At first ....what a way to start this album with the apocalyptic and haunting Gimme Shelter !!.....to me the best openingsong from this year and one of the greatest overall !
"Love in Vain" and "Country Honk" are brutal to get through. "Midnight Rambler" needs some trimming by about a minute. The long choral opening of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a little overblown (better if they had built up to the choir coming in toward the end), again some mindful editing would have been wise. "Gimme Shelter" (especially Merry Clayton's amazing vocals!), and "You Got the Silver" are classics in my book, though. Overall, I think this record is a bit overrated. Much prefer the two records that followed.
I think it's a great sounding album (by the Stones' standards) in search of good tunes. Gimme Shelter and Midnight Rambler are great through.
Years ago, I used to consider it a "meh" album, but I've come to love it. I would trim down "Midnight Rambler" a bit, but the rest is top-notch Stones.
My favorite Stones album. Great from start to finish in my book. Would love to see what additional stuff they can add to it.
Without question belongs in a very select group of 20th Century studio album music recordings. So what should a Deluxe Edition look like? First off - ABKCO gets a say in what happens - always a dicey proposition. Ya Ya’s seems to cover the live work during this time. Altamont? I don’t believe anyone with a stake wants to revisit it - the movie/concert footage is held in high esteem [Criteria Collectioned] and that is probably the final aural/visual document regarding it. Based on what I have seen with other recent RS anniversary/deluxe reissues - outside of Some Girls the outtakes we all know and love apparently are off the table. Mono/Stereo? Album issued in mono - but not true mono from what I understand. [and let’s just say I have heard the Mono version and can’t really see major differences ]
i think its already as good as its going to get. anything new is likely to be a downgrade from the 2002 love in vain is essential and i very much enjoy country honk ya ya's does not really adequately cover the '69 tour imo. i'd love to have something from early in the tour as well as altamont. it was fully recorded and just sits. probably never to be released.
I agree with 2/3 of this comment, so also to me it is not top notch. After the opening song the momentum falls apart with the slow blues of Train in Vain.....I’ d rather had the song later on the album , but it’s no skipping song. On the other hand....it is in in total contrast with the euphoric and intense opening song.....
Great album! The Stones flexing their creative muscles and stamping their place as rock icons. Poster above stated Love In Vain and Country Honk are difficult to sit thru. I love them both and they add texture to the album. The acoustic guitar playing on both is sublime!! They had a lot of songs in the can at this time (Jivin Sister Fanny and I’m Going Down to name just two) but I think the song selection flows beautifully!!! And Midnight Rambler needs to be trimmed???? Pure blasphemy I say!!!!! Might as well trim Beethoven’s 5th to twenty minutes! Ha
And there are those “Edward” album recordings/sessions with Ry Cooder/Nicky Hopkins that happened as part of the making of LIB. Probably not a match
Agree....Midnight Rambler is great ! I guess that Beatleroadie is a little bit too much into the beatles.... Although I like Abbey Road , Let it Bleed is a better album .
Sounds like Mick is out of tune on "Love in Vain," and they don't do anything interesting with this cover...it just makes me think "Why am I not listening to Robert Johnson?" Blues covers are tricky man, and I don't always accept upper-middle class white dudes singing them, even if they happen to be called "The Rolling Stones."
.....the last two songs from side A of this record are great also . Live With You makes you wanna dance with that gorgeous sax and the titlesong is awesome in a sleazy bluesrocksong kinda way ....
I mean, it's just a personal taste thing. For me, unless it's doing something revolutionary, I don't think blues songs need to be over 5 minutes. Midnight Rambler is 7. And the lyrics are repetitive. If it was 6 minutes long I think it would be a much punchier track? IDK.
I think the transition from the epic Gimme Shelter to that first acoustic note on Love In Vain is perfection! They did the same thing on Beggars with the epic Sympathy into No Expectations! Perfect!! Like saying ok folks...here’s a stone cold classic for your enjoyment now let’s settle in and listen to a beautiful album! Works for me!
My all-time favourite album of The Rolling Stones. Special semi centennial box set, perchance? From Wikipedia: Released 5 December 1969 Plenty of time. No pressure here.