Stepping Stones Wrap Up

Below are links to each of the 50 Stepping Stones, which were written weekly throughout 2012 (though the first 2 were written earlier), coinciding with the Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary.  The next series will focus on the music of Neil Young.  If interested in this upcoming series, you can sign up as a member of this blog, and I will send a notice when I get it started. 

# 1

Waiting on a Friend

"A Rolling Stone Gathers Moss"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2008/10/gmvw-41-rolling-stone-gathers-moss.html

# 2

Memory Motel

"Night School"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2009/08/gmvw-83-school.html

# 3

 Street Fighting Man

"The Stone Age"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/01/1st-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 4

It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll (But I Like It)

"Say It with Certainty"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/01/2nd-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 5

Rocks Off

"Spotlight on Bill Wyman: The Power of a Passivity”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/01/3rd-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 6

Worried About You

"The Compact Disc, the Vinyl Record and the Cassette"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/01/4th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 7

She’s A Rainbow

"From Black and White to Color"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/02/5th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 8

Before They Make Me Run

"Live From New York: A Skit with Bite"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/02/6th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 9

Sister Morphine

"Showmanship and Spectacle"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/02/7th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 10

She’s So Cold

"Partners for Life”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/02/8th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 11

The Last Time

"Gone but Not Forgotten"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/03/9th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 12

Anybody Seen My Baby

"Lost and Found"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/03/10th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 13

Ruby Tuesday

"Spotlight on Brian Jones: The Effects of Longstanding Connections"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/03/11th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 14

Monkey Man

"It’s Just a Tray Away”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/03/12th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 15

Hand of Fate

"When and When Not to Eschew Step Two"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/03/13th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 16

Moonlight Mile

"Night Vision"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/04/14th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 17

Blinded by Love

"Wheels of Fortune”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/04/15th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 18

Start Me Up

"In Support of the Arts"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/04/16th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 19

Shine a Light

"Tapping Into My Inner Grasshopper"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/04/17th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 20

Laugh, I Nearly Died

"Staying the Course"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/05/18th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 21

Can’t You Hear Me Knocking

"Spotlight on Mick Taylor: A Touch of Finesse"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/05/19th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 22

She Smiled Sweetly

"Portals of Discovery”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/05/20th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 23

Shattered

"Something for Everyone"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/05/21st-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 24

Gimme Shelter

"Gaining New Perspectives"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/05/22nd-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 25

Silver Train

"Spotlight on Ian Stewart: Big Brother”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/06/23rd-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 26

Emotional Rescue

"Reserving the Rights to Diss Disco”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/06/24th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 27

Paint It Black

"A Competitive Spirit"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/06/25th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 28

Sweet Black Angel

"Good for the Soul”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/06/26th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 29

Jumpin’ Jack Flash

"Mastering One’s Craft”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/07/27th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 30

Fool to Cry

"My Fellow Aficionados”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/07/28th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 31

She Was Hot

"Spotlight on Ronnie Wood:  Funfest in the Heat"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/07/29th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 32

I Am Waiting

"A lot for the Fey of Heart”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/07/30th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 33

Dead Flowers

"The Homeless Lady, the Padre, and the Desert Cowboy”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/08/31st-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 34

I Go Wild

"Dispensing the Notion of Indispensability”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/08/32nd-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 35

Plundered My Soul

"Photographic Memory”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/08/33rd-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 36

You Got the Silver

"Kudos"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/08/34th-in-series-of-stepping-stones-kudos.html

# 37

Brown Sugar

"Young vs. Old”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/08/35th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 38

Fingerprint File

"Fame vs. Anonymity”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/09/36th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 39

Tumbling Dice

"Spotlight on Charlie Watts: What Reliability Brings to the Table”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/09/37th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 40

Sleep Tonight

"Keith’s Conundrum"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/09/38th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 41

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

"It’s All a Matter of Taste"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/09/39th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 42

Honky Tonk Women

"Getting Style Points for Substance"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/10/40th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 43

Oh No, Not You Again

"The Ties That Bind”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/10/41st-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 44

No Expectations

"The Best Use for a Milk Crate”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/10/42nd-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 45

Miss You

"Spotlight on Mick Jagger: Mr. Omnipresence”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/10/song-miss-you-album-some-girls-released.html

# 46

Coming Down Again

"A Humanizing Effect"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/11/44th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 47

19^th Nervous Breakdown

"100 Musical Highlights in Rolling Stones History"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/11/song-19-th-nervous-breakdown-album.html

# 48

Torn and Frayed

"Spotlight on Keith Richards: Substantive Results"

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/11/46th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 49

Sympathy for the Devil

"A Misleading Title”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/11/47th-in-series-of-stepping-stones.html

# 50

Loving Cup

"No Stone Left Unturned”

http://pete-gemsandbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/12/48th-in-series-of-stepping-stones-no.html

(48th in a series of) Stepping Stones: "No Stone Left Unturned"

Song: Loving Cup

Album: Exile on Main St.

Released: May 1972

Welcome to the 48^th and final installment of the Stepping Stone series.  Tacking on the two Rolling Stones-centric “Gem Videos” (GMVW # 41; Waiting on a Friend and GMVW # 83; Memory Motel, which are also on this blog) it all adds up to an even 50, meshing numerically with this the Stones’ Golden Anniversary year (now alas in full swing with the launch of their mini-tour > the first show in London earlier this week included cameos by Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor).  Though it was my aim from the beginning, fifty song reviews like these for one band was a high target to shoot for.  But the Stones have written and produced an amazing amount of music, so in actuality much was left on the table.  However, there are other great musicians knocking at the doors of my psyche and with the year 2012 winding down, it’s time to move on.

What an incredible introspective process this has been; examining the music of the Rolling Stones and its effect on my life.  I realize this band is not for everyone.  What band is?  For me, however, they are one of a handful of artists who I feel I know well enough to be able to do something like this.  Included on this short list would be those musicians of whom I’ve explored much of the breadth of their discographies over time; the ones who have breached that hard-to-define tipping point of quantity and quality.  Just about every one of the artists who I have had this deeper connection with got their start in the 60s.  Being a teenager in the 70s who listened to this stuff and who was influenced by it in ways far different than the contemporary fans of these 60’s musicians, I believe I have a story here that has not been told; at least to the degree that it should.  There is a long way to go, but I think this was a good start.

Why the Stones first?  Well, as discussed before, I felt I had to slip them under that invisible psychological line that is 50 years old, believing they were the musicians from my past whom I was least likely to connect with in my older years at the same level I did when younger.  Having crossed that half-century line several months back while in deep with their music, I may never know if this approach was necessary.  Better safe than sorry.  Still, the Rolling Stones make strange bedfellows for a person like me who looks to Rock and Roll not only for fun but also for conscience and morality. The Stones do have these elements in their repertoire, but they will never really be known for this in the way that other great bands will be remembered.   This band has honed an image that includes less-saintly, more unsavory qualities and they will have to live with that image. They’re the kids who ignored, even laughed at their elders.  They’re the kids who brag about their dalliances.  They’re the kids who took the candy from strangers, knowing full well the range of implications in doing so.  And yet, I’ve always been intrigued by free spirit types the likes of these dudes.  All in all, our generation was lucky to have the Rolling Stones.  They’ve showed us what happens if you stick to your rebel ways (particularly Keith Richards), even as you climb the ladder of success.  The album ‘Some Girls’ is a great example of this.  It was a dangerous and edgy album when it was released, and it came out 15 years into the Rolling Stones careers!  How many bands can make a claim like that? 

So, what did I get from a solid year of listening to the Rolling Stones that I did not already have?  Plenty.  For example, the double album ‘Exile on Main St.’ made the transition in my mind from very good to masterpiece.  Keith Richard’s climbed to higher rungs on my appreciation ladder.  I tapped into early deep cuts off of ‘Aftermath’ and ‘Out of Our Heads’.  I came to the realization that ‘Black and Blue’ is likely the Stones most underrated album.  I thoroughly enjoyed listening to She Was Hot and struggled to move on at the end of that week.  Same for Plundered My Soul and I Am Waiting:  All these songs deserve more credit than has been given them.  Midnight Rambler is a very twisted song indeed.  Mick Jagger is even smarter than I thought.  There are tinges of regret on ‘Goats Head Soup’.  ‘A Bigger Bang’ is worth a second listen.  The Stones just may have a concept album in their catalog after all in ‘Let it Bleed’.

Many of this band’s albums have extreme elements:  Insightful and heartfelt at one end of the spectrum; brazen and crude at the other.  For example, ‘Beggars Banquet’ unveils both Salt of the Earth and Stray Cat Blues.  ‘Goat’s Head Soup’ gives us 100 Years Ago, but it also gives us Star, Star (which is actually a far better song than I have ever been willing to admit).  ‘Some Girls’ contains the magnificent Miss You, but also the bordering-on-absurd title track. ‘Undercover’ contains the political Undercover of the Night and the macabre Tie You Up (The Pain of Love).  ‘Between the Buttons’ includes both She Smiles Sweetly and Backstreet Girl.  The list goes on.  Why do they do this?  I now know it’s most likely a Blues thing, which is where the Stones roots are and is something they have never forgotten. 

The Rolling Stones can be messy.  Not everything they release has worked.  From all accounts, they go into the studio with rough bits of music, and depending on the mood and other intangibles, things either coalesce or they don’t.  But like the scene in ‘Close Encounters’, that proverbial mound of mashed potatoes can be suddenly razed off at the top, and voila …an instant classic.  This band feeds off one another more so than most.  It is a very big reason why they are so successful.  The Stones are a perfect example of how the whole can dwarf the sum of its parts.  Spend long enough with people doing something everyone loves while keeping the passion alive inside yourself, and magical things can happen.

I could have considered solo songs from the individuals in this band, which I will do for other groups like the Who and the Beatles if I manage to get around to them.  But the Stones are unique in that they have been a continuous band now for 50 years.  The Beatles on the other hand only lasted 9 years.  The Who, as a creative studio band:  About 18 years.  There was so much to work with within the context of the Rolling Stones.  And so I did not stray, even if the band members have done so on occasion.  I believe the focus ultimately helped flesh out some of my thoughts that otherwise may not have come to light.

Mostly what I got out of this Stepping Stone process though was a stronger reconnection with my youth.  Shouldn’t this be a goal for all of us?  It can get easy to grow old; to become curmudgeon-like.  It sneaks up on you.  One way to stem the tide is to spur faded memories, and nothing achieves this quite the way music does.   Over the past year I flashed back to Joe’s ‘Some Girls’ tape; Fred’s ‘Hot Rocks’ album; Dad’s partial admission all those years ago to the quality of Mick Taylor’s guitar playing on Can’t You Hear Me Knocking; obtaining great concert tickets with Saiping; the skip on my old ‘Tattoo You’ album; Pete’s guidance when I purchased my first turntable; ‘The Mountain’ in my hometown; how I became friends with Mac; an old North Adams classmate who knew his Glimmer Twins; Mick Jagger’s brilliant performance of Sister Morphine in Foxboro;  those super-sized Honky Tonk Women; the effect that the older 60s siblings of several of my best friends had on my adolescent years; that amazing mini-stage and the cantilever bridge to it; my fellow Stones aficionados (Amy and Paul) and what fascinates them about this band;  an inspiring soul I worked for at the now defunct Welick’s Restaurant; the dogs who joined me on my old paper route; and the numerous Moonlight Mile drives I have experienced over my lifetime; among other memories.

This Stepping Stones series was a bit different from the original Gem Music Video of the Week (GMVW) series.  The Gem Videos had more of an emphasis on my appreciation for friends and family.  It was also more video-centric.  This time around I tried to be more balanced; I wanted to dig deeper into the music itself and see what it could bring out in me.   I wanted to see if it could help me explain my formidable years.  This exploration should not to be confused with delving into the personal lives Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman Mick Taylor and Ronnie Wood.  As if I could anyway (as Pete Townshend once wrote “Don’t pretend that you know me, ‘cause I don’t even know myself”).  Their lives are theirs….but their music is ours.  They sold it to us.  We can write about it without feeling like we are treading on private property.  Good music is uniquely interpretable to all of us anyhow.  I recommend contemplating and writing about the music you love.  You may be surprised what comes from it.

The closing Stepping Stone, Loving Cup ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtJ34oFnpog ) is apropos, because it is the only Rolling Stones song that can have me closing my eyes as I listen.  I’ve imagined Mick Jagger doing the same thing as he sang the version of this song that appears on the ‘Exile on Main St.’ album.  It’s an exquisite, almost angelic song that exemplifies what a band can do when it’s clicking on all cylinders.   The entirety of Loving Cup is a non-stop highlight, but there are a few transcendent moments.  I love when the song transitions into chugging mode (1:15 mark of the attached url): One of many marks that can define a true band.  And the bridge is just magnificent:  That nitty, gritty, beautiful buzz.  Most great bands have that one signature tune they could hang their hat on; one great song that is enough to get the point across.  Loving Cup is that song for the Stones.  It’s got soul written all over it.

And so, I raise a glass to the Rolling Stones; the band that can be both elusive and embraceable at the same time.  I listened intently for a solid year….with gusto; and for a final week as if it were “The Last Time”. 

I hope I’ve left no Stone unturned. 

-          Pete

(47th in a series of) Stepping Stones: "A Misleading Title"

Song: Sympathy for the Devil

Album: Beggars Banquet

Released: December 1968

Before wrapping up these Stepping Stones (next entry), I knew at some point I had to tackle that controversial song with the misleading title.  After all, Sympathy for the Devil (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBecM3CQVD8

 ) is one of the greatest of all Rock and Roll songs.  Rolling Stone Magazine agrees, having recently rated it at number 38 in the top 500 songs of all time.  But man, that title!  What were the Stones thinking?  Well, knowing this band, they knew very well what they were thinking.  That being said, had they fallen into a state of hubris?  This can do you in, and some have argued that such over-confidence may have brought the Rolling Stones some bad karma, particularly in the short term: Brian Jones death, Altamont, drug addictions.  At the very least it was the final nail in the coffin for the Stones with the conservative evangelical crowd. 

Yet despite all the outrage generated by the title and related misunderstandings at the time of the songs release (for example, Jagger singing from the viewpoint of the devil), ‘Sympathy’ is actually about exposing evil, not purporting it.  It’s loaded with historical references, reminding us of some of the most tragic and disturbing events of recorded times while stamping these events as being far from random.  In the process, this classic tune appears to emphasize what can happen if we try to ignore the sinfulness that is out there.  Coming on the heels of 1) their song We Love You 2) a brilliant cover of Robert Wilkins’ Prodigal Son (which summarizes the classic Biblical parable) and 3) Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ genuine participation in the Beatles live TV footage of All You Need is Love, it is hard for a Stones aficionado to overlook the band’s true intentions here.  They just made it hard on themselves, which has never been an unusual position for these cats to be in.

When I was a teenager, none of this would need explaining.  It was simply understood, and I assumed that anyone else who listened got it too.  My focus at the time was primarily on the brilliant melding of music and lyrics.  I mean, this was a damn good song!  And being a history buff intensified this sentiment.  The Stones make their way through the centuries, from Jesus Christ and Pontius Pilate to the 100 Year War to the Troubadours to the fatal end of Czarist Russia to the Nazi’s (I still believe Jagger sings ‘held a generous rank’ and not ‘held a generals rank’…  as it adds to the shadiness) and finally, the Kennedy assassinations (Bobby was killed a few days before the final version of ‘Sympathy’, which had Jagger modifying the lyrics from ‘who killed Kennedy’ to ‘who killed the Kennedys’).  While listening to this one song when I was a teenager, I picked up a sense of the meaning of these events more than I did during a handful of history classes, several of which included major discussion on these topics.  Interestingly, one of these classes, ‘History of the Post-War World’, which I took in college, focused on some of the same basic concepts the Stones do:  The insular, somewhat misguided optimism of the United States in the 50s, especially when comparing to Europe and Asia, which were digging out from under the rubble of war. 

The genius of ‘Sympathy’ is in its simplicity.  None of the instruments, other than the fast-paced bass guitar, appear all that difficult to replicate.  It’s a masterful song that can bring you close to the action, even if you are not a musician.  I recall being in the basement of a musician friend of Phil and Pete’s during our senior year in high school.  There were instruments all around.  A group of us settled in around the room (including an excellent jazz bass-guitar player who I had never met before and have never seen since).  The musicians started playing.  I picked up a pair of maracas and began shaking them to the beat, which slowly began to evolve and gel.  After a few moments, it became obvious to me that the beat was morphing into the intro to this week’s Stepping Stone.  The microphone was next to me.  I started mouthing the opening lines “Please allow me to introduce myself, I’m a man of wealth and taste…..”, and proceeded to sing most of the song with the musicians around me locking in.  It was as close as I ever got to the feel of a studio session.  It was an incredible rush.

Another great memory related to this song was during my early days attending Carleton University in Ottawa.  I had spent a fantastic afternoon diving and swimming in the rapids of the Rideau River with several new found friends, including Steve V.  On the way back to the dorms, we walked along the Rideau Canal.  I initiated singing ‘Sympathy’ and soon had a chorus backing me with the classic sounding ‘Oooh, Oooh’ that kicks in halfway through the song.  These were the days I had no problem belting out a tune when surrounded by good friends or family (daughter Charlotte has stifled me way to often in recent years…. I’ve got to get back in the swing of it). 

The percussion beat to Sympathy for the Devil is the first thing heard when putting the needle down on side 1 of ‘Beggars Banquet’.  It initiated an amazing triumvirate of opening songs for the Stones, soon to be followed by Gimme Shelter off ‘Let it Bleed’ and Brown Sugar off ‘Sticky Fingers’.  What a run.  I challenge anyone to name a better or even equal streak.  I’m not sure the Stones ever really thought much about song order (in general) or the selection of an opening song (in particular) on any of their 22 British-released studio albums.  Unlike Lou Reed, who has discussed the importance of song order, I don’t ever recall members of the Rolling Stones stating anything to this effect.  For what it’s worth though, here are all opening Stones songs in chronological order, with my own personal ranking for each in parenthesis:

1.       Route 66 opens ‘The Rolling Stones’ (# 11)

2.       Everybody Needs Somebody to Love opens  ‘The Rolling Stones No. 2’ (# 20)

3.       She Said Yeah opens ‘Out of Our Heads’ (# 18)

4.       Mother’s Little Helper opens ‘Aftermath’ (# 7)

5.       Yesterday’s Papers opens ‘Between the Button’ (# 17)

6.       In Another Land opens ‘Their Satanic Majesties Request’ (# 22)

7.       Sympathy for the Devil opens ‘Beggars Banquet’ (# 2)

8.       Gimme Shelter opens ‘Let It Bleed’ (# 1)

9.       Brown Sugar opens ‘Sticky Fingers’ (# 4)

10.   Rocks Off opens ‘Exile on Main St.’ (# 3)

11.   Dancing With Mr. D opens ‘Goats Head Soup’ (# 14)

12.   If You Can’t Rock Me opens ‘It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll’ (# 16)

13.   Hot Stuff opens ‘Black and Blue’ (# 13)

14.   Miss You opens ‘Some Girls’ (# 5)

15.   Dances Part 1 opens ‘Emotional Rescue’ (# 8)

16.   Start Me Up opens ‘Tattoo You’ (# 6)

17.   Undercover of the Night opens ‘Undercover’ (# 9)

18.   One Hit (To The Body) opens ‘Dirty Work’ (# 15)

19.   Sad Sad Sad opens ‘Steel Wheels’ (# 19)

20.   Love Is Strong opens of ‘Voodoo Lounge’ (# 10)

21.   Flip the Switch opens ‘Bridges to Babylon’ (# 21)

22.   Rough Justice opens ‘A Bigger Bang’ (# 12)

Ok, so how could the Rolling Stones have made things easier on themselves with the title of this song?  Perhaps they could have gone with something like “We Know You Are Out There You Rat Bastard” or “Misery Loves Company”.  But ya know, part of me thinks they made the right call.  Someone had to push the envelope forward; pull in minds that would otherwise never be pulled into such discourse.  I would not have been one of them (having a strong faith installed at a young age, thanks in large part to my parents), but I do know many who fell into this camp.  By the time ‘Beggar’s Banquet’ was released, the Rolling Stones knew their audience.  They knew they were working with a fan base that was rebelling against an establishment they did not believe in.  The “Summer of Love” thing was not working anymore….at least for a while.   Some bands tried to ramp up the message of “Peace, Love, and Understanding”.   Many of these musicians fell out of favor.  The Stones knew they were dealing with a more complex situation than those bands did.  Their approach was risky…. but it worked.

-          Pete

(46th in a series of) Stepping Stones "Spotlight on Keith Richards: Substantive Results"

Song: Torn and Frayed

Album: Exile on Main St.

Released: May, 1972

Spotlight on: Keith Richards

In the walk of life, there can be no better fortune than to cross paths with an authentic soul:  Someone who is genuine, true, real, veritable, and original.  I’ve been blessed in this way, having connected with numerous solid individuals over the years, be they friends, family, or colleagues.  You tend to cling to these types.  They make life’s meaning clearer, deeper, and even easier.   This is not to say they don’t have their own struggles.  None of us are perfect.  In the same vein, neither are they similar in nature to one another.  But one constant is they all have a core personal value system that works.  And they stick to it, ultimately making their integrity clairvoyant to those of us who have been graced to see it for what it is.

It’s one thing to perceive authenticity at a personal level.  Making that type of observation in someone you do not know is much harder.  Yet it can be done.  Most of us, for example, can come to a fairly quick conclusion that Abraham Lincoln was authentic.  A fair percentage of us would say the same for Gandhi, Vincent Van Gogh, Martin Luther King or Mother Teresa:  There have been enough teachings and writings about these historic figures to at least make an educated guess on the subject.  For each of these movers/shakers, the authenticity is personified in some way be it 1) decision making in the face of adversity, 2) their writings/oratory 3) artistic expression, 4) alms, 5) spirituality or 6) activism.  As such, the concept of authenticity includes the ability to find your niche, and then to master it, while in the process making those around you better for it.

The music world has shown us a fair share of authenticity as well.  Here, it’s primarily about mastering an irreproducible sound.  One could conclude that Mozart was authentic, simply because he was so brilliant at making music.  Same could be said for Edith Piaf, Robert Johnson, Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, Billie Holiday, and Bob Dylan.  But it all goes a bit beyond the ability to be a good musician:  There have been many very proficient composers who have never connected with the world the way these musicians did.  There are other factors that come into play, and you can hear it in that inimitable sound that each one produces.  With Mozart it’s hard to confirm this because his original concerts predated recording.  We can only take the word of those who were there (read: Antonio Salieri). For all these other musicians however, you can hear something beyond the notes.

With a successful band, it can be harder to decipher where the authenticity is coming from.  Rarely do you find it all evenly dispersed, as was the case with R.E.M.  Usually you find one or two authentic individuals who bring out the best in their bandmates.  John Lennon’s authenticity brought out the best in Paul McCartney.  Brian Wilson brought out the best in Mike Love.  Neil Young brought out the best in Stephen Stills.  Robbie Robertson brought out the best in Levon Helm (sorry Levon).  Ray Davies brought out the best in Brother Dave.  Jerry Garcia did the same for Bob Weir.  Roger Waters brought out the best in David Gilmour.  And Pete Townshend did it for Roger Daltrey. 

Strangely enough, in all these instances it could be argued that the musical abilities of the authentic soul were inferior to those of the recipient.  McCartney, for example, is recognized as one of the best musicians of his generation; Gilmour one of its most brilliant guitarists.  My earlier point though in regards to authenticity in a musician is that it is not solely about the music.  It’s about the overall sound, and what contribute to it are intangible qualities.  Musical notes can be duplicated.  Distinct sound cannot be.  Distinct sound captures a mood.  It captures a moment in time.  It captures an essence.

The Rolling Stones?  Well, I’ve been enjoying their music for the better part of four decades now.  Yet it would take a straight year of listening to them and writing about them to realize that this band also has an authentic musician in their midst. 

The bandleader is no other than Keith Richards.

-----------------------   -----------------------   -----------------------   -----------------------

In the process of writing these Stepping Stones, I’ve shined the spotlight on Bill Wyman (Stepping Stone # 3), Brian Jones (# 11), Mick Taylor (# 19), Ronnie Wood (# 29), Charlie Watts (# 37) and Mick Jagger (# 43).  All that remained was the Human Riff.  The King of Rhythm.  Mr. Instinct.  In other words, I saved the best for last.  As recently as last year, I would not have been willing to conclude this. Richards is a hard nut to crack.  But heavy listening can get you to the bottom of most music. 

Before I get into some of the reasons why I now grant Keith Richards the distinction of carrying the Rolling Stones authentic torch, I thought I’d reflect briefly on my personal evolution in ranking the individual Stones.  I’ll preface this ranking by first saying that ALL of the Rolling Stones bring a boatload to the table, so these rankings are relative:

A: My early years of listening (mid-70s to mid-80s) > 1) Brian, 2) Bill, 3) Mick, 4) Mick Taylor, 5) Keith, 6) Charlie, 7) Ronnie

B: The last 20 years or so > 1) Mick, 2) Mick Taylor, 3) Brian, 4) Keith, 5) Bill, 6) Charlie, 7) Ronnie

C: Now > 1) Keith, 2) Mick, 3) Charlie, 4) Bill, 5) Ronnie, 6) Mick Taylor, 7) Brian

I believe I have it right now.  So what happened?  Well, there are many reasons.  The biggest I believe is that the Stones most explosive period was a 4-album stretch from 1968 (‘Beggar’s Banquet’) to 1972 (‘Exile on Main St.’) and this was the period that Richards was at his most dominant.  Every great band has a ‘classic’ stretch of music.  The Stones are no exception, and their ‘Imperial Era’ could also be defined as the personification of Keith Richards.  I’ve teased this out while listening to these albums intensely this year.  Reading about this time period in Stones history helped, but ultimately it came down to hearing it, which was finally what happened with me.  We all hope to have some stretch in our lives when all cylinders are clicking.  When we really show what we are made of.  That period for Richards was ’68 – ’72.

Secondly, Keith Richards puts his band ahead of most everything else.  And he has never wavered from this stance.  When Bill Wyman decided to quit the band in 1993, Richards stated something to the effect that the only way you could leave the Stones was in a casket.  Richards is passionate about the Rolling Stones.  He reveals this through his endurance; willing to take a session into the wee hours and beyond. He reveals this in his renowned ability to go days without sleep, which may have something to do with his trying to connect on a deeper level with those around him in order to master the musical moment.  He reveals this in his refusal to recognize his contemporaries in any substantial way; a true home-team kind-of guy. 

Thirdly, Richards brings the edge and mystique to the Stones: Skull rings, blood transfusions, his Dad’s ashes, refusal to acknowledge royal recognition for his accomplishments, jail sentences, drug busts, and grace under pressure are but some of the examples.  For decades Richards was listed at #1 on celebrity death lists.  Now the running joke goes that in the case of a nuclear disaster, the only survivors will be cockroaches and Keith Richards.  Back in the late 60s, Richards made the observation that he was being miscast as a social deviant.  Most of us would try to correct a false image.  Not Keith Richards.  His attitude: “If that’s how you are trying to paint me, I’ll give it to you in spades.”

Fourth, Keith Richards is an open book.  His songwriting partner, Mick Jagger, is guarded.  Who can blame him?…..he is after all constantly dealing with the pitfalls of superstardom.  Not Keith though.  He never shies away from a challenging question.  And I don’t mean this in a soul-searching way.  I mean it in a confident “I know who I am” way.  In retrospect, this may be just what threw me off all those years ago with Keith Richards.  As mentioned in Stepping Stones # 44, growing up in the 70s connected many of us to the humanization of Rock n’ Roll;  the period of confession.  Richards was the exception.  Other than the rare occasion (i.e. Coming Down Again), he did not play that game.  He didn’t have to.

-----------------------   -----------------------   -----------------------   -----------------------

I was ‘torn’ for this week’s Stepping Stone.  On the one hand, I had Torn and Frayed, an enchanting song that cuts to the core of Keith Richards value system.  On the other hand was How Can I Stop, which is a bit more of a hidden message but…. also cuts to the core of his value system.  In the words of Don Was, the Stones producer for 1997s ‘Bridges to Babylon’, How Can I Stop would have been the perfect swan song for the Rolling Stones.  It describes Richards’ passion for his band in a way few songs by any band have done.  In the end though, I settled on Torn and Frayed ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khRFhrhcJrs ).  It’s on the Stones best album, and in all honesty, is the better song. 

So here’s to authenticity!  Not all of us are going to find what we are truly cut out for.  Yet, it can be almost as fun to recognize it in others.  I came around with seeing it in Keith Richards.  I’m willing to bet that at one time or another; the remaining Rolling Stones have too.

-          Pete