I guess when it comes to giving Mick Jagger a present, you got to think the guy has just about everything.
I mean what could you possibly give him he either couldn’t buy himself or doesn’t already own?
Clothes. Nah.
Wine. Boring.
Hmmmmmm, how ’bout a nice watch?

Well that’s exactly what Ahmet Ertegun gave Mick Jagger back
sometime in the early 70’s.
An Eterna Matic Concept 80 wristwatch.
He had engraved on the back, Mick Here’s to a Million or 2? Ahmet.
My guess he was talking about the sales of an upcoming album.
Maybe Sticky Fingers or Exile given the time period.
Since at this point The Stones had just recently come on board with Atlantic, it’s not unusual Ahmet was hoping for a long and successful relationship with them.

Ahmet co-founder and executive of Atlantic Records used his personal skills in negotiating the signing of The Rolling Stones to Atlantic when they were shopping for a record company to distribute their independent Rolling Stones Records label.

He personally “did the deal” with Mick Jagger, when other labels had actually offered the band more money.

This watch was later donated by Jagger to an auction run by LA radio station KMET-FM back in 1973 in a week long auction they ran to raise money for the victims of the Nicaraguan Earthquake.
Mick was of course married to Bianca at the time, and her having family there got Mick very involved in this worthy cause.

The Stones gave a benefit concert in LA and donated at the proceeds to help the victims.

A unique piece of memorabilia owned by Jagger with a great history behind it .

A RARE TICEKT STUB FROM THE STONES NICARAGUAN BENEFIT SHOW IN LA.

Hello clouds and fog! My father and I are going Christmas shopping today, then tonight I am going to a bonfire with all of my old high school friends. It should be a good day.

Here are some images to start your day…

both from We Heart It.

Marianne Faithful is everything I wish I could be…

photos from We Heart It and Some Required

I wish my eye-makeup would look like that. And I wish I had her clothes, and her ex-boyfriend. I also wish I could wear bangs.

For years my inspiration was Anita Pallenberg, Keith Richards love for many years, until I really took notice of Marianne Faithfull. She is just so beautiful. I always wish I was around during the 1960’s so I could have experienced the Rolling Stones when they were young.

(Diet) Coke and Sympathy is a great blog that helps me get through my days of longing to be the muse of one of the Stones. There one can find photos and articles about the two lovely ladies, as well as Mick and Keith. It is a brilliantly comprehensive site.

P.S. The new book Let It Bleed: The Rolling Stones, Altamont, and the End of the Sixties came out earlier this month. I flipped through it at a Barnes & Noble last weekend and definitely think it is a necessity. I have already seen many of the photos of the band, which was a bit of a bummer, but the text was rich. The book seems to tie the history and culture of 1969 together with the Rolling Stones, ending at the Altamont free concert, with that little mishap with the Hell’s Angels.

I have loved the Rolling Stones literally since birth. I spent my toddler days wobbling around to Jumpin’ Jack Flash. I’m not joking. Keith Richards is my favorite human in existence.

BERLUSCONI ROCK STAR DELL’ANNO SECONDO IL MAGAZINE “ROLLING STONE”

ANSA – Berlusconi batte Obama e il Papa. Per l’edizione italiana della rivista “Rolling Stones”, infatti, il presidente del consiglio italiano è più rock del presidente degli Usa e del Pontefice, rispettivamente al secondo e terzo posto. Al premier, eletto rockstar dell’anno all’unanimità,verrà dedicata la copertina del numero in edicola a dicembre, realizzata dal designer americano Shepard Farey.
Per la vita del premier, dice il direttore di Rolling Stone Italia Carlo Antonelli, “la definizione di rock&roll va persino stretta. I Rod Stewart, i Brian Jones, i Keith Richards dei tempi d’oro sono pivellini in confronto. La “Neverland” di Michael Jackson è una mansardina in confronto a Villa Certosa, e via così”. Nonostante il tono ironico, Antonelli assicura però di non voler “dispensare giudizi da destra o da sinistra”…

.

Io mi chiedo perche’…

il rock’n roll e’ CONTRO IL SISTEMA

il rock’n roll e’ LIBERTA’ DI ESPRESSIONE

il rock’n roll e’ MOVIMENTO E PLURALISMO

il rock’n roll e’ prima di tutto GIOVANE!

…e Berlusconi con queste cose cosa c’azzecca?!

e poi…

La De Filippi non e’ Rock

Il Grande Fratello non e’ Rock

Pagare le prostitute non e’ Rock

… SOLTANTO FARE LE CORNA E’ ROCK!

ma non mi sembra comunque abbastanza per tale onorificenza!

in quanto a sesso e droga… beh, in effetti, forse ci siamo…

Gran trovata pubblicitaria, MARCHETTA colossale! la si puo’ considerare una “provocazione”…fatto sta che ora tutti parlano del Rolling Stone…  ma leggendo i commenti lasciati dai lettori sul sito del magazine, direi che il rischio di perdere lettori, piu’ che guadagnarne, e’ piuttosto realistico!

…provocazione o ordine dall’alto, purtroppo c’e’ anche chi considera questa nomination sacrosanta! in tanti guardano il Papi come una star, un idolo di masse, un modello comportamentale e di vita da seguire… cambiamo il DISCO???

Mick Jagger as bandmate Keith Richards, SNL ‘93

Dave Matthews as mumblecore pioneer Ozzy Osbourne, SNL ‘09

]]> http://rgcred.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/rolling-stones-live-with-me-plus-some-paul-mccartney-wings-and-queen/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:41:48 +0000 rgc66 http://rgcred.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/rolling-stones-live-with-me-plus-some-paul-mccartney-wings-and-queen/

Popdose Report:

Click here to go to Popdose to check the Rolling Stones “Live With Me”, Queen “Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon”, Paul McCartney & Wings “Let Em’ In”…plus more good tunes from other genres.

Selling merchandise has long been associated with any kind of music/artist marketing effort.
Make something with their image on it, someone will buy it.
Simple right?
Even back when they were marketing the first “Rock and Roll Icon” of all time, Elvis Presley, you could buy
Teddy Bear perfume, hankies, guitars, record players, hound dog stuffed animals, you name it.

The Colonel made it, and made sure it sold.

It was then a precedent was set that has carried through till today.

No shortage of Hannah Montana dolls, guitars, wigs, or games on the shelves these days heh?

The selling of the Rolling Stones, “The Not So Lovable Mop Tops,” presented its own set of problems and challenges for Andrew Loog Oldham and his team.
What do we create and manufacture that fits their image?
And more importantly, will anybody buy it?
The primary audience for this kind of merchandise was usually young girls, the majority of the fan base.
And although the Stones had their fair share of female fans, The Beatles were probably easier to sell anyone and everyone.

The Rolling Stones were the first band of their time where you
could actually find boys screaming at their shows.

Though The Fab Four had it all.
Dolls, wigs, hairspray, combs, notebooks, pencils, ice cream bars, gum cards, record players, guitars, drums, candy, games, you name it.
Literally thousands of items.

The Rolling Stones ended up with but a handful.
I guess Andrew found that their “bad boy” image in the end wasn’t all that marketable.

Hell, I would bought the stuff.
And fans and collectors are still buying it now.

Only it’s a tad more expensive these days.

Here’s a few of the items from the 60’s.
These are the rarest of all Stones collectibles.
And believe it or not, would command in the thousands if sold today.

Mick's Maraccas. WTF?!!!!

This guitar has and will sell for $2500 in auction is very good condition.

You really don’t want to piss of your partner.
Especially when he’s Keith Richards.
But Mick needed to test himself in 1985 by going solo for the first time in his career
with She’s the Boss.

When The Rolling Stones signed with CBS Records in 1983, one of the options available to them was for individual projects, and Jagger – ready to spread his wings after recording exclusively with his famous band for twenty years – eagerly began working on She’s the Boss.

Following the release of Undercover, Jagger began composing material for his first solo project, sanctioning the help of various musician friends in the studio when recording began in May 1984. Of those involved were Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck, Carlos Alomar and Herbie Hancock, while Jagger would share production duties with Bill Laswell and Nile Rodgers.

Keenly aware of the current musical trends – and taking advantage of his freedom – Jagger endeavored to make She’s the Boss sound hip and contemporary, giving the album a very mid-1980s character with its use of synthesizers and drum machines.

Keith Richards, Jagger’s longtime musical partner in The Rolling Stones, was not pleased that Jagger was pursuing solo work, feeling that their band should be each others’ first priority. The growing friction between both musicians would erupt – in a most publicized way – in 1986, before they resolved their differences a couple of years later.

She’s the Boss was released in February 1985 – preceded by its lead song “Just Another Night”. Both the album and its first single became worldwide hits, with “Just Another Night” reaching #1 on the US Mainstream Rock chart and #12 on the US pop chart, and She’s the Boss going to #6 in the UK and #13 in the US, where it went platinum. Follow-up single “Lucky In Love” would be a Top 40 US hit. Although critical response to the album was warm, many later reviewers consider She’s the Boss – with its distinct 1980s production techniques – to sound somewhat dated in style.[citation needed]

The success of the album – impacted by Jagger’s solo appearance at Live Aid that July and his rush-recorded duet hit cover of “Dancing In The Street” with David Bowie – influenced Jagger to record a successor, Primitive Cool, which would be released in 1987.

Although originally released by CBS, She’s the Boss was acquired and reissued by Atlantic Records in 1993 following the release of Jagger’s third album, Wandering Spirit.

In 1986, Jamaican reggae singer Patrick Alley attempted to sue Jagger over the song “Just Another Night,” which Alley claims he had recorded in 1979 and released on his 1982 album, A Touch of Patrick Alley. Alley claimed that Sly Dunbar (who played drums on She’s the Boss) also played on his recording. The case was cleared in 1988, with Jagger stating “My reputation is really cleared. If you’re well known, people stand up and take shots at you.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She%27s_The_Boss

The following are direct from the files of a former publicist and personal assistant to Mick Jagger.
Typed and xeroxed lyrics with hand written annotations by Jagger.

8106 Report:

Click here to go to 8106 to check the Rolling Stones cover of “Prodigal Son (Live Unreleased Track)”

Metal Bastard Report:

Click here to go to MB to check Deep Purple covering the Rolling Stones “Paint it Black”

Guiño al tiempo de Keith Richards- Fotografía sin autor conocido

Las arrugas en los rostros de Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts y Ron Wood son la celebración de una vida imposible. ¿Qué puede ser más contradictorio que ver a estos cuatro ejemplares de la raza humana en perfecto estado de descomposición? Surcar sus rostros es aconsejar mal a nuestros hijos. Sus Satánicas Majestades han cumplido casi cinco décadas desafiando a las generaciones que piensan que la sangre nueva es la que debe fluir. No es así. Leyendas aparte, hay una banda que se sube a un escenario y transmite ganas de envejecer. De la mejor forma posible, la de hacer lo mejor que se sabe y disfrutar con ello. Ahí los ven flacos, pasados y con presencia desafiante. Mick Jagger, la diva, con su ritmo frenético, ombligo desvergonzado y sus contoneos de estrella a la que no le invitarán jamás a desaparecer. Cuenta en el documental “Shine a light” de Scorsese, recién lanzado a la fama, que su objetivo no pasaba por perdurar en el tiempo. Siempre vigilado por la moral del siglo veinte, por otro lado más arriesgada que la del actual, y llevando sus morros icónicos a la extenuación de una voz que no se apagará más que muerta. Baila con Christina Aguilera y la penetra toda la senectud por las nalgas firmes. ¿Se puede ser más soberbio? Y atrás Charlie Watts, el batería mudo, el que arranca con fatiga y después encuentra su ritmo constante. Detrás de su mirada quizá no hay más. Nunca dijo nada y tal vez no tuvo qué decir o se lo calló o ninguna de las cosas. El único que dejó sus canas libres al ritmo de una batería discreta, como si fuera una figura del museo de cera. Sonrisa enganchada y saludo con el aplauso final. Ron Wood, niño abuelo, juega con Keith. Lo mira con admiración. Sigue su compás y lo reta en un duelo de gigantes. Richards se ha ido acartonando como un pirata invencible. Sus gestos muestran a alguien que vive de milagro y que se mueve por el escenario creando complicidades. Con el público, al que mima y guiña el ojo o regala una púa. Tiene ese gesto que atrapa por la bondad del más malvado, el canalla que todos deseamos ser y que matamos por timidez o frustración. Ese tipo debería ser el más antiguo del cementerio para contar todos los excesos que llevan a la tumba y es al revés, la fosa se muere de hastío echando al cielo la más aburrida flor. Un cigarro prohibido vuela escupido por su boca y fabrica un solo de simpatía por el diablo. Y viéndole ¿Quién va a sentir lo contrario? Sólo cuando acaba el último bis con el Satisfaction pide desesperado su bata, muerto de frío, como un cadáver que se mira a un espejo. Después los cuatro van a sus camerinos, acaban su trabajo y se separan rumbo a sus casas, restaurantes de moda, antros o prostíbulos de lujo. Han cumplido su contrato y seguirán haciéndolo hasta que el rock and roll sea un sueño que un día ocurrió. Antes de que se les despegue la piel de la cara la música les cartografiará por siempre jamás.

José Ramón Huidobro

Página web Rolling Stones

Star Maker Machine Report:

Click here to go to SMM to check the Rolling Stones “Stray Cat Blues”

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, about to depart for court, 1967

On 12 February 1967, Keith Richards was hosting a handful of guests, including Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg, Robert Fraser, George Harrison and Pattie Boyd, in a weekend party at his Sussex country seat Redlands. It had been a day of some chemical intoxication; and as soon as night fell (and George Harrison had left), the Stones party was prompted busted by a 20-strong police force. The bust followed a tip-off from a tabloid newspaper, which was conveniently being threatened with legal action from Mick.

Mick, Keith and Robert Fraser were arrested and charged: Mick was charged with possession of a couple of amphetamines (which he legally bought in Italy), Keith was charged for allowing drugs to be consumed on his property, while Robert was charged with heroin possession. On top of all that, the police were also keen on adding their own sordid details to the bust, including that of a certain Miss X (Marianne Faithfull actually), who – they highlighted – was dressed in nothing but a fur rug which she deliberately “let slip”.

The trial that followed in Chichester was a complete media circus, dogged by reporters as much as upset and irate fans (candlelight vigils were aplenty). On 29 June 1967, the third day of the trial, Keith Richards took to the stand as the day’s sole witness, and when questioned about the drugs and semi-nude woman on his property, retorted: “We are not old men. We are not worried about petty morals.” A rebel with a cause, yes, though the jury were not impressed. By the end of the Redlands trial, all were found guilty: Mick received a three-month prison sentence, Keith got 12 months and Robert got six months of hard labour.

Keith: “I know at times there are things that need to be said, it doesn’t matter where it is and who it’s said to. Sometimes I can hear myself talking and saying, ‘You should keep your mouth shut, boy, and just get an easy ride here,’ but meanwhile I can hear my voice booming around the room saying, ‘No way!’ Half of me is fighting this thing, but it just comes out, you know, this has to be said, and that’s all there is to it. Then I’m a victim of whatever it is I’ve said.”

Outrage followed the Stones’ sentences, with The Times famously showing its support with the editorial Who Breaks A Butterfly On A Wheel?, penned by their Conservative editor William Rees-Mogg. In it, he decried the harsh sentences: “If we are going to make any case a symbol of the conflict between the sound traditional values of Britain and the new hedonism, then we must be sure that the sound traditional values include those of tolerance and equity.” Amidst this furor, Mick and Keith’s appeals were brought forward and their sentences quashed. Robert Fraser was left to sit out his prison term, since no one wrote an article about him.

By the end of July 1967, Mick, fresh out of prison, was sat with four figures of the establishment discussing his views on society, on the TV programme World In Action. Keith went on to live out the rest of his life as he lived those few minutes on the witness stand, ie. as a total outlaw.

Mick and Keith, out on bail, July 1967

Keith: “There was a realisation that the powers that be actually looked upon us as important enough to make a big statement and to wield the hammer. But they’d also made us more important than we ever bloody well were in the first place.”

Any Major Dude With Half a Heart Report:

Click here to go to AMDWHAH to check the Rolling Stones “Anybody Seen My Baby”, the Beatles “Lady Madonna”, Rod Stewart “Do You Think I’m Sexy”, Bob Dylan “One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)”…plus more.

Concert used memorabilia in collecting is rare and difficult to find. Authenticating that the item was concert used is even more difficult and documentation is even harder to find.

Which makes the pictured item rare indeed.

Concert used and signed drumsticks belonging to Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones.

For starters, they are Ludwig drumsticks.
Charlie used and played Ludwig back in the 80’s.
He now uses Vic Firth.
Secondly they were played at a very unique concert.
December 18, 1981 Hampton, VA, the last show of the “Tattoo You” tour, Keith Richards birthday and a specially taped show for television.

Read the letter from Stones President Art Collins on how he obtained the sticks from Charlie after the show.

A few items signed by Charlie that aren’t as difficult to sign as drumsticks.

RARE STICKY FINGERS STORE DISPLAY FEATURING AN ALMOST LIFE SIZE MICK JAGGER.

Back in 1971 The Rolling Stones were at the height of their craft.
It’s hard to believe any band could produce back to back to back albums the likes of Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street in the span of 3 years.

Unheard of even today.
My guess it will never be matched or done again.

The following is a review from Rolling Stone magazine back in 1971 on the release of Sticky Fingers,
arguably one, if not the definitive Stones record.

In my mind not only did the Stones break new ground recording Sticky Fingers, once again broke the rules, no make that smash and destroy the rules, of record album design.

SIDE ONE

“Brown Sugar:” It begins with some magical raunch chords on the right channel. In the tradition of great guitar intros (“All Day and All of the Night,” “Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown,” and “Satisfaction” itself) it transfixes you: instant recognition, instant connection. Suddenly the electric guitar is joined by an acoustic guitar on the left channel, an acoustic that is merely strumming the chords that the electric is spitting out with such fury. It washes over the electric to no apparent purpose, stripping it momentarily of its authority and intensity. and so, in the first 15 seconds of the albums first cut we are presented with its major conflict: driving, intense, wide-open rock versus a controlled and manipulative musical conception determined to fill every whole and touch every base.

As soon as the voices come on, the acoustic recedes into inaudibility: on “Brown Sugar” wide open rock wins by a hair, but it is a hollow victory. Opening cuts on Stones albums have always been special, fro the early ones – “Not Fade Away,” “Round and Round,” and “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love: – with their promise of rock and roll to come, to the tour de force openings of the later albums – “Symphony for the Devil” and “Gimme Shelter” – which served as overwhelming entrances into a more complex musical world view.

At their best these opening cuts were statements of themes that transcended both the theme itself and the music that was to follow. As I listened to “Sticky Fingers,” for the first time I thought “Brown Sugar” was good, but not that good. I certainly hoped it wasn’t the best thing on the album. As it turns out, there are a few moments that surpass it but it still sets the tone for the album perfectly: middle-level Rolling Stones competence. The lowpoints aren’t that low, but the high points, with one exception, aren’t that high.

As to the performance itself, the chords, harmony, and song are powerful stuff. The instrumentation however, is too diffuse, occasionally undermining the vocals instead of supporting them. But when Richards joins Jagger for the last chorus they finally make it home free.

“Sway:” Vaguely reminiscent of “Stray Cat Blues” but not nearly so powerful. The sound is characteristic Rolling Stones messiness enhanced by the unusual degree of separation in the mix. Charlie Watts bashes away with the smirking abandon that made him such a delight on songs like “Get Off My Cloud” and “All Sold Out.” But unlike early Stones messiness, “Sway” lacks intensity. It never reaches a goal because it doesn’t seem to have one. Rather, it remains a series of riffs whose lack of content is obscured by prolonged and indifferent guitar semi-solos and a fine string arrangement that suddenly enters towards the end.

“Wild Horses:” A good song with lots of good things in it that doesn’t quite come off. The acoustic 12-string stands out over everything else in the arrangement – perhaps a little too far out, as the rest of the instruments sound like mere fragments, wandering in and out of the track at arbitrary intervals.

Jagger’s vocal is clearly audible for the first time on the album and I don’t care for it. It is mannered, striving for intensity without being wholly convincing. Musically, the more complex the Stones get the m ore inadequate he sometimes sounds. The man is a stylist as opposed to a singer. He has always lacked power and range: on 15 albums he has never really grabbed hold of a note and let it ring. At his best, he sings around the notes – plays with them – dancing in and out with precision.

Or, he can let himself go entirely, with no attempt at stylistic posturing and thereby achieving an almost incredibly naturalism. But, on “Wild Horses,” there is a pint in which the only thing that will work is a good note, well sung, sustained and sufficient to stand on its own. It is not to be found. A musical attitude is not a replacement for a musical style and style is not a replacement for essential technique, which is what is missing here.

The longing of the song’s lyrics coupled with its ultimate hope constitute as much of a theme a there is on this record. Typically (since “Between the Buttons”) the Stones’ statement alternates between aggressive sexuality and warmer, more subtly erotic statements of emotional dependence and openness. The flirtation with social significance of the last two albums has been almost wholly abandoned in what appears to be something of a recommitment to more personal subject matter.

“Can’t You Hear Me Knocking:” Years ago, when I first heard that the Stones had recorded something 11 minutes long, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it, thinking it was sure to be the definitive rave-up and hoping it would finally put the Yardbirds and Them in their place. When I finally heard “Going Home” I realized the Stones couldn’t conceive of a long cut as anything but a vehicle for Jagger to project through. Given the time to stretch out, they went for the mellow down easy side with the emphasis on the voice rather than the instruments.

Now they have done something with a long instrumental break in it and it ain’t bad. On the other hand, I can’t see what it really has to do with the Rolling Stones. The song is good but once into the solos there is a touch of R&B, a touch of Santana, but nothing to really identify with. So maybe they had the right idea the first time. For old times sake I do hope that the really boring guitar solo is by Mick Taylor and that those great surging chords in the background are by Keith Richards, the original Sixties rock and roll guitarist, and mast of Chuck Berry music, and the soul of the Rolling Stones.

“You Gotta Move:” Anyway, for the present, Mick Taylor’s electric slide guitar is absolutely exquisite. Combined with Richard’s fine work on the acoustic they create one of the album’s few real moments. Charlie Watts’ bass drum holds it together perfectly, while Richard’s harmony smoothes off the more outrageous edges of Jagger’s lead vocal. In the end, all the pieces fit. A small but important triumph.

SIDE TWO

“Bitch:” Jagger in one of his most popular poses: demonic. here he flaunts naughty words and naughty thoughts as if he still thought they were naughty. The arrangement is straight-ahead. The horns sound great here as they are used primarily for purposes of syncopation and rhythm. The bass and drums – the Rolling Stones bottom that has driven its way through over 200 cuts and which is the true instrumental trademark of the group – burns like a bitch.

“I’ve Got the Blues:” In the tradition of the earlier R&B Imitations such as “Pain In My Heart,” “You Better Move On,” “If You Need Me,” and best of all their great “That’s How Strong My Love Is.” However, this is the first time they actually added Stax horns. It’s good as far as it goes, but lacks the feeling of the earlier imitations. It all seems pro forma. The worst cut the Rolling Stones ever released was “I’ve Been Lovin’ You Too Long” (which sounds very much like a studio recording even though it showed up on “Got Live I You Want It”). Jagger couldn’t sing it. Here he almost sings up a storm, but in the end its the part he didn’t sing that stays in mind. Somehow, it isn’t complete.

“Sister Morphine:” This was supposed to be stark, intense and realistic. Some hear it that way. I find it lyrically convincing, but labored to the point of being unlistenable musically. Perhaps that is part of the conception: obviously, a song about morphine should not be pleasant to hear. The question is, is the song unpleasant because it makes us uncomfortable emotionally, or simply because it is an awkward and unsuccessful attempt to depict reality through music?

“Dead Flowers:” I suppose somewhere along the line they thought of calling the album “Dead Flowers,” which would have justified this cut’s presence at some level. Despite its parodistic intentions, the mere thought of the Stones doing straight country music is simply appalling. And they do it so poorly, especially the lead guitar. The cut is ordinary without being either definitive or original.

“Moonlight Mile:” From “Brown Sugar” we had to wait all the way to here to get a masterpiece. The semi-oriental touch seems to heighten the song’s intense expression of desire, which is the purest and most engaging emotion present on the record. The sense of personal commitment and emotional spontaneity immediately liberate Jagger’s (double-tracked) singing: it’s limitations become irrelevant and he rises to the occasion by turning in his best performance on the album – the only thing that compares with his singing of “Gimme Shelter.”

There is something soulful here, something deeply felt: “I’ve got silence on the radio, let the airwaves flow, let the airwaves flow.” Paul Buckmaster, Elton John’s arranger, does the best job with strings I can remember in a long, long time, while Charlie Watts only goes through the motions of loosening up his style, as he comes down hard on the nearly magical line, “Just about a moonlight mile.”

The cut contains that rave-up they never gave us on “Goin Home”; perhaps it is just a filling out of the intensely erotic climax that came towards the end of that song (“Sha-la-la,” and all of that). When Jagger finally says “Here we go, now” as Mick Taylor’s guitar (Richard is inexplicably absent) falls perfectly into place with a hypnotic chord pattern, it’s as if he is taking our hand and is literally going to walk us down his dream road. As the strings push the intensity level constantly upwards and Charlie emphasizes the development with fabulous cymbal crashes, the energy becomes unmistakably erotic – erotic as opposed to merely sexual, erotic in a way that the entire rest of the album is not. The expression of need that dominates so much of the record is transformed from a hostile statement into a plea and a statement of warmth and receptiveness.

This cut really does sway and when Jagger’s voice re-enters, it is with none of the forced attempts at style and control present on the rest of the album, but with the kind of abandon that he seems uniquely capable of. And unique is the best word to describe the cut as a whole: after nine songs that hover around the middle, they finally hit the high note and make a statement that is not just original but that could have only come from them.

At least it gives me hope for the future…..

On Sticky Fingers, it doesn’t really sound like they are doing what they want to. Play “Brown Sugar” and then play any opening cut from the first five albums. The early ones are sloppy, messy, and vulgar. They are brash and almost ruthless in their energy. And they sound real. By comparison “Brown Sugar,” for all its formal correctness is an artifice. Ultimately they sound detached from it, as they do from all but a few things on Sticky Fingers. The two million hours they joke about spending on this record must have surely resulted from uncertainty about what it was they wanted to hear when they were through. On the other hand, those early records always sounded (whether they were is irrelevant) as if they were recorded in a day, without any overdubbing, comprised mainly of first takes. They reverberated with off the wall spunk and spontaneity.

Obviously the Stones can’t go back to that: it would be redundant and incredibly limiting for them. But perhaps they have now gone too far the other way. If Sticky Fingers suffers from any one thing it’s its own self-defeating calculating nature. Its moments of openness and feeling are too few: its moments where I know I should be enjoying it but am not, too great.

JON LANDAU/ROLLING STONE

(Posted: Jun 10, 1971)

Durie and I just got back from a rather morbid movie and then i get online to read that one of the stones snorted his dad. this blows my mind. no pun intended. actually, i’m not really surprised.