Question for the guitar players: When do you think Keith was at his peak in terms of chops? Not necessarily your favorite era tone-wise, etc. But when do you think he was at his most technically proficient?

Without a doubt, 1969-1974

November 14, 1982 at 2:57 AM while jamming at his house.

Actually, it was more likely around 2:59.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-08-12 01:20 by ryanpow.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-08-12 01:22 by SomeGuy.

It is easy to overlook, but Keith was great in the 90's. Keith was so good on those tours... Steel Wheels, Voodoo Lounge, Bridges...

But the guitars were ridiculously good on the 78 tour. Just stupid good.

"You'll be studying history and you'll be down the gym. And I'll be down the pub, probably playing pool and drinking."

Sometime in the 1990's, but some people will mix this up as being about when they think he played the coolest stuff.

KR played brilliantly in the nineties, especially from 1997 until 1999.

His right hand, that's what Keith is about for 80%, imo. From that point of view he was always the same, from 1963 till date. His left hand became the problem when arthritis hit him.

Yes ... Steel wheels through No security. The 90s

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ryanpow
November 14, 1982 at 2:57 AM while jamming at his house.

Actually, it was more likely around 2:59.

I agree! At first I was thinking 3:03 AM, but by that point I think he was a bit distracted; you can really tell by the attack in his hammer-ons.

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Rokyfan
Yes ... Steel wheels through No security. The 90s

That's exactly my vote as well.

Certainly not his peak as a pure rhythm guitarist or as a songwriter, but the entire package...showmanship, lead, rhythm...definitely '89-'99.

The day he wrote "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'".

Oh no here we go .... I’ll say early 70’s. Then the 90s. All that crap in the 80s a kid can play

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TravelinMan

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ryanpow
November 14, 1982 at 2:57 AM while jamming at his house.

Actually, it was more likely around 2:59.

I agree! At first I was thinking 3:03 AM, but by that point I think he was a bit distracted; you can really tell by the attack in his hammer-ons.

yeah, a lot of people are fans of 3:03, and I get it. He had a really cool feel then, but from a technical stand point you can't beat 2:59.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-08-12 06:32 by ryanpow.

81-93.

keith's best playing was from 1969 to 1973 and at the 1978 tour, and from 1989 to
1990, and 1994-1995, and 1997-1999.
The worst playing was on 1981-1982 tour, when he mostly was drunken!

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SomeGuy
Without a doubt, 1969-1974

Technically?

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TheflyingDutchman
His right hand, that's what Keith is about for 80%, imo. From that point of view he was always the same, from 1963 till date. His left hand became the problem when arthritis hit him.

Keith is about touch, timing and dynamics...which on his best days are as good as they ever were .


Folks often say "anybody can play what Keith Richards plays ..."

..Yeah, after he's played it.

But never with his touch ...and could they have conceived it ?

From 78' to 99' I'd say he started going backwards about 93' 94'
I think he is better last year and this year since the 50th anniversary shows in 2012 so who knows, if he keeps on going and does a solo tour straight after this and makes another solo album we could possibly see Keith get as good as he was in 2006. Anything is possible with Keith.

As i have said many times before, Keith's best years were lost when Mick refused to tour behind Undercover and Dirty Work, Keith would have been unbelievable with the Stones in the coked up 80's Mick knew that and couldn't handle Keith being top gun. Hence no Stones shows during those years between 82'to 89'



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-08-12 10:25 by keithsman.

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Spud

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TheflyingDutchman
His right hand, that's what Keith is about for 80%, imo. From that point of view he was always the same, from 1963 till date. His left hand became the problem when arthritis hit him.

Keith is about touch, timing and dynamics...which on his best days are as good as they ever were .


Folks often say "anybody can play what Keith Richards plays ..."

..Yeah, after he's played it.

But never with his touch ...and could they have conceived it ?

And still they play it, and think it's easy, yet it sounds nothing like what he played

For folksy, acoustic stuff he peaked round 1966, imo. Really good.

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DandelionPowderman

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Spud

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TheflyingDutchman
His right hand, that's what Keith is about for 80%, imo. From that point of view he was always the same, from 1963 till date. His left hand became the problem when arthritis hit him.

Keith is about touch, timing and dynamics...which on his best days are as good as they ever were .


Folks often say "anybody can play what Keith Richards plays ..."

..Yeah, after he's played it.

But never with his touch ...and could they have conceived it ?

And still they play it, and think it's easy, yet it sounds nothing like what he played

Not one has ever played like Keith imo, the fact that he created all that puts him right up there, the fact he wrote all those songs too makes him Rocks greatest genius.
The other thing is the volume he plays at is so loud it makes his mistakes less forgivable live, he basically walks a tightrope every night

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keithsman

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DandelionPowderman

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Spud

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TheflyingDutchman
His right hand, that's what Keith is about for 80%, imo. From that point of view he was always the same, from 1963 till date. His left hand became the problem when arthritis hit him.

Keith is about touch, timing and dynamics...which on his best days are as good as they ever were .


Folks often say "anybody can play what Keith Richards plays ..."

..Yeah, after he's played it.

But never with his touch ...and could they have conceived it ?

And still they play it, and think it's easy, yet it sounds nothing like what he played

Not one has ever played like Keith imo, the fact that he created all that puts him right up there, the fact he wrote all those songs too makes him Rocks greatest genius.
The other thing is the volume he plays at is so loud it makes his mistakes less forgivable live, he basically walks a tightrope every night

When a guitarist has no good control over his right hand, he sounds like shit, even if he plays a zillion notes. Keith has a very good right hand approach and that's why he still sounds like Keith, despite his left hand handicap. Maybe now you get my point. We all know already that Keith is the best guitarist in the world.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-08-12 14:13 by TheflyingDutchman.

The great things about Keith's playing and sound, along with the rest of the band, is that they really have a different sound every tour. As far as technically, i dont think you can really NOT consider type of sound/tone because it takes technical ability to produce differing sounds styles and tones.

Bill Wyman, in his book Rolling with the Stones, he says Keith's playing was not as good during the last period with him compared to the 60 and 70s. I forget the exact quote, but i dont think anyone would know better than him.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-08-12 20:28 by muncy23.

when he played Malaguena for Gus

... and the rest is his story

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DandelionPowderman

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SomeGuy
Without a doubt, 1969-1974

Technically?

Yes, but also creatively. As was said, his playing is all about touch, hard to imitate. And around 1970 he occasionally played rather good solos as well, not that same 'lick' (I hate that word btw) that was repeated in about every solo on the 97/98 tour. The 60s and 70s were when Keith earned the distinction of being innovative as a guitarist.

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SomeGuy

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DandelionPowderman

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SomeGuy
Without a doubt, 1969-1974

Technically?

Yes, but also creatively. As was said, his playing is all about touch, hard to imitate. And around 1970 he occasionally played rather good solos as well, not that same 'lick' (I hate that word btw) that was repeated in about every solo on the 97/98 tour. The 60s and 70s were when Keith earned the distinction of being innovative as a guitarist.

For sure, Keith has never been about fancy virtuoso technique, but if the question is really technical proficiency versus creativity, then I think the high point of his playing is '89-'99, with a special emphasis on the Steel Wheels tour.

Depends what you mean by proficient. In terms of guitar playing prowess I think he peaked on Let It Bleed which was his masterpiece album and where he made leaps and bounds in technical ability.

For starters we have the masterful delta acoustic slide of You Got The Silver; the fabulous picking and re-imagining of Love In Vain which pretty much became a new song compared to the Robert Johnson original; the glissando guitar concerto of Monkey Man which includes one of his most accomplished and inspired solos ever; and the ghostly picking and general menace and sound of impending doom and devastation he created in Gimme Shelter.

It's also an album where he didn't have to rely on those Chuck Berry licks which have pretty much carried him through a lot of his career.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-08-12 17:11 by Silver Dagger.

Take for instance the soloing on Sympathy, Bitch, It's Only RnR. The live versions of the 90s and later are nowhere near as good (technically proficient if you will) as the versions back in the day. Also there is this rehearsal clip for I think German television in '72, (probably on the dvd of Ladies and Gentlemen) where Keith plays a blues piece that made me think, this is a Keith that we havent heard in decades anymore. Maybe not that hard to play, but definitely more advanced than anything of the 80s and 90s, in a technically proficient way. Sure, Keith is no Steve Vai (tg), but I find very little technically proficient in anything post-70s, and especially not 90s and more recent.

To me technically Keith's best achievement was his guitar solo on SFTD, the studio version. Quite fast. In the beginning I thought it was sped up.