A local music critic recently claimed that The Rolling Stones “just might be” my favorite band. (go read Jay Roberts’ review of WASP’s self titled record) And you know, that “just might be” true some days. I was lucky to see them in concert a few years back; and I’m happy to report that a bunch of 80-somethings can totally still rock. So it seems fitting that I talk about them next, hopefully I can find something meaningful to say.

Much like their so-called rivals, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones have seen quite the evolution since their 1964 debut. And typically I would review that debut, but unlike the Beatles, it actually took a little while for The Stones to make a record I think is review worthy. So instead I’m gonna talk about their first hit record, 1965’s “Out Of Our Heads.” (it’s possible that their first five weren’t memorable because there were five in a single year, but what do I know?)

Part 1: “Out Of Our Heads” (1965)

Did I scare you with that album cover? Not one of my favorites. But imagery aside, let’s talk about that time The Stones finally got it right.

I’ll start by noting that at this point in their career, they still weren’t properly utilizing one of their most lucrative methods to music making, that being the Jagger-Richards songwriting. This album is almost entirely covers, with a few exceptions. And that’s not to say there aren’t a few notable covers here, but I do think their stuff got a lot stronger when they made their own hits.

They open with Don Covay’s “Mercy Mercy.” A fun tidbit about the original, it’s totally possible that it was Jimi Hendrix on that guitar. Not entirely confirmed, but sort of widely accepted as the truth. Another note about the original though, giving that a listen makes it clear as crystal where Mick Jagger is getting his voice from. If Don Covay had been a bigger deal, I’m sure The Stones would’ve made a great tribute act. I suppose “Mercy Mercy” isn’t all that special when you compare it to their 1964 material, but something about it does make it sound like a hit from a real band, rather than a parody of a 60’s band they’d make for something like “That Thing You Do.”

This would be the time to mention that only the US edition of this record opens with “Mercy Mercy”, the UK edition opens with Sonny Bono’s hit, “She Said Yeah.” For what it’s worth, I think the former works way better. I’ll mostly be covering the US edition today, but I’ll mention the UK edition when necessary.

Side 1 continues with O.V. Wright’s “That’s How Strong My Love Is”, and Sam Cooke’s “Good Times.” Both are incredibly well written songs, and I think The Stones do them justice. Unfortunately there’s not much to say beyond that.

Oddly enough, side 1 closes with a live performance, it’s “I’m Alright.” I have no idea why this is here, this isn’t a performance worthy of a studio album. The quality is terrible, Keith’s guitar is an assault to the ears, and I can barely hear the band over the crowd. This was a strange decision, I don’t pretend to understand it.

Side 2 begins with what probably should’ve been the opener, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” I shouldn’t need to tell you that this is a great song, that’s common knowledge. Must’ve been a pretty big ego boost for Keith Richards to think up a number 1 hit in his sleep, so when Paul McCartney thought up a number 1 hit in his sleep, he looked like a copycat. Think faster, Paul.

Both the UK and US edition’s track 10’s are notable, so I’ll talk about them both. The UK edition is one of many Stones albums to feature “Heart of Stone.” This song was recorded a few times, some with only official band members, and at least once with a couple session musicians. The latter, the version I’ve heard most, features 2 of the biggest names in session musician-ry at the time, those being big Jim (Big Jim Sullivan), and little Jim. (Jimmy Page) I mention that only because I love that everyone seriously referred to them as big and little Jim. The song itself is pretty good for early Stones, I really enjoy the chorus and the backing vocals.

Unfortunately the US edition doesn’t include “Heart of Stone”, but it does feature an all time favorite Stones song of mine, “Play With Fire.” This song’s only writing credit goes to “Nanker Phelge”, the pseudonym The Stones used for tracks composed by all 5 members, kind of like “The Glimmer Twins” that meant Jagger-Richards. I think it’s sort of ironic that this song gives credit to everyone, considering Keith and Mick are the only Stones to be featured in the final recording. But regardless it’s a great song, very pretty. I had a good laugh reading about the Lil Wayne “Play With Fire” lawsuit, that’ll teach him to mess with The Stones alright.

The US edition closes with “One More Try”, an utterly pedestrian sounding track, definitely not fit for a closer. I have nothing to say about this song, it puts me to sleep.

And that just about does it for “Out of Our Heads”, the Stones’ first real hit record. My zoom out thought here, I think this is a great representation of The Stones in their early form. You can tell they’ve got something special to share, but it would take a few more records to coax the individuality out of them. But here they were finally beginning to discover who they were outside of being the discount Beatles. If they were the nice boys, The Stones were the bad boys. Learning to run with that was their ticket to success.

Highlights:

1. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

2. Play With Fire

3. That’s How Strong My Love Is

Final Score: 6.5/10 (Decent)

Part 2: “Exile On Main St.” (1972)

Seven years have passed now, we’ve entered the 70’s, and The Stones have just released their 14th studio album, “Exile On Main St.” When you put it like that, I sort of begin to wonder how they managed to avoid burnout being on record 14 and year 8. But it’s very clear they had more to say, so what do I know?

This record falls towards the very end of a pretty awesome 4 album run from 1968-1972, that being “Beggar’s Banquet”, “Let It Bleed”, “Sticky Fingers”, and of course “Exile On Main St.” And I’m definitely not saying this was due to the replacement of Brian Jones (although he did play on “Beggar’s Banquet”), but I’m not not saying that. Just to clarify, Brian Jones served as the primary rhythm guitarist and multi-instrumentalist for The Stones from their formation in 1962 to his death in 1969. He was very quickly replaced by Mick Taylor, who I’ll be referring to as “Little Mick” when necessary. Brian was an absolute genius, and I do enjoy his work with The Stones, but there’s no denying that his firing sent them to their creative peak.

I spent a long time debating which of this golden period’s albums I should review, personally I tend to gravitate towards 1969’s “Let It Bleed”, but I’ve reviewed that record previously. I eventually came to the conclusion that I’d review “Exile On Main St.”, mostly because it might just be the hardest of the Stones’ hit albums to get into, and I think that’s pretty interesting.

We’ll get into why that is in a bit, but for now let’s take a listen to this new era of Stones. We open with a personal favorite of mine, it’s “Rocks Off.” This is a perfect track 1, even just those first few seconds, that “Oh Yeah” from original Mick, lets you know you’re in for a good time. And you know, while we’re on original Mick, I’d like to note that his evolution as a vocalist is incredibly evident here. He was just 22 while recording “Out of Our Heads”, and it showed, his voice had almost a juvenile quality to it. But not here, gone are the days of audible fear or hesitation, even while attempting to replicate the style of very ordinary blues tunes, there’s nothing ordinary about his vocals.

Track 2, “Rip This Joint” takes a bit of a left turn into honky-tonk country. It’s not a favorite of mine, but it’s got great energy, really fast. If I wanted to make pretentious music nerds on the internet really angry, I’d even call this proto-punk.

Track 3 is a bit strange, I won’t lie. “Shake Your Hips” is the first of 2 covers to be featured on this record, originally performed by Slim Harpo. It uses this odd, almost twangy, vocal technique, which is a bit off-putting. It’s fine, but definitely not a highlight.

Track 5, “Tumbling Dice” is a fan favorite, and for good reason too. I think the country twang Mick is putting on for the majority of this album works especially well here.

“Sweet Virginia” is a highlight, it’s got a catchy chorus fit for sing-alongs. It’s rumored to have been inspired by Gram Parsons of The Byrds, which wouldn’t surprise me as he worked with The Stones on a few previous tracks.

It’s got an absolutely bangin’ saxophone solo performed by none other than everyone’s favorite saxophonist, Bobby Keys of course. You can find him on Beatles solo projects like The Plastic Ono Band, with Eric Clapton, with Lynyrd Skynyrd, with Chuck Berry, let’s just say he got around. Also featured is everyone’s favorite pianist, it’s Ian Stuart. Ian was a founding member of The Stones, but was quickly “fired” by manager Andrew Loog Oldham before the band could make their debut. You can however still find him on most Stones records released before his death in 1985, as well as once with The Yardbirds, and twice with Led Zeppelin. He did some great work with The Stones, and I really like his part here in particular.

“Sweet Black Angel” is another strange addition. I’m sure this song was made with the best intentions (it was written about civil-rights activist Angela Davis), but I just don’t think it’s aged very well. I do however appreciate that acoustic guitar, that was pretty cool.

Skipping forward a little, track 10, “Happy” is a favorite. Most Stones records made in these years have a token Keith song, and this is “Exile On Main St’s.” They aren’t always hits, there’s no doubt that Mick is a better singer, but I really like this one. It’s probably my second favorite of the Keith songs, just behind “Let It Bleed’s” “You’ve Got the Silver.” I really like that riff, and those horns are lovely.

I’m not going to talk about track 11, I really don’t want to. The song itself isn’t horrendous, but its title is. If you’re so curious, you can look it up for yourselves.

Side 4 features the second of the two non-originals, it’s Robert Johnson’s “Stop Breaking Down.” Just about everyone and their mother has recorded their rendition of this song, these are the search results for “Stop Breaking Down” on Spotify alone.

This is however possibly my favorite of them, I think they nailed it.

Track 17, “Shine a Light”should’ve been their closer, and that’s a hill I’m willing to die on. I absolutely love this one, it’s a near perfect song. It’s sort of got this gospel kind of influence, which is fitting considering it was made to honor their fallen bandmate Brian Jones. It breaks my heart to know that this was actually composed just before his death, just as his addiction was beginning to consume him. “Shine a Light” features Billy Preston on the pipe organ, and he never misses. Great song, definitely deserves more attention than it gets. I’m going to pretend that “Shine a Light” really was their closer, although their real closer “Soul Survivor” is pretty good all things considered.

So those are my thoughts on “Exile on Main St.”, the Stones’ first double album, and their deep dive into an old-school blues and country sound. It’s messy, and unpolished, and filled with some of the best rock n roll of the 1970’s. If you haven’t heard this one, I’m begging you to give it a chance, even if it’s not your typical jam. Who knows, it might just surprise you.

Highlights:

1. Rocks Off

2. Happy

3. Shine a Light

Final Score: 9/10 (Amazing)

Part 3: “Hackney Diamonds” (2023)

It’s time to address the elephant in the room. The Stones went on to record 14 additional studio albums following “Exile On Main St.”, making their grand total 28. So is that other stuff any good? Can an 80 year old, a 79 near old, and a 76 year old make a … dare I say satisfactory album? Let’s find out.

They went with track 1, “Angry” as their lead single, which I think was smart. I really like this one, it’s got a pretty cool guitar solo, a nice chorus, all around banger. I saw a lot of people criticizing this one for its use of autotune, and they’re right, these are probably the most clearly-edited vocals of the record. But while that does tend to bother me when I hear it used on twenty-somethings, I just can’t make myself care when we’re talking about a literal 80 year old. Although I will admit that it does give really the entirety of the album a bit of a “tinny” feel?

I feel similarly about track 2, “Get Close.” Well written, feels like a Stones song (which feels obvious but that hasn’t been a given in about 20 years), and I actually like that saxophone solo.

“Depending On You” is honestly some of the best lyricism I’ve heard from Mick and Keith on a “recent” Stones record. I genuinely enjoy these lyrics. And that’s a nice piano line from Elton John.

“Bite My Head Off” is going for that edgier vibe we heard on “Angry”, and sometimes I think it just might have done that better. It’s got that “explicit” tag, very rock n’ roll. This is probably Keith’s best work here, I love that distorted bit. Also notable, this one’s got Paul McCartney on bass guitar. We’ve really come full circle when it comes to this “Beatles-Stones rivalry” thing.

I think the next notable track is probably number 7, “Mess It Up.” This is one of two tracks to feature the late great Charlie Watts, who sadly passed away before the record’s completion. It’s been announced that The Stones will be putting out yet another studio album in the coming months, and if there’s one factor that worries me the most concerning that project, it’s not their age, but the complete lack of Charlie’s presence. He really was the foundation of The Stones, and while it’s clear they can be decently successful without him, because they’re The Stones, his musical contributions are sorely missed already. The song itself is pretty good, but I don’t have much to say that’s unique to it in particular.

Track 8 “Live By the Sword” has to be notable if only for its personnel. It’s the second of those two songs recorded with Charlie, we’ve got Elton John back at the piano, and on the bass guitar is former bassist Bill Wyman. Bill left The Stones in 1993, but he’s returned a few times for short recordings and performances. He’s a great bassist, unfortunately he’s also the true villain of The Stones, so maybe it was all for the best. (he’s got some crazy lore that I won’t get into now, but you can google it if you’re curious) I don’t think this song is anything special, but it’s cool to hear everyone together one last time.

“Sweet Sounds of Heaven” is the last of the big collaborations, it features not only Lady Gaga, which they’re quite clear about, but also Stevie Wonder, who they’re less clear about. It’s a cool song, I enjoy pretty much everyone’s performance here. It kinda dragged when I heard it live, but at that point I actually hadn’t heard it before, so maybe I’m biased.

They end exactly how they began, with the blues. Track 12, “Rolling Stone Blues” is incredibly stripped back compared to the previous 11 tracks. There’s little to no pitch corrector, no electric guitars, a harmonica, it feels … honest. “Hackney Diamonds” is objectively higher quality than lots of other 21st century Stones records, it’s catchier, it’s cleaner, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, but there’s no denying that it’s kind of disingenuous. “Hackney Diamonds” is the sound of an aging band attempting to appeal to a new, younger audience. They’re trying to be something they’re not. But I don’t think that’s what “Rolling Stone Blues” is trying to do. There’s no flash or flare, just the music that they’ve loved to play for 50 years. It’s honest.

Highlights:

1. Angry

2. Bite My Head Off

3. Mess It Up

Final Score: 7/10 (Pretty Good)

Well, that’s it I guess. This definitely doesn’t mean I’m done talking about The Stones, I have so much left to say. I debated talking about “Some Girls” just to get in a glory days Ronnie Wood album, but at this point I’d just like to get this review out, so we can put that on the back burner for now. Thanks for listening, I’ll catch you back here next time with my thoughts on the band they tell me “went down like a lead balloon.” I sure hope nobody was hurt.