Monday, April 22, 2013

A-Z Challenge: Rolling Stones

I'm still a letter behind, so I'm bending the rules and covering R and S in one shot today with the Rolling Stones.  It may be against the rules, but it's also kind of clever, and let's be honest...the Stones are such a landmark in rock history that they deserve two letters.

I'm mostly amazed that they can still function at all, let alone put on a show and please a stadium full of people.  I mean, Keith Richards went through the full embalming process at least a decade ago and Mick Jagger is so thin he looks like he hasn't eaten since 1985.  Charlie Watts is pushing 150 years old, and Ron Wood makes Richards look healthy.

Still, they kick ass.

There's something to the Rolling Stones that is visceral and kinesthetic. (NOTE: please look those words up and make sure I used them correctly.  Thanks.)  The energy in their music is the driving force, more than the notes and chords or the lyrics.  It resonates deeply across a wide range of listeners.  Very few bands have been able to put out hit after hit that scored so strong, and even fewer (i.e. none) have been able to sustain that performance for 50+ years.

Long live rock and roll!

1 comment:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Not cheating - clever.
I can't believe those guys are still performing. Mind boggling.