Let’s stick together.
A recent Rolling Stone feature on The Rolling Stones featured the 8,456,201st telling of what may be the oldest story in the book of rock: the rapprochement of the Glimmer Twins, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In my rock magazine-reading lifetime, these articles date back to the release of Some Girls. I wouldn’t be surprised if this story extends back a few album releases/tours earlier. The reasons for the divide shift slightly from personal/artistic- to personal/business-rooted interests as the years pass, but the narrative always drives at the same conclusions: Divided, the Stones give us the New Barbarians/X-Pensive Winos and Mick Jagger solo albums; united, the treat us to another greatest hits package, a world tour, and whatever new dirt can be scraped from surviving band members’ yellowing fingernails. For this, we give thanks and praise.
Is there an older, more frequently told story in rock than the rapprochement of Keef and Mick, and all the mixed emotions their union represents to rock’s core values?
The oldest story in the book of rock is the one about Sam Phillips wishing he could find a white man who could sing with the sound and feeling of a black man when suddenly, amidst a chorus of angels and sunlight streaming through his hair, Elvis Presley walked through the doors of Sun Studios.
That may a winner – and it’s been told without the slightest variation.
Robert Johnson going down to the crossroads and making a deal with the devil, Satan, the unholy one, Beelzebub, ruler of the Underworld, Allen Klein…
Yeah, those 2 are the Rosetta Stone and Dead Sea Scrolls of rock stories.
Keith Moon’s “naming” of Led Zep has to be in the top five.
As an aside, that cover story on the Stones contains what will probably be the funniest sentence of rock journalism this year.
“I’m reminded of what guitarist Waddy Wachtel’s wife said.”
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-rolling-stones-soul-survivors-20130507?page=3
I thought it was John Entwhistle.
For all you Stones fans:
http://dangerousminds.net/comments/the_rolling_stones_continue_their_long_march_toward_self_annihilation
Marianne Faithfull was a fraud. What’s this writer, like 23 years old? Is he missing the days when Jagger share the stage with real singers, like Christina Aguilera? Faithfull’s version of “As Tears Go By” is as clueless as anyone’s. A Stepford wife might as well have covered the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_phZZgkT1Jk
At the end of this show did Mick pick up the trash left in the stadium, put it in his pants, and leave them by the curb?
This guy doesn’t know anything about The Stones. Since they started the “guest star” thing, they’ve had some truly hideous guests and performances. They’re always awkward (if you ask me) and never add anything to the show. I don’t hate them because Axl Rose fucked up Salt of the Earth, so if this guy ever actually liked them, he shouldn’t be all bent out of shape over Taylor Swift. She did okay and from what I heard from the people I know that were there, it was actually pretty cool.
I had a similar thought about dangersousminds guy: if “As Tears Go By” means that much to you, you need to have your head examined. Talk about a silly little song!
Sacred cows, y’all!
I think maybe the Beatles story is much more common — a falling out among band members, followed by a long period of uneasy truces, and then death and displacement preventing any kind of permanent resolution.
Some “chick” broke up the band.
The white man stole IT ALL from the black man.
The guy who wrote that thing believes he knows EVERYTHING about The Rolling Stones and ALL rock & roll! He’s a major league blow hard, who I dumped from my FB list after his Ambien & booze-fueled rant about how he was 56, or whatever, and could “do it” like he was 17…and how he looked 36 (he didn’t…by a long shot). The only reason I ever read the guy’s Dangerous Minds (right…as if his nostalgia tripping could possibly be construed as anything approaching “dangerous”) posts are for the slight giggle I get at predicting EXACTLY when he is the author and what his take is gonna be on any given subject. I’ve rarely been wrong on either count.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call Marianne a fraud (or worse…I remember the phrase “rock slut” being used in conversation a long time ago by some who contribute to this blog…Yeah, be honest. I never went for that shit back then, and my opinion hasn’t changed), but her Stones covers were not my favorites of her early recordings. Inconsequential, at best…outside of the show biz connection it gave her career. Still, I don’t consider her a fraud.
The only thing that bothers me about the Stones’ guest spots is that they rarely have any relation to what the band is supposedly about. It’s almost always just pandering to the “youngsters”, with the occasional blues performer, or such (Waits, Taj….recently). Usually, it’s as crass a move as can be….which, I suppose, isn’t entirely out of the realm of what this band is about, either.
Really, at this point, who cares?
Ever since they trotted out Sheryl Crow I assumed the girl guests were all about Mick getting his hands on the latest “litte T&A” before the “girl belongs to yesterday”
“It’s nice to have a chick occasionally.” – MJagger on having Tina Turner opening
aloha
LD
Taylor Swift is the very antithesis of everything that I hold dea… Holy Shit! Look at those gams! You know, she’s alright.
ditto and ditto…
Nice.