Housesitting for a friend and what do I see? A complete collection (as far as I can tell) of the Rolling Stones! I’ve decided to listen to them all in chronological order. I don’t think I’ve ever owned a regular Stones album. I’ve had a few compilations over the years, but I never thought the Stones put out albums of consistantly high quality.
So, what is your favorite? I think I can safely say that England’s Greatest Hit Makers will **not **be my favorite when this weekend is over.
Another vote for Exile. I’m not sure if it’s their best or not – there’s the Beggars Banquet/Let It Bleed/Sticky Fingers trifecta of the late '60s – but it’s definitely my fave.
Beggar’s Banquet is my favorite, with its stripped-down, basic sound. Watts’s drum kit for most of that album was a travelling practice kit that folded up into a suitcase. Dear Doctor is one of the finest country songs by a non-country group.
Exile on Main St., and I’ll take on any five guys who say different.
When they made that album, they took hints from genres as diverse as old-style southern gospel, rockabilly, blues, psychadelia, and old-fashioned rock’n’roll. They were young enough to pull out some seriously rocking tracks but mature enough to make it work musically. They weren’t trying to be intelligent and soulful, because when they do that they wind up with self-indulgent crap, aka Bridges to Babylon. They were simply trying to be rockers, and they succeeded.
Don’t pass up the live album Get Yer YaYa’s Out!. There’s a couple slow movers on that album, but the rockers (esp. Carol and Little Queenie) are classics. If anyone says the Stones don’t rock-n-roll, put one of those two cuts on and turn up the volume.
I wanted to throw out one more. This is by no means their best album, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Goats Heat Soup. Probalby just cuz Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo is a great name for a song.
If you make it through the most popular choices from the thread, give this one a try.
My favorite Stones albums are the already mentioned Goats Head Soup, Beggars Banquet and Let it Bleed because my three favorite Stones songs (which also happen to be the three sleaziest) are on those albums: “Star Star”, “Stray Cat Blues”, and “Live With Me” respectivly.
I love most of the Stones albums up to Tatto You really, except for maybe Satanic Majesties, and even that one has a few great songs.
“…I bet your mama don’t know that you scatch like that
I bet she don’t know you can bite like that…” Hell Yeah! THATS what I’M talkin’ 'bout! Rocknroll sleaze at it finest.
