When he joined the band, Keith said (paraphrasing) - “I knew we were getting a guitarist, I didn’t know we were getting a ****ing virtuoso”...
You’re right - he didn’t fit - and yet that was their best music (imo). Go figure.
Yep, early Stones were great, but the Taylor years were the best of the Stones (although the ‘Some Girls’ album was a high point too). Keith thought Taylor was a great technical guitar player, but he also thought you needed to be more than that to play rock and roll. Still, watch ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones’ on Blu-Ray, and if you have a good sound system, pay attention to ‘Love In Vain’. Taylor’s playing is on another level, and at some points you can hear his fingers sliding on the strings, what a performance.