Exile on Main St.

From the mind of the dean of American rock critics: “Incontrovertibly the year’s best, this fagged-out masterpiece is the summum of Rock ’72. Even now, I can always get pleasure out of any of its four sides, but it took me perhaps twenty-five listenings before I began to understand what the Stones were up to, and I still haven’t finished the job.” I can’t do much to top the words of Robert Christgau. I myself have only listened to this album about five times in the last week.

I suppose by now my ears have become attuned to the sound of The Stones and that’s what this album is: their sound --seemingly aimed toward something other than creating smashing rock hits. Don’t get me wrong, this album is all about rock and roll, but its not a few stellar compositions strewn in amongst b-sides like some of their earlier cuts. This moderately upbeat music is consistent and cool and kept my ears tuned-in and amused all along --but as for a few favorite selections its hard to choose as nothing really jumps out. On that note, I'm going to have to say this is the type of album that would delight as background music while enjoying a few brews in the in the outdoors under the summer sun.

After their forced departure from England due to financial complications the Rolling Stones settled in a small town on the French Riviera, Villefranche-sur-Mer where most of Exile on Main St., their first double disc was recorded.


Typical of the stones dissatisfied longing toward life is “Rocks Off” which kicks off the album and has a really catchy sound to it. By the time the album hits “Tumbling Dice” I get caught in a groove that reminds me of the laid back Creedence Clearwater Revival of the late sixties --except a CCR that’s been dragged through the underbellies of plundering business cities. The tune on the album that reminds me of CCR the most would be “Shake Your Hips” which has a quick blues pick-up alongside Jagger’s voice that's neither over powering nor inaudible.

“Happy” doesn’t stray from the easy going sound of the album though it highlights Keith Richard’s vocals.

“Turd On The Run” a song I haven’t quite fell for just yet, picks up the pace for the next track: “Ventilator Blues”. In “Ventilator Blues” Jagger double tracks his lead vocals to enhance his voice to get a deep rich blues sound. Perhaps its knowing that William S. Burroughs frequented The Stones' villa on the French Riviera that makes me think that these lyrics seem reminiscent of the beat-poet era. When hearing the lyrics I seem to find myself thinking of Neal Cassady’s obsession the accelerator and Burroughs Mexico misfortune when playing William-Tell with a loaded gun and shot-glass on his wife’s head.

Overall, I think this album is great calm cool listen. Much like Christgau I can see myself give this numerous more listens.

Sticky Fingers

Saturday evening rocking out to the Rolling Stones, eating chocolate chip cookies and kickin’ it with my seventeen year old terrier... This is not what this album was made for, but that doesn’t make it any less amazing. Consistent and alive from “Brown Sugar” through to the end of “Moonlight Mile” --if this album had vital signs you’d need a Richter-scale to measure them. Though seemingly similar to a patient suffering from arrhythmia The Stones vary in their range of intensity. From hard-rock guitar riffs to slow ‘n’ bluesy tunes that grasp the notes just long enough to pull you into their melancholy moods --this music mixes with the emotion of any Saturday heathen whether their fix be cookies, or any choice selection that can be found in the controversial lyrics on this album.

Like a defibrillator, “Brown Sugar” gives the album the charge that pulsates throughout the album. The instruments work in unison to pump out a lively rock sound that distracts the ear from the belligerent lyrics. This song sets the tone for the rest of the controversial album as the lyrics combine drug slang and derogatory verse that’s racially offensive as well as disparaging toward women.

After the initial shock the album slows down into two bluesy tunes “Sway” and “Wild Horses” that feather the hearts of those left by women or left with longing desire by some addiction.

This is followed by an unparalleled moment in music: “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin”, a seven minute and fifteen second escape from the monotonous rhythmic pattern of life. This tune revives one with a sense of freedom or a break from the notions etched in the lyrics of “Sway”. Complete with wild solos from the guitar and saxophone this is the highlight of the compilation.

The mood changes with “You Gotta to Move” that carries a sound I can only compare to something like today’s White Stripes.

The next tune “Bitch” picks up the pace with heart-racing rock riffs complimented by the raw whaling from the sax. The lyrics compliment this song with a fast living --live now, die young attitude.

“I Got The Blues” slows it down again, Jagger’s vocals softly slugging away alongside electric organ, smooth sax and mellow guitar.

This is followed by “Sister Morphine” a track reveling in the counterculture of drug use. Which leads to “Dead Flowers” which is about a man who turns to heroin to ease the pains of lost love.

The final track, a moving ballad: “Moonlight Mile” has soft piano mingling with gentle guitar and an elegant arrangement of strings. The lyrics pertain to the lonesomeness of the road and hint at the use of cocaine.

Although this is unquestionably one of The Stones’ most powerful works nearly all the tracks on the album contain some reference to drugs. The heart of the band appears most stimulated by their affections toward drug use and women. This album ranks 63rd on Rolling Stone's Magazine's top 500 albums of all time.

Let It Bleed

This is the only Rolling Stones album I had listened to before beginning this blog and to be quite honest, I’ve constructed my ranking system in accordance with how other albums measure up to this one. I have memories of flying down the 401 in the pouring rain blaring “Gimmie Shelter”, howling nights of hazy intoxication where I’ve been able to extract more meaning from “Midnight Rambler” than in any other state of mind, and sad days restricted to the confinements of social obligations where “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” brings some placid sense of hope. And I’ll let you make of it what you will, that “Love in Vain” was on my daily playlist for the first four months of this year.

“Gimmie Shelter” sends a political message, as Jagger vocalizes the need for shelter from the coming storm of worldly devastation and destruction. In his own words he put it: "That's a kind of end-of-the-world song, really. It's apocalypse; the whole record's like that." To get into a writing frame of mind I’ve listened to this album four times in the last two days and countless times in the last few weeks. Today, I dug through my meager collection of vinyl --and as I write these very words my eardrums are pulsating with pleasure from the energy rush. The airwaves in my room resonate while the needle dances through the grooves of the phenomenal composition, --and as the record revolves an injection of the soul of the band, screams: “It’s just a shot away, It’s just a shot away.”

The Stone’s “Love in Vain” is cover of a Robert Johnson tune that has a more polished sound than the original. The sad lyrics, drawn long by Jagger alongside the country blurbs from Richard’s guitar depict the epitome of a yearning and lonesome lover.

“The Midnight Rambler” was written about the Boston Strangler. It is a fast paced jam that comes to life with Richard’s dangerous guitar riffs and solos. Jagger’s sporadic bellowing into the harmonica tames the country twang of the guitar while Brian Jones’ magnificent splashes on the drums keeps tempo with the quickening bass. This tune would come to be known as a great crowd pleaser at shows as its length and style provide opportunity for instrumental solos.

The London Bach Choir is featured throughout “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” singing just those words. Skepticism often takes me over when the Stones force out a positive rainbowy tune (*cough…“She’s a rainbow”...) and although this song carries positive message it still seems like a Stones song.

Although this album prides itself on knock-out hits it doesn’t have the same fluid flowing motion of Beggars Banquet.

Beggars Banquet

After a long busy week, a slow Friday afternoon killing the hours with a few Stone’s albums and the good company of my 17 year old Yorkshire terrier really hit the spot. After forcing Their Satanic Majesties Request on myself I was a little leery about what Beggars Banquet might bring. Fortunately, with this album the Stones dropped the psychedelic-rock act and returned to a sound that’s more their forte. Although this album doesn’t exact knock-out punches with numerous rock-out hits, it steadily slugs away and the impact lands in a smooth ‘n’ cool R&B tone, emanating out of a folk sound that’s lit-up with rocking guitar solos. This album is a good listen from start to finish.

Beggars Banquet opens with “Sympathy for the Devil”. It’s kept by a primitive beat and brought to life by Jagger’s bluesy voice singing satanic lyrics from the perspective of Lucifer while back-up vocals resonate with a continual “Woo-who”. The piano seems to bring some mode of regulation to the tune, even to the untamed stinging guitar solo from Richard’s.

“Street Fighting Man" has a tinny sound induced by the use of a sitar and tambura. Jagger drags his voice through the lyrics hanging on to notes in a way that really builds the energy of the song. This is one of their most politically directed songs, featuring lyrics such as the following that form the base idea.

“Well, then what can a poor boy do
Except to sing for a rock 'n' roll band
'Cause in sleepy London town
There's no place for a street fighting man”

“Stray Cat Blues” is a jive tune kicking back with long reeling guitar riffs from Richards, and a sliding tempo that picks up and slows down and just gives the feeling that swaying back and forth is the right thing to do. It even makes the swaying of my 17 year old dog seem natural and controlled.

Much like the above album cover that was originally rejected, each of these tunes were controversial upon their release. “Sympathy for the Devil” was so because of its satanic underpinnings, “Street Fighting Man” because of the race riots in the US and political unrest in France at the time, and “Stray Cat Blues” because the lyrics pertain to a 15 year old girl as the ‘stray cat’.

Their Satanic Majesties Request

The first time I ever put my ears to this album was a couple of weeks ago. I was bustling around my room, busied in literature related nonsense and it wasn’t until the third track before confusion took me back to my computer screen --I was nearly certain by some mistake I’d dragged a lost Beatles album of B-sides onto my playlist. Curiously this wasn’t the case. By the time that I’d let the whole album run through, I’d decided that somehow the Rolling Stones had forced Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Yellow Submarine to crossbreed resulting in this defective submarinish offspring. I’ve always been fond of Sgt Pepper’s but have never been taken in by Yellow Submarine –in fact, I’ve always been agitated by the Yellow Submarine album. Later that day I browsed the internet to find out that Yellow Submarine wasn’t released until ‘69 so my crossbreeding theory went kaputz. To the relief of my confusion I found that Lennon and McCartney had been involved in the recording of this album. From what I can tell, they were responsible for backup vocals in the first track. But from the sound of the album I’d guess they had more of a hand in it than that.

The epitome of this disaster lies in the chaotic hoopla of “Sing This All Together (see what happens)”. This track nearly drags on for eight minutes mimicking jungle sounds then accelerating into a fit of screams that seemingly progresses from chaotic to erotic which is then echoed by graceless blasts from woodwind.

No doubt under the hypnotic spell of the Beatles (as I assume everyone was in ’67) “She’s a Rainbow” comes across as a catchy ditty with a bright mellotron melody, bright lyrics, and bright violin –a brightness that I wouldn’t say is typical of the Stones. This tune charted at 25^th on the Hot Billboard 100.

As this period of Rock and Roll was in the groove of a psychedelic sound many bands were out making a name for themselves with this resonance. The Doors were breaking through with the release of their first album, Jefferson Airplane were enjoying success with “Plastic Fantastic Dancer”, and “White Rabbit” and David Bowie was laughing it up with “The Laughing Gnome”....

The only song that has the Stones captured in some distorted psychedelic way is “2000 Light Years From Home”. With an eerie wavering mellotron in the distant background and the soft and mysterious vocals hanging on to every syllable like they’re Jagger’s last, this is the best the Stones ever did with a psychedelic sound.

To sum-up the sound of this album: If the Beatles were to trap the Rolling Stones in a Yellow Submarine for months while incessantly playing their Yellow Submarine album over and over and then open the port holes and slowly drowned them while demanding them to play their instruments and sing –this would be the result.

Flowers

I’m not one of those indecisive fellows who is constantly and flippantly flicking and forwarding through an album to find what he likes best at that very moment. However, this album is a compilation of tracks and it draws heavily on material that I’ve already given much time and consideration to in the past few weeks. In short, I’ve been rather guiltly of grazing through this album in search green pastures of unheard music. And through the use of these cow-like listening techniques I’m not surprised to find that I’ve found little enjoyment here. In all fairness I think in the future I might look back on this album and think it deserves higher esteem.

The music on this compilation comes from an array of different places. It contains music from U.K. albums never before released in the U.S. like “Mother’s Little Helper”, previously US releases: ‘Aftermath’ and ‘Between the Buttons’ and newly recorded covers like “My Girl”; a tune popularized by The Temptations.

“Mother’s Little Helper” was included in the UK’s release of 'Aftermath' and when it came to the US it secured 8^th position on the Billboard charts. The lyrics pertain to house-wife mothers consumed by prescription drug abuse and while Jagger’s sings them, there is this wavering and creepy riff from a twelve-string guitar that gives the tune a cold and unusual vibe.

“Ride On, Baby” opens with a spiraling zing from the harpsichord and reveals lyrics that I’d recommend to anyone fascinated with troublesome women. If there was another song that deserved honourable mention it would be “Sittin’ on a Fence”.

Otherwise, if one has time to kill there was plenty of other more ear-worthy music that was poplar at this time. The Beatles’ “All you need is Love” and The Velvet Underground’s “I’m waiting for the Man” are two fine examples.

Between The Buttons

I often find that while in the midst of a good run my thoughts and the world in general are dulled-out by the motion of my body –this is essentially why I do it. I found this to be increased tenfold when racing down riverside through the strong winds on Friday while listening to “Yesterday’s Papers” and watching a leaf of newsprint dance, caught in a whirlwind fifteen meters above the road and only being able to think: “How come my fingers can’t find the button to reduce the volume?”.

Though I mightn’t have been able to grasp the aesthetic qualities of the song in that moment and come up with something clever to muse, with clarity of mind The Stone’s experimental endeavors that comprise this album (though out of tune with their rebellious and dark mystique) are nonetheless extraordinary feats of artistic accomplishment.

It seems to me now that The Stone’s first found their voice in the release of Out of Our Heads and since then each album has been wrought with some articulation of darkness or depression. The mood of this album however does not convey this at all and despite negative acclaim from critics I’d suggest it’s an album that simply missed its time. Between the Buttons thrives with a jive jazzy swing that I’d dare to liken to the Beatles later work: The White Album –although not as perfected.

“Let’s Spend the Night Together” and “Rudy Tuesday” (screaming girls in this link...ridiculous...sorry) are the two tracks that topped the Billboard charts in the U.S. The former; a sexually charged tune, resounds with Jagger’s voice belting-out lyrics that resemble the soul music of Ray Charles while the backup vocals resonate with lively piano. The later; the album’s treasure, is a sweet melodic tune with a pleasing crooning recorder at its core. “She Smiled Sweetly” is a gentle ballad that encapsulates, along with “Ruby Tuesday”, “Miss Amanda Jones”, “Complicated” an outlook toward women that is entirely different than the previous album. “Cool Calm and Collected” is another ditty with a positive ring that is nearly able to hide its politically satirical lyrics through the use of distracting kazoo and show-time piano. I’m not entirely sure, but it sounds to me like this is Keith Richard’s doing lead vocals and maybe that gives it the sound I like. “All Sold Out” is pretty rocking track with an upbeat tempo. It gets better every time that I listen to it and probably should have made it into my selections.

The music scene at this time was relishing in the releases of legendary albums like The Beatle’s Revolver (which I’ve been listening to on vinyl for the last week and a half –an album that I had overlooked before), The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds (an old favorite of mine) and Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde (something I’ve yet to collect). The following are tunes from each of the aforementioned albums, in sequence: “Good Day Sunshine”, “Wouldn’t it Be Nice”, “Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35”.

Though I like this album it is evidently not a jogging album because while I listened to it running, with my fingers fumbling between buttons, watching the most aesthetic of yesterday’s papers I wasn’t able to see irony or beauty in it.