I have no idea what is wrong with the past 15 years of music and its contemporary listeners, but, somehow, most of you have missed one of the best rock n’ roll albums of all time. Sgt. Pepper’s is still out there, most have given Blonde on Blonde and/or Highway 61 a listen, and many have even heard Springsteen’s Born in the USA, but very, very few have heard The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street (1972) in it’s entirety, and some haven’t heard any songs at all.
Now, maybe, just maybe, I’m just into older music, and I’m expecting too much from my and future generations. But, I have a horrible, growing feeling that this era of post punk/grunge alternative rock and rap/hip hop driven pop is spelling the death of rock n’ roll. And I don’t mean AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Tom Petty “classic rock”. I’m talking the heavy blues. The Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis-inspired, original rock n’ roll. There are fewer and fewer of us out there that really know and listen to this music, and it saddens my heart when I think that the whole genre could become anthologies covered in dust within the next few decades.
Exile on Main Street is a collection of beautiful blues music, chock-full of true grit. It pushed the limits with strong language, sex, drugs and other seedy undertones.
Mick Jagger‘s writing abilities show through with songs like “Tumbling Dice” and “Sweet Black Angel”, while Richards shines with lead vocals on “Happy”. And, as Rolling Stone reported in their “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” issue, the recording was varied and improvised as true rock n’ roll should be: “Richards recorded his jubilant romp ‘Happy’ with just producer Jimmy Miller on drums and saxman Bobby Keys — while waiting for the other Stones to turn up for work.” Exile was a celebration of everything it meant to be rock n’ roll superstars like The Stones: they recorded what they wanted, when they wanted, where they wanted, with who they wanted, and on whatever drugs made them feel the best. There is a sort of audio Nirvana that was reached on Exile on Main Street that I haven’t heard in another album, ever. Maybe it was the sweet French air, maybe it was the spirit of the early 70’s, or just the eclectic mix of influences and styles that The Rolling Stones kept around them. Whatever it was, this album oozed a feral strength that I believe could be the pinnacle of what it means to be young, loud, strong, and over the top. And, THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is rock n’ roll, and, I like it.
The Cover
“500 Greatest Albums of All Time” http://www.rollingstone.com #7 Exile on Main Street. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/exile-on-main-street-the-rolling-stones-19691231
Southern Connection 