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’.