Thanks for the heads up. My thread watch function has not been working on this thread. I did not know you posted more songs. I am way behind!
I appreciate you asked me to comment on the songs but I must in all honesty say, these two reviews are just off the rails. I have never read any synopsis of these songs anywhere that are this insightful. I am not sure I can say anything that would add to the discussion but I will try.
"Like": Again w/the "Punk"!!! "Exile on Main Street" was never trying to be "Punk" or even a 60's "Garage" album. 'Stones' were 'rolled' in the "Blues". "If punk is just stripped down rock and roll played fast then Rip This Joint is punk!" Close; partially true, just not in reference to the 60's or early 70's 'Stones'. "R&R" comes from "R&B" which comes from "Blues". 'Stones' were a "Blues" based "Rock" band at the time of 'Exile'. Yes, 'Stones' were going for a 'stripped down'* sound. However, the 'Stones' 'stripped down' sound was taking the band back to the 50's. "Delta Blues", "Chicago Blues", early "R&B" [pre-"Soul"], & even early "R&R" including "Rockabilly". "Rip This Joint" not only refects 50's "Electric Blues" in general, it specifically reflects "Juke Joint Blues" [hence° the title]. The speed of the song all so reflects "Juke Joint"; being dance music. The instrumentation also mimics "Juke Joint" over "Punk", w/horns. 'Walking' bassline is more "Blues" than "Punk" as well. You [OP] refer to Chuck Berry & James Brown influences in the song. As great as both musical giants were; not many "Punk" bands had them as a major influence. You [OP] mention "Call & Response" too!! That's way more "Blues" based than "Punk Rock"! Super impressed w/the thread!!! * mid-Seventies "Punk" came out of 'stripped down' "Heavy Rock", "Acid Rock", "Arena Rock", & "Space Rock" ["Kraut Rock"] (to name a few 'excessive' musical genres of the day). ° not "hence" in that's the only reason the song is titled that; hence the title reflects "Juke Joint".
Lester Bangs first reviewed Exile on Main Street when it was released and wrote a negative review in Creem. Then, maybe six months later, after spending more time with the album, he saw the error of his ways -- and decided to re-review it. This time, he published a positive review (also in Creem). The second review was reprinted in a special Creem Stones issue that came out in 1981 or so. So I have that, but I have never seen the negative review. .. Does anyone have it? (An earlier thread mentioned the two Bangs reviews (Original reviews for "Exile on Main Street" )) I found one quote from the first review (August 1972): "This is at once the worst studio album the Stones have ever made, and the most maddeningly inconsistent and strangely depressing release of their career." And then from his second review, in the January 1973 issue, he refers to his initial opinion: "Exile on Main Street came out just three months ago, and I practically gave myself an ulcer and hemorrhoids, too, trying to find some way to like it. Finally I just gave up, wrote a review that was almost a total pan, and tried to forget the whole thing." From the second review: "The Stones still have the strength to make you feel that both we and they are hemmed in and torn by similar walls, frustrations, and tragedies. Exile is dense enough to be compulsive: hard to hear, at first, the precision and fury behind the murk ensure that you'll come back, hearing more with each playing. What you hear sooner or later is two things: an intuition for nonstop getdown perhaps unmatched since The Rolling Stones, Now!, and a strange kind of humility and love emerging from a dazed frenzy. If, as they assert, they're soul survivors, they certainly know what you can lose by surviving. As they and we see friends falling all around us, only the Stones have cut the callousness of '72 to say with something beyond narcissistic sentiment what words remain for those slipping away. Exile is about casualties, and partying in the face of them. The party is obvious. The casualties are inevitable... When so many are working so hard at solipsism, the Stones define the unhealthy state, cop to how far THEY are mired in it, and rail at the breakdown with the weapons at their disposal: noise, anger, utter frankness. It's what we've always loved them for."
I've tried to say this in different ways, but have never put it so perfectly. Exile is one record where I really don't have 'favorite songs', as it is, like you say, a 4-sided suite of American music genres filtered through this remarkable group of Brits at the height of their powers. Or something like that.
I like how on SBAngel the Twins are singing loud and exuberant over essentially an acoustic track rather than competing with a rocking, noisy band. It's simply a rhythm and percussion track with ragged vocals, but conveys a real sense of joy. Like much of the rest of the album, to me, it sounds like live-in-the-studio and much less polished than anything past their first couple records.
Perry mentions in his book that Bill Plummer's great upright bass part was overdubbed over the top of Mick Taylor's electric bass.
@SinnerSaint I do take your points on board, I am not saying the Stones had a "punk" background other than their anti authoritarian attitude which I think Punk took a lot from. However I could mention quite a few punk bands (which I think if not necessarily seeing themselves as "punk" as we classify it and probabaly as you said influenced more by R&B and blues) do sound like the Stones. For example bands like the Heartbreakers (with Richard Hell and Johnny Thunders), some songs by the New York Dolls (again with Thunders), Richard Hell covered Shattered in concert, Television definitely loved the Stones, they even covered Satisfaction in concert, Patti Smith wore a Keith Richards T-shirt and lots of her section album has Stones influences. While I think it is only now that a lot of these artists have, perhaps incorrectly, been labeled punk you can see how certain Stones songs had an influence on them musically so could be considered "proto punk". Not a water tight theory of course just putting it out there I agree with all your points as well though, that's half the fund of these threads!
Off Master: Always great to 'hear' from the great Lester Bangs! At the heart of the matter, is the production of this album. It's an artistic choice; so it's the right choice, in the 'Stones' eyes [ears]. 'Murky', 'muddy', 'dence', 'thick' all apply here [to this album]. So, luv it or hate it, it's the 'Stones on the Street'. [paraphrasing Macca] Q: Would i like to hear a "pristine" recording of "Exile on Main Street"? A: Sure! Ain't gonna happen tho & i don't want it to happen either. 'Layla', "Quadrophenia", "Raw Power" are albums 'we' look for 'improved' masterings. Source is limited tho; decisions were made during the recording process that reflected emotional tones over clearly capturing the instruments [include voice as an instrument]. Good w/a 'schizoid' "Quadrophenia". & Good w/a 'shady' 'Main St.' too!! The 'dark' tones of 'Exile' give it a depth to which we still enjoy diving into today; @shmf.
Off 'Main St.': Sure "Punk" bands folowed, literally & figuratively, "The Rolling Stones". That doesn't reverse engineer the 'Stones' to "Punk Rock" [B-sides the 'snotty' attitude you mentioned, ha, ha, ha!!!]. Wasn't saying you were saying 'Stones' were "Punk". Was only bringing up you bringing up the 1st two songs of the album had "Punk" inclinations IYO. IMO said tracks are "Blues" based. We're good!! Back on ["the"] track: Track even has slide guitar! Luv me some slide gut-tar! Yet you've got to admit; not too many "Punk" bands have a slide guitarist!!! Respect!
Off [to the "Garage"]: Heck yeah! "British Invasion" brought out the 'worst' in a lot of US teens. Thank goodness! [for "The Sonics"] Cause "goodness" was a little to goody two shoes in way to much early Sixties "R&R"!! Shoot, seemed like there were more Fifties "R&R" bad boys!!! [just have to mention one/"The Killer" Jerry Lee Lewis] Whew! Was sweating bullets Mr. Fell!! When seeing your "Alert(s)", thought you were going to call me out on the 'Stones' punkiness!!! Would be a real "Blue(s)" of a day for me to have to defend a statement i made bout "The Rolling Stones" to you, John. Always enjoy your input; especially bout something pertaining to anything associated w/an electric guitar [probably acoustic too!!]. All the best.
"Just Wanna" is little more than a elaborate jam-as-mood piece, but it's essential to the album. I'd be curious to know just how much of the track (if any) was actually recorded at Nellcote or if it was wholly a Sunset Sound construct. The massed backing singers have a gospel feel and sets things up for the next song nicely. All respect to Bobby Whitlock, but it seems to me that he is the only person to claim it's him playing the electric piano, nobody else has. Just based on those discussion he started here, I'm inclined to think Whitlock either disremembers too much or clearly enjoys giving himself more credit than he's due. That piano is Keith, I'm sure of it. Bill Plummer is playing the weird, high pitched bass part at the start of the track; Mick Taylor plays the electric bass, presumably on the basic track- Plummer's part was likely overdubbed as a effect. You have read John Perry's book on the album, haven't you? If you haven't, you need it now!
No question. But I would love to hear a "clean" mix of Exile (like it's also great to have that alternate mix of All Down The Line that was mistakenly released on 45). I'm sure we'd all hear new things in the songs. Hell, I think I still sometimes hear new things after listening to the same mix for 40 years! Now this will NEVER happen, ever, but how great would it be if the multi-track recordings for Exile were released and fans could mix the songs and album however they wanted? Would that destroy some (or a lot) of the album's mystery? Yeah, probably. But being able to utterly immerse yourself in the full recording - how great would that be!
Off mastering: Didn't Todd The Mod do that in the Nineties?!?! Pretty sure Rundgren had a web site where the multi's were available to choose from & mix to your personal preference. Always enjoy the documentaries, like "Classic Albums", where in the studio an engineer, producer, or artist is pulling out specific stems of a song to highlight. Enjoy.
"Just Wanna See My Face" - man was this totally mysterious when I first heard it. Tom Waits called it the most amazing music he had ever heard - in fact, you can hear "Face" as the prototype for everything Waits recorded from Swordfishtrombones on. Steve Martin wrote a song called "Atheists Ain't Got No Songs" noting in introductions to the song that there were no songs written in tribute to being an atheist ("No one wrote a song for Godless existentialism" says a line from Martin's song). Well he was wrong. Some one did and it was the Rolling Stones. As Caleb Followill of Kings Of Leon noted, the backing singers on this recording, do not believe what they are singing being girls raised in the Southern Baptist tradition as they all probably were. How did they conceive this song? I keep saying that nothing else in the Stones catalog is close to some of these songs from Exile. Well it's doubly true for "Face". I love the keyboard played and whether it was Keith or Bobby Whitlock, it's pure genius.
I just want to say that in 1972, Keith was the personification of the music on Exile: lean, tough, vulpine, quick with a knife in a dark alley.
Side 3 Track 5 Let It Loose This tune seems to be one of people's favourite songs from Exile. Seen as an undiscovered jewel this song seems like the cold light of day shining through into the basement after the darkness of the previous tunes. A song that was a while in gestation the whole song hangs on the glittering guitar chords (played through a Leslie rotating speaker that gives it a shimmering quality), the brass and most of all Jagger's much praised vocal performance. Featuring almost the whole band depending on whether you think Taylor is present. Most people assume it is one guitar with Richard's playing it but I think there are two guitars playing and see no reason why both players are not present. The song starts with the magnificent circular chordal riff on the right, everything in this track is slightly celestial including Nicky Hopkins mellotron string parts that start at about 0.14 followed by some more exemplary piano which is nicely upfront for once and weaves through the vocals and guitar parts. The backing vocals on this tune are some of the most sublime on any Stones recording, Dr John and a group of singers he brought to the LA overdub session. The way they hang in the air at 1.56 is ghostly! This part is interesting as rather than have a conventional middle section with a guitar or sax solo the backing vocals are brought to the forefront and allowed to drift over the piano until 2.26 when Charlie provides one of his awesome rumbling fills that sound like orchestral timpani the way he thrashes the drums. Listen out for Hopkin's lovely fill at 2.14 under the vocals. At 2.30 the brass joins and like the piano part is one of the few times the mix allows them to feature prominently. Sounding like a New Orleans funeral march they are somber but uplifting at the same time. At 3.05 there is one of those great Stones moments where everything coalescence into a heart stopping moment as Jagger sings "In the bar you're getting drunk" riding another huge Charlie fill. At 3.34 there is another break before the band surges back and Charlie drives them on. From 4.06 you can clearly hear another guitar part come in. In fact what we assume it Keith's main guitar shifts around in the mix from the right to the middle and left. While another part covering the chords seems to be present from the middle of the song. Listen around 2.44 for some subtle guitar interplay. The levels of the other guitar vary from that point on but at 3.59 you can hear two guitars on the left and right with the one on the right not having the effect and playing some bass string embellishments at 4.07, 4.16 and 4.24. I think the guitar parts on this tune are one of the pleasures of Exile as for ages I just got used to the idea it was one guitar on the right with a Leslie effect. After listening more closely you can hear the subtle mixing choices and possible edits of multiple takes being woven round the track. If it is Taylor playing along with Richard's it shows commendable restraint. Unless of course it is Richards playing all the guitar and then wiped a shrieking Taylor solo! From 1.42 in the instrumental take is a slide part which is a bit out of tune and not particularly good as if the player is just working out the harmony. The instrumental just features one rhythm guitar part which suggests this is the core part that was added to and floats round the mix with some reverb panning. Wyman is rock solid on bass, nothing fancy just holding it together. Listen at 1.26 on the instrumental take below and you can hear one of his very subtle fills, adding a small bit of urgency to a simple descending line. As the songs reaching it's coda the backing vocals take turn singing the chorus phrase and 4.37 there is a great falsetto part! Tamiya Lynn, Dr. John, Clydie King, Venetta Fields, Sherlie Matthews & Joe Green on backing vocals kill it! There is a nice little guitar lick on the right at 5.02 before the songs ends, appropriately focusing on the backing singers as Jagger drops out at 4.43. This coda is one of the most lovely bits of vocal harmony on a Stones record. At 5.10 there is a higher vocal part on the left with a mumbling lower bass part on the right at 5.11. At 5.13 there is a click like a hand clap as the track fades.
Probably my favourite Stones soul-based ballad. What I like about it is it is a song with a definite message to a specific person but it's up to us to figure out who that person is. Another example of Exile's amazing sequencing, this is the perfect place on the album for such a ballad (we have to get ready for the Mick Taylor guitar-fest that is side four) and it concludes side three nicely, if a little ominously. Once again the band (all eight members - not just the five) is incredible. A different kind of contribution for Nicky Hopkins and the horns are killer. Kudos again for Mick Jagger's unbridled vocals - he would never sing like this after Exile.
Let It Loose: Love this song, how it starts out with the hazy guitar, and how the piano and strings come out, the rock solid rhythm, the way the Glimmer Twins harmonize with each other, this is a gospel number that got a few lines and a few puffs in, it's so ****ing awesome, one of the best ****ing songs on here, and oh those ooh ooh oohs are so awesome, and the slow horns as well, the song is excellent. On a scale of one to ten, I give it Nicky's piano playing, second best on here, BAM!
If any of the venues for Classic Album Sundays are near you, Exile On Main St. is the LP for next month on Sunday, June 18. Details: Classic Album Sundays presents The Rolling Stones ‘Exile on Main St.’ | Classic Album Sundays
Let it Loose - There are so many great vocals by Mick Jagger, from the cold precision of Play with Fire, the restless strutter in Satisfaction, the sensual longing of Winter, but Let it Loose may be Mick Jagger's single greatest vocal performance. He owns this song and he does it in the company of Tammi Lynn, Vanetta Fields and Clydie King. That is no mean feat. Let it Loose is perhaps not much of song, on a bootleg somewhere I have an instrumental version, it's all good, but nothing special, but the end version is all about vocal performance, production and feeling. Like Loving Cup, I'd pay a king's ransom to hear the development of this. What did Dr John et others do to it in L.A? How did it sound before L.A? Was it just the instrumental version? Are there any alternative vocal takes? It starts out as a country sort of number with Mick using some form of sensual Dixie accent and ends up being what one might call Honky Southern Soul of the finest kind. Let It Loose is where Mick Jagger shows that he's graduated from the Don Covay school of soul singing to become his own master. Not shying away from using lines straight out of Man of Constant Sorrow and daring to "battle" with the background singers. Hide the switch and shut the light and listen to this in the dark and the effect is devastating. Healing music.
Great write up of "Let It Loose". Wiki says the gospel inflected arrangement on this song were inspired by a trip to a evangelical church local to Sunset Studios in Los Angeles.
One of my top favorites from their entire catalogue. That ternary chord structure is mesmerizing... Where did Richards find the inspiration for writing a beautiful structure like that? The song is arranged as gospel music, yet this ain't really gospel, or is it? I've never heard anything else that sounds like that. It's single fault to my taste is that they over-soul and stretch it a bit too much.
