INTRO| FROM THE EDITOR
THERE HAS BEEN little reason to expect a new Rolling Stones album in recent years. The group hasn’t produced any new music since 2005’s A Bigger Bang, and the death of the group’s founding drummer, Charlie Watts, on August 24, 2021, only seemed to underline the obvious — that the long-running rock and rollers were reaching the end of their road. While we might be able to expect more adventures in their seemingly endless string of live performances, another studio album of new Mick Jagger–Keith Richards–penned tunes seemed unlikely.
Yet, history has shown time and time again that it’s a fool who underestimates the Rolling Stones. The English rockers have been declared past their expiration date many times, only to rear their heads and unleash another slab of vinyl filled with their characteristic blues-rock style and, usually, a hit or two. Yet what no one could have possibly seen coming this late in the game was a new Rolling Stones album that’s as energized, vital and sinewy as Hackney Diamonds, the group’s new, 26th U.S. studio album. We may have had to wait 18 years since the band’s last album of original tunes, but this one was certainly worth the wait. There’s power and attitude in those grooves, not to mention the signature riffing and rhythm playing of rock’s most famous guitar-strumming duo, Keith Richards and Ronnie Lane.
It’s all cause for a long-overdue celebration of the world’s greatest rock and roll band. We’re thrilled we were able to do it with Keith. It’s been years since he graced the cover of this magazine, and it is a long-awaited honor to have him here once again. For this special occasion, we enlisted best-selling rock music scribe (and former longtime Guitar World editor) Brad Tolinski to pick Keith’s brain about the Stones’ new album and the magic of his and Woody’s five-plus-six-string-guitar approach. What Brad came back with
