Posted on 05/14/2022 9:59:59 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Keith Richards has made a career from speaking out of line in what is an unfiltered approach to saying what is on his mind. Even those who have been kind to him over the years, like Bruce Springsteen, are not immune to criticism.
Springsteen is incredibly thankful for the powerful impact The Rolling Stones had on his life, and he holds the group in demigod status. ‘The Boss’ has even openly spoken about his recurring childhood dream about being plucked from the crowd and joining them on stage.
Years later, Springsteen successfully made that unthinkable childhood ambition become a reality. However, despite performing with Bruce on multiple occasions, Richards believes the only reason his peer is famous is because of a devastating lack of talent in competition.
Writing as part of his 2010 autobiography, Life, Richards savagely critiqued a plethora of his peers, such as Elton John and Prince. Of course, those were unsurprising attacks considering his history with the pair. However, he has a cordial relationship with Bruce but still wrote: “If there was anything better around, he’d still be working the bars of New Jersey.”
Richards’ problem with Springsteen isn’t anything personal, and in a 1988 interview with Rolling Stone, the guitarist explained why he finds the New Jersey singer-songwriter “indulgent”.
He remarked: “I’ve met Bruce two or three times. We’ve had several good chats, usually at some release party or premiere, and we just end up in the corner talking. He’s a sweet guy, a nice guy. Mind you, I think four-hour shows really are way over the top. To me, a great rock & roll act does twenty minutes [laughs]”.
Richards added: “I remember the Paramount, where you got the Impressions, Jackie Wilson, Joe Tex, and everybody does just their absolute supreme best shot! A lot of the shows you get these days are very self-indulgent. I don’t think anybody can be enthralling for four hours on stage playing rock & roll.”
Later in the interview, Richards was asked for his thoughts on Springsteen’s music. Although he did caveat his comments by stating that he likes Bruce as a person, his music is a different subject. The Stones guitarist remarked: “Bruce? That’s a tough one, because I like the guy. But the music…I don’t know. I’m the toughest taskmaster of all time. I’m going to annoy a lot of people. Bruce? To me, it’s pretentious.”
As much as Richards finds Springsteen’s concerts intolerable, the singer-songwriter’s affability compensates for his perceived shortcomings on the musical front.
Either Richards’ scathing comments didn’t get back to Springsteen, or the New Jersey native was simply unfazed by the remarks because below is footage of them performing a thrilling rendition of ‘Tumbling Dice’ in 2012.
You mean the album that shows him pissing on the American flag on the cover?
And Keith is correct
I’ve been around for quite awhile now and I remember Springsteen coming onto the scene. I didn’t get it then and I don’t get it now. He sounds like a garage band singer who gets to play frat parties once in awhile.
And you too are correct
What I recall from decades ago… those that weren’t really into music were into Springsteen — overplayed frat house noise
Methinks Keith Richards is Methuselah.
Weed, cigarettes, coke, heroin, Jack Daniels, no problem.
5.56mm
Lol. Hype hype hype. Keith made a quite mild observation about playing for 4 hours being pretentious. Hardly scathing.
Well, Springsteen IS a pretentious jerk. The only good concert he ever did was “Black and White Night”. Well actually it was a Roy Orbison concert. But Bruce was backing Roy on guitar. And there were a couple of old blues guitarists there who wiped the floor with ol’ Bruce.
I’m a half-@$$ed amateur on guitar and I can outplay Bruce any day of the week.
Well he did co write
Please allow me to introduce myself
I’m a man of wealth and taste
I’ve been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man’s soul and faith
I was ‘round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game
I stuck around St. Petersburg
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the Tzar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain
I rode a tank
Held a general’s rank
When the blitzkrieg raged
And the bodies stank
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah
I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made
I shouted out,
“Who killed the Kennedys?”
When after all
It was you and me
Let me please introduce myself
I’m a man of wealth and taste
And I laid traps for troubadours
Who get killed before they reach Bombay
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah, get down, hit it
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what’s confusing you
Is just the nature of my game
Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me Lucifer
Cause I’m in need of some restraint
So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I’ll lay your soul to waste
Keith Richards is far too kind. Springsteen sucks and always has.
I am pretty much indifferent to Springsteen’s music, except for his version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, which is the worst ever.
That was interesting. Especially interesting was seeing Keef playing bass while Bill was banging on a coconut. WTF?
I would say calling him a musician is even questionable. His songs are generally boring, monotonous 2 to 3 chord dronings. Dancing in the Dark's melody is basically the first three tones of the major scale. Pure crap.
“Sympathy for the Devil.”
5.56mm
“Born in the USA” was a kick in the balls to everybody who served during Vietnam.
Utter crap.
I remember when Bruce was The Working Man’s Bob Dylan. When Born In The USA came out, he was a pretty boy. Now he is just another rich rock star who doesn’t care about the struggles of The People.
One of the lamps caused a fire and destroyed some of that equipment
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/stones-studio-catches-fire-244378/
It was interesting to see Jagger jerk around like he was on drugs while singing. That leg movement while standing wasnt to the beat.
Why would he even pretend a southern drawl when he claims he’s so proud to be from NJ?
” I don’t think anybody can be enthralling for four hours on stage playing rock & roll.”
It is not indulgent to play 4 hour shows. Springsteen doesn’t have to do it yet he does it for his fans. Who wants to give up the time and money for a 20 minute show?
The Rolling Stones music is quite simplex and sloppy. Then you have a complex act like Pink Floyd that can spend 20 minutes on one song. What a simpleton like Keith Richards calls pretentious I call interesting, deep and complex. But I understand that Keith doesn’t get that nor does he need to. His record speaks for itself. Hats off to him.
I am not a big Springsteen fan as I find Bruce’s music a bit mediocre for my tastes but to each his own. However he writes great lyrics. I remember reading them back in the day when the lyrics were on the album liner.
Led off a concert with ‘Born in the USA’. It’s a song you lead off with just to get out of the way-IMHO.
Great stage performer. Give him that.
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