Hear Keith Richards’ Brash, Funky New Song ‘Substantial Damage’
Keith Richards has unleashed “Substantial Damage,” a funk-inspired track from his upcoming solo LP, Crosseyed Heart.
“Substantial Damage” is a groove monster, defined by Richards’ brash guitar riffs and the propulsive drumming of co-writer/producer Steve Jordan. The track is the third sample thus far from Crosseyed Heart, following lead single “Trouble” and the recently unlocked “Amnesia.”
The song was part of an ongoing viral campaign, as fans unlocked the track on the guitarist’s website by tracking down passwords on plaques significant to the Rolling Stones member’s life.
The upcoming LP, out September 18th, is Richards’ third solo work and first since 1992’s Main Offender. The eclectic new album – which spans reggae (“Love Overdue”), rock (“Trouble”), country (“Robbed Blind”) and blues (“Blues in the Morning”) – finds Richards backed by X-Pensive Winos collaborators Jordan (drums) and Waddy Wachtel (guitars). Richards contributes vocals, guitars, piano and bass.
Crosseyed Heart also features several special guests, including Norah Jones (on ballad duet “Illusion”) and Aaron Neville (“Nothing on Me”). Two tracks, “Amnesia” and “Blues in the Morning,” include contributions from late Stones saxophonist Bobby Keys.
In April, Richards told Rolling Stone that a solo world tour is “being kicked around” but hasn’t been fully strategized. “At the moment, I’m just getting my head into the Stones, and I haven’t really thought about what I’m going to do afterwards,” he said. “But usually if I put a record out, I do some road work. So, it’s possible.”
Last month, Richards held an intimate listening party for the LP at New York’s Electric Lady Studios, where a few dozen guests assembled to preview the material.