Ian Billen wrote on May 18
th, 2012 at 11:02am:
Mel Belli wrote on May 18
th, 2012 at 7:50am:
Yup, that's me. "Parasite" might be a little harsh, but the overall sentiment is nothing I haven't expressed around here for the last few years.
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I really appreciate your journalistic talents. Very well done, chap. With that said, I would agree for a hard-core Stones fan to call Keith Richards a "parasite" is indeed a bit harsh. He had a rough time with his misses as you know. He took a horrible fall and had a slow recovery. He did manage to write a major book on his life, which in itself takes quite some time and work. He has been there at the Exile and Some Girls things.
We don't know how much he contributed to A Bigger Bang.. the theory in which it were all Micks songs is only that... a theory. Nobody knows but them and Don Was. In fact he mentioned writing a few songs on there and folks were suprised in thinking they were certainly Mick songs.
He has been the one to try and bring The Stones together this time out. He says he's got lots of material and demo's written. He says he gave them to Mick in hopes they could create a Stones project out of them.
Appreciating Jagger in your article was great. I liked reading it and your very much a literary and music devotee. I think many (your not the only one believe me) sell Keith far too short these days. As well, at times he really needed it, nobody cut him a "break". After all, for what it is we know of it, he's the one trying to wrangle them back together about now.
Ian
I appreciate the kind words, Ian. ... I tried to account for Keith's injury; I argue that Keith's creative decline began before all that. As far as I can tell, the last time Keith was really, deeply involved in the writing/recording process was on "Bridges to Babylon," when he and Mick basically made parallel solo EPs.
Three of the four songs they did for "Forty Licks" were prefab Mick/Matt Clifford vehicles. We'll have to agree to disagree on this, but I think much the same was true of "A Bigger Bang."
Yes, Keith was "there" for the "Exile" and "Some Girls" reissue projects. My point was, Mick did most of the work! New lyrics, new melodies, new vocal tracks, etc. Sure, Keith said of the "Exile" stuff that he prefers not to mess with a masterpiece. But, per usual, Keith gets to play the "purist" while Mick does the heavy lifting.
Look: I love Keith as much as anyone here. He's my musical hero, and always will be. If he chose to do nothing but play blues or Hank Williams covers for the rest of his career, I'd be the first to lap it up. What I refuse to do is pretend I'm happy with toss-offs like "Losing My Touch" and "Infamy" every seven or eight years.
But Keith wrote plenty more than what people give him credit for when they (Don Was, Keith and Mick) spoke of who actually wrote what Mr. Mel Belli. You mentioned him writing Infamy on A Bigger Bang... what about Rough Justice (arguably the best rocker on the album along with "Oh No Not You Again"). Keith claims to have wrote that in his sleep (as Satisfaction). I doubt if Mick wrote the better half of that song as Keith would be so bold as to claim he wrote most of it in his sleep. As well there were others on there he wrote. Sure ..it may of been 60 / 40 for all the rest or even within select songs but still... that's not shabby or ridiculous. Keith was very much an integral part and it wouldn't of been able to be written without him right there with Mick.
There are others as well. Everyone thinks Keith sat there and did nothing. The two wrote very close together for ABB from what I understand and how Don Was, and others described it.. still everyone thinks Mick wrote almost all of it single handidly... ? I don't know why everyone thinks that when there was no idication that Mick wrote almost everything in those sessions. They wrote starting on a couch with acoustic guitars, Then Mick even took over on drums while Keith wrote on guitar. Mick may of wrote a bit more... but from what they both said (and Don Was) the two of them were very much involved together in the writing process.
Everyone labeled ABB as a total Mick written album and I never understood that because although many of the songs from it may initially sound Mick based, from what they said, it was very much them writing it "together". As well, Keith did give credit where it was due saying Mick basically wrote Streets of Love on his own.
Keep Writing (as I am sure you will). One thing is for certain... you cause quite a stir. Whether they agree or disagree... you my friend, have captured a major key to a writers success (as you already know). People are talking about your article and it's making a stir. Good work either way, mate.
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