Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones

This week's review of "Let It Bleed" by The Rolling Stones is brought to you by my old mate Dann de Wolff.

This album was released on the 28th of November, 1969, and reached #1 on the British billboard charts, knocking the Beatles' Abbey Road album out of top spot (albeit temporarily...) and it made number 32 in Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums of All Time.
There was all sorts of conspiracy theories going round at the time, about whether or not this album was a response to the Beatles' Let It Be album. Though the Beatles didn't release Let It Be until 1970, they started recording it waaaaaay back at the beginning of 69, everyone knew it was being made. According to wikipedia, it could have been a dig at the Beatles for not being able to complete their album, or it possible could have been "An expression of solidarity with a recording process that had been just as taxing as the Stones'."

The first thing I noticed about this album, and just quietly, loved about this album, was that though this album was recorded 40 YEARS AGO (does that make any of you feel old?) it hasn't aged at all. It sounds like it could've been recorded yesterday. There are still bands out there making music today that are trying to emulate the Stone's sound. And frankly, I'd much prefer to listen to a 40 year old album than any of the rubbish that's around today.

Righto. Track listing times.

Gimme Shelter - Such an awesome song. Made #38 on Rolling Stone's [magazine] Greatest 500 Songs of All Time. It was written as not so much a protest song as a narrative of what was going on round the time of the Vietnam War. It features the vocals of Merry Clayton, who had her name incorrectly written as Mary Clayton on the album liner. (Cheer up Merry, at least they didn't make you turn away on the album cover so they couldn't see your face, like Ellen Foley on Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell, but we'll get to that next year...) Oh, a storm is threat'ning, My very life today; If I don't get some shelter, Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away ”
“War, children, it's just a shot away, It's just a shot away/Love, sister, it's just a kiss away, It's just a kiss away "

Love in Vain - Written by Robert Johnson in 1937, and covered by the Stone's in 69, only the Stones made it more country. And it is super country. But it's not unpleasant to listen to like most country. Another (possibly intentional) error in the credits was that this song was credited to a "Woody Payne"...

Country Honk – What’s the first thing you notice about this song? Did you double take like I did? Turns out this is a country version of Honky Tonk Woman, released five months earlier, but Keith Richards maintains that Country Honk is how Honky Tonk Woman was written... Weird huh? Whatever, the big feature of this track is the violin, that was actually recorded on the sidewalk outside Elektra studios in LA.

Live With Me - This track kicks off with a rather cool bass intro, played by Keith Richards, rather than Bill Wyman, the normal bassist, and is followed by what I can only imagine was a shocking slew of lyrics at the time... "Doncha think there's a place for you in between the sheets." And there's also a rad sax solo in the middle of the song, played by Bobby Keys, who played on much more of the Stones work in later years.

Let It Bleed - Well, if Live With Me's lyrics shocked the crowds, Let It Bleed's must have sent them into conniptions... "There will always be a space in my parking lot if you need a little coke and sympathy", "We all need someone we can cream on, and if you want to, you can cream on me." 'Nuff said, really. (Awesome song though...)

Midnight Rambler - A very cool blues track that apparently contains quotes from the Boston Strangler's confessions. That’s pretty weird. Whatever. I like how this song kicks up a notch tempo-wise halfway through, it gives the song a completely different feel. And Mick's little snippets of harmonica accentuate the blues well.

You Got The Silver - This song was written by Keith Richards, and is the first song that Mick relinquished the mike to Keith for. It was also the last track to feature Brian Jones. He died from alcohol and drug abuse. But on the plus side, he joined Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix in the 27 club! This track was fairly unremarkable, really. Nothing stood out. It was kinda like Keith wanted a song on the album, so everyone just kinda gave him a crack.. Good on him for givin' it a go though...

Monkey Man - Wow. This song rivals some of Pink Floyd's lyrics I reckon... "I'm a cold Italian pizza/I could use a lemon squeezer/What you do?" Apart from the crazy lyrics, this is a good, fun, jumpy song. The keys and what I guess is a vibraphone make it quite an upbeat track, that you kind of just have to like. One of my favourite tracks, though anyone will tell you I’ve got a penchant for stupid lyrics (read: Blinded By The Light, and We Didn't Start The Fire)

You Can't Always Get What You Want - One of those songs that is still played on the radio, and my favourite track of the album, it starts with the London Bach Choir, who didn't want to be credited on the liner notes, due to the obscene nature of some of the tracks. It deals with love, politics and drugs in each of the verses. It's also interesting to note that Charlie Watts (drums) couldn't play the groove of the song, so Jimmy Miller, who was their producer at the time, played drums.

And now, a limerick.

There once were two blokes, Keith and Mick,
Who's writing skills were really quite slick.
They wrote heaps of songs,
Smoked loads of bongs,
And the awards rolled in fast and thick.