Billy Gibbons names his favourite Rolling Stones songs
Billy Gibbons, with his elaborate appearance comprised of a top have and envious-in-length beard, gravelly bass-tone voice and unrivalled proficiency on the guitar, is, without doubt, one of the true icons of the blues world. Gibbons is also a massive fan of the Rolling Stones, the head honchos of blues and rock.
When asked to name his favourite Rolling Stones song, Gibbons said, “I’ll throw a left-field choice in here. It’s the [‘Child of the Moon’] the B-side of ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’. Quite a piece of brilliant psychedelia in its own right. It’s almost proto-grunge.”
He added: “If you allow me a runner-up – I know, just one choice, but it’s my prerogative as a dyed-in-the-wool Stones fan to suggest another great one – that would be ‘I’m Alright’, from Got Live If You Want It! It’s just so raw and real you can almost touch it. And of course, it’s a Bo Diddley composition; using the term loosely, since it’s mostly a wham-jam/rave-up, so that makes it all the more cherished.”
Gibbons is indeed, as he professes, a “dyed-in-the-wool Stones fan” and has gone on record to express his profound love for the blues icons several times. When once asked who his favourite guitarist was, Gibbons answered, “Keith Richards. It’s incredible to think that the Stones, Keith, these guys were sort of heroes of mine when I was starting out, and they’re now friends.
He added: “They rescued US blues music with their work, bringing the music back home to the USA and giving the original US bluesmen a career and recognition.” Evidently, Gibbons feels indebted to the Stones for resuscitating blues when it had fallen into obscurity.
The Stones really did capture the spirit of the old US bluesmen, even though they themselves were from way across the Atlantic Ocean. Listening to the Stones is akin to a crash course in the history of the blues; they started out mainly performing covers, and, as such, they naturally have an enviable knowledge of most corners of the world of blues.
Gibbons further elaborated on the magic that occurs within the Stones, most notably between the two prime suspects, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. He said, “Both Mick and Keith, two peas in a pod. They still remain robust and stalwart in the eyes of ZZ Top land. Two characters in their own right. But I think it’s a comfortable way to give them a proper pairing.”
