Confessions of a Fanboy

Keith Richards turned 64 today. Let me go ahead and get this out of the way upfront: are we sure they didn’t forget to add a zero or 12?

I feel better getting that out of the way; now we can move on and celebrate the lives and times of Keith Richards. Damn it, I did it again! It’s just too easy not to.

The mythology of the Rolling Stones is so vast that it hardly bears repeating. When the Mount Rushmore of Rock and Roll is carved, Keith Richards and the Rolling Stones are going to be featured prominently. They might have trouble finding rocks that predate Keith; but I’ll let the geologists handle the carbon testing (okay, that’s three).

Of all the Stones legend and lore, one aspect that seems to me to get short shrift is Keith’s contributions as vocalist and lyricist. Everyone knows “Happy” and has heard it 10,000 times, so here are a few you might not have heard ad nausea. Hoist a few of these gems in Keef’s honor today.

• Ruby Tuesday: Keith wrote this one, even though Mick sings it. Quality song, bad restaurant.

• Thru and Thru: Used to great effect on The Sopranos, this is one of Keith’s best on a record too many of you ignored.
• Little T&A: It’s crass, crude, and unrefined – and that’s just the riff. Crass, crude, and unrefined are what rock and roll should be. This has a great Chuck Berry riff and a nice snarl to it.
• Before They Make Me Run: One part rock and roll superstar biography, one part giant slice of hyperbole; it’s the ideal metaphor for the Rolling Stones. I love the way the vocals are produced and treated on this one.
• You Got the Silver: All right, not the most tuneful thing you’ll ever hear but this might be Keith at his most unguarded.
• You Don’t Have To Mean It: Keith Richards singing cute little pop songs? This one might have been a hit in someone else’s hands, but I don’t know if it would have been this much fun.

Filed under: Tags: A Day Late and a Dollar Short, Rolling Stones