Pencil Storm e-mail Journalism, part four; Occasionally the e-mails between Pencil Storm editors & contributors (and their friends) turn out to be little mini-blogs all on their own; with minimal editing, afterthought or punching-up. This one - from longtime Willie Phoenix & League Bowlers drummer Jim Johnson to Ricki C. - got the ball rolling on this week’s Saturday Night Special. Then Ricki and Pencil Storm Editorial Board member Jeremy Porter carry on.
JAMES JOHNSON <>
To: Ricki C.
Mon, Mar 14 at 1:18 PM
Have you seen this?
On Mar 16, 2022, at 10:14 AM, Ricki C. <> wrote:
Jim - No, I haven't. Will watch it all this afternoon (doctor’s appointment this morning). Why is a whole set only 16-minutes long, or is it part of a multiband bill?
And why does it look like Keith is almost blind when his roadie brings out his Tele? I have never had to put Colin’s guitar on over his head for him when we switch out guitars.
More soon.......
Ricki C.On Wednesday, March 16, 2022, 05:42:47 PM EDT, JAMES JOHNSON <> wrote:
It’s a benefit show. They only did three songs. Keith is ALL THERE. So much for those people that said Keith was losing it on the Stones tour.
Jim
On Wed, Mar 16, 2022 at 8:40 PM Ricki C. <> wrote to Colin Gawel & Jeremy Porter:
Gentlemen - I figure you guys have seen this already. Jim Johnson sent it to me, thought I'd send it along in case you haven’t caught it.
I essentially agreed with Jeremy that Keith just WAS NOT at the top of his rock & roll game for those Stones stadium shows, but really WHY would he be? Stadium shows are just about spectacle, they have ZERO (or, perhaps in the words of Elvis C, LESS than zero) to do with MUSIC. That's Mick's schtick, not Keith's. (Plus, without Charlie there, it's not The Rolling Stones. Even Led Zeppelin had the sense and perhaps the integrity not to go forward without John Bonham, and Bonham may not have even been as integral to Zep as Charlie was to the Stones.)
Anyway - back in a theater setting, with (most of) his X-Pensive Winos and a short, tight set, I think Keith was right back on the fuckin' money here. Just my opinion.
Ricki C.
On Thu, Mar 17, 2022 at 8:53 AM Jeremy Porter <> wrote:
Oh Ricki....
Agree that Keith was a bit…inconsistent at the show I saw. At times, watching Keith look at his guitar was like watching an infant try to discern what some new, unknown object was for the first time. At other times he was riffing and strumming like the good ole…2000’s, I guess. I can only reiterate that I love Keith and the Stones were fantastic, but I gotta call `em like I see `em, Ricki.
Disagree that stadium shows have zero to do with music. Sure I'd take a sweaty club over a dome any day, I certainly don't prefer or even like huge shows, but I've been legitimately moved by the music at arena shows too, including that Stones show. It's not impossible to do, it's just harder.
Disagree that Charlie was as important to the Stones as Bonham was to Zeppelin. I loved Charlie, I'm a Stones guy first, but c'mon, Bonham!?!?!?
Agree that the Keith & the partial Winos three-song set was killer. Loved the three songs they chose, watched it live on the big screen with a big smile. God I wish they'd tour. Saw them in `93. Check out the interview of CBS Sunday Morning if you haven't - it was great. The best part was when she asked when he was gonna call it quits, he said he's not gonna put a date on it, he'll "find out the hard way" haha.
A good SNS could be this live clip, that interview, I think there's another recent interview out there, and something about the Main Offender 30th anniversary box that is out this weekend, arriving on my porch tomorrow!!! Tempted to throw this together.
Jeremy
JP’s notes on the MAIN OFFENDER 30th Anniversary Box
This weekend the 30th anniversary of MAIN OFFENDER is celebrated with the release of a new box set that comes wit a treasure-trove of goodies that will delight any Keith fan in the house, at a price only fans of the Stones could expect.
We had the box-opening ceremony last night at Casa Porter and gave the Steve Jordan remastered LP a spin. I listened in awe (while re-stringing my gold top) at parts I’d never heard and the wonderful, warm remastered tones. From the other room TrooperGirl22 commented that it’s basically the same song, riffs, and drum beat at slightly varying tempos from start to end. I could only add….”yeah but just LISTEN to that snare!”
The real prize is the `92 London show, only available on vinyl if you buy the super-mega-uber-ultra-deluxe-special-with-cheese edition, which of course I gladly did. That gets a spin tonight.
The book is great, though seemingly surgically attached to the packaging, which I’d have maybe done differently. And while I appreciate the extra care in embossing the photo section to make it seem like real photos, it seems to have been packed a bit hasty as there’s some areas where the paper pulled away to the adjacent sheet. I’ll likely return for a replacement, as the price-tag warrants a better quality product.
Yeah, I can do without the backstage pass, guitar pick, setlist, folded poster, etc, but it’s all fun and the box will look great next to my Talk is Cheap anniversary edition from a couple years ago.
If “Start Me Up” is your favorite Stones song and you go to the bathroom when it’s time for Keith to sing, this isn’t likely targeted towards your wallet, but it was laser-focused on mine. It might just be the last, great Stones record.