KEITH RICHARDS – “MY BABE”
BMG
In 1988 Keith Richards released his first ever solo album, Talk Is Cheap, an eleven track masterclass in everything good about rock βn roll.
It all began in 1986 when Keith was restless. The Stones were inactive and as Keith says It was one of those βforget about it timesβ. Heβd worked with drummer Steve Jordan on the Chuck Berry film βHail Hail Rock βn Rollβ and was looking for another challenge. Heβd never before considered making a solo album and admits to initially being βdragged kicking and screamingβ into the studio.
Throughout his storied career with the Rolling Stones, he had always been a one band man. βMy central focus had always been that one thing,β Keith says. βI felt like in the Stones I had the perfect vehicle for what I wanted to do. I couldnβt imagine putting something else together would be equally satisfying.β
Thankfully he put together the incomparable X-Pensive Winos. From the start it felt like a band, with guitarist Waddy Wachtel an obvious first addition to Steve Jordan. βWaddy and I are like Ronnie and me,β Keith says. βWithin five minutes itβs like youβve known each other all your lives.β
With Charley Drayton, who plays bass and drums, three became four, then five with singer and keyboard player Ivan Neville. All of them were mutli-instrumentalists, musical all-rounders who set up camp at Le Studio, outside Quebec. Isolated from big city distractions, the music flowed from the start. βThere was a roll going on and all I had to do was hang onto it,β Keith says.
One of the first tracks they recorded was the explosive βTake It So Hardβ, a tight but loose classic that easily illustrates why Keith is called the human riff.t defines modern rock music.
Recording later moved onto Montserrat, Bermuda and other locales with guest appearances from an all-star cast including Sarah Dash, Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, the Memphis Horns, Patti Sciafia and Mick Taylor.
Thereβs a joyous swagger to Talk Is CheapΒ that permeates each and every song. It sounds as good today as it did thirty years ago β in Keithβs words βas fresh as the day it was madeβ. This reissue also includes 6 bonus tracks, four of which feature pianist Johnnie Johnson including Eddie Taylorβs βBig Town Playboyβ, βBlues Jamβ, ββSlimβ and the kinetic Jimmy Reed cover βMy Babeβ.
The Super Deluxe and Deluxe box set includes special, exclusive housing and folios, extensive sleeve notes by Anthony De Curtis telling the storyβ of the albumβs production, release and cultural impact, unseen photoβs and rare memorabilia.
βThis album holds up,β Keith Richards says. βIβve been listening to it and not through the mists of nostalgia either because it doesnβt affect me that way. This is more than the sum of its parts. I really admire it. We were having fun and you can hear it.β
Talk Is Cheap will be released as CD, vinyl, Deluxe and Super Deluxe box set.
Keith Richards
Talk Is Cheap: 30th Anniversary Reissue
(BMG)
Release Date: March 29, 2019