The Rolling Stones- Goat's Head Soup song-by-song discussion!

"Tops" and "Waiting on a Friend" are "deep tracks." So deep, they didn't show up until the Stones had another great producer. I mean, Tattoo You was almost all production with little Stones input.

"Angie" is not filler. It is "AM Gold" beautiful. Don't hate me because I'm beautiful.

 

I agree. Tattoo You is a great album and I would not want it messed with at all. Except for Black Limo, I would replace that with something else, or just drop it.

 

Ranking

Dancing - B
100 Years Ago - A-/B+
Coming Down Again - B+
Heartbreaker - A-/B+
Angie - C
Silver Train - A
Hide Your Love - A-
Winter - A+
Can You Hear - A-
Star - A-/B+

Goat's Head Soup - A-

 

What's interesting is that as radio falls back in its role in general pop culture, the word 'overplayed' becomes less of an entity but because this album had "Angie" as its main radio staple for decades already, I can understand why many (me a little too) would think it's overplayed. The thing is I look at that as a positive-that the band had a hook and melody strong enough to make it to #1. Success does not mean critical acclaim but pop music goes for commerciality and that's what the Stones attempted successfully. Just because DJ's got carried away for years and classic rock radio plays the same stuff to death isn't something I can use against the Stones themselves and that's why I gave "Angie" an A-.

Once a song is released to the public, it's out of the band's control whether or not it's in or out of their setlists or 'best of's. I also can't blame them for attempting commercial pop because it's a band's choice no matter how the fan defines them. The band should be allowed to define themselves and change when they want.

 

Being overplayed is not the only reason I am not the Angie fan many are here. But as to overplaying, you make a good point. It's not to the discredit of the band when something approaches or has achieved that status.

 

Unfortunately the powers that be at work have blocked You Tube again, otherwise I'd try and track down early versions of those songs...would anybody else be so kind and do the honours?

That said, I like "Tops" more than "Waiting On A Friend". I can see why Taylor was pissed when Tattoo You came out- you can hear him clear as a bell on "Tops" whereas I've never quite been able to pick him out on "Waiting On A Friend"...I think it's MT playing the electric lick that leads into the chorus, but other than that...

 

Found this 1972 version of "Tops"



A lot of polishing was done by Chris Kimsey & Bob Clearmountain in 1981 if this is what they had to work with. Guitar parts sound similar to the Tattoo You released versions.

 

I'm almost sure he plays the elctric rhythm guitar which starts the song. When this song was played live during the 1981 US tour, this guitar only sounds 100% correct and identical to the studio track. on the Kansas City gig when MT joined in. You can hear this very clearly on the existing bööt.

 

Interesting how much production can do.
Here, the song sounds straight out of the period where it was recorded.
It could even have been featured on Exile!

 

"Waiting On A Friend" 1972 early version


I'm glad Mick changed the vocal to a more straight delivery.

 

Also interesting to hear how Jagger experimented with his vocals here and on Tops.
The 'falsetto' vocals on released records, started AFAIK with Fool To Cry and continued throughout 1981, after which it stopped. Obviously, Jagger had it on his mind some time earlier.

 

Yeah good observation. IIRC the backing vocals on tracks such as "Too Much Blood" from the Undercover album are falsetto by Jagger, but yeah on the whole it stopped around 1981 with "Worried About You" and "Tops" in particular.

 

To me it's the percussion sounds on "Tops" (Jimmy Miller?) that date the track to the Goats Head sessions. Also considering it's a GHS era track do we know for sure who's playing bass? I don't think it's Keith, so that would make it either Taylor or Wyman...

 

I don't mind these songs being on Tattoo You, I just always thought GHS would have been a stronger album if they were used for it. I think they are better songs that a lot of the other tunes and feel more heartfelt. I will have to check out the versions from that time someone else posted to see what state they were in at the time or if the extra polish was needed!

 

Yeah there is a lot of debate about WOAF guitar parts! When I heard that Taylor had sued about the two tracks on TY I checked them out immediately. Of course he is identifiable on Tops but I assumed Keith played the main parts on WOAF and I couldn't make out a Taylor part?

Considering a lot of these old rockers can barely remember their names I was surprised that he would have heard WOAF and thought "hang on that's my guitar part" unless it was him playing the main chord riff. This doesn't mean he wrote the song, he plays the rhythm part on Heartbreaker for example with Keith on bass and this is listed as a Jagger/Richards song, but I suspect WOAF is Taylor on the main guitar while Keith was blacked out somewhere.

 

If you add Waiting On A Friend and Tops and deleted some of the more uptempo tracks then you will really have a downer album.

 

According to the All The Songs book Charlie Watts stated the Mick Taylor played a great Santana influenced solo on Waiting On Friend that was replaced by Sonny Rollins sax solo on the finished version.

 

The All The Songs book lists Wyman playing bass on both Tops and Waiting On A Friend but it is unclear if he might have been overdubbed later.

The book also ranks Tops as one of the best songs on Tattoo You.

Tops also features the great Nicky Hopkins.

 

Have I mentioned how much I love YouTube?

 

According to Nico's site and other books the original version of Tops recorded at Dynamic Studios in Jamaica was an instrumental version. All other versions had overdubs and/or vocals done at a later date or were alternate versions.

It is unverified but some overdubs or alternate versions might have been completed in 1973 at Village Recorders in Los Angeles.

 

A bit like Taylor's solos on Brown Sugar which were replaced by a Bobby Keys solo instead.

 

Yes, they should have included the version with Taylor's solo on the Sticky Fingers Deluxe Edition release.

 

I agree, there are a few versions of the tune and would have been nice to hear all of them in order for fun! I actually prefer some of the earlier versions after I heard them. Not just for Taylor's solos but they sound rawer, the finished version sounds too precise in a way, at least to me.

 

A good thread on this very forum about Mick Taylor's contributions to WOAF.

1982: Mick Taylor sued Stones - what was verdict?

 

I remember that one.