At age 80 Keith Richards is still making songs of this quality. How lucky we all are. The man notorious for his heroin use performs either the greatest or second greatest song about heroin, probably just as well that he didn’t do Heroin by the Velvets or the whole planet might have broken. Letting the world know of his respect for Lou Reed in the Velvet Underground is a beautiful detail to the epic musical life, which is now inevitably nearing its end.
Well, to be precise, he's making *recordings*of this quality. Keef didn't "make" this song -- Lou Reed did. But yes, you are on point, semiotics aside. Thanks for weighing in! TIM
Yeah, stipulated it’s a song “made” by the Velvet Underground which was written by Lou Reed. Since it’s for an album of covers, it would not be an original Keith Richards song.
I like Keith Richards' take on "Waiting For My Man." To me, it always seemed weird that the VU's "Heroin" song is so celebrated (I hate that thing, to be honest--it's not a good song and encouraged hard drug use), as if it was the "first ever" song about heroin use in 1960s pop music. To me, "Waiting For My Man" captures the real experience of trying to doing the drug back then: The experience was never about just getting high on the drug as much as it was the experience of the thrill of breaking the law and being underground, etc. It's a much more interesting and better song about the heroin experience in the 1960s.
That said, I enjoyed hearing Keith Richards' take on the song. It's good! It sounds honest, which is an element missing from so much music.
Also great to hear it's from Keith instead of the "Rolling Stones" (who to me should do the graceful thing and just retire already, they did so much to kill new rock 'n' roll music, glam rock and punk rock in the 1970s by touring and releasing records years after they were relevant or interesting. The Rolling Stones never embraced punk rock (which could have changed rock 'n' roll history). Mick Jagger once thought about visiting CBGB but chickened out and hung out at the TIn Palace instead, the jazz club at the Bowery and 2nd Street. Photog Dan Asher had the photo. What a pussy.
Keith Richards' cover of Lou's song is what rock 'n' roll should be all about IMHO:
A respectful but different take on a classic song. And it looks like the rest of the collaboration contains the same spirit, which is amazing!
He nailed it. End of discussion. The haters can go listen to the fucking Dave Matthews Band.
In my opinion, I don't know that he "nailed it." But it isn't the lame shit the haters claim it is. They're just being churlish.
Right. I was far from disappointed in Keef’s performance of this.
At age 80 Keith Richards is still making songs of this quality. How lucky we all are. The man notorious for his heroin use performs either the greatest or second greatest song about heroin, probably just as well that he didn’t do Heroin by the Velvets or the whole planet might have broken. Letting the world know of his respect for Lou Reed in the Velvet Underground is a beautiful detail to the epic musical life, which is now inevitably nearing its end.
Well, to be precise, he's making *recordings*of this quality. Keef didn't "make" this song -- Lou Reed did. But yes, you are on point, semiotics aside. Thanks for weighing in! TIM
Yeah, stipulated it’s a song “made” by the Velvet Underground which was written by Lou Reed. Since it’s for an album of covers, it would not be an original Keith Richards song.
I like Keith Richards' take on "Waiting For My Man." To me, it always seemed weird that the VU's "Heroin" song is so celebrated (I hate that thing, to be honest--it's not a good song and encouraged hard drug use), as if it was the "first ever" song about heroin use in 1960s pop music. To me, "Waiting For My Man" captures the real experience of trying to doing the drug back then: The experience was never about just getting high on the drug as much as it was the experience of the thrill of breaking the law and being underground, etc. It's a much more interesting and better song about the heroin experience in the 1960s.
That said, I enjoyed hearing Keith Richards' take on the song. It's good! It sounds honest, which is an element missing from so much music.
Also great to hear it's from Keith instead of the "Rolling Stones" (who to me should do the graceful thing and just retire already, they did so much to kill new rock 'n' roll music, glam rock and punk rock in the 1970s by touring and releasing records years after they were relevant or interesting. The Rolling Stones never embraced punk rock (which could have changed rock 'n' roll history). Mick Jagger once thought about visiting CBGB but chickened out and hung out at the TIn Palace instead, the jazz club at the Bowery and 2nd Street. Photog Dan Asher had the photo. What a pussy.
Keith Richards' cover of Lou's song is what rock 'n' roll should be all about IMHO:
A respectful but different take on a classic song. And it looks like the rest of the collaboration contains the same spirit, which is amazing!