#405: The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969)

Zack: I was able to stealthily make sure that the first two Rolling Stones albums we listened to were my favorite two, so it’s all downhill from here. Not really, the listmakers (for once) did an excellent job in picking the 6 Stones albums they included, so Let It Bleed is privy to all the same praise I’ve heaped on Exile on Main Street and Aftermath. If I was to issue any criticism to this album, it would be that the primary singles – Gimme Shelter and You Can’t Always Get What You Want – are just too good. They bookend the album and totally eclipse all the songs in between. For most other Stones albums, the singles are strong but there are a couple of other songs on there that I love almost as much as the singles. Here, there’s a pretty strong drop-off from my first 2 favorite tracks to the third. But that comment is minor, since there’s really no filler track on Let It Bleed.

Favorite Tracks: Gimme Shelter; You Can’t Always Get What You Want; Midnight Rambler

Emily: The Rolling Stones are such an iconic band that I tend to forget exactly what they sound like. It's like they've just been part of the cultural backdrop for so long that they tend to blend in with every other band from that era, all of the musicians who have stood the test of time. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. It means I'm surprised every time I actually listen to a whole Rolling Stones album. I forget how strong the blues influence is in their music, especially earlier albums like Let It Bleed. I think they're most successful, though, when they take that influence and make it entirely their own. That especially shines through on the most iconic songs from this album - Gimme Shelter and You Can't Always Get What You Want. These songs are classics for a reason. And it's a great reminder when you haven't heard them in a while of why this band remains relevant nearly fifty years after this album was released.

Favorite Tracks: Gimme Shelter; You Can't Always Get What You Want; Let It Bleed

#191: Tom Waits - Rain Dogs (1985)

Zack: Rain Dogs took me a few listens to fully comprehend, but I think I’ve finally got it pegged. It’s Captain Beefheart all grown up. Now, we both hated – neigh despised – Captain Beefheart, but this is on a whole other level. They’re similar in the unorthodox, scraggly voices and the experimental instrumentation. But they’re so different in execution. Tom Waits is able to simultaneously coexist in the realms of artistry and alluring melody. According to my recollections, Captain Beefheart did not do that. Now, maybe this just reflects my maturation as a music connoisseur, which I really do think is happening. In fact, I intend to go back and give Captain Beefheart another shot just to make sure. But, before I have relistened to that album, I want to give credit to Tom Waits instead. He made one hell of an album in Rain Dogs. He has another four albums on this list. And I really can’t wait.

Favorite Tracks: Clap Hands; Downtown Train; Walking Spanish

Emily: Zack listened to this album first, and he predicted that I wouldn't be much of a fan. At least, not at first. After he played me Clap Hands, though, I was optimistic. Rain Dogs is certainly atypical of my normal taste in music, but something about it completely drew me in. I felt like I was listening to a guy on stage at a smoky dive bar, instead of listening to that same guy through my headphones on my couch during a hurricane. Waits has the soul and voice of an old bluesman, filling his music with real emotion and pain. This Wikipedia quote pretty much sums it up: his voice sounds "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car." Damn. The music is dark and haunting (though sometimes relieved by random jaunts of polka), but I couldn't help but listen in closer with every smoky note. I know I'll be listening to Rain Dogs again. I just can't shake it.
Favorite Tracks: Clap Hands; Jockey Full of Bourbon; Hang Down Your Head

#159: The Rolling Stones - Aftermath (1966)

Zack: As much as I love Exile on Main St., Beggar’s Banquet, and Let it Bleed, Aftermath is my favorite Rolling Stones album. Besides for having my single favorite Stones song (Paint it Black, because I’m just so original), it’s just jam-packed with that vintage sound of blues harmonica, hard rock guitar, and sexually-charged lyrics. It is, quite frankly, rock ‘n’ roll. When you picture McCartney and Lennon or the Davies brothers or even Pete Townshend setting out to write songs, the image probably involves some paper and a pencil. Probably an acoustic guitar or something as well. And, depending on the era, maybe a little something extra to boost the creative process. Now picture Mick Jagger and Keith Richards during the songwriting process. If you’re anything like me, you immediately saw scantily-clad women, empty bottles everywhere, and some smashed windows or something. Essentially, you saw what they sing songs about personified into real life. How badass is that? With Aftermath, you get a Stones album so good it could only have followed one hell of a bender. It’s no frills, stripped-to-the-bone music, but damn is it good.

Favorite Tracks: Paint it Black; Under My Thumb; Going Home  

Emily: The Rolling Stones just aren’t a band I’ve explored much on my own, but I’m glad to be able to experience them through the list. After listening to Aftermath, there’s no doubt in my mind as to why the band is legendary. They infuse 60s rock with classic blues, with each track displaying different levels of each. Paint It Black, the best-known song of the album (which was surprisingly not included on the original release), leans more towards the rock end with its driving guitar (and sitar) riff. Most of the other tracks, however, are more straightforward blues with a bit of psychedelia. The balance between rock and blues was most apparent to me in the 11-minute-long closing track, Goin’ Home. Usually songs that break the 6-minute mark tend to drag on forever, either repeating the same notes over and over or venturing into crazy jam territory. Goin’ Home does neither of those, which I think is why I enjoyed it so much. The blues influence is clear, but it’s classic rock through and through. Without being repetitive or venturing too far from the core sound and story of the song, Goin’ Home is just 11 minutes of great music – a fitting conclusion to a great album.

Favorite Tracks: Paint It, Black; Goin’ Home; Think

Matt Brune: This album sums up the early Stones quite nicely. This is the first album to be made entirely of songs written by the Jagger/Richards partnership. This song was also the first to be recorded completely in the States. It featured the late and ever so brilliant Brian Jones on a variety of instruments, including marimbas and sitar. There are different UK and US versions of the album, which was common practice for British bands in the 1960s. The UK version had Mother’s Little Helper on it, which is by far one of my favorite Stones songs. The US version had Paint It, Black, another amazing classic. Songs of merit on both versions include Stupid Girl, Under My Thumb, and It’s Not Easy.

Favorite Tracks: Mother’s Little Helper; Paint it Black; Under My Thumb

#50/51: Exile on Blogspot

Liz Phair said that her 1993 debut album, Exile in Guyville, is a direct song-by-song response to the Rolling Stones' classic Exile on Main St. Since both albums are on the list, we decided to do a back to back comparison of the two albums. No disrespect to Ms. Phair, but neither of us really see the connection - besides the fact that they are both great albums.

The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St. (1975)

Zack: God bless the Rolling Stones. On second thought, upon closer examination of Keith Richards’ face I’ve come to the conclusion that Satan is the more likely culprit of their success. The Rolling Stones will always be the quintessential rock band to me. They’re just, quite frankly, rock and roll fucking personified. This album is proof. Exile on Main St. may be their best work (although I will almost definitely say that for all five of the other Stones albums on this list).  There are fast paced tracks like All Down the Line complimented by slower songs like the always classic Shine a Light. They vary their instrumentation to include harmonicas, trumpets, and pianos on top of the core rock staples, but it never throws anything off or seems too much. More importantly, they do it all while showcasing their blues roots that have made them pivotal transitional figures in musical history. It is these blues roots that have me placing them above other classic bands of the same era of a more pop rock persuasion.

Favorite Tracks: Shine a Light; Ventilator Blues; Sweet Virginia

Emily: This album clearly draws on blues influences, but in no way is it strictly a blues album. It’s a mix of British rock with a rootsy American blues sensibility. The Stones are rock through and through, but instrumental touches like horns and harmonica really bring out the unique bluesy edge. My personal favorites are the fast-paced tracks that give each band member and instrument their time to shine. Each song on this album has a different sound, but you can always tell that it’s the Stones – that’s why they’re classic.

Favorite Tracks: All Down the Line; Shine a Light; Loving Cup

Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville (1993)

Emily: While listening to this album, I sometimes felt like I was spying on Liz Phair’s private life. She writes music as if it were a diary, and some of what she sings is so private I don’t know how she could release it to the world. Phair sings frankly about modern relationships – sex, emotions, and all. She’s clearly sexually charged – just listen to Flower, a TMI revelation of exactly what Phair wants out of a man – but she’s emotionally charged as well. Songs such as Fuck and Run reveal her desire for a normal relationship, rather than “another year alone, fuck and run.” The spare instrumentation, often just Phair singing with her acoustic guitar, enhance the intimate feel of the album. Although I don’t really see the connection to the Stones, I can feel a connection with Liz Phair.

Favorite Tracks: Fuck and Run; Never Said; Strange Loop

Zack: One concept that Liz Phair is not familiar with is TMI. Her songs are often laden with intimate details about her amorous encounters that leave the listener wondering, “Did she really just say that?” The best way to describe her work on Exile in Guyville is honest. It is precisely this honesty that leads me to believe that this album is far from a so-called track-by-track response to Exile on Main St. It is just too personal to be anything other than a confession of sorts. Take the song Flower, for example. In this track, she tells the object of the song, and I am quoting here, “Everytime I see your face I get all wet between my legs,” “I want to fuck you like a dog,” “I want to be your blowjob queen,” and my personal favorite, “I'll fuck you till your dick is blue.” There are two things to note from those lyrics. One, they all sound intriguing. She can go ahead and sign me up. Two, they have remarkably little to do with the corresponding song Let It Loose, which is about having some drinks and unwinding with your bros.  Granted, my interpretation of Let it Loose was itself pretty loose, but the point remains valid. This album is more about Liz Phair airing out her deepest and darkest secrets for the whole world to hear rather than some conceptual response. That being said, it is still a fantastic piece of work that is intimate and personal. You really feel like you get to know Liz Phair from listening to this album. What you learn may offend some listeners, but others will be most…uh…let’s call it intrigued.

Favorite Tracks: Flower; Never Said; Stratford-on-Guy