Rolling Stones
Oh, go on then. Rolling Stones, ‘Beggars Banquet’, 1968. The Stones had a rubbish 1967. Whilst everyone else was Summer of Love-ing, Mick n Keef almost got banged up and their psychedelic riposte to ‘Sgt Pepper’s’ (the bandwagon jumping ‘Satanic Majesties…’) didn’t come out until December 1967 when the party was over. It was too little, too late and wasn’t much cop. The band were floundering and decided to go back to basics: soak up the music that got them going in the first place – blues, country and Soul.
The result is the first ‘modern’ Stones album, beginning a run of unbroken great albums that stretched up to ‘Exile on Main Street’ in 1972. After that it becomes the Groaning Bones ad nauseum for decades with rare bursts of creativity such as 1978’s ‘Some Girls’.
Anyway, this is a belter. Brian Jones is still in the band, his grand farewell. The first thing you hear is the conga drums signalling ‘Sympathy For The Devil’, which still has one of the best lead guitar breaks ever laid done. ‘No Expectations’ has gorgeous slide from Brian and piano over a slow, sad melody. ‘Dear Doctor’ is C&W pastiche, with sleazy louche vocals from Mick. ‘Parachute Woman’ is a dirty stomping blues. Hear it, NOW! ‘Jigsaw Puzzle’ is open strumming, slide and Charlie working his drum kit. A lovely tune.
Side 2 opens with ‘Street Fighting Man’, still a great riff with Brian droning away on sitar. This is 1968, The Year of Hate, and captured the mood of the time perfectly, whilst also cementing the Stones rebel image forever. ‘Prodigal Son’ is an old blues cover, acoustic strum and pickin’ on a metaphorical porch down South. It’s authentic. ‘Stray Cat Blues’ a dirty, sleazy riff about lurve with minors. Very un-PC, then and now. Um vee, naughty etc. Different times. ‘Factory Girl’ is folkie with mandolin, fiddle and congas and showed how inventive the Stones could be. Lovely. ‘Salt of the Earth’ is an ode to the working man, probably more to do with Keef than Mick. Keef didn’t pass his 11+ and knew more about ‘normal’ life than MIck. Mick was studying for a degree at the LSE when the Stones started. Always the Bread Head, man. Anyway, a righteous tune with Gospel choir and big, vamped ending with hammering guitar strum and piano clusters.
So, a true classic and worth a whirl if you haven’t heard it for a while, or only know the band’s singles from that period.
Rolling Stones
Oh, go on then. Rolling Stones, ‘Beggars Banquet’, 1968. The Stones had a rubbish 1967. Whilst everyone else was Summer of Love-ing, Mick n Keef almost got banged up and their psychedelic riposte to ‘Sgt Pepper’s’ (the bandwagon jumping ‘Satanic Majesties…’) didn’t come out until December 1967 when the party was over. It was too little, too late and wasn’t much cop. The band were floundering and decided to go back to basics: soak up the music that got them going in the first place – blues, country and Soul.
The result is the first ‘modern’ Stones album, beginning a run of unbroken great albums that stretched up to ‘Exile on Main Street’ in 1972. After that it becomes the Groaning Bones ad nauseum for decades with rare bursts of creativity such as 1978’s ‘Some Girls’.
Anyway, this is a belter. Brian Jones is still in the band, his grand farewell. The first thing you hear is the conga drums signalling ‘Sympathy For The Devil’, which still has one of the best lead guitar breaks ever laid done. ‘No Expectations’ has gorgeous slide from Brian and piano over a slow, sad melody. ‘Dear Doctor’ is C&W pastiche, with sleazy louche vocals from Mick. ‘Parachute Woman’ is a dirty stomping blues. Hear it, NOW! ‘Jigsaw Puzzle’ is open strumming, slide and Charlie working his drum kit. A lovely tune.
Side 2 opens with ‘Street Fighting Man’, still a great riff with Brian droning away on sitar. This is 1968, The Year of Hate, and captured the mood of the time perfectly, whilst also cementing the Stones rebel image forever. ‘Prodigal Son’ is an old blues cover, acoustic strum and pickin’ on a metaphorical porch down South. It’s authentic. ‘Stray Cat Blues’ a dirty, sleazy riff about lurve with minors. Very un-PC, then and now. Um vee, naughty etc. Different times. ‘Factory Girl’ is folkie with mandolin, fiddle and congas and showed how inventive the Stones could be. Lovely. ‘Salt of the Earth’ is an ode to the working man, probably more to do with Keef than Mick. Keef didn’t pass his 11+ and knew more about ‘normal’ life than MIck. Mick was studying for a degree at the LSE when the Stones started. Always the Bread Head, man. Anyway, a righteous tune with Gospel choir and big, vamped ending with hammering guitar strum and piano clusters.
So, a true classic and worth a whirl if you haven’t heard it for a while, or only know the band’s singles from that period.