondly, surely LIFE caused some trouble to get the Stones back on the road again, and Jagger probably let Richards to feel that, but I don't recall Keith actively trying to get the Stones back to activity in 2009, 2010 or 2011. What he finally did was organizing the three-day London jam sessions in December 2011, and invited all the Stones members to join him there. That can be seen as a starting point of their 50th Annversary re-union, which still continues. The way I see the importance of these sessions is like Keith proving to Jagger (he joined there for two days, right) that he is up to the task again, he has got enough of his chops back for the Stones to function again now when they were facing the commercially tempting 50th Anniversary. But as we know, it took for a year to get the band finally to perform again (including Keith's apology, etc.).

Thirdly, as mentioned in the reflective posts above, Keith loves to talk all kinds of things, about working hard, dying on the stage, having antennas out all the time and everything, but most likely that is a pro 'keeping up appearances'. That is entertaining for sure, but it would actually be interesting to hear him being frank about his true condition - of his fingers, of his mind, or how hard it is for him to actually play the guitar etc - and how much it actually asks from him to do what he does these days, no matter how relatively little that actually is. I think he would gain a lot of different kind of appreciation by that (and if we would be realistic, we would be grateful for anything we can get from him now), but I guess that's something an immortal Rolling Stone - the Keef - can never do in public. But because of that he ends up confusing his fans by not doing more than taking his old role in playing Stones hits with his old band occasionally and doing some cameo appearances here and then, like now for Merle Haggard (a nice, touching version, by the way).

- Doxa



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 2017-04-10 23:29 by Doxa.