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Rolling Stones quotes: Keith Richards on his music style (1975)
KEITH LIKES TO BASH AWAY Keith Richards never cared much for labels or fancy technique—he called his style “just bashing away,” and he meant it as a compliment. For him, it’s all about love for the roots of rock ’n’ roll, the same fire he first heard in Chuck Berry. After Brian Jones’ death, Keith listened back and realized fans were vibing on the same raw energy that inspired him. That’s the magic—straightforward, rough-edged, and pure Stones groove.
“My style ? Ha. I just keep bashing away at it. Its pretty straightforward, but I love to play like that. I’m still learning, but it takes me an incredibly long while to learn new things. But I’m always conscious of the roots of the music, y’know. I wouldn’t like to lose sight of those. I didn’t say I was a rhythm guitarist, other people made my reputation for me. After Brian died I started listening to our records and hearing what people liked in what we’d done. And I realised that what had turned me on in Chuck Berry and people like that, was turning them on in what we were doing. So there’s a certain continuity in the whole thing”
In 1975, Keith Richards brushed off the idea of carefully crafting a “style” For him, guitar playing was about passion, not polish. He laughed at the label and admitted he just kept “bashing away,” loving the simplicity of that approach. Though he considered himself a slow learner, he never lost sight of the roots of rock ’n’ roll—the blues and early pioneers who shaped him. Keith didn’t call himself a rhythm guitarist, but the world handed him that tag anyway, defining his role in the Stones’ sound.
Roots, Influence and Continuity
What Richards found most revealing came after Brian Jones’ death. Listening back to the Stones’ catalog, he finally noticed what fans connected with in his playing. It wasn’t about technical brilliance; it was about energy and authenticity. What had thrilled him in Chuck Berry’s riffs was the same spark audiences heard in the Stones. That connection created a sense of continuity—rock’s original heartbeat flowing straight into the band’s music. Richards saw himself as a link in that chain, keeping the raw, rootsy fire alive while the Stones pushed forward. His self-described “bash away” style wasn’t sloppy at all—it was instinct, groove, and history colliding in a way only Keith could deliver.
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