226) Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street

So, in Review 182 I confessed I struggled with The Beatles as though I like their stuff, I just cannot love them like so many do. The consensus is Beatles number one and the Stones number two. For me it’s always the Stones over The Beatles, I’m probably wrong, it has been known. Jumping Jack Flash, Sympathy for the Devil and Gimme Shelter wonderful singles but for me they reached their peak with this majestic double album.

The Stones were tax exiles and worked on this record at Richards villa and were also dealing with his heroin habit. The record was seemingly made up of fragmented recordings and not every Stone is on every track, Jagger oversaw many an overdub in America to bring the record up to scratch. Indeed, bringing in musicians and singers who were not part of the famous five was an inspired idea as the piano, horns and choir elevate these raw thrilling songs.

Eighteen songs of blues, gospel, rock but here’s the thing. I think in this current listening world where people like the odd song or hit shuffle and do not bother with a whole album, then this this is the one that should be played from start to finish.

And my reason for this, I do not think there is one genius track on this record that you can point to and say listen to that and you will get the Rolling Stones but with each listen it kind of swamps all over you and the magnificence of the record seeps into your pores.

So here we are at the end of the review, and I haven’t mentioned one single song, do I need to? OK the opening guitar on Rocks Off before an almost weary Jagger comes in and then ramps it up,  the frantic joy of Rip This Joint and the magic of the sax, Tumbling Dice with the sheer ease the band slide into this song, Happy with a perfect Keith vocal and the wonder of the piano and the choir on Shine A Light.

Beatles or the Stones it doesn’t really matter, these two bands legacy will outlive us all but if in one hundred years people are asking what was so special about the Rolling Stones, they should have this transported into their brain.

10/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Shine a Light