every Stones fan has a favorite version of the band... the Brian Jones years, the Keith 'n' Ronnie playing tug o' war with the rhythm guitar years, the more recent Ameriquest and Budwesier-sponsored stadium tour years? well, maybe not that last one. my fave era is the heyday of the late 60s/early 70s when I think they really earned the honorary title of the greatest rock n roll band in the world. here are Let It Bleed (1969), Sticky Fingers (1971), Exile on Main St (1972)... posted per request from a burgeoning Stones fan.
a few borrowed words on each album...
"Let It Bleed" - An album on which the Stones recover from the death of Brian Jones, which turned out to be, at most, a minor setback. Mick Taylor lends a hand on "Live With Me," the hardest rocker on the album, and "Country Honk," a revival of "Honky Tonk Women" as hillbilly blues. Keith does just fine without the backup for most of the album, from the echo valley intro of "Gimme Shelter" to the extra funky rhythm work of "Monkey Man."
"Sticky Fingers" - Do we really need a seventh minute of "Can't You Hear Me Knocking"? I'll let you be the judge. But if the jamming feels a bit excessive in places, the writing ranks among their finest hours - "Moonlight Mile," "Brown Sugar," "Sister Morphine," "Sway," "Wild Horses," "Bitch," "Dead Flowers." Plus you've got the Andy Warhol conceived album cover with a working zipper that opened to reveal a crotch shot of whitie tighties. What more could you want in an album?
"Exile on Main Street" - That rare double album you wouldn't feel comfortable editing down to 90 minutes. The band has never let it loose with more abandon or authority showing their country, blues, and soul influences... "Let It Loose," a song that could have topped the R&B charts, is a soul ballad worthy of Otis Redding.
No comments:
Post a Comment