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Beggars Banquet vs Let it Bleed

by 69 Comments

Just because I felt like it, today I thought I would sort out my perennial dilemma over what Stones album is better – Beggars Banquet or Let it Bleed? To be honest, I prefer Exile and Sticky Fingers, and I am much more likely to listen to either of them all the way through. There are individual tracks on Beggars Banquet and Let it Bleed that are the best the Stones ever got, but I get mixed up which tracks are on which, so I’m never sure which of the two is the better album.

So, for no reason at all other than that we all secretly love listing and rating music, here is the result of my track-by-track listen through… Hopefully my scoring system is self-explanatory….

(* = the Good Tracks. Basically, the tracks I would listen to outside the context of the album)

Beggars Banquet (1968) ———————- A1 – * Sympathy for the Devil – Unbeatable 10/10 A2 – * No Expectations – Solid 8/10 A3 – Dear Doctor – Poor, comedy song 2/10 A4 – Parachute Woman – Unremarkable light-hearted blues 3/10 A5 – * Jigsaw Puzzle – Brooding, effortlessly evil and deliciously on the verge of » Continue Reading.

ATM: Trying to track down a Rolling Stones budget release album

by 9 Comments

Hi all.

I need help tracking down a Rolling Stones album I bought in the 70s which sadly I no longer have.

It was a budget release. Might even have been on MFP.

I recall it had a dodgy very fast live version of Satisfaction which is best forgotten.

There were, however two really good tracks. Love In Vain and Fortune Teller.

I realise I could find these songs on Spotify but driven by irrational nostalgia I’d like to track down the album.

Any help would be appreciated.

Muddy Waters

by 3 Comments

I had no idea this show existed – I’m giving the excuse that I was 16 when it happened, but it was on Sky Arts the other night and I forgot to record it. Drink may have been to blame. I’ve recently worked out that I can watch YouTube on my TV, and as Mrs P is absent I’m currently sitting on my sofa tapping all my toes. Great stuff

Bargain Alert

by 11 Comments

Couple of items that have been on my wants list for a while, have turned up quite competitively priced on the tax dodgers site. Rolling Stones vinyl ‘ Let It Bleed ‘ for £9.99 Van Morrison CD ‘ You’re Driving Me Crazy ‘ a mere £3.99 Anybody else noticed any early sales hot deals, then please spill the beans..

Steve Lillywhite – where is he now?

by 14 Comments

You know Steve Lillywhite, we all know Steve Lillywhite, I’d even put a fair amount of cash down now and bet that every single person here has a record produced by Steve Lillywhite somewhere in their collection. I first came across his name when I started seriously buying records in the late ’70s, on records by Siouxsie, XTC, Ultravox, The Members, Psychedelic Furs, you name it. Later on he moved into the big leagues with Peter Gabriel, Simple Minds, Talking Heads, Morrissey, even the Stones, and though his workrate has declined over the years, he still managed to contribute to U2’s last album…

… but where do you think he is now, selling over 7 million albums a year? If it was April 1st I wouldn’t believe this story, but click the link and maybe you’ll be as impressed as I am.

Here’s a clue: Chicken.

http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/2018/05/12/steve-lillywhite-at-cmw/

Mick on Keith – or is it?

by 27 Comments

This is a great read. Whether Mick Jagger wrote it, or the story about him sending it is true – who knows? Whoever wrote it it’s compelling and believable.

I see it’s dated 2010 – has anyone seen it before? Maybe we have discussed this before? I think I’d remember though.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/low_concept/2010/11/please_allow_me_to_correct_a_few_things.html

The Rolling Stones are as bad as Simply Red

by 75 Comments

In the recent welcome post for @pawsforthought there lurked a suggestion that few bands are as disliked on this site as The Rolling Stones. Even mentioned in the same breath as Simply Red and U2 they were (Yoda – where did that come from?). That can’t be right, I thought. I mean I know they’ve done basically **** all for the last 35/40 years worth listening to. They seem to be motivated in recent decades by the desire to wring every last cent out of their own catalogue with the least effort possible, but come on. It’s still The Stones. @tiggerlion even recently ran a very active thread on their post-1980 output.

So how much/how little love for the Stones is there on the site? I’ll kick off with five things I love about them

A proper imperial period album run from Aftermath through to Exile – taking a positive view of Satanic Majesties.. along the way.

Peerless sixties single run all the way up to Honky Tonk Woman.

Great musicians – Keith and Charlie absolutely, the sober Bryan, Bill?

A great live act from at least the mid-sixties for a decade

» Continue Reading.

Box – Set – Nooooo!

by 49 Comments

If I was going to spend over 300 quid on a Vinyl Box Set (which I am not), I’d like it in a nicer box than this. This looks like one of those cheap CD compilations you find in a motorway services. Rotten photo, tacky typeface, no relevance to the design aesthetic of any of the album artwork and Mick looks like he’s had an allergic reaction to something. I know Stones reissues have a bit of a chequered history so I hope for anyone who is shelling out for this, or the CD edition, that the remastering, pressing, sleeve reproduction are much much better realised than the big box they come in. It will all kick off on SuperDeluxeEdition.com if it’s not – and they’ve been instrumental in getting all sorts of mastering errors and cock-ups corrected in the past – albeit hassling some poor intern at UMG over some oversight to do with Thompson Twins or Nik Kershaw reissues so not sure if they’ll cut any ice with ABKCO (always amazed they still exist as an organisation – do they have a big picture of the Ron Decline on the wall I wonder?)

Ladies and Gentlemen

by 9 Comments

Family are all out on one thing or another and after the dog and me got bored with Tropic Thunder I found The Rolling Stones – Ladies and Gentlemen on the TiVo, which stopped me watching Oil City Confidential again. There’s been some discussion here recently about their merits, but bloody hell they were good in the early 70s. With Bobby Keys and Mick Taylor in tow, and Keith arthritis free, they were just a fantastic rock n roll band. I’ve got some very hot wings marinating in the fridge which I really should put in the oven soon before I have to share with the returning stragglers. What you doing tonight?

http://youtu.be/aVSzGB6s40s

Super deluxe Sticky Fingers AND Get Yer Leeds Lungs Out

by 12 Comments

I’m a bit meh about bonus extra tracks these days. Never listen to them after the first time. But this has got me interested.

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/the-rolling-stones-announce-sticky-fingers-reissue-and-box-sets/?utm_source=SuperDeluxeEdition+Newsletter&utm_campaign=7d43f22367-SDE+Sticky+Fingers+alert&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a672bec77b-7d43f22367-79520549&mc_cid=7d43f22367&mc_eid=7cf2898815