Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones‘ main guitarist, has more right than most to criticize other musicians. After all, he’s been a vital member of one of the world’s most influential bands for over 60 years, and he has a lot of material to prove it.
This outspoken temperament has made Richards one of the most appealing individuals in rock music. It has put another string to his cultural bow, alongside his musical endeavors and his hell-raising lifestyle. From trashing his contemporaries to introducing new artists, Richards has never been shy to express his opinion on the work of others. He has produced several significant stories as a result.
One of his most renowned criticisms is of Oasis. A band in which Richards refused to trust the hype. He once called the Manchester band “crap”. He added, “These guys are just obnoxious.” Grow up, then come back and see if you can still hang.”
However, this is only the tip of the iceberg, with Richards’ opinions extending so far that he’s even spoken on several organizations. He said that fans would have assumed were so far removed from his orbit that he wouldn’t feel obligated to comment on them. However, this is Keith Richards, and he will criticize anybody whenever he wants.
Richards sat down for an interview with Ritchie York on the eve of The Rolling Stones’ 1969 American tour. Throughout the conversation, he delivered a long list of opinions about other artists. Nobody was immune from his eyes that day, not Blood, Sweat & Tears, Jethro Tull, or The Band.
He even performed a reading of one of the year’s most thrilling bands, Led Zeppelin, who debuted with two albums in 1969. While admiring their guitarist Jimmy Page, he did temper his praise by criticizing vocalist Robert Plant. He noted that after numerous listens to their debut album, “the guy’s voice started to get on my nerves.” This was not the last time The Rolling Stones guitarist spoke out about Led Zeppelin.
But that wasn’t all. later in the talk, Richards made his most startling remark. Surprisingly, he added several quick but severe comments on the UK’s most famous band of brothers, The Bee Gees. While they weren’t the disco heroes who would go on to become worldwide legends at the time. The Gibb brothers had already published six albums and found themselves in a baroque pop area by 1969. Regardless, Richards had none of it, accusing the Gibbs of living in “their little fantasy world” where all they talk about is “kid stuff.”
