KICKING ASS WITH THE ROLLING STONES, HAVING FUN WITH A BEATLE, AND PAYING TRIBUTE TO THREE ALL-TIME GREATS – CHARLIE WAT TS, MUDDY WATERS AND JEFF BECK…
One of the biggest stories of 2023 was the return of The Rolling Stones with HackneyDiamonds, the band’s first album of original material in almost two decades. The album includes tracks recorded with drummer Charlie Watts, who died in 2021, and bassist Bill Wyman, who left the Stones 30 years ago. It also features guest appearances from Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga and, most surprising of all, Paul McCartney.
Keith Richards, the Stones’ guitarist and founding member, explains how he and singer Mick Jagger put this album together; how he and fellow guitarist Ronnie Wood enjoy a near-telepathic understanding; and why, for him, five strings are still better than six…
Hackney Diamonds sounds so fresh, but Iunderstand it had alengthy evolution.
Yeah, it took a while to get it going, but when we finished touring last year, Mick and I decided, Let’s just blitz a record, man, and let’s get a guy that can push this thing with us. Mick found [co-producer] Andy Watt, and I’ve got to say, it was quite an experience working with him.
He’s very young, very enthusiastic, and we worked very fast on it once it got going.
Andrew Watt is much younger than you guys. What did he bring to the table?
He brought exactly what we wanted: energy and a fresh mind. He knew our stuff back to front, and I think he had a ball making the Stones’ record. It was fun to make, very quick, compared to a lot of our records. We did most of it in amonth or two.
The first two songs on the album, Angry and Get Close, begin with great kick-ass rhythm guitar hooks. Does your songwriting process usually begin with finding ariff?
Kind of, although from my point of view, there’s no fixed formula for writing a song. I feel more like I’m an antenna than a creator, particularly because, to me, songs seem to come from somewhere out there in the cosmos. If I sit down with a guitar or a piano and just start playing, eventually a song comes. It’s a bad day when it doesn’t. Most of the time I feel like I’m just receiving inspiration from everything that has gone on before me, and then put it through my own point of view, and then sort of pass it on. I almost don’t feel any sense of ownership.
Most guitar players are pretty good at noodling around. The hope is that you stumble onto something interesting.
Yeah, exactly. Right. I mean, sometimes an idea just finds you. Regardless, guitar playing is just a fantastic form of relaxation. Everybody should have one!
There are alot of guitars on the album. Lots of texture.
My five-string Tele is on a good half of the tracks, but there’s also a lot of the Gibson. That’s not unusual. I
