I'm not a musician, and I certainly don't have a musicians ear, I tend to listen to a song as a whole, and often don't know what it is about a song that I like so much.

Every once in a while I do like to listen to an album and pay attention to just one instrument. Today I am focussing on the piano on this album.

I just have to express my great admiration for Nicky's contribution to this and the other albums. His piano sound is so distinct, and really just cements the mood of Let it Bleed. It's amazing to listen to an album that I've heard more times than I can count, and still find it so gripping.

Rock on Nicky, wherever you may be, your fans didn't forget about you.



Wasn't looking too good, but I was feeling real well.

absolutely CindyC....N.Hopkins piano touches add another "dimension" to the Stones music

yeah, dimension is a good word to describe it. Listening to this certainly takes me out of the world around me for the what is it, 50 something minutes.

Wasn't looking too good, but I was feeling real well.

Yes,

Nicky Hopkins was/is magic, great muscisian and played a major part in creating those great Stones records.

Let it Bleed is a great album. I remember when it first came out. I'm curious, was the title a knock off of the Beatles "Let It Be?"

As for the songs, I've seen most, if not all, of them in concert."Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" have always been crowd pleasers; but perhaps my favorite was in 1999 in Charlotte, NC, when I saw Keith singing and playing "You Got The Silver." He looked like he was really enjoying himself during that song.

Monkey Man in Nashville in 2002 was a treat. I've enjoyed that song so many times at parties, in the shower, driving down the highway, that to finally see it performed live was great.

This past October I finally saw "Live With Me" in Atlanta. Great concert. I forgot how good this song was until I saw it live.

Cindy, truer words were never spoken re Nicky. IMO he was probably the geatest of all Stones side musicians. I find it impressive that of all album to focus on his piano you pick LIB. Maybe the album with the least piano.

"...no longer shall you trudge 'cross my peaceful mind."

ChelseaDrugstore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
I find it impressive that of all album
to focus on his piano you pick LIB. Maybe the
album with the least piano.


Hi Chelsea. I didn't set out to listen to the piano today. LIB just happened to be one of the CDs I brought to work today. While listening to Monkey Man, the piano just kind of jumped out at me, and I realized how I had never really noticed it before.

Glad you guys are in agreement about this. It's nice to have a place to talk about this kind of stuff. I don't think any of my friends even know who Nicky Hopkins was. Most of them couldn't probably even name 5 Stones albums. They are always looking at me like I'm crazy, and have no idea what I'm talking about. Seriously, isn't that weird.

Most of my friends have never heard of:

Nicky Hopkins
Anita Pallenberg
Marianne Faithfull
Bobby Keys
Brian Jones (this is true, they say, I didn't know there was a blonde guy in Rolling Stones).
Side 2 of Exile
Redlands
A lot of people don't even really know who Keith Richards is. They say, "who's that, is that that guy in the Rolling Stones". But they're not really sure. How can that be? How can I live in the same world with these people!

Wasn't looking too good, but I was feeling real well.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-05-08 20:28 by CindyC.

CindyC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ChelseaDrugstore Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> I find it impressive that of all album
> to focus on his piano you pick LIB. Maybe the
> album with the least piano.
>
>
> Hi Chelsea. I didn't set out to listen to the
> piano today. LIB just happened to be one of the
> CDs I brought to work today. While listening to
> Monkey Man, the piano just kind of jumped out at
> me, and I realized how I had never really noticed
> it before.
>
> Glad you guys are in agreement about this. It's
> nice to have a place to talk about this kind of
> stuff. I don't think any of my friends even know
> who Nicky Hopkins was. Most of them couldn't
> probably even name 5 Stones albums. They are
> always looking at me like I'm crazy, and have no
> idea what I'm talking about. Seriously, isn't
> that weird.
>
> Most of my friends have never heard of:
>
> Nicky Hopkins
> Anita Pallenberg
> Marianne Faithfull
> Bobby Keys
> Brian Jones (this is true, they say, I didn't know
> there was a blonde guy in Rolling Stones).
> Side 2 of Exile
> Redlands
> A lot of people don't even really know who Keith
> Richards is. They say, "who's that, is that that
> guy in the Rolling Stones". But they're not
> really sure. How can that be? How can I live in
> the same world with these people!
> That's @#$%& up.
>
>
> Wasn't looking too good, but I was feeling real
> well.



Well put, CindyC. I go through the same thing with many of my friends. Then every now and then I run into someone who is an unlikely Stones fan and it blows me away. Sort of validates my own opinions and feelings. I just started a new job recently and went out for a beer or twelve with my new boss. After awhile he starts asking me questions about my favorite music. The next thing I know he's telling me about how he saw the Grateful Dead in NYC in 1969 and the Stones in, I think he said 1966, somewhere in middle America. So, even though a person may feel alone with their Stones appreciation, they might not be as alone as they think.

What is strange to me is that I am lately experiencing the exact opposite. Somehow in the circles I run in the Stones have become totally cool and hip again. they are evrone's fave band now. matter of fact I am constantly answering questions etc. I recall times when the Stones were very uncool and on the outs, but they have come back for maybe the 3rd or 4th time again.
back to piano: Jimmy Miller is credited with his drum recording styles. Another strength was alwasy his use of piano. The way he would put it all the way up front. This HUGE rolling grand piano. On Beggar's banquet it is everywhere. "Salt of The earth" eg. But especially Sympathy. Sometimes I forget just how genius that production is. They would NEVER ever do something so radical today. They would overclutter it. (Not just the Stones; the new way to record is more is better), But SFTD is really just that piano, Bass and the percussion. Charlie is playing rimshots. This is another reason keith's solo is so blistering. Nothing there to detract from it's power. It rules supreme!
I really can not thonk of soemone else from this new genration who plays piano like Nicky. On LIB title track, Salt of the Earth, SFTD, expectations,SFM, SCB, Sister Morphine...he plays chords as quickly as runs. His left hand is as busy as his right. he is real Rock player. I think Elton John maybe, Leon Russell and McCartney sometimes come close, But none of them play with that amount of air that Nicky leaves. EJ is much tighter and busier. Mac is totally different from Nicky but still excellent for the Stones.
Maybe the greatest combination on keys was Stu and Nicky! They covered the gamut.

"...no longer shall you trudge 'cross my peaceful mind."

Anybody else think that Hopkins had more of a "piano" sound and Billy Preston a bit more of an "organ" sound ?

"It's just that demon life has got me in it's sway..."

If you listen to the late Beatle and early Lennon songs I feel the same thing.

Nico

__________________________

Loving Cup and Let It Loose from Exile -- basically, Nicky is the lead instrument on those tunes, and his playing is fantastic.

I'm often impressed at how 'layered' Stones music is. Let It Bleed being one of the best examples; all of the instrumentation comes together to form a brilliant cohesive whole. I often find it easiest to focus on each individual layer when THC is coarsing through my veins - JUST A SUGGESTION.

In other words TURN IT UP!

Wasn't looking too good, but I was feeling real well.

The reason for that "layered" sound that you hear, esp. from the Stones in 68-72, is the sound of a band of musicians that are tight, locked in a groove and playing at their peak. On a hot night, even as far back as Steel Wheels, when Keith, Charlie and Bill had it going, it was a thing of beauty. Not as much of that these days. Forty Licks was the worst. I would think that they sounded so tight, then all of the sudden, Chuck would blast through the mix with one of his rinky-dink piano runs (WHY do they let him play those fills on Start Me Up?)

you wouldnt happen to have a copy of Start Me Up from the ABB tour, would you? I've been to one show - but with SMU was in far too much euphoria (first time seeing the stones) to even notice how it sounded. i started to pay attention with IORR (second song), though.