I went to a concert on Sunday
night and was reminded again how important a good sound man is. My friend Josh and I went to see “Deep Dark
Woods” a band I’ve really taken to this year (I even bang away at a couple of
their songs on the guitar). I had high
hopes.
Sadly, the sound quality at the
Upstairs Lounge (nee Harpo’s) was so bad it was like listening to Charlie Brown’s
teacher give a concert. I’ve seen a lot
of great shows at that location, so I know the room can handle it, and it was
deeply disappointing to see it fail so badly.
I still love Deep Dark Woods, but it
is a lesson that you can have the greatest songs and the tightest band in
history, but it doesn’t mean a thing if the production is so bad no one can
hear them.
Disc 559 is…. Exile on Main Street
Artist: Rolling
Stones
Year of Release: 1972
What’s up with the Cover? Beats me. My
best guess without looking it up is these are a bunch of photos from early
circus acts, mostly from the freakshow.
I know I don’t like it, though.
It is too busy and I expect hard to see even if you had it on the
original vinyl. Yet another disappointing
Rolling Stones cover.
How I Came To Know It: A few years ago I overcame my long-seated
disinterest in the Rolling Stones and realized that I liked a lot of their
stuff from the late sixties and early seventies. “Exile on Main Street” fit that time frame
and came highly recommended, so I took a chance on it.
How It Stacks Up: I have six of the Rolling Stones’ studio
albums. Of the six, I would put it
third, bumping “Beggar’s Banquet” (reviewed back at Disc 381) out of that
spot. Depending on what kind of music I’m
in the mood for, I might even bump it above “Some Girls” for second spot.
Rating: 4 stars
The Rolling Stones have tried a bit of everything in
their career. They’ve delved into
country, disco and on “Their Satanic Majesties Request” they went completely psychedelic. “Exile on Main St.” is the band getting back
to their blues-rock roots in glorious, double album fashion.
As a young band, the Stones were hugely influential
in popularizing American blues music in the United Kingdom, and “Exile on Main
St.” returns to that material with conviction.
Ever the master rhythm guitarist, Keith Richards lays down gorgeous
groove after gorgeous groove, and Mick lets his dirty voice do what it does
best, and get filthy all over your ears.
The band beautifully works in horn sections, piano and groovy harmonies
that show these guys were likely as inspired by James Brown as they were by
Robert Johnson.
A lot of the songs sound like blues standards, but
are actually Rolling Stones originals, particularly “Casino Boogie,” and “Ventilator
Blues” which sound like they are right off an old blues ’78. Admittedly, these aren’t my favourites, and my
favourite song on the album in the traditional blues style is an actual blues
original; Robert Johnson’s “Stop Breaking
Down.”
I have four versions of “Stop Breaking Down” and the Rolling Stones do it best. Considering the other three are by Lucinda
Williams, The White Stripes and the original, I think that is an impressive
feat. The way the band makes the rhythm
on the song sound so twisted and sloppy and yet keeps everything so tight in
the mix is like watching an experienced drunk walking home. He may sway back and forth across the street –
even lurch in places – but he never falls over, and every shuffle of his feet
is like a poem being written on the pavement in perfect time.
There are too many songs on “Exile on Main St.”
which is a common malaise with double albums.
I could probably cut it back to 14 tracks from its original 18, and
maybe even down to 12. Having said that,
the classics stand out and hold the album up.
“Tumbling Dice” is one of the
greatest Rolling Stones songs ever written, as it shakes and sways its way
through whatever the hell Jagger is singing about. I think he’s mad at women in the song. Or desperately lusting after them. Or both:
“'Cause all you women is low down
gamblers,
Cheatin' like I don't know how,
But baby, baby, there's fever in
the funk house now.
This low down bitchin' got my
poor feet a itchin',
Don't you know you know the deuce
is still wild.”
Yeah – likely both.
As “Tumbling
Dice” demonstrates, there is an edge to “Exile on Main St.” even sharper
than usual for a Stones album. It was
like the band hung it all out there in the studio, and weren’t afraid to get a
little shit on their shoes, musically speaking, if it helped ground their sound
in the blues. It works.
Production-wise, the band always seems to know when
to default to a guitar riff and a Jagger growl like on “Rocks Off” and when to have a bit of high harmony and piano, like
on “Loving Cup.” “Exile…” is an album that understands itself well
and like anything that understands itself, the decisions it makes become effortless
and eerily accurate.
There is a reason albums are considered classic, and
“Exile on Main St.” certainly qualifies.
It probably has three sides worth of good music and four sides to fill,
but that’s not too terrible a crime.
My particular version of the album is a special
release, with a second album of bonus material.
This consists of ten other tracks from the same period (and only two
alternate takes of songs on the original record). As bonus material goes, it is pretty
interesting stuff – bringing something new to the experience and also being
good songs in their own right, but since the original album is a bit large to
begin with, it made grokking everything in its fullness a bit more of a
challenge.
Still, it was a challenge I enjoyed, and if I took a
full week to get through this record and all the bonus material properly, it
was an enjoyable week. This is one disc I
wouldn’t judge by its cover.
Best tracks: Rocks Off, Tumbling
Dice, Sweet Black Angel, Loving Cup, Happy, All Down the Line, Stop Breaking
Down, Shine a Light
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