POP MUSIC REVIEW : Keith Richards--A Stone Rolls Alone

Hold everything.

Could it just be that this celebrated Keith Richards-Mick Jagger feud was just a h-o-a-x?

Is it possible these cagey rock veterans got together--in the true spirit of Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant--and decided a couple of years ago that the threat of never again working together would make our hearts grow fonder for another Rolling Stones tour?

The thought came to mind about midway through Richards’ first-ever local solo appearance Wednesday night at the sold-out Universal Amphitheatre: a sometimes glorious display of rock ‘n’ roll desire, but--in the end--a performance dampened by Richards’ vocal limitations.

When the public bickering began between the co-leaders of what remains perhaps the greatest pure rock ‘n’ roll band ever, the Stones had a great history, but a questionable future.

The group’s 1981 stadium tour wasn’t billed as a farewell trek, but there was whispering, even among the group’s most loyal fans, that it ought to be the end. There were signs that the moss was finally beginning to gather. Among several problems: the somewhat cartoonish nature of Jagger’s overly animated performances and a show that seemed mainly a remembrance of things past.

So what happened?

Jagger went off on his own to make two solo albums--vowing he needed to move forward and find life beyond the Stones. Richards fumed, calling Jagger all sorts of names and even writing a nasty song about his ex-partner (“You Don’t Move Me”) on Richards’ solo album, which was released this year.

Jagger hit the road with other musicians in Japan and indeed found new life. Without sacrificing energy, he exhibited a renewed sense of style, moving with greater subtlety and purpose than on the 1981 tour.

Still, he was doing mostly Stones songs and, in the end, you missed Richards on rhythm guitar, as well as the rest of the Stones. Suddenly, the idea of a reunion seemed tempting.

Now Richards comes along to whet the appetite further. From the minute he hit the stage with a five-piece band led by drummer Steve Jordan (who co-wrote the songs on Richards’ album), Richards had you in his grasp.

At the instant his right hand first strummed the guitar, Richards--wearing a sport jacket and jeans--kicked his right leg in the air in what proved to be a symbol of the enthusiasm he brought to this tour.

Throughout the 90-minute performance, he was bopping around--flashy familiar mannerisms from the Stones days (bending his knees as he hit key riffs and twisting his head to one side as he hit another), but also exhibiting a disarming joy that went far beyond the old “renegade-cool” image.

Most importantly, the music itself sounded vital and fresh. The opening “Take It So Hard” is right from the Stones’ invigorating Chuck Berry-cum-blues playbook, a classic sound that was repeated throughout the evening. But, relying primarily on material from the new album, Richards seasoned it with bits of reggae, R&B; and, even, some neo-rockabilly in “I Could Have Stood You Up.”

Richards has found musicians who can play in the same ragged, but right--loose, but focused--style as the Stones. Besides Jordan, the team features Waddy Wachtel on second guitar, Charley Drayton on bass, Bobby Keys on saxophone and Ivan Neville on keyboards.

Where Jagger in Japan built his show around Stones material, Richards turned to the Stones catalogue only for occasional, teasing punctuation. Each time, however, it ignited the audience.

Members of the crowd--especially those on the dance floor in front of the stage--cheered when he went into “Before They Make Me Run,” sang along on “I Wanna Be Your Man” (the Lennon-McCartney song that was the Stones’ first single) and played air guitar on “Happy.”

Between the stirring music and Richards’ undeniable star quality, things were moving along so well early in the evening that there wasn’t much need to concentrate on the vocals. Sure, they were hoarse and one-dimensional at times, but no one went to the amphitheater just to hear Richards sing.

Yet the limitations of range were spotlighted when Sarah Dash dueted with him on “Make No Mistake,” a ballad in the sinuous, Memphis-based R&B; style of Al Green and Willie Mitchell.

Though the music continued to sparkle, there was a growing sense near the end of the show that something was missing--as if Richards were simply laying down a series of great rhythm tracks.

And who better to fill in the vocals than Jagger?

No: The feud and separate tours weren’t designed to build interest in another Stones tour (the word is one may be on the way next year). Even Jagger and Richards aren’t that clever as pop strategists.

But this strange series of circumstances has rekindled our interest. If a reunion tour had been suddenly announced, there wasn’t a person in the room who wouldn’t have whipped out his credit card and gotten in line.

Where Jagger contributes the essential showmanship and vocal/songwriting definition, Richards gives the music its integrity and soul. On this tour--which was also scheduled to stop Thursday night at the Hollywood Palladium--he also shows that he represents the Stones’ future.

In 1981, he and the rest of the Stones had moved from rock’s bad boys to the role of sentimental survivors. In the best moments Wednesday, Richards seemed a man reborn musically. After some 25 years, he remains a passionate and inspiring rock ‘n’ roll force.