Why is Exile on Main St. held in higher regard than Sticky Fingers?

It's not in my opinion; "Exile On Main Street" would be number 6 in my Top 6 Rolling Stones' albums. It's excessive and they mailed in much of it. The recording was also poor.

 

Disagree. I personally think Goats Head Soup is a dark, moody masterpiece with it's own particular vibe. The ultimate hangover after Exile. Great, great album!

 

Most times I prefer the first album, whether it was the pinnacle or not. But with Pink Floyd I am definitely of your mind. Before Far Side. I like most of the early work.
With Sticky Fingers and Exile I'm able to enjoy most versions, but with Exile I'm always thinking "I need the LPs back". Some day. Yes it's grimier and messier. But also makes me work a bit more while listening.

 

I love it as a closer. There's a certain weariness to it that wouldn't fit anywhere else on the album. It also sounds like a summing-up of what preceded it. It makes you want to play the album again.

 

Because it's grittier.

Sticky has better songs, though.

 

Sticky is better. Stones at their best and to me they were never this good again.

 

Since there are so many Stones fans on this thread, I thought that I would post this isolated piano/drum track from "Rip This Joint" So great.

 

Keep trying...it's all there...let the magic come to you when you least expect it.

 

I think Exile is held in higher regard because it has a legendary story behind it, a plot and an exotic location. Time has really romanticized Nellcote and the stories that mingled with the music. Simple as that.

Both are fantastic albums.

 

I don't hold it in higher regard. In my opinion, Sticky Fingers is their best album, in that all the songs are great and they all come together perfectly. However, I agree with everyone saying that Exile has more of a "feel." It really does take you on a trip in a way Sticky Fingers couldn't. I would also argue that the highest of the highs on Exile, for me (Rocks Off, Tumbling Dice, All Down the Line, Happy, Stop Breaking Down, and Shine a Light) top most of the highs on Sticky Fingers. I definitely listen to them a lot more often.
The mix on Exile really makes that dusty atmosphere. You can tell these songs were just recorded in a basement. They sound like it. Sticky Fingers, though it has the same blues and country (not really gospel, yet) sounds, sounds way too slick to really transport you.
I've always found it funny that Exile and Some Girls, both recorded in France, are perhaps the most American sounding of all The Stones' album, Exile sounding like it was recorded somewhere in the South, and Some Girls completely sounding like New York.

 

The funny thing about the identical thread on IORR - lots of people point to "filler" on Exile, but no one agrees on what songs are filler.

 

I will get flamed but Exile should've been a single album with 12 tracks. 1/3 of that album is total filler.

I couldn't remember off the top of my head what was the filler since I don't listen to those particular tracks, but upon looking it up it's songs like Ventilator Blues, Sweet Black Angel, I Just Want to See His Face, Turd on the Run etc. Those are all tossers IMO. Not to say SF didn't have songs (or *A* song) I didn't like - "You Gotta Move".

 

Well, Press to Play is far past McCartney's prime. My point was just that you sounded as if you were insulting both albums of Exile and White Album, while having Dynasty as a pic. It just came across as weird. No biggie.

 

All the more reason for it it being so great. It still feels as if it's cohesive even if they weren't. Something the White Album didn't pull off too well. Probably because the Stones had a way of always sounding like the Stones regardless of the genre. The White Album has some great songs and probably more individual songs that stand on their own than Exile does. But as I'm sure you know, the irony was that it was titled The Beatles. Song for song, Revolver is probably better than Exile, and if you force yourself to follow the concept of the band actually being a different band on Sgt. Pepper, then it's right up there too, although song for song, Pepper doesn't touch Revolver or even Rubber Soul IMHO (With the exception of the high points of Lucy in the Sky, She's Leaving Home and A Day in the Life. I just think Exile as a whole, from start to finish, gives me a running vibe. Zeppelin I does the same thing. Actually I think Magical Mystery Tour does that better than any Beatles album but it wasn't officially an album in the UK, but and EP. But even without Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields on the EP it's pretty darn good. Imagine had those two tracks made Pepper. I think the closest Beatles album in feel to Exile is Let it Be, but that was screwed up by not having Don't Let Me Down on it, but the overall Let it Be or Get Back sessions are similar to Exile in rawness.

 

What 80's band was that guy in?

 

That's why it's so great : there's 18 songs...no filler! Even the weakest tracks are still good.

 

Back when it was first released, it was panned as being too long.
Now it is on everyone's (seemingly) Top 10 greatest albums of all time.
How could there be filler if Exile is held in such high regard?

IMHO, there's no Exile filler. Maybe on Voodoo Lounge but not on Exile.

 

Not a fan of Exile at all , I like Sticky fingers better , but in general prefer 60*s Stones (Aftermath,Between the buttons )

 

...I agree..!

 

This is exactly the guts of Exile...the riffs,twangy slide,murky sound if you view it as a whole lead guitar is not needed. It stands on it's own with the weaving of the different instruments textures. Even though I know the Stones used a lot of different guitars on Exile it just screams Fender Telecaster . Those of you who play know what I'm talking about. Every time I listen to it it's like....where's my Tele...I gots to play.So,from my guitar thinking Exile is a Tele and SF's is a Gibson SG or Les Paul. I tend to listen as a bystander to SF's but Exile inspires me to get all Torn And Frayed and join in the murky mess.

 

As I've been reading this thread I put on Sticky Fingers first and now Exile and I can tell you the difference right off by just the first side of Exile what makes it a better piece of music .....I'm moving,my body can't keep still,feet tapping,head bobbing,it's a party. I was still while Sticky Fingers was on. It's the rhythm and the horns and piano chugging with the guitars and drum/bass patterns. SF's has the monster songs and guitar work and the great acoustic slower songs to appreciate but it's not a balls to the walls party.... Exile is.

 

I personally like Between the Buttons, Beggar's Banquet, and Let It Bleed more than either one, but that's just me.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with these comments - especially the last one. Plus, double albums always had a bit more "mystique" about them.

I like Sticky fingers, but gave up on Exile and sold my copy. Too much of a murky "mess" for me. Good luck to everyone who enjoys it though.

 

If Exile is held in higher esteem than Sticky Fingers, then it's only been in the last several years. (Maybe with the reissue, documentary and Rolling Stone cover.)
I only remember Sticky Finger being considered the pinnacle of Rolling Stones albums.

Personally, I like them both but Exile, being a classic sprawling double album, gets played the most. I have a weakness for those types, like Blonde on Blonde and White Album.

 

Makes sense to prefer one over the other, but it's just sad that any Stones fan can just toss "Exile" out the window. There's a baby in that bathwater!