If a pal in their late 70s told you they weren’t impressed with modern music, it may not be much of a surprise.
But when the opinion comes from one of the biggest legends in the history of the industry, the argument holds more weight.
So perhaps there’ll be many taking note after The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards slammed modern music as a ‘one-way toilet’.
The guitarist, 79, who recently revealed his arthritis was forcing him to change how he strummed, said today’s hits are too ‘synthesised’.
His comments come after the band last week released Hackney Diamonds, their first studio album of original material since 2005.
The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards has slammed modern music as too synthesised and branded digital recording as a ‘one-way toilet’
Richards has long spoken against electronic music, calling it ‘cheap’ and ‘rubbish’, saying that he likes to hear music by people playing instruments
Speaking about making the record, Richards said: ‘The only way to cut a band is to put the boys in a room and play and look in each other’s eyeballs.
‘Don’t get me going on modern-day music. Push-button drums and everything is synthesised. Digital recording is a one-way toilet.’
Richards has been outspoken against electronic music, branding it as ‘cheap’ and ‘rubbish’. He said: ‘I like to hear music by people playing instruments.’
The decision to return to the studio came when frontman Mick Jagger suggested it at the end of the group’s 60th anniversary tour last year. ‘I’ve got to give Mick hats off for this push,’ Richards told The Independent.
‘He said, ‘Come on, we’ve just got to do something… we’ve got to make a record.’
The guitarist ecently opened up about the osteoarthritis he has lived with for several years and said it changed his guitar playing
Richards recently opened up about the osteoarthritis he has lived with for several years and said it changed his guitar playing.
‘Funnily enough, I’ve no doubt it has, but I don’t have any pain – it’s a sort of benign version,’ the father of five told the BBC.
With just two months until he becomes an octogenarian, Richards added: ‘I think if I’ve slowed down a little bit it’s probably due more to age. And also, I found that interesting, when I’m like, ‘I can’t quite do that any more,’ the guitar will show me there’s another way of doing this. Some finger will go one space different and there’s a whole new door just opened here.’
Hackney Diamonds is on track to be crowned No1 as it outsells the rest of the top 10 combined, according to the Official Charts Company. It sold 55,000 units over the weekend and would mark the 14th No1 album for the band.