Gathering No Moss

The second most influential (probably) band ever, and certainly the longest continuously working band we've ever seen, The Rolling Stones has been called the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World. Rolling Stone Magazine (no relation) listed this band at #4 on their Greatest (musical) Artists of All Time list, behind Elvis, Dylan, and the Beatles. That is pretty good company, but I think due to stage presence, song writing ability, and longevity, the Stones deserve that #3 spot, instead of Elvis. Here are the Stones records I own, just like in previous Music Project posts about Blues Traveler, Rage Against the Machine, Bad Religion, and the Grateful Dead.

Rolling Stones

Beggars Banquet

Decca, 1968

produced by Jimmy Miller

Mick Jagger - vocals, harmonica, percussion

Keith Richards - guitars, bass

Brian Jones - guitars, mellotron, sitar, tambura

Bill Wyman - bass, percussion

Charlie Watts - drums, percussion, 

Nicky Hopkins - piano, mellotron, organ

singles - 

• Street Fighting Man/No Expectations
• Sympathy for the Devil/Prodigal Son

Released in 1968, this album was delayed months due to a real life Spinal Tap moment. Decca refused to release the album with the original proposed cover art. Apparently a graffitied toilet was too much for 1960s sentiments. It is Brian Jone's last recording.

Critics called it a return to form, a record for "Left Bank heroes", a return to Rock and Roll, and the Stones "rawest, rudest, most arrogant, most savage record yet". It does feature the two singles above. Combined with Salt of the Earth, and Factory Girl, the album has a strong working class feel, moving the band away from previous psychedelic sounds and back into the blues. 

Rolling Stones

Let it Bleed

Decca, 1969

produced by Jimmy Miller

Mick Jagger - vocals, harmonica, guitar

Keith Richards - guitars, bass

Bill Wyman - bass

Charlie Watts - drums

Mick Taylor - guitars

Nicky Hopkins - piano, organ

singles-

• Live With Me
• Honky Tonk Women/You Cant Always get What you Want
• Let it Bleed/You got the Silver

This is Mick Taylor's first appearance as a band member. It charted top 4 in all UK/US/Australia charts. The band continues their journey into working class country and blues on this record. Jason McNeil of PopMatters stated Beggar's Banquet and Let it Bleed were the "greatest" albums the band (or anyone) ever made. 

Gimme Shelter is the most well known and popular song from this record and became a staple of their live show. Greil Marcus said it was their best song, and they "never did anything better". The Honky Tonk Women single was rewritten as a more country/bluegrass tune for the record, and renamed Country Tonk.

Rolling Stones

Exile on Main Street

Rolling Stones, 1972

produced by Jimmy Miller

Mick Jagger - vocals, harmonica, guitars, percussion

Keith Richards - guitars, bass, piano

Mick Taylor - guitars, bass

Bill Wyman - bass

Charlie Watts - drums, percussion

Nicky Hopkins - pianos

singles -

• Tumblin Dice/Sweet Black Angel
• Happy/All Done the Line
• Rocks Off

Exile is considered by many to be the greatest Rolling Stones record. Originally a double record, when vinyl could only fit so much music, Exile contributed greatly to the Stone's live sets throughout the rest of their performance career. It charted #1 in the US, UK, Spain, Canada, Norway, and the Netherlands, and was top five in four other countries, and has since been certified platinum in the US, UK, and Australia. Rolling Stone (no relation) ranked it 3rd in their 1987 100 Best Albums list, and ranked it 7th on their 2003 500 Best Albums list. Both Jagger and Richards cite the album as their favorite.

The 1972 tour for this record is legendary. Known as the American Tour 1972, They were supported by Stevie Wonder as an opening act, between the release of Music of My Mind and Talking Book. The setlists included tracks from the new record, Sticky Fingers, Beggars Banquet, and Let it Bleed, with virtually no pre-1968 songs performed at all. The tour has a laundry list of arrests, riots, fines, and cameos by Hugh Hefner, Tsa Tsa Gabor, Bob Dylan, Woody Allen, Andy Warhol, and Truman Capote.

Rolling Stones

Goats Head Soup

Rolling Stones, 1973

produced by Jimmy Miller

Mick Jagger - vocals, guitars, harmonica, piano

Keith Richards - guitars, bass

Mick Taylor - guitars, bass

Bill Wyman - bass

Charlie Watts - drums, percussion

Nicky Hopkins - piano

singles - 

• Angie/Silver Train
• Heartbreaker/Dancing with Mr. D

I'm not going to lie, I bought this record because of the Angie single. This is the first record since 1967 to feature all originals (no covers), and Jimmy Miller's last as producer. Critically, this record was a dud, but there are plenty of good songs on here that are not Angie. Heartbreaker, Silver Train and Star Star (Fuck a Star) are great, and Fuck a Star specifically seems to be chronically under rated. 

Rolling Stones

Tattoo You

Rolling Stones, 1981

produced by the Glimmer Twins and Chris Kimsey

Mick Jagger - vocals, guitar, harmonica, percussion

Keith Richards - guitar, bass

Ronnie Wood - guitar, bass

Bill Wyman - bass, guitar, synths

Charlie Watts - drums, percusion

Mick Taylor - guitars

Nicky Hopkins - pianos, organs

singles -

• Start Me Up/No Use in Cryin
• Waiting on a Friend/Little T&A
• Hang Fire/Neighbors

This record is basically a compilation of a bunch of previously recorded work that didn't make it onto other records, hence the participation of Mick Taylor, who had left the band in 1974. The producer credit is the Glimmer Twins, the nickname Jagger and Richards had given themselves, but really Chris Kimsey should have the credit, as the entire Frankenstein-like idea of cobbling together previous outtakes was all his, and the Jagger/Richards relationship was on the ropes. These tracks came from studio sessions for Goats Head Soup, Black and Blue, Some Girls, and Emotional Rescue. It would be the last Rolling Stones record to reach number 1 on the US charts.