Keith Richard’s love for George Harrison: “George was an artist but he was also a fucking craftsman”
In the annals of rock history, the two great guitar bands cited as masters more than any others are The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Thus, it seems somewhat of an oddity that most assorted lists of the ten greatest guitarists of all time would omit Keith Richards and George Harrison. The implication, perhaps, is that their work is revered, but their skill is not.
Why is this the case? Well, Keith Richards has mused over this quandary a few times himself. When citing some of his favourite guitar players of all time, Richards explained: “The thing is, you’ve got your Jimi Hendrix, you’ve got your Eric Clapton, and then you’ve got guys who can play with bands.” Adding, “George was a band and a team player.”
“People get carried away with lead guitars […] and feedbacks,” Richards opined. “And it’s all histrionics, when it comes down to it.” In his opinion, there is a divide between serving a song and showing off with. Would the Fab Four really have had the same mix and music that remains transcendent had Harrison wanted to rattle off hammer-ons rather than focusing on his unique slide that dovetailed the grooves of Lennon-McCartney melodies perfectly? This is what Richards appraises when he concludes: “George was an artist but he was also a fucking craftsman.”
The notion of craft over perceived capacity is one that was best explained by none other than Ringo Starr. As the drummer noted: “At the beginning, because of the songwriters, which is a very powerful force in The Beatles and John and Paul mainly as the singers and I was just playing the drums and nodding my head so I didn’t get noticed.”
This was, however, by design, as he continues: “You look at Charlie Watts in the Stones, and there is nothing really said, and he’s an amazing drummer, but the drummers tended not to get the writing. The drummer is the driving force, but when you have songwriters of that calibre and singers, they much prefer to talk about the songs and the writers.”
In essence, Harrison was a master at serving the songs. That is an art in itself every bit as complex and demanding of skill as soloing is. As Richards stated: “What I know is that he was a lovely lead guitarist, beautifully understated.“
Concluding: “When you listen to his songs, you’re aware of how much went into it. He didn’t flip anything off. George crafted his stuff very, very carefully, and it all had its own feel.“
Thus, as a player who specialised in riffs, Richards often saw a sort of kinship with Harrison. Both of them might not have drawn the plaudits of Hendrix or Clapton, but both of them also sported a singular style that has, ultimately, proved ten-fold more influential in the unfurling future of guitar music.
As his son Dhani Harrison recalled: “My father once said to me, ‘I play the notes you never hear.’ He focused on touch and control partly because he never thought he was any good, really. He knew he was good at smaller things: not hitting any off notes, not making strings buzz, not playing anything that would jar you. ‘Everyone else has played all the other bullshit,’ he would say. ‘I just play what’s left.’”
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