Main Offender is the second studio album by Keith Richards and his last to date, released in 1992 in between The Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels and Voodoo Lounge projects.
Richards teamed up 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 another round of touring scheduled that fall in Europe and early 1993 in North America.
When Richards would reunite with Mick Jagger (who was recording Wandering Spirit while Richards was making Main Offender) in mid-1993 to start work on Voodoo Lounge, Jagger would compliment Richards on Main Offender,[citation needed] even using lead single "Wicked as It Seems" as inspiration for The Rolling Stones' next single, "Love Is Strong".
Released in October 1992, Main Offender received another round of positive reviews,[citation needed] but failed to match the commercial success of Talk Is Cheap, reaching #45[citation needed] in the UK,and #99[citation needed] in the US. Following the touring commitments in support of Main Offender, Richards would return to recording exclusively with The Rolling Stones and put his solo career on an indefinite hold.[citation needed]
| Professional ratings |
| Review scores |
| Source |
Rating |
| Allmusic |
  link |
[edit] Track listing
- "999" (Keith Richards, Steve Jordan, Waddy Wachtel) – 5:50
- "Wicked as It Seems" (Richards, Jordan, Charley Drayton) – 4:45
- "Eileen" (Richards, Jordan) – 4:29
- "Words of Wonder" (Richards, Jordan, Wachtel) – 6:35
- "Yap Yap" (Richards, Jordan, Watchel) – 4:43
- "Bodytalks" (Richards, Jordan, Drayton, Sarah Dash) – 5:20
- "Hate It When You Leave" (Richards, Jordan, Wachtel) – 4:59
- "Runnin' Too Deep" (Richards, Jordan) – 3:20
- "Will but You Won't" (Richards, Jordan) – 5:05
- "Demon" (Richards, Jordan) – 4:45
[edit] Personnel
- Jack Bashkow – woodwind
- Crispin Cioe – woodwind
- Sarah Dash – vocals, backing vocals on "Bodytalks"
- Charley Drayton – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, piano, organ
- Babi Floyd – vocals
- Bernard Fowler – vocals
- Arno Hecht – woodwind
- Steve Jordan – vocals, organ, drums, conga, percussion, castanets
- Ivan Neville – bass guitar, piano, organ, harpsichord, clavinet, vibes
- Keith Richards – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, percussion
- Waddy Wachtel – vocals, guitar, piano, celesta
[edit] Sales chart performance
- Album
- Singles
| Year |
Single |
Chart |
Position |
| 1992 |
"Wicked as It Seems" |
Mainstream Rock Tracks |
3[citation needed] |
| 1993 |
"Eileen" |
Mainstream Rock Tracks |
17[citation needed] |
