Remembering Brian Jones
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
Remembering Brian Jones
I am reminded of the Rolling Stones before Brain Jones' passing. This was a time when the Stones had class and their sound was, in my view, at its best. I am especially interested in Jones' use of Rickenbackers. You can see them here.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm
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ricnvolved
Peter-- It's impossible to say "Thank You!!" enough for your mention of this truly great musician. Far too many people either don't know, or choose to ignore, that The Rolling Stones was really Brian Jones' & Ian Stewart's creation. If not for them, Mick & Keith would not be where they are today. What is even more appalling to me is the fact that Brian's musical talent (and, yes, genius) is so little recognized by those who should know better. There was almost no instrument this man couldn't play if he chose to apply himself. The speed with which he learned his way around the sitar when George Harrison placed one in his hands for the first time is mind boggling. According to Bill Wyman, Brian already had an amazing grasp of the instrument after only 20 minutes.
Try to imagine how much different many of the Stones' earlier hit songs would be if not for Brian's influence. His sitar playing in "Paint It, Black". His African marimba/xylophone in "Under My Thumb". His flute playing in "Ruby Tuesday". His mellotron in "2000 Light Years from Home". His incredible slide guitar in "Doncha Bother Me" and "Little Red Rooster". His piano playing in "Let's Spend the Night Together". His harmonica playing rivals that of any great black blues harmonica player you care to name. (I learned very quickly to distinguish Brian's harmonica playing from Mick's. Mick's was always harsh & nearly strident. Brian's was always earthy & raw, but still smooth, and far more versatile in comparison. And trust me on one thing, friends: there IS a difference between Mick's "harsh" and Brian's "raw". The discerning ear will simply know the contrast.)
But for all of Brian's staggering talent, he could not be saved from himself. Far too much of the time, he was an unsavory human being. Petty, petulant, childish; sometimes cruel and irritatingly insensitive. Let's not forget narcissistic & vain. But at the same time he was also highly self-destructive, seemingly without limits in his drug and alcohol abuse. Bill Wyman has also speculated that Brian probably suffered from epilepsy, to the knowledge of no one other than Brian himself. This combination of drug & alcohol abuse and the epilepsy would go a long way toward explaining the gradual, inevitable erosion of Brian's powerbase of leadership within the band. Wyman personally observed Mick & Keith's takeover (with Andrew Loog Oldham's cruel machinations against Brian) while Brian quietly stood by and said nothing. For anyone who was a truely loyal fan of Jones, it had to be a painful experience observing his last year or two in the band. He was his own worst enemy and there was almost nothing anyone who had his best interests at heart could do. Mick & Keith visited Brian at Cotchford Farm in early June of '69 to break the news that he was being booted out of his own band. But the truth was that Brian had pretty much been a Stone in name only for quite awhile prior to that. Not surprisingly, Brian cried after they left. Less than a month later, he was dead. There's no coincidence or irony to me in that fact, just a keen sadness at the loss of a tremendous talent in spite of his embarassing faults as a human being.
I am now convinced that Brian was murdered in his own swimming pool by Frank Thoroughgood. After 30 plus years of mystery and speculation, the truth of what happened may have finally made it's overdue appearance into the light of day. For those who are sufficiently interested to know the details, your search will lead you to the books containing the information you choose to know. I am fortunate just to have heard his recorded musical output; his unique musicianship and virtuosity will provide me with listening pleasure for as long as I'm here on this earth.
Try to imagine how much different many of the Stones' earlier hit songs would be if not for Brian's influence. His sitar playing in "Paint It, Black". His African marimba/xylophone in "Under My Thumb". His flute playing in "Ruby Tuesday". His mellotron in "2000 Light Years from Home". His incredible slide guitar in "Doncha Bother Me" and "Little Red Rooster". His piano playing in "Let's Spend the Night Together". His harmonica playing rivals that of any great black blues harmonica player you care to name. (I learned very quickly to distinguish Brian's harmonica playing from Mick's. Mick's was always harsh & nearly strident. Brian's was always earthy & raw, but still smooth, and far more versatile in comparison. And trust me on one thing, friends: there IS a difference between Mick's "harsh" and Brian's "raw". The discerning ear will simply know the contrast.)
But for all of Brian's staggering talent, he could not be saved from himself. Far too much of the time, he was an unsavory human being. Petty, petulant, childish; sometimes cruel and irritatingly insensitive. Let's not forget narcissistic & vain. But at the same time he was also highly self-destructive, seemingly without limits in his drug and alcohol abuse. Bill Wyman has also speculated that Brian probably suffered from epilepsy, to the knowledge of no one other than Brian himself. This combination of drug & alcohol abuse and the epilepsy would go a long way toward explaining the gradual, inevitable erosion of Brian's powerbase of leadership within the band. Wyman personally observed Mick & Keith's takeover (with Andrew Loog Oldham's cruel machinations against Brian) while Brian quietly stood by and said nothing. For anyone who was a truely loyal fan of Jones, it had to be a painful experience observing his last year or two in the band. He was his own worst enemy and there was almost nothing anyone who had his best interests at heart could do. Mick & Keith visited Brian at Cotchford Farm in early June of '69 to break the news that he was being booted out of his own band. But the truth was that Brian had pretty much been a Stone in name only for quite awhile prior to that. Not surprisingly, Brian cried after they left. Less than a month later, he was dead. There's no coincidence or irony to me in that fact, just a keen sadness at the loss of a tremendous talent in spite of his embarassing faults as a human being.
I am now convinced that Brian was murdered in his own swimming pool by Frank Thoroughgood. After 30 plus years of mystery and speculation, the truth of what happened may have finally made it's overdue appearance into the light of day. For those who are sufficiently interested to know the details, your search will lead you to the books containing the information you choose to know. I am fortunate just to have heard his recorded musical output; his unique musicianship and virtuosity will provide me with listening pleasure for as long as I'm here on this earth.
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360dave660
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