Keith Richards thinks Bob Dylan is a “nasty little b****r”.
The Rolling Stones rocker is one of several stars who has contributed to a list of 101 albums people should listen to before they die. Keith’s choice was Bob’s 1966 classic Blonde on Blonde, which he thinks is masterful – even if it’s slightly painful to admit it.
“He showed you that rock ‘n’ roll didn’t need to be quite so restricted by that verse-chorus-verse formula,” he explained to NME. “We all pushed each other on in those days. Bob’s a nasty little b****r. I remember him saying to me, ‘I could have written... Satisfaction, Keith, but you couldn’t have written Desolation Row.’ I said, ‘Well, you’re right there Bob!’”
Foo Fighters star Dave Grohl also got in on the action, recommending The B-52’s self-titled 1979 record. The 45-year-old star was ten when the album was released but he can still remember how deeply it affected him.
“This was the first thing to really grab me. Those guitars! Two strings! How cool! Those drums! Slap slap slap slap! Dead easy!” he reminisced.
The B-52’s are comprised of Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland and Cindy Wilson and Dave remains impressed by the way they tapped into the youth of the time. He can vividly recall how exciting the female band members looked and insists it’s because of the group that he got into the music industry.
“The women looked like they were from outer space and everything was linked in – the sleeves, the sound, the clothes, the iconography, the logo, everything. I think when you’re a kid, that’s what you’re after, a real unified feel to a band, and that’s what the B-52’s offered. Their songs were so easy to learn, they got me into playing really easily,” he said.
