So does Mick Jagger play air guitar or what?

Cafe Society
1

I’m watching the Stones live tonite on HBO. So far Mick has played guitar on two numbers, and I can’t pick his guitar out of the mix. The mix is pretty good, I can pick out the other 3 guitars, drums and keyboards, but not Mick. I used to mix live bands for a living, so this is something I ought to be able to do. And I’m playing it through a pretty good home theater system.

I’m not the world’s biggest Stones fan, I’ve never seen them live. I’ve seen a couple of their concert films (Gimme Shelter and At the Maxx), and I didn’t even know Mick played anything besides harmonica and tambourine.

Is he any good? When I don’t hear an instrument, I suspect it’s deliberately buried for good reason. Or is it even worse? Is Mick the Milli Vanilli of rock guitarists?

2

They probably buried it or have it turned way down. I’m guessing Eric Clapton isn’t looking over his shoulder to see if Mick is gaining.

3

Jagger has played guitar on a few of the Stone’s songs, and probably uses one to help compose. However, AFAIK, he doesn’t play it regularly. I doubt he’s out-and-out bad, but he doesn’t have the skills of a pro guitarist.

4

Keith says he’s a really good acoustic player but he doesn’t have the sensibilities needed for electric guitar. He just sort of “bangs” on it. Keith said Bob Dylan suffers from the same thing.

I see his point.

Jagger’s been playing guitar since the 60’s. That’s him on 1971’s “Sway” off of “Sticky Fingers”.

5

I would be extremely surprised if he couldn’t pull off playing a little acoustic playing as he did on HBO last night. 40 years in a rock band, he should be able to do a little more than strut.

Anyone, and I mean anyone, can play:

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, Am, Bm, Cm, Dm, Em, Fm, Gm, A7, B7, C7, D7, E7, F7, G7, Am7, Bm7. Cm7, Dm7, Em7, Fm7, Gm7, Amaj7, Bmaj7, Cmaj7, Dmaj7, Emaj7, Fmaj7, Gmaj7, Asus2, Asus4, Bsus2, Bsus4, Csus2, Csus4, Dsus2, Dsus4, Esus2, Esus4, Fsus2, Fsus4, Gsus2, Gsus4 and so on and so on.

Playing these chords are the basis of all rock and roll, and especially the Stones, you are talking about 40% of those.

If he was tuned to open G or open D or Open E like alot of Stones tunes, playing becomes even easier because mistakes don’t sound so bad, kinda natural even.

If I can do it, I am sure Mick Jagger can do it. I mean after all, I have never been in the Greatest Rock and Roll Band on the Planet and he has.