Bill Janovitz - Rocks Off: 50 Tracks That Tell the Story of the Rolling Stones

Introduction

Its the Singer, Not the Song

Ive worked out that Id be 50 in 1984. Id be dead! Horrible, isnt it. Halfway to a hundred. Ugh! I can see myself coming onstage in my black, windowed, invalid carriage with a stick. Then I turn around, wiggle my bottom at the audience and say something like, Now heres an old song you might remember called Satisfaction.

Mick Jagger, 1966

J ust as I was formulating the proposal for this bookI mean to the day I finally met a real live Rolling Stone. Not just any old Rolling Stone, but the man himself, rock n roll incarnate, Keith Richards. I happened to be fortunate enough to be attending the 2012 presentation of the first PEN New England Award for Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. It was being presented to two of the greatest song lyricists of our time, Chuck Berry and Leonard Cohen. I was even luckier to be able to be in the green room prior to the ceremony. I was there with a friend who had been tapped to give the opening remarks and invited me to come along.

In the green room was an astounding assemblage of talent, artists who were taking part in the honoring of these songwriters: Chuck and Leonard, of course, along with Elvis Costello; Paul Simon; Shawn Colvin; Peter Wolf; and authors Salman Rushdie, Bill Flanagan, Peter Guralnick, and Tom Perotta.

Oh, and Keith Richards.

After the myriad of Mount Rushmorelike group shots so amazing that they should make the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame jealous, Keith slipped out to somehow procure the only adult beverage in the JFK Library. I was just there as a fan, trying to almost literally change into a fly on the wall, as to stay clear of possibly injuring one of the legends, all the while thinking such surreal thoughts as, I wish Paul Simon would move a little bit. He is blocking my way to Keith Richards. When Keith came back into the room, however, he sidled up next to me and placed his drink on the console table that was between us.

Now, I am not one to be impressed with celebrity or fame on its own. Ball players, actors, and local television meteorologists are all fun to meet, sure. But as an unreligious man, these musical artists are demigods to me: those who know, who have tapped into my consciousness. And none of them there had a more direct line into my soul than Keith. I have to say something, I thought. And so I did.

Hi, Keith. I just wanted to say hello, I said, shaking his hand as he smiled warmly. I mean, what do I say to Keith Richards?

His response immediately defused the tense and potentially awkward situation. Ah, hey, thank you, he growled. And in what came across as deeply sincere humility he quickly added, I feel the same way about Chuck Berry, man.

Yes, well, it is so great that he is being recognized for his lyrics in particular, I noted.

Exactly. I mean, some of the greatest songs, and some of the saddest, he explained. Like, Memphis Tennessee, one of the saddest of all time: hurry-home drops in her eye, I mean Here, he put his hand over his heart and opened his mouth, speechless with genuine awe.

I did not tell him I had written a book about Exile on Main Street, or that I was planning another book about what his body of work had meant to me. I had no agenda. I just wanted to speak with him as a fan, if not a fellow guitarist/songwriter.

And so that is how I present this book, as an unabashed fan who grew up with this music; whose career path was influenced by these records; and who, as a professional recording and touring musician, hopes to add some insight to the massive Stones canon.

The point of view of this book assumes readers are familiar with much of the bands history, and many of the songs, but I hope to dig into some underappreciated album gems. It hopefully also serves as a listening guide from the perspective of a professional recording musician (albeit one slightly more obscure than, say, the Rolling Stones), songwriter, and music writer. I hope to offer new insight and spur readers into dusting off and listening to the subject tracks. The songs are not all necessarily my favorites; they were chosen, in part, to tell the story of fifty years of the band. If the book had been selected only on the basis of my favorite tracks, it would have ended around Tattoo You (1981).

Asked once why his impressive library contained no books on music, Keith Richards replied that music is for listening, not reading about. Okay, lets listen together.