Given the prominence of Keith Richards in the music industry, it’s fair to say that he has earned the right to express his views, even if they aren’t always correct. Richards, the Rolling Stones’ guitarist, has never been afraid to express his opinions and feelings about other bands. However, he was skeptical about the authenticity of three classic outfits.
Richards has repeatedly criticized some acts. Sex Pistols had it pretty bad because he called them “shit” made for “mass-media consumption“. But they were a frequent target of feuds and fights. However, three bands that the guitarist appeared to dislike are among the world’s most popular.
He was asked who the greatest artists in the world were. Richards replied, “I’m not going to say, Led Zeppelin, The Who, or Black Sabbath. I’d be lying. They’re not my favorites.” His problem with the acts stemmed from their origin and organization. He said, “You can always feel that someone has thrown them together.” “You can always see the joint.”
On the surface, it seems like a fair comment considering the Stones’ origin. The band is led by two best friends who are at its core and the longest-standing original members. Mick Jagger and Richards first met in primary school. And when they reconnected later in life, they discovered a shared musical taste and a desire to bring more American blues sounds to the UK music scene. Theirs is a collaboration that seems authentic and organic. The two friends and musicians understood one another.
In contrast, Led Zeppelin formed a band by chopping and changing members from various bands and assembling a group of professional session musicians. Black Sabbath formed in much the same way. It was with the carcasses of older bands being picked at to form something new.
The Who, on the other hand, may have been as organic as the Stones. It’s because the three founding members met in Acton while attending school. The band’s lineup changed over time. But the core of Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend remained consistent since grammar school.
While we usually enjoy Richards’ sharp one-liners and candid commentary on the music industry, this one feels slightly hypocritical. Criticizing other bands for being “thrown together” seems a little contradictory coming from an artist whose band has had many members come and go. Even if the Stones formed organically through friendship or the London jazz scene, by the time they fired their founder, Brian Jones, they had auditioned for a new member and brought in several new people over the years.
And when it comes to identifying the joins or weak points in a lineup. The Stones have had plenty of infighting and fallouts that have splintered their original friendships. Richards even briefly left the group to pursue a solo career rather than continue touring with them. Surely, that is the definition of seeing the cracks.
While Richards may be a legend, we cannot always trust his opinions. In 1977, he claimed that David Bowie and Led Zeppelin would not be “anywhere in the future, let alone the present“. So, while a fun little quip of sharp musical judgment, one should take his thoughts with a pinch of salt.
