I have had this album for a long time and never really gave it a fair shake. This is a great example of one of those recordings that you have heard so many times that you become ignorant of its greatness. Especially Gimme Shelter. When that song starts, you get chills. What an awsome lick and sound. What a great start to a record. Then the cover of Robert Johnson's Love in Vain. Interesting idea to put that right after Gimme Shelter, but OK. Keith's interpretation is beautiful, guitar is exquisite. Mick's vocal, while great, is not exactly dripping with the bluesy heartache that the writer intended. Every track on this album is great and it plays really well from start to finish. I think the Stones are responsible for getting more dirty words on FM radio than any other band. They just kind of melt into the mix and the censors either miss it or figure that everyone else will miss it. At this point they are so ingrained in our culture that you can't ignore them.
Live With Me starts off with the best interplay between the band. The bass line comes in and almost doesn't make sense, then Charlie in with his beat and it gets a little clearer and then keith hits his guitar and Mick comes in and Bam it suddenly comes together and makes perfect sense. No one can pull that stuff of like the Stones and this was their best period for that type of loose playing.
The album finishes off with the epic "You Can't Always Get What You Want." AMG reviewer, Richie Unterberger called it their 'Hey Jude of sorts.' I suppose it is, with it epic like sweeping choir and strings. It also seems that they were shooting for a little Dylan with the sentiment of the chorus and the obtuse, symbolism in the verses. Whereever they got the insparation from, the result is a great album.
0 Comments