The Rolling Stones' Studio Albums

[The Picnic Wasp]

.. which makes me think of something. Keith gets a solo piece, or sometimes two or even three on every Stones record. Ronnie, never. He's co-written a few songs, he plays guitar, he plays bass sometimes, that's about it.

One thing that this exercise of listening to all the Stones albums has made me realise is that Ronnie Wood sold out his career. He's been a part of the band since 1976 and a proper financial partner since 1990 but he's never been an equal member.

Of course he's had some solo projects but he deserved a much more prominent place in the musical landscape of the last four or five decades than he settled for. But he must have made a truckload of money.

This makes me think that there must be a time in the lives of most talented artists, that selling out if a possibility, is an attractive prospect. From my younger days of meagre creativity by comparison to those I idolise, I knew when a spark had extinguished. Not totally, but the frequency of inspirational, beautiful moments in my life of limited talent musical and lyrical writing seemed to lessen progressively from about mid thirties onwards. If offered an opportunity in the mechanics of a successful ongoing force in the industry, I would have suffered any discomfort to hang onto the rope trailing behind its wake. Ronnie is still held in high regard for his current role in the band and for what he has achieved in the past, and being brutal, how much musical ambition would you need to join the Stones in any case? They are a bit more KFC than Michelin.

[David L]

.. which makes me think of something. Keith gets a solo piece, or sometimes two or even three on every Stones record. Ronnie, never. He's co-written a few songs, he plays guitar, he plays bass sometimes, that's about it.

One thing that this exercise of listening to all the Stones albums has made me realise is that Ronnie Wood sold out his career. He's been a part of the band since 1976 and a proper financial partner since 1990 but he's never been an equal member.

Of course he's had some solo projects but he deserved a much more prominent place in the musical landscape of the last four or five decades than he settled for. But he must have made a truckload of money.

A fairly substantial load of young pussy too!