Keith Richards: The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Peppers’ album is ‘a mishmash of rubbish’

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Esquire has a new interview with Keith Richards and it is – wait for it – absolutely charming. I wasn’t expecting that at all. In all honesty, I’ve always been more of a Beatles girl and I know so much more about the Beatles than the Rolling Stones. But Keith Richards has always seemed like a mythical, drugged-out, likely insane figure. And as it turns out, he’s just a nice bloke. He’s too old and too famous to really say anything but the truth and he’s not trying to convince anyone that he’s some legendary figure. Compare this interview to Paul McCartney’s recent Esquire UK interview, and Paul is the one who comes across as still hungry, still searching, still wanting validation. Keith is practically a Buddhist monk at this point. Keith is promoting his new solo album (Crosseyed Heart) and a Netflix documentary (Keith Richards: Under the Influence), so that’s why he sat down with Esquire. Some highlights:

This should be a t-shirt: “I’ve been in every position possible, and I’ve always gotten out of it.”

How he holds up on tour: “I can handle the show. In the ’60s, it was 20 minutes, in and out. Now it’s two hours. I don’t come off as exhausted as I used to ten years ago, because I’ve learned more about how to pace a show. I don’t think about the physical aspects—I just expect it all to work. I’m blessed physically with stamina. The frame’s still holding. I eat the same as I always have. Meat and potatoes, basically, with a nice bit of fish now and again. My wife tries to force more salad down me, but I’d rather take the pill.”

The collective itch of touring: “Once you’re at home, there’s a sort of dislocation—”Where the hell am I? Why ain’t I moving?”—and realizing that you don’t have to for a bit. But I’ve always found with the Stones that it’s a sort of collective itch. Everybody’d bust up after a tour and do whatever it is or go wherever. And then there’ll be some sort of inner itch after a few months—”Shouldn’t we be doing something?” And usually I get the phone call from Mick first, but I’m usually feeling the itch and waiting for the call. You can’t force a frontman to do what he don’t want to do. We have to stroke him. And keep him happy. You need the spark from Mick really to do it.”

The crazy fans in the 1960s: “When you’re on the receiving end of it, it’s quite obvious it’s primal and sexual and beyond any reason. They certainly didn’t come for the music… Especially in those days—there were no PAs. And 3,000 screaming chicks could just wail you out of the whole place. Just looking at the crowd, you could see them dragging the chicks out, sweating, screaming, convulsing. Astonishing, even at that age. At the same time, a whole roomful of chicks yelling at you is not so shabby, either. Because the year before, nobody would look at you. But they talk about us—the Beatles, those chicks wore those guys out. They stopped touring in 1966—they were done already. They were ready to go to India and sh-t.

The Beatles versus The Stones: “No, I understand—the Beatles sounded great when they were the Beatles. But there’s not a lot of roots in that music. I think they got carried away. Why not? If you’re the Beatles in the ’60s, you just get carried away—you forget what it is you wanted to do. You’re starting to do Sgt. Pepper. Some people think it’s a genius album, but I think it’s a mishmash of rubbish, kind of like Satanic Majesties—”Oh, if you can make a load of sh-t, so can we.”

Not everyone wants to dwell on Mount Olympus: “It’s a bit crowded up there. Lots of people trying to get up. You can go bye-bye really easy in this business and think you’re something special or divine or semidivine or something. I’ve seen some guys who snap out of it, or they just go through a phase. But others actually believe that if you’re on TV and magazines are fawning over you, you’re actually special. They usually find out the hard way that they ain’t.”

He’s not a guitar snob: “I mean technically, classically. I ain’t trained that way. I force the thing to do as it’s told… The technical aspects—my horror is doing interviews with Guitar Magazine or something. I’ve got my favorite axes that I do know quite a bit about, but when they start to go, “Is that the Gibson S3?”—I don’t f–king know. It works all right for me.

He hasn’t had a boss since he was expelled from school: “You’re talking to somebody, like Mick, who has never, ever said “Yes, sir” to anybody or obeyed instructions that we didn’t want to. I’ve said yes to many people only because I respect them. But no, I’ve never had a boss. Even my bankers and my lawyers have all gone through the mill. Even royalty go through it—they’re told what to do. I’ve lived a totally free life. They gave me wings.

[From Esquire]

See? He doesn’t want your validation. He’s fine. He’s doing what he loves. He doesn’t have to answer to anyone. He just strokes Mick’s ego every so often and then they’re back on the road. There’s also a really lovely part in the interview where Keith is asked if there’s any iconic performer he really wished he could work with and the answer is basically “no” because he’s already worked with all of the “cats” he loves and respects, like Tom Waits, Merle Haggard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis (Keith calls him Mr. Rock ‘n’ Roll) and Little Richard. I personally love that all of his musical heroes are Americans!

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Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

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90 Responses to “Keith Richards: The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Peppers’ album is ‘a mishmash of rubbish’”

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  1. Kate says:

    You SHUT YOUR MOUTH, Keith!
    Beatles > Stones, every time.

    • Skins says:

      Seconded. What an idiot

    • rahrahrooey says:

      Preach!!

      • LeAnn Stinks says:

        Music, like art, is all subjective. What one person thinks is genius, someone else is going to think is complete garbage.

        As a Beatles’ fanatic, I can honestly say that I never got the hallucinogenic sound of the “Sgt.Pepper” album either, and that is exactly what it was, as the Beatles’ were experimenting with LSD at the time.

        Personally, my two favorite albums are “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help,” and there are many people who don’t like the Beatles’ pop sound, but I do, I love it.

        Richards is entitled to his opinion, and while I tend to agree to with him on this one, I guess he could have a bit more diplomatic with his criticisms. But then again, Richards is known for being brutally honest, even about himself and Jagger.

      • Puffy B. says:

        Thank you. I’ve always hated Beatles music. So bland. The Stones have soul. Whose music has always gotten more play on the radio? Stones. That’s right.

    • LA Juice says:

      yea! what a fuqwad- tell me a “day in the life” and “When I’m 64” aren’t a MILLION TIMES better than Sympathy for the devil and Angie – asshat.

      • Maria A. says:

        I’m partial to Revolver and the song Tomorrow Never Knows, plus I love the guitar riff in Paperback Writer.

      • LeAnn Stinks says:

        Maria,

        Paperback Writer is one of my favorites too. I also love the riff on Day Tripper.

      • Puffy B. says:

        OMG, really? If you think When I’m 64 is better than Sympathy for the Devil or Angie, we have NOTHING in common. When’s the last time you heard When I’m 64 on the radio? And Sympathy for the Devil? Unless you’re listening to elevator music, I thought so.

      • DIANE says:

        You’ve gotta be kidding me. ‘will you still need me, will you still feed me’ is better than ‘pleased to meet you, hope you guessed my name’??? Angie? Eh. But how about the entirety of Let It Bleed or Exile on Main Street? Sorry, Keith is right here. I was 13 when the Beatles hit the states. Listened to both bands. Now? I’ve got the White Album and 6 Stones CDs. I guess I outgrew the Beatles, but the Stones still rock bigtime.

  2. Meowsy says:

    Sweet retro beef.

  3. Yeses says:

    Go home Keith, you are drunk and high and who knows what else! He reminds me of a crotchety old man, standing in his yard, yelling at the birds lol.

  4. Lilacflowers says:

    Love him and he always gives a great interview.

    Also, Yoko Ono and Eric Clapton have said that they keep and frequently read the letters he sent them when John was killed and Eric’s son died because he wrote the most touching, heartfelt, supportive notes they received.

  5. lolavie says:

    “mishmash of rubbish”

    …just like his fried up and coked up brain!!!

  6. Sarah says:

    I love him. A few years ago, I read his autobiography and it was fantastic. Simply one of the best celebrity books I’ve read. He doesn’t gloss over things to make himself look better and he is so darn honest. And, the Stones can still bring it. I saw a nearly 3 hour concert in Indianapolis this July 4th and it was fantastic.

    • Pedro45 says:

      I highly recommend his book as well. Great read.

    • Lilacflowers says:

      Agreed. He didn’t gloss over the fact that he made mistakes. The segments about song writing and recording were interesting without being too technical and the stories about his mother were hilarious

  7. The Original G says:

    Patti Hansen is looking great.

    • hmph says:

      One of the most beautiful rockstar wife IMO, at least among the stones (both ex and current).

  8. BengalCat2000 says:

    Lol! Love this guy! His autobiography was a fun read. I’ve always thought the Beatles were a little overrated. Team Rolling Stones forever!

    • Jayna says:

      I never get having to be on a team for these bands. Both brilliant. Both made a huge mark in rock and roll music forever. They liked each other and hung out back during their heyday.

      The Stones were amazing when I saw them not all that long ago. Mick is still on fire on stage.

      But Paul McCartney’s 3-hour concert at his age and still touring was just as awesome. Maybe it’s not all the Beatles together, like the Stones, but it’s also generations of families filling stadiums to hear one of the last greats.

      • BengalCat2000 says:

        You make a great point. It should never be an either/or situation because both bands are very different. If we’re going to compare music from that era, I prefer the Who and the Kinks. I think that being told by the media that the Beatles are the greatest ever is what I find more aggravating.

  9. Luca76 says:

    I mean the Beatles are almost otherworldly brilliant. They were struck by lightning and made perfect music.

    On the other hand the Stones have the stamina and the stories and they are still f-ing performing they are rock and roll personified and almost all of them are alive who would have thought?

    • Norman Bates' Mother says:

      +1 I don’t get why it has to be one or the other. I love both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and don’t see the reason for the arguments and insults. As for his words – I didn’t take it as a sign of disrespect or feud. He said that they were great but that one particular album was not good. He has a right to it and frankly – I agree. If he said the same thing about Abbey Road or Revolver, I’d strongly disagree but Sgt. Pepper was well below their abilities. The Stones had their downs too. It’s probably annoying to him to even be asked about them all the time. The Beatles’ were all about amazingly catchy pop-songs (pop in the best possible way) and pop doesn’t require “roots”. Their songs were all over the place style-wise. The Rolling Stones on the other hand were always about the very particular, more rocky, guitar-based sound. They were similar in their popularity but musically – apples and oranges.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Agree Norman Bates’ Mother, I like them both, and Sgt. Pepper wasn’t my favorite album. Don’t see the need to pick one over the other.

    • Liberty says:

      yes, this. +2

  10. Mia4S says:

    He comes across as a monk because the sections of his brain containing drive and desire probably melted in about 1975. He survived to become an old decrepit drug addict with some self-awareness. Most who follow his lifestyle are dead or destroying their families. To many young people he’s a characiture now, many are unaware of the great music. The Stones legacy is just not enduring the way the Beatles are.

    • ria says:

      Endearing like John, who hast beaten both his wives?
      I love Imagine but Mr.Lennon was not nice.

      • Mia4S says:

        John was an ass and a terrible husband/father there is no question. I’m talking about the Beatles. I mean, I know five year olds who recognize the Beatles. Hell Lennon was dead before I could walk yet I know all the Beatles material. For a band that ended decades ago that’s remarkable.

    • Shoe_Lover says:

      I don’t think that is entirely accurate. Maybe among the people you know but its not true for everyone.
      eg for my brother and I, neither of my parents were big Beatles fans so we weren’t exposed to them much. my mother is a music freak and has a vast collection of records but isn’t interested in either the Beatles or the Stones so she didn’t expose us to either of them. However, my dad is a huge Stones fan, he saw them perform in Paris in the 70s and its the greatest thing for him, so we were exposed that way so i in turn became a Stones fan myself.
      So i think for our generation and the next it will depend on what our parents exposed us to and what we then expose our kids to.
      SO i think they are equally well known its just for you and those you know the Beatles are your jam.
      that said why does it have to be either or? cant we all just like both if we want

      • Mia4S says:

        It’s not true for everyone absolutely, but I volunteer in a position where I come into contact with a lot of children and it always strikes me how consistently they seem to know the Beatles. Shocks me actually. They don’t seem to know the Stones although they can usually recognize Start me Up (which ironically while I love a lot of Stones music, I hate that one! LOL!). Of course you can like both and most huge music fans will. The endurance of the Beatles though just continues to surprise me.

        I started on Beatles when I was young which brought me to classic rock. When I tried the Stones guess what my favourite song was? Yep, I Wanna Be Your Man. 😉 Well….I was consistent!

  11. NewWester says:

    I had my parents, my son and his partner over for dinner and the subject of the Rolling Stones came up. My parents and my son both expressed interest in seeing them in concert. My parents are in their 70’s and my son in his 20’s. It hit me how long the Stones have been around! The group can have concert goers spanning three generations! Wow!

  12. Kate says:

    Love him. His autobiography is one of my favourite reads.

    But jeez, I can’t beleive he’s only 71. My dad’s 69 and he could pass for Keith’s grandson. He’s had a pretty wild life, so I can’t even imagine what Keith did to end up looking like that.

    • Elizabeth says:

      Ha…beat me to it. Good read.

    • Lilacflowers says:

      Heroin. Lots and lots of heroin.

    • Jaded says:

      Heroin and Jack Daniels and Seconal and speed. Mofo did about everything he could to kill himself but I think he ended up pickling himself.

    • lizzie says:

      me too! i’m a beatles girl all the way but his book was delightful.

    • Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

      You could grow turnips in those grooves.

    • belle de jour says:

      Robin Williams had a great bit about the fact that Jack Nicholson was the only harder-partier on the planet to whom even Keith Richards would have to say, “It’s getting late, Jack, I have to go home now.”

  13. Elizabeth says:

    Welcome to the “Loves Keef” train. I’ve been mad about him for years. I recommend his autobiography “Life”. Its a little heavy on the guitar talk which went over my head but it was still lovely.

  14. Mata says:

    His comments about Yellow Submarine are getting the most headlines, but in the same breath he snarks on Satanic Majesties by the Stones, too. I think he’s just being honest.

    Personally, I’ve never understood the Beatles vs Stones thing. Different sounds – I like them both.

    • Lilacflowers says:

      He has never held back on critiquing the works of others but he also never holds back on criticizing his own work too and he never liked Satanic Majesties

    • jwoolman says:

      I think he’s right- the Beatles’ earlier work was better. Maybe drugs started interfering too much, maybe they had just run out of things to say, but they did lose something important. I actually lived through the whole period, I’m in the Beatles Generation although I began to realize the genius of the reluctant Lennon/McCartney team later. They really were a remarkable pair and the music they made was quite distinctive.

      • Mata says:

        It’s funny you should say that. My mother is in the Beatles generation and was a big fan during the 60s, but always said that she liked them better before the drugs.

  15. Eleonor says:

    Rock an Roll legend.
    He doesn’t have to prove nothing, he doesn’t want to look cool, basically he doesn’t give a crap. I love him.

  16. Jayna says:

    They watched what the Beatles did very closely during that time because the Beatles kept evolving at warp speed, because they put out a couple of albums a year. They were competitive with the Beatles in that way, with their own sound, though, but unlike the acts nowadays, they liked each other also. When the Beatles turned to psychedelic music, the Stones took note.

  17. frances egan says:

    wow is he fossilized?

  18. frances egan says:

    love the beatles not a huge fan of st. pepper’s

  19. j.eyre says:

    Keith is definitely entertaining, but I would take the control freak Mick over him any day of the week.

  20. Maum says:

    I have to say I find the Beatles very dated these days.

    I think the Stones have aged better.

  21. Nicole says:

    Gawd, he gives a clear, thoughtful, eloquent interview and all the Beatles fans can do is pretend he’s a drugged out mess. Face it, Keith Richards is doing great. His brain is great. His stage show is great. He’s a professional, not a burnt out mess. Sorrynotsorry.

  22. Liberty says:

    Keith (and Charlie) forever.

    Ringo, George, John forever. (Paul, the hall of mirrors is that way, mind your tiara.)

    That said, note to self: when reach 90, be checked for ornery flow levels and curmudgeon onset.

    • meow says:

      HA HA HA (mind your tiara)

    • Mia4S says:

      McCartney hate amuses me. They were musical geniuses all (well…Ringo…) but somehow arrogance is unforgivable while abusive, negligent fathers, men who sleep with their supposed best friend’s wife, and generally cheating husbands all get a pass. O….K? Weird priorities.

      • Jayna says:

        I love McCartney.

      • Maria A. says:

        Ringo was just honored for the drum maestro that he is by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and he is one of the absolute greats. There is a song on Sgt. Pepper that required a drum beat that normally would take two drummers to pull off. Lennon asked Ringo to tackle the challenge – and he did.

  23. porsha says:

    Sex drugs and rock n roll
    Amen

  24. jen2 says:

    Every drug, drink and crazy night he spent is permanently etched into his face. It is a history of the rock and roll life style. He has turned into a crotchety old man, but he also can say what he wants as he is lucky he is still alive and able to talk. The kids of today are pikers compared to old Keith and his buddy Mick.

    The Beatles and Stones are two completely different genres, so comparing them seems kind of useless.

    • Lilacflowers says:

      Right, Beatles music hits the mind. Stones music hits a lot lower- it’s that rhythm thing between Keith and Charlie

  25. meow says:

    Keef is entitled to his opinion. I love him anyway.

  26. E says:

    When all is said and done, a band like Radiohead will eclipse all others because they almost never talk to anyone. When interviewed, Thom Yorke mumbles something incoherent–everyone claims it’s a profound statement! And he speaks volumes on recordings like OK Computer and Kid A that will be honored as perhaps the finest utterances of the past 50 years.
    Be quiet Keith (and Macca).

  27. Dr.Funkenstein says:

    DISCLAIMER: Yes, they’re my favorite band.

    Hey, he’s entitled to his opinion, but I can’t buy that one for a minute. “A Day in the Life,” “Fixing a Hole,” “Lovely Rita,” “Within You, Without You,” is “rubbish?” Sorry, “mismatch” I’ll buy as a reasonable criticism if you like (though I don’t agree), but “rubbish” is simply nonsense.

    That album has always been a lightning rod for criticism. There are people who loved the Beatles old sound but hated the psychedelic turn. If you like it, you think it’s great. Anyway, it’s always a matter of taste. But in fairness alone, referring to some of those songs that way is simply childish. Considering the source, that’s not difficult to understand.

  28. Marie Alexis says:

    The White Album and Abbey Road. That is all. No words required.

    • Mellie says:

      Yep, much better than Sgt. Pepper, plus those outfits…oy…

    • Jayna says:

      I’ve tried to get into The White album. What is wrong with me that I can’t? I love songs from it, but not the whole album. But I’m like that with the Beatles. It’s one album at a time I spend so much time with that eventually I fall in love with it, when I didn’t get love it at first.

      Sgt. Pepper’s is always rated as one of their best, but I love Magical Mystery Tour so much more. It’s the first Beatles album I ever heard and I love it for that reason. Fool on the Hill, The Walrus, Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, Blue Jay Way.

      Abbey Road is pure brilliance to me and now Revolver. I’ve fallen in love with Revolver.

      • Boxy Lady says:

        Revolver happens to be my favorite too. It was like a “bridge”–they were evolving from pure pop to more psychedelia and Revolver was right in the middle.

        In fairness to you, the White Album is a lot of material. And the songs are rather disparate; there’s no real cohesion. All 4 have writing credits on the album but the writing was not really collaborative. They were going off on their own and coming back with songs and basically saying,”This is how I want you guys to play on my song.”

        Have you ever read Geoff Emerick’s book Here, There, and Everywhere? It’s amazing. He was the sound engineer at EMI for all of the Beatles albums so that book is chock full of behind the scenes info. And there’s a hilarious story about when George spied Yoko stealing and eating one of his “digestive biscuits.” (Yoko was definitely persona non grata in the studio with everyone who was not John Lennon.)

      • Maria A. says:

        I think Revolver may be my favorite too.

  29. Sparkly says:

    Honestly, I HATED Sgt. Pepper when I first got it. I thought it was so awful that I cried. lol I set it aside for a year or two and came back to it, and then I liked it a lot. But it’s not one of their best albums.

  30. Mellie says:

    Stones + Beatles = Great…they are both fabulous in their own ways. Paul M. is a complete a-hole, but John Lennon was a genius and Paul is still jealous about it. Keith and Mick are the epitome of cool to this day.

  31. Lucy says:

    I completely disagree. HOWEVER, I still like the old fella. A few days ago my mom and I saw an amazing documentary featuring him and Chuck Berry, amongst others.

  32. Jayna says:

    Lennon in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, 1971.

    ” I think Mick got jealous. I was always very respectful of Mick and the Stones, but he said a lot of sort of tarty things about the Beatles, which I am hurt by because, you know, I can knock the Beatles, but don’t let Mick Jagger knock them. I would like to just list what we did and what the Stones did two months after on every fuckin’ album. Every fuckin’ thing we did, Mick does exactly the same – he imitates us. And I would like one of you fuckin’ underground people to point it out. You know, Satanic Majesties is Pepper; “We Love You,” it’s the most fuckin’ bullshit, that’s “All You Need Is Love.”

    “I resent the implication that the Stones are like revolutionaries and that the Beatles weren’t. If the Stones were or are, the Beatles really were, too. But they are not in the same class, musicwise or powerwise, never were. I never said anything, I always admired them, because I like their funky music, and I like their style. I like rock & roll and the direction they took after they got over trying to imitate us. He’s obviously so upset by how big the Beatles are compared with him, he never got over it. Now he’s in his old age, and he is beginning to knock us, you know, and he keeps knocking. I resent it, because even his second fuckin’ record, we wrote it for him. Mick said, “Peace made money.” We didn’t make any money from peace.”

    • Maria A. says:

      I remember listening to a radio documentary about the Beatles’ impact on popular music: it was said that before the Beatles music was for dancing and with the Beatles came the sort of lyrics that required listening first and foremost. And Eleanor Rigby is some serious poetry.

  33. BW says:

    I was going to say, “Take the stupid headband off.”

    And then he took it off.

    Now all I want to say is, “Put it back on. My mistake.”

    • Maxim duCamp says:

      BW brilliant!!!!

      I mean he’s no model with it, but without it he looks just like Gollum.

  34. Pierce.mn1 says:

    Who cares what this boring old fossil thinks anyway?

    • Jaded says:

      Because this “boring old fossil” is a major talent and wealth of knowledge about a hugely important era of rock and roll development. The Stones were on the creative cutting edge from the sixties on, incorporating everything from reviving old American blues to rock to pop. They’ve influenced a ton of wannabe groups and continue to put on one of the best shows on the planet. Do you happen to be a fan of One Direction?

  35. Frosty says:

    He’s likeable, a straight shooter. He was so sweet with Chuck Berry in that doc he did about Berry years ago. Like a kid.

  36. Bobafelty says:

    Why should we care what a walking, talking piece of beef jerky has to say?

  37. Shaniam says:

    Count me in as a major fan of both Beatles & Stones. I daydreamed over Paul in 4th grade (before I eventually went mad for George), had a Beatles wallet & a playhouse/fan club devoted to the Beatles (walls covered with Beatles cards). I wrote “I love the Beatles” 100 times & mailed it out, sadly believing I would be the proud owner of a Beatles wig. Although I adored & had all their albums, I never saw them live. Later, as a hormonal teen, I would stand in line overnight to get tickets to the Stones, whom I probably saw seven times. They consistently ROCKED & Mick still owns the stage. As much as I love Keith, though, I completely disagree about his Sargent Peppers comments. This experimental album holds up & I still listen to it. I too will add my voice to all the others who recommend Keith’s autobiography, “Life,”. It’s a page turner!