Wow, did we ever think we'd be paying for and going to Rolling Stones concerts in the year 20-flipping-21?
And if we're surprised, imagine how they feel! Mick Jagger's famous quote is that he couldn't see himself singing "Satistaction" in his 40s.
Paul McCartney calls the RS a "blues cover band" in the Oct. 18 issue. Old grudges die hard.
That's pretty snarky, ignoring their immense catalog of good songs they wrote. However, the Rolling Stones might find it slightly flattering given that the band sprang from Mick and Keith's shared deep interest in American blues, and they have in fact done a number of covers or penned their own blues songs. The two knew each other in kindergarten then reunited on a train when one or the other got on holding a big stack of Chess records and they discovered they were both really into them. In interviews and things, they always speak of old blues players with the deepest respect. In fact, Keith was less concerned about the Stones being "too old" to play their music because look at all the guys like Muddy Waters, BB King, Robert Johnson, Chuck Berry, etc., playing well into old age.
I think those were influences on the Beatles, too, though they leaned a bit more Beach Boys. Whom I didn't like back in the day but have since come to respect -- Bill Pohlad's "Love and Mercy" deserves lot of credit. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.
BTW, I just did a quick google to see if I was missing a recording studio in Mississippi and found there's something called the Mississippi Blues Trail stretching alongside the Mississippi on Hwy 61 from New Orleans to Minneapolis through the Mississippi Delta. I've taken that route before, since I moved from one city to the other, but not since the official Missippi Blues Trail with interpretive signs was designated. That would be a fun road trip! Many significant locations in addition to the Delta -- Hannibal, MO, Memphis, etc. Good BBQ, too!
On another subject the magazine has just made its Festival online interviews free to subscribers. I will try to carve hatchet out time to watch.
That sounds intriguing! Do you access on their site?
Shteyngart is the one who wrote the painful-to-read article about his adult circumcision in the October 11 issue.
I like Gary Shteyngart but I couldn't bring myself to read that one.