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Reviews > CDs

Published: 2011/02/25

by Bill Murphy

Keith Richards: Vintage Vinos

Mindless

Keith Richards’ first solo album Talk Is Cheap for the most part, swayed critics when it was released in 1988 and with good reason: this was a rare and raw, unadulterated slab of Keef that peeled back a few layers of rock star to reveal a trickster poet thoroughly at ease in his own skin. Plus, the songs were gut-ready, starting with the leadoff single “Take It So Hard,” with its slinky riffs, garage-rock beats and the trademark sandpaper vocals that Stones fans had come to know since Richards stepped to the fore on Exile On Main Street’s “Happy.”

The musicians that comprised his X-Pensive Winos band were no slouches either. Longtime friends Steve Jordan (drums), Charley Drayton (bass), Ivan Neville (keyboards) and Waddy Wachtel (guitars) simply clicked—yet another aspect of what makes the new “hits” package Vintage Vinos such a welcome gust of familiarity. “You Don’t Move Me” encapsulates the Jagger-Richards love-hate feud that still fuels the Stones today, while “Eileen” and “Wicked as It Seems” (both from 1992’s Main Offender ) bring out the tender and destructive sides that Richards has probed extensively in his recent autobiography. Topped off by some rousing live cuts from the Winos’ first tour (released in 1991 as Live at the Hollywood Palladium ) and the hard-to-find Dylanesque acoustic ballad “Hurricane,” Vinos is not just for Keef completists, but for anyone who missed out on this vital four-year burst of creativity from the darker half of the “Glimmer Twins.”

Comments

There are 20 comments associated with this post

cathyann February 25, 2011, 10:18:20

these songs are signature Keith Richards at his finest moments. thank you for great songs Keith

Michelle Storey February 25, 2011, 10:23:08

i bought Talk Is Cheap years ago on tape and loved it. i have also got Main offender too, and i love both these albums. i love Keiths vocals and the tracks Take It So Hard and Wicked As It Seems should be classics, in my opinion. I would love this album, Vintage Vinos, but i have ordered it on Amazon twice, and both times it had not arrived after 6 weeks, so i ended up cancelling the order. the same thing happened when i tried to get Talk Is Cheap on cd. maybe Amazon have something against Keith!?? joke. i did look for both Talk Is Cheap and Vintage Vinos in HMV but couldn’t find any. but i think anyone who loves good music will love this album.

Jack February 25, 2011, 10:34:53

bought the cd when it came out and loved it. I haven’t listened to it in 20 years, yet will later today. I did love it when it came out.

Scott Anderson February 25, 2011, 11:13:40

Talk is Cheap was quickly my favorite after I bought it when it was first released. I can’t go a day without listening to Keef’s music. I will be grabbing this CD as soon as possible! Reading his autobi right now, it’s very interesting.

me February 25, 2011, 11:13:55

Locked away is a great one espec. on the bus..

Pedro Smyth Sarasqueta February 25, 2011, 11:14:32

Keep it up Keith. Xopsss

Jeff February 25, 2011, 12:37:53

I have “Talk Is Cheap”, Special Limited Edition on 3“CD’s #2-91047
MINT CONDITION STILL SEALED & was wondering what it might be worth now after caring for it & treasuring it for Twenty Three Years?

valerie February 25, 2011, 12:55:15

I love this album, especially the song “you dont move me”. Keith’s voice is so hot!

DR February 25, 2011, 13:04:32

Keef, musical genius, magic transpires with anything
he touches. I love Mick, but he was lucky to find Keith
to showcase his talents…

Gary Simmons February 25, 2011, 14:01:41

I didn’t know Keith put out a special limited edition of
Talk Is Cheap & I have all kinds of special edition Stones & Keith’s Music. Did it have any extra songs
on those 3 Disc’s, Must have. Anyway I’m interested
in you telling me all about it, Please do – Thanx

cathyann February 25, 2011, 14:18:58

I absolutely love Locked Away his voice is great , I bought the last copy of this in the store and raised hell since it was not in stock a week after it was released, I told them he’s famous! they should carry his music at least to complement the book, well the store declared bankruptcy last week!!!!

Canuck1 February 25, 2011, 14:45:38

Rock on Keith….I bought both cassettes when they came out….You Don`t Move Me..is a classic along with Wicked as it Seems…Gutta Love Keefer.

cathyann February 25, 2011, 15:28:50

also love the song Hate it When You Leave, I think I shall adapt that as my theme song!

Guillermo Lorenzutti February 25, 2011, 17:45:06

La tapa del disco de Keef me parece excelente. Un bombaso, pero lamento que no se haya editado aún en la República Argentina, y que no salga también en vinilo de 18O gramos.-

Shannon February 25, 2011, 19:29:55

Keef – a Rock God. Love -Talk is Cheap and Main Offender. He is “The Rolling Stones” Fave song – Make No Mistake off Vintage Winos CD. His voice is better than ever!!! Sara Dash is fab.

Exiled Riffer February 25, 2011, 22:06:06

Love Keith’s and Stones’ music. Liked 999 and wicked as it seems. Hey does this band sound Stones/Keith influenced?
http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=1298689488/ref=sr_shvl_1-all?ie=UTF8&keywords=Beer%20Cow&rh=n%3A163856011%2Cn%3A%21624868011%2Ck%3ABeer%20Cow%2Cp_n_feature_browse-bin%3A625150011

Sandra Candelore February 27, 2011, 19:16:46

I have never heard Keith on his own and I am hooked! No wonder I am in love with every Rolling Stones album I have heard!

Delta Purba February 27, 2011, 21:48:46

Keith shows his ability to create his own original version of rock n roll and ballad…great album

Delta Purba February 27, 2011, 21:50:16

Keith shows his ability to create his own original version of rock’ n roll n blues ballad…great albums

Murat May 5, 2012, 20:17:10

Get them first of all to manage to build peoprr stable house on their own individual land, than get them into education, than ones the children are grown up, send them abroad to earn more money, than they can come back home and spend all that money on their parents, and fix up their villages with better planting systems and shops etc,avoid mac donalds and fast food chains in general

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