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.
Thank you.
I didnt have the energy to trash talk him properly because he sucks so much.
https://youtu.be/2zC7R4455nE
Give me ‘The Who!’
These two burnouts
Bore Me.
You can see John Lennon grooving to the song the first time he heard it..and the guy from the Who is dancing around, too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwtyn-L-2gQ
Are you on the Bruce Springsteen is a Douche ping list? I’m on it, but can’t remember who runs it!
Springsteen should be the poster boy for CULTURAL APPROPRIATION. If it weren’t for Muddy Waters,Robert Johnson, Howling Wolf, Leadbelly and other bluesmen from the past he’d be just another Jersey White trash crashing Chevelles on the Garden State Pkwy
To be fair to the Boss - this Keef interview is from 1988. Keith Richards changed his mind and considers Bruce a genius after he heard “Outlaw Pete” in 2009.
Keith Richards might be unfiltered and he’s lived a lifestyle that no one should live but I often find myself saying in response to his outbursts “He’s right, you know.” On Springsteen, he’s right, you know.
Don’t forget Ozzie.
Agree with Richards about Bruce, and always have. I’d add that Springsteen’s songs tend to be way too negative, and either demean blue collar America as poor, miserable losers, or are outright anti-America. Every time I hear Manfred Mann’s cover of Blinded by the Light, I get a little feeling of schadenfreude, knowing Bruce must hate that they actually made the song a hit. It was Manfred Mann’s version that gave Bruce his only Number 1 single, and it was as the songwriter.
Musical(?) Edition of branDUHn. Useless “blue collar guy”. You know, common man of the people kinda guy.
Nothing says pretentious like men in their late 70s prancing about onstage.
Rename the band The Strolling Bones.
His first couple of albums (maybe 3, not sure) are works of pure genius. But yeah, he is a pretentious a-word. And a New Jersey pretentious a-word, so really he’s got it in spades.
annie leibowitz did the cover. supposedly of the pictures they took he thought his butt looked better than his face
the flag is not what he was thinking about putting on the cover because of the way it could be co-opted
i think this is folk lore that he is peeing on the flag
LOL! Is that a real ping list? If so, please add me.
Well you know he got all the blood in his body replaced at one point. Don’t know if that’s true, but I remember hearing it years ago.
his wife looks great for being 65
he says he made that up
https://rockcelebrities.net/is-keith-richards-full-body-blood-transfusion-his-secret-to-immortality/
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