Main Offender Explained

Main Offender
Type:studio
Artist:Keith Richards
Cover:Mainoffender.jpg
Alt:Black and white close-up photograph of Richards' face, brightly lit on right side of picture, hidden in shadow on left side, with KEITH RICHARDS MAIN OFFENDER in white scribbled capitals in top left quarter of album cover
Released:19 October 1992
Recorded:18 March – 6 September 1992
Studio:Master Sound Astoria (Astoria, New York)
  • Studio 900, Giant Studios and The Hit Factory (New York City, New York)
  • The Site, (San Rafael, Marin County, California)
Length:49:53
Label:Virgin
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Main Offender is the second studio album by Keith Richards, released in 1992 between the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels and Voodoo Lounge projects.

Richards teamed with Talk Is Cheap collaborator Steve Jordan and added Waddy Wachtel to the mix both in composing and producing Main Offender. Sessions with Richards' group of musician friends known as "The X-Pensive Winos" took place in California and New York City from March to September 1992, with touring in Europe's autumn and early 1993 in North America.

Main Offender was released in October 1992 to generally positive reviews. However, it failed to match the commercial success of Talk Is Cheap, reaching No. 45 in the UK, and No. 99 in the US. After the Main Offender tour, Richards returned to recording exclusively with the Rolling Stones and did not release another solo album until Crosseyed Heart in 2015. In 2022 the album was reissued to mark its 30th anniversary.[1] The reissue featured the previously unreleased concert album Winos Live in London ’92.[2]

Track listing

  1. "999" (Keith Richards, Steve Jordan, Waddy Wachtel) – 5:50
  2. "Wicked as It Seems" (Richards, Jordan, Charley Drayton) – 4:45
  3. "Eileen" (Richards, Jordan) – 4:29
  4. "Words of Wonder" (Richards, Jordan, Wachtel) – 6:35
  5. "Yap Yap" (Richards, Jordan, Wachtel) – 4:43
  6. "Bodytalks" (Richards, Jordan, Drayton, Sarah Dash) – 5:20
  7. "Hate It When You Leave" (Richards, Jordan, Wachtel) – 4:59
  8. "Runnin' Too Deep" (Richards, Jordan) – 3:20
  9. "Will but You Won't" (Richards, Jordan) – 5:05
  10. "Demon" (Richards, Jordan) – 4:45
  11. "Key to the Highway" (Charlie Segar, Big Bill Broonzy) – 3:21 (Japanese issue bonus track)

Winos Live In London ‘92

Released as part of the 30th Anniversary reissue.

  1. "Take It So Hard" (Richards, Jordan) – 4:15
  2. "999" (Richards, Jordan, Wachtel) – 6:45
  3. "Wicked As It Seems" (Richards, Jordan, Drayton) – 5:14
  4. "How I Wish" (Richards, Jordan) – 4:31
  5. "Gimme Shelter" (Mick Jagger, Richards) – 6:10
  6. "Hate It When You Leave" (Richards, Jordan, Wachtel) – 6:39
  7. "Before They Make Me Run" (Jagger, Richards) – 3:31
  8. "Eileen" (Richards, Jordan) – 5:42
  9. "Will But You Won’t" (Richards, Jordan) – 7:30
  10. "Bodytalks" (Richards, Jordan, Drayton, Dash) – 6:53
  11. "Happy" (Jagger, Richards) – 8:28
  12. "Whip It Up" (Richards, Jordan) – 8:33

Personnel

Production

Charts

Chart (1992)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[3] 96

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022-03-18 . 30th anniversary reissue of Keith Richards' second solo album, 'Main Offender,' released today . 2022-03-28 . KSHE 95 . en-US.
  2. Paul . Larisha . January 25, 2022 . Keith Richards' 'Main Offender' Gets 30th-Anniversary Reissue With Bonus Tracks . Rolling Stone.
  3. 234.