Tag: Rolling Stones

Rewind Review: The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers (1971)

Widely considered one of the best Rolling Stones albums ever and one of the best rock albums of all time, Sticky Fingers is a dirty, grungy, sweaty, horny record. I mean, how could it not be with that title and that infamous cover?

It’s full of mega-hits, to boot. The opener, “Brown Sugar,” is an instant classic recorded in the famous Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama and brazenly covered taboo subjects in that part of the U.S. – interracial sex, heroin, slavery, and cunnilingus among them. The album goes from what sweaty blues rocker to the slower, fuzzier “Sway.” Mick Taylor‘s guitar work on it is outstanding (and his lack of a writing credit on it would be among his reasons for leaving the band down the road).

“Wild Horses” is one of Mick Jagger‘s many songs about being emotionally fragile after a breakup (and about missing home while being on the road). Keith Richards‘ Nashville-style playing is so subtle and masterful that it’s easy to overlook. “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” is one of the best one-take tracks in rock history, with Richards’ open-tuned guitar laying down sharp fuzz, Charlie Watt‘s pristine beats, Jagger’s pleading vocals, Taylor’s wild, jamming riffs, and Bill Wyman locking everything into place with his bass. The greatest part of it is the extended jam, which wasn’t intended, but started when Taylor decided to keep playing and everyone joined in with him…resulting in a wild, psychedelic trip that includes great saxophone playing from Bobby Keys (who almost makes the song his own), sweet conga from Ricky Dijon, and Billy Preston‘s outstanding organ work.

“You Gotta Move” is their version of the African-American spiritual standard, and Richards and Taylor crank up the fuzz and grit on it. “Bitch” is another instant-classic rocker with the bold horn work from Keys and Jim Price (on trumpet), and, as the story goes, Richards came up with the riff while eating a bowl of cereal. “I Got the Blues” is pretty much a Stones tribute to Otis Redding.

The title of “Sister Morphine” denied it airplay and release in the United Kingdom when the original version was first released by co-writer Marianne Faithfull. The Stones’ version is full of dangerous guitar from Richards and Taylor. “Dead Flowers” is one of the Stones’ many forays into country music…and it’s also a song about heroin. “Moonlight Mile” came about after a long night session between Jagger and Taylor and is an ode to love and sex…and possibly cocaine.

Sex, drugs, rock and roll…It’s all here. It’s all what you’d expect from vintage Stones, and it comes in an Andy Warhol-designed package. What more could you want (apart from a vintage vinyl copy with the working zipper on the cover)?

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Rolling Stones – Blue and Lonesome (2016)

There’s a quote from Mick Jagger in the liner notes of the Rolling Stones‘ 2016 album Blue & Lonesome that sums up how good the record sounds pretty well: “We could have done this album in 1963 or ’64, but of course it would not have sounded like this…It’s the interesting thing about a record that is made really quickly, it reflects a moment in time – a time and a place.”

Yes, the Stones could’ve recorded this album decades ago when they were young and raw, and it would’ve sounded great, but Blue & Lonesome is an album that shows the Stones as masters of their craft. They have evolved and matured to the point where they can walk into a studio and record a stunning blues album in just three days. Also, as mentioned in the liner notes, legendary producer (and musician in his own right) Don Was says Blue and Lonesome wasn’t planned. It came about while the Stones weren’t in the groove while recording another song and Keith Richards suggested playing the title track to “cleanse the palate.” After they had played and recorded it (in one take), Don Was (according to the notes) “…said, ‘Let’s do another one.’ It was clear that we had embarked upon the much-talked-about, but never realized, blues album.”

The album turned into twelve great blues classics played by one of the greatest rock bands of all time. The album opens with Little Walter‘s “Just Your Fool,” with Mick blowing out dirty harmonica riffs that nearly run away from Richards’ and Ron Wood‘s guitar licks. Their take on Howlin’ Wolf‘s “Commit a Crime” is downright filthy and sounds like it was recorded in a juke joint in the middle of Mississippi on a humid summer evening. Charlie Watts beats the cymbals on his kit half to death throughout the whole track.

Hearing the title track and remembering it’s the only take they did of it makes it all the more impressive. Richards’ guitar on “All of Your Love” sounds effortless (which it probably is, for him), and Chuck Leavell‘s piano solo on it is sharp. Jagger’s harmonica is back in business on Little Walter’s “I Gotta Go,” and Watts’ groove on it is outstanding.

As if the album wasn’t power-packed enough, some guy named Eric Clapton plays the slide guitar on Little Johnny Taylor‘s “Everybody Knows about My Good Thing.” I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Darryl Jones, who plays bass on the entire album. He puts down a lot of lockstep grooves, and the one he drops on Eddie Taylor‘s “Ride ’em on Down” is solid as a rock. Their cover of Little Walter’s “Hate to See You Go” is a definite toe-tapper, and I like how they bring Watts’ snare drum to the front.

Lightnin’ Slim‘s “Hoo Doo Blues” is as rough and raw as you’d hope it would be, and Jimmy Reed‘s “Little Rain” is the slowest, and still one of the most powerful, songs on the record. They get back into a fun swing on their cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Just Like I Treat You.” You can tell they had a blast on this one (and the whole album, really). That Clapton guy comes back with a so-good-it’s-not-fair guitar solo to help finish out the album with a cover of Otis Rush‘s massive hit “I Can’t Quit You Baby.” Jagger saves some of his best vocal chops for the final cut, too. You can’t help but imagine him strutting his stuff in the studio as he put down the vocal track.

It’s a stunner of a record and one that was long overdue from the Stones. You owe it to yourself to hear it if you’re a fan of the blues or the Stones.

Keep your mind open.

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