# Exile on Main St: the great rock album that's a blues album. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 25, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exile-on-main-st-the-great-rock-album-thats-a-blues-album/323275 "2005-09-25T00:24:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exile-on-main-st-the-great-rock-album-thats-a-blues-album/323275/1 "2005-09-25T00:24:26Z")
I have really been enjoying it lately. It really must be listened to in its entirety - it works so well as a single statement. That is all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Gene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@Soylent\_Gene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Gene)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exile-on-main-st-the-great-rock-album-thats-a-blues-album/323275/2 "2005-09-25T07:51:39Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I have really been enjoying it lately. It really must be listened to in its entirety - it works so well as a single statement. > > That is all. > > 🙂 And I agree. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exile-on-main-st-the-great-rock-album-thats-a-blues-album/323275/3 "2005-09-25T08:42:48Z")
There’s a good ration of country on it, too. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exile-on-main-st-the-great-rock-album-thats-a-blues-album/323275/4 "2005-09-25T10:21:18Z")
I haven’t heard it in years,but any albumn with turd on the run has to be good. Isn’t the cover of Mississippi Fred McDowel’s You got to move on Exile? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exile-on-main-st-the-great-rock-album-thats-a-blues-album/323275/5 "2005-09-25T14:05:59Z")
> [@China Guy](#): > > I haven’t heard it in years,but any albumn with turd on the run has to be good. Isn’t the cover of Mississippi Fred McDowel’s You got to move on Exile? Nope, but close. That’s on **Sticky Fingers** which is generally considered - at least by Keef anyway - to be a companion piece to Exile. Heck, Sticky was recording only a little before Exile, so for Keef, it was probably all a blur. Oh, but _what_ a blur. I love both - for the longest time, Sticky was my all-time favorite for its collection of songs, and the fact that the opening riff on Can’t You Hear me Knocking is pretty much the best guitar intro on a song _ever_. But as I have been immersing myself into Exile, it stands as a piece and really deserves its reputation as a “greatest rock album” along with a few other usual suspects. I could break down some specifics, but suffice to say I enjoy the whole thing. But listening to it, there are parts that are so straight-up blues (and country **Arky** no argument there) that it is amusing to discuss it as a rock album, per se. It rocks - clearly! - but is so much more. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exile-on-main-st-the-great-rock-album-thats-a-blues-album/323275/6 "2005-09-25T14:13:47Z")
Definitely one of the best rock albums ever, if not _the_ best. **Exile** is to Rock what **Kind of Blue** is to jazz. Thanks a lot, wordman! For the past month or so, I’ve been resisting the urge to spend 10+ dollars to replace this album on the grounds that I haven’t listened to the Stones in almost 10 years. Today, I think I’m gonna relapse! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exile-on-main-st-the-great-rock-album-thats-a-blues-album/323275/7 "2005-09-25T14:48:52Z")
> [@Linty Fresh](#): > > Thanks a lot, wordman! For the past month or so, I’ve been resisting the urge to spend 10+ dollars to replace this album on the grounds that I haven’t listened to the Stones in almost 10 years. Today, I think I’m gonna relapse! [Superhero posture] My work here is done. [/Superhero posture] **Linty** - if you don’t have the Big 4 (Let It Bleed, Beggar’s Banquet, Sticky and Exile) they are all worthy. But Exile is the best complete statement of what the Stones were at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exile-on-main-st-the-great-rock-album-thats-a-blues-album/323275/8 "2005-09-25T14:52:35Z")
Definitely my favorite Stones album. My favorites are the country & gospel songs - _Sweet Virginia, Torn and Frayed, Let it Loose_. I also enjoy the **Hot Rocks** albums - they’re excellent greatest hits records. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exile-on-main-st-the-great-rock-album-thats-a-blues-album/323275/9 "2005-09-25T14:59:17Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > [Superhero posture] > > My work here is done. > > [/Superhero posture] > > **Linty** - if you don’t have the Big 4 (Let It Bleed, Beggar’s Banquet, Sticky and Exile) they are all worthy. But Exile is the best complete statement of what the Stones were at the time. Oh, at one time, I had _all_ the Stones albums. This was over a decade ago, though, and due to moves, album swapping, discovering **The Pogues** , and what have you, my collection has dwindled. Guess it’s time to build it up. I loved **Let It Bleed**. Seeing as how I’m spending money on **Exile** , I might as well get that one, too.