the cat was listening

1972
"There were so many writers on that tour -- it had become like a political campaign in terms of coverage."  When I read this sentence written by Keith Richards in his autobiography, I think, "Huh -- 1) traveling with a rock concert tour and writing about it; 2) traveling with a ROLLING STONES tour -- and 3) it's similar to a political campaign -- (palms up) sounds - like - nirvana to me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the book Richards quotes journalist Stanley Booth -- ("our old friend Stanley Booth" -- Keith's "friends" with everyone) -- as having written, "I hoped for better things."  [Better things?!  BETTER THINGS????????  What's better than a Stones concert, unless it's a Stones TOUR??  And you're ON IT??!!!]  "The idealism of the 1969 tour" [whose idealism?  the band's, or the journalist's?] "had ended in disaster."  [Altamont]  "The cynicism of the 1972 tour included Truman Capote..."

Now hang on, sometimes these journalists are writing something because the sentences sound good -- just like the songwriters....

"The idealism of the 1969 tour...
The cynicism of the 1972 tour..."

Granted, each phrase balances the other -- in a rhythmic way -- but -- but -- but what-R-ya TALKIN' about?

And the "Mister President, Mister Immigration Man" story...
"The ambassador was one of Nixon's boys and he obviously had his orders and also he hated our guts....We had to listen to this guy's stream of venom.  'People like you...'"
Now -
1.  The Rolling Stones GOT their visas, at some point, & came into the U.S. in 1972, and played the concert tour -- (we know because Stanley Booth thought it wasn't enough - he "hoped for better things")
2.  Did President Nixon really have time to sit in his office and say, "We want to keep the Rolling Stones out!  No Satisfaction for you!  Mmmwah-ha-ha-ha-ha !!" ?

It's possible that anecdote boils down to standard "generation gap" stuff mixed in with timeless male rivalry - "Don't tell me you marked this territory, I can lift my leg too ya-know..."

---------------------
Ten years earlier, in 1962...
[excerpt, Life, Chapter 3]---------- And that's where I first heard Robert Johnson, and came under Brian's tutorship and delved back into the blues with him.  I was astounded at what I heard.  It took guitar playing, songwriting, delivery, to a totally different height.  And at the same time it confused us, because it wasn't band music, it was one guy.  So how can we do this?

...What I found about the blues and music, tracing things back, was that nothing came from itself.  As great as it is, this is not one stroke of genius.  This cat was listening to somebody and it's his variation on the theme.  And so you suddenly realize that everybody's connected here. ------------------------- [end excerpt]

= = = = = = = = = = =

Now, that's my kind of idealism.

-----------------------------
{Life, by Keith Richards with James Fox.  Copyright 2010.  Back Bay Books.}

-30-