Fresh off of a massive album announcement and two currently released singles, The Rolling Stones are finding fresh inspiration well into their sixth decade as one of rock n roll’s greatest ever bands. But the extraordinary longevity, rare in the business by any standards, is not without its difficulties, as guitarist Keith Richards has shared that arthritis has affected his playing over the years.
As The Rolling Stones prepare for this month’s release of their hotly anticipated new record, Hackney Diamonds, Richards has been in reflective mood on his instrument-something the riff master has long been an astute student on throughout his career. His love for the guitar is well documented and Richards has admitted his feeling that one can never actually learn all of its secrets. Physical barriers tend to appear after time however, and Richards acknowledges this has forced him to alter his style slightly.
Speaking to the BBC on whether arthritis has affected his playing, Richards said, “Funnily enough, I’ve no doubt it has, but I don’t have any pain, it’s a sort of benign version. I think if I’ve slowed down a little bit it’s probably due more to age. And also, I found that interesting, when I’m like, ‘I can’t quite do that any more,’ the guitar will show me there’s another way of doing it. Some finger will go one space different and a whole new door opens. And so you’re always learning. You never finish school, man.”
The Rolling Stones have only recently celebrated their 60th anniversary and noted the landmark with a special tour. This seemingly put the fire back into the band, with frontman Mick Jagger expressing a desire to get back into the studio to record a new LP. Commenting on the finished product and Jagger’s influence on proceedings, Richards continued, “he [Jagger] hit me in the right spot. I’ve always wanted to record the band as soon after we get off of the road, because the band is lubricated.”
The band have covered a lot of ground in their long and storied history, forming in 1962 in London with the now legendary story of Jagger and Richards meeting each other on the platforms of Dartford train station-Richards with his guitar and Jagger holding records of Chuck Berry among other blues musicians. The pair quickly struck up a friendship and the rest is rock history of the most illustrious kind.
Hackney Diamonds, The Rolling Stones’ 24th studio album, is set to be released on 20 October and features guest spots by Paul McCartney, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Charlie Watts and former bassist Bill Wyman.
