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Ginger Baker's bitter old man Rolling Stone Interview

downtownrobbrowndowntownrobbrown 446 Posts
edited October 2013 in Strut Central
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/q-a-ginger-baker-on-why-the-rolling-stones-are-not-good-musicians-20131011?page=2
The Stones just wrapped up a tour. Have you heard them lately or what do you think of how they're playing nowadays?
(laughs) You're joking right? ???

No.
I mean Charlie is a great friend of mine. I think the world of Charlie. When I was living in the States, Charlie came to see me at my house and he said, "I'd give you some tickets but I know you would never go!" I won't go within 10 miles of a Rolling Stones gig.

Why is that?
They're not good musicians, that's why. The best musician in the Stones is Charlie by a country mile.

I agree he is. But the way they play together, people argue, is greater than the parts.
People can argue what they like.

Do you agree they're great songwriters, though?
No, not really.

Is it crazy that they're still doing it? ??????
They are earning lots of money.
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  Comments

  • ppadilhappadilha 2,244 Posts
    are the Stones the most overrated band of all time?
  • Bon VivantBon Vivant The Eye of the Storm 2,018 Posts
    ppadilha said:
    are the Stones the most overrated band of all time?

    I believe that would be Radiohead.
  • BallzDeepBallzDeep 612 Posts
    Bon Vivant said:
    ppadilha said:
    are the Stones the most overrated band of all time?

    I believe that would be Radiohead.

    (laughs) You're joking right?
  • Bon VivantBon Vivant The Eye of the Storm 2,018 Posts
    BallzDeep said:
    Bon Vivant said:
    ppadilha said:
    are the Stones the most overrated band of all time?

    I believe that would be Radiohead.

    (laughs) You're joking right?

    I don't rate them that high. OK Computer was amazing. Before and after that? :ehhx2:
  • TheKindCromangTheKindCromang 1,463 Posts
    Atomz for Peace is a hard knock

    ::doo doo:
  • JimsterJimster Cruffiton.etsy.com 6,958 Posts
    I just read that Baker interview.

    What a miserable bastard.
  • toby.dtoby.d 254 Posts
    I went to see a screening of the film that was made about him recently and Ginger was there for a question and answer bit afterwards.

    What had been entertaining and even endearing in the film did not come across well in real life. Pretty much everyone there was visibly squirming in their seats as he insulted the interviewer and members of the audience for asking "stupid questions" etc.

    Fair enough that he doesn't pull his punches or change his attitude for others; there's no doubt he's earned the right to pass judgement on other players but it seemed blindingly obvious why he was bitter and angry and many of his contemporaries and former friends are rich and happy. If that's keeping it real, I'm good.
  • toby.dtoby.d 254 Posts


    http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/may/15/ginger-baker-beware-mr-baker-interview
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    Ginger's positively effervescent in that RS interview compared to the Guardian one
  • NabozoNabozo 48 Posts
    I like Baker better than I like the Stones and RS do ask him stupid questions. What's that assumption that he should like the band, all the more their present.. decarnation? Good for Baker if he doesn't.
  • JimsterJimster Cruffiton.etsy.com 6,958 Posts
    I would ride harder for Cream than the Stones but I never realised what a 24-carat twat Mr. Baker has become. Jack Bruce always comes across as being in a much happier place.

    It must take some exceptional cuntliness to warrant the Guardian interviewer to write of Baker:

    I'm reminded of Simon Hattenstone's interview with Lou Reed for the Guardian a decade ago, where Simon ??? under the Lou death glare ??? finally cracked: "Why are you so aggressive to me? What have I done to you? Why are you being so horrible."

    The difference for me is that Ginger Baker was never my hero, so he couldn't disappoint me. But the single question I'd most like to have asked Ginger Baker ??? and which should have been asked in the film ??? is a variant on Simon's: Why are you such an unpleasant man? What possible benefit does it bring you? After all, you don't watch Beware of Mr Baker and think: he might be a tosser, but at least he's happy. In fact, he just seems filled with anger and bitterness.

    You'd think someone who has had the fortune to have been blessed with exceptional musical talent, and the luck to spend his life doing it for a living, would be a bit more grateful or enthusiastic about still being lucky enough to be doing it at his age. It seems he's lost a lot of money (?), but he's not had to resort to sweeping the floor at clownies or panhandling.

    IIRC, you don't be a musician to make money.
  • FrankFrank 2,378 Posts
    I think a lot has to do with the fact that he's heard all of those questions so many times over and over althrough his long career. He reminds me a bit of some interviews with Klaus Kinski only much less hostile and crazy.

    He should open his archives with all the footage he's shot in Nigeria though... and I wonder if he kept copies or even tapes of at least the first releases on his ARC label.
  • skullsnapsskullsnaps 138 Posts
    Fuck all that, The Stones were a great band. I say "were", as clearly who gives a shit about their current incarnation.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    He might be right the Stones are not great musicians.
    But they are playing rock and roll. You don't have to be Toscanini to rock.

    Being rude to fans or journalists is far too easy to be cool.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    Seems like a case of an amazing life being wasted on a miserable fuk. Oh well.
  • RockadelicRockadelic Out Digging 13,993 Posts
    He's old, sick, poor and played the game of life very badly.

    If that doesn't make one cranky, what could?
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    Rockadelic said:
    He's old, sick, poor and played the game of life very badly.

    If that doesn't make one cranky, what could?

    By all accounts he's quite a generous bloke, just a curmudgeonly one.
  • DuderonomyDuderonomy Haut de la Garenne 7,792 Posts
    Maybe he's got asperberger's or something on the autistic spectrum. Although it just sounds like he's a cunt. Does this take away from his drumming?
  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    duder, i say it doesn't matter at all. other musical geniuses who happen to have been unrepentant, world class assholes:

    -miles davis
    -yusef lateef
    -buddy rich
    -ben webster
    -james brown
    -elis regina
    -donald fagen/walter becker
    -jaco pastorious
    -chuck berry
    -ike turner
    -tommy dorsey
    -kanye west (?)

    add on..
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Phil Specter

    It does matter.
    Might not make their music any worse, but it sure as hell doesn't make it better.
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    Rockadelic said:
    He's old, sick, poor and played the game of life very badly.

    If that doesn't make one cranky, what could?

    I dunno, by most accounts he wasn't much different when he was young, healthy and flush.

    I'm sure he has a good side too, but I'm not sure how many people get to see it.

    I would love to talk to him about his time in Nigeria, though, even if he was insulting me the whole time.
  • fishmongerfunkfishmongerfunk 4,154 Posts
    LaserWolf said:
    Phil Specter

    It does matter.
    Might not make their music any worse, but it sure as hell doesn't make it better.

    what musician's personality made their music better? maybe there are a few but i am having a hard time coming up with names. cannonball adderly maybe...duke ellington...bootsy
  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    Meh...Cream is pretty overrated and as far as jazz-influenced british rock drummers go, Mitch Mitchell was way better.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    crabmongerfunk said:
    LaserWolf said:
    Phil Specter

    It does matter.
    Might not make their music any worse, but it sure as hell doesn't make it better.

    what musician's personality made their music better? maybe there are a few but i am having a hard time coming up with names. cannonball adderly maybe...duke ellington...bootsy

    3 good examples right there^.
    Charles Bradley.
    Pete Seeger.
    Biz.
    Johnny Cash.

    Here is one for right in the middle, Nina Simone, I can't separate her personality from her music, she often hated her American audiences (and America) but she intensely felt everything she did.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    The_Hook_Up said:
    Meh...Cream is pretty overrated and as far as jazz-influenced british rock drummers go, Mitch Mitchell was way better.

    Seems like all of Bakers projects were almost great.
    Don't underrate Charlie Watts just because be is understated and a Stone.
    Watch some of the recent live clips.
    Jagger entertains, everyone knows and loves the songs, Charlie holds the whole thing together and makes it music.
    Instrumentally, he (and maybe the hired guns) are the only bright spot on the stage. Plus he is really old.
  • skullsnapsskullsnaps 138 Posts
    Sometimes the Strut reminds me of this scene:
  • RockadelicRockadelic Out Digging 13,993 Posts
    LaserWolf said:
    Pete Seeger.

    Woody Guthrie meets Mr. Rogers
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    skullsnaps said:
    Sometimes the Strut reminds me of this scene:

    Yes.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Rockadelic said:
    LaserWolf said:
    Pete Seeger.

    Woody Guthrie meets Mr. Rogers

    Yes.
  • PattrickPattrick 57 Posts
    crabmongerfunk said:
    duder, i say it doesn't matter at all. other musical geniuses who happen to have been unrepentant, world class assholes:

    -miles davis
    -yusef lateef
    -buddy rich
    -ben webster
    -james brown
    -elis regina
    -donald fagen/walter becker
    -jaco pastorious
    -chuck berry
    -ike turner
    -tommy dorsey
    -kanye west (?)

    add on..

    Don't mind if I do.
    Stan Getz...notoriously ill- tempered and unpleasant. British jazz musicians hated playing with him. A general feeling of 'How can such a bastard play such beautiful music?'
    Georgie Fame...ditto. Stories are legion of him being nasty and very difficult to get on with.
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