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DandelionPowderman

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stonescrow
#1. Their Satanic Majesties Request
#2. Black And Blue
#3. Aftermath
#4. Let It Bleed
#5. Beggar's Banquet
#6. Exile On Main Street
#7. Sticky Fingers
#8. Bridges Of Babylon
#9. Some Girls
#10.The Rolling Stones
#11.Emotional Rescue
#12.Voodoo Lounge
#13.Steel Wheels
#14.It's Only Rock 'N' Roll
#15.Between The Buttons

What about the rest?

Sometimes I just get lazy. They are all pretty good and my list changes all of the time. The ones not listed could all be tied for #15 with the exception of A Bigger Bang. For some reason the more I listen to all the others the less I like Bang. Not sure why I have developed such a dislike for it. Maybe because I convinced myself when it first came out that it was great, I don't know, all I know is that it gives me very little joy listening to it.

Let It Bleed
Sticky Fingers
Exile On Main St
Beggars Banquet
Goats Head Soup
Some Girls
Black N Blue
Rolling Stones
Aftermath
Tattoo You
A Bigger Bang
It's Only Rock N Roll
Bridges To Babylon
Voodoo Lounge
Out Of Our Heads
Emotional Rescue
Satanic Majesties
Steel Wheels
Between The Buttons
Rolling Stones #2
Undercover
Dirty Work

Exile
Let it Bleed
Beggars
Some Girls
Sticky Fingers
Aftermath
Tattoo You
Black N Blue
Out Of Our Heads
Undercover
Rolling Stones
Voodoo Lounge
Rolling Stones #2
Goats Head Soup
Between The Buttons
A Bigger Bang
Emotional Rescue
Satanic Majesties
It's Only Rock N Roll
Bridges To Babylon
Dirty Work
Steel Wheels

Doxa, your listy is ok with me , i can go with that
goats head soap is ofcourse a very clean album ! ( apart from starf ucker !)

1. Exile On Main Street
2. Some Girls
3. Sticky Fingers
4. Beggars Banquet
5. Let It Bleed
6. Tattoo You
7. Aftermath
8. The Rolling Stones
9. Out Of Our Heads
10. Bridges To Babylon
11. The Rolling Stones No.2
12. It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
13. Goats Head Soup
14. A Bigger Bang
15. Voodoo Lounge
16. Undercover
17. Black And Blue
18. Emotional Rescue
19. Steel Wheels
20. Between The Buttons
21. Dirty Work
22. Satanic Majesties

The top 5 never really changes. Sometimes #2 and 3 get reversed.

The bottom two never changes either.

I'd only consider the last two to be 'sub par' albums. I dont think its a coincidence that no other Stones albums were recorded at times when they were in such disarray as a band as those two were. That said, I still find about half of each of those two albums to be listenable.

I've never really warmed to Between The Buttons. Its not a 'bad' record by any means and has a lot of charm - plus its very different to ANYTHING else they've recorded - I just think its a collection of decent songs, with very little standing out.

Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
Beggars Banquet
Undercover
Some Girls
Tattoo You
Sticky Fingers
Let It Bleed
Out Of Our Heads
The Rolling Stones No.2
Black And Blue
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
A Bigger Bang
Emotional Rescue
Between The Buttons
Dirty Work
Satanic Majesties
Goats Head Soup
Bridges To Babylon
Aftermath
Steel Wheels
Voodoo Lounge


C

I must give Tattoo You a listen again. I'm always surprised to see how highly some people rate it because (although I like it) for me it's definitely in the second half of Stones albums.

It's unbelieveable people still think the early "UK" albums where how The Stones "intended". Fact is that No. 2 and Out Of Our Heads (UK) where just as hodge-podge as 12 X 5, Now! & Out Of Our Heads (US) where. Andrew Oldham compiled them all, so the early US albums is just as "real"!!!

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Blueranger
It's unbelieveable people still think the early "UK" albums where how The Stones "intended". Fact is that No. 2 and Out Of Our Heads (UK) where just as hodge-podge as 12 X 5, Now! & Out Of Our Heads (US) where. Andrew Oldham compiled them all, so the early US albums is just as "real"!!!

Where are you getting the info which suggests Andrew did the same with the USA albums? Not saying he didn't, not saying he did, just wondering.

The first 4 or so USA albums do tend to come across more as compilations due the inclusion of singles and on occasion tracks which are fairly older than the released album they are part of.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-09-17 17:26 by His Majesty.

Rolling Stones No 2 and the UK Out of Our Heads are compilations too... from various UK & US sessions. December's Children is the only US album that really seems a hodgepodge as compared with the UKs.

HM, I didn't know you listened all the way up to 1973! I thought you stopped with the 60s... you going soft?

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cc
Rolling Stones No 2 and the UK Out of Our Heads are compilations too... from various UK & US sessions. December's Children is the only US album that really seems a hodgepodge as compared with the UKs.

HM, I didn't know you listened all the way up to 1973! I thought you stopped with the 60s... you going soft?

The inclusion of Mona on Now! is one of the things that doesn't make artistic sense, but makes sense within the context of the US discography as it was pulled from the debut there, quite a crime imo. Given that the debut album only lasts 30 minutes or so, surely they could have included both Not Fade Away and Mona!?

Yeah, December's Children is the one that reaks of lets milk the market the most, but, what the hell, UK, US, Dutch etc etc an albums an album and if you like it then throw it in the mix.

Re 1973, just re-rediscovering stuff yah know, maybe I'll be grooving to Too Much Blood soon.

I believe a little justice must be done to the EP's the Stones released in the early sixties. Never mentioned in these columns but containing the greatest music they ever recorded (not counting the mindboggling first album). They were compiled somewhere in the early seventies on the album AROUND AND AROUND together with some early singles. A joyride from start to finish. A nice bonus is the backcover of the album with a great picture of Jagger, caught on stage by a girl-fan and a policeman coming to the rescue. Those were the days. Fun indeed.

TSMR would be so much better as an EP. In fact, it would be outstanding as an EP. Remove all the crap. For me, it's their first album full of worthless tunes.

Kind of like how Voodoo, Bridges and Bang are full of worthless tunes. Remove the worthless tunes and the albums become considerably better. More listenability.

First I want to say that you can count the lists and come up with the rankings based on the votes... it would be cool to find out IORR album ranks...

anyway here is my list.

Exile On Main Street
Tattoo You
Sticky Fingers
Let It Bleed
Aftermath
Some Girls
Between The Buttons
Beggars Banquet
Out Of Our Heads
The Rolling Stones
Black And Blue
Goats Head Soup
Emotional Rescue
The Rolling Stones No.2
Undercover
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
Steel Wheels
Satanic Majesties
Bridges To Babylon
Voodoo Lounge
A Bigger Bang
Dirty Work

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Cujo
I believe a little justice must be done to the EP's the Stones released in the early sixties. Never mentioned in these columns but containing the greatest music they ever recorded (not counting the mindboggling first album). They were compiled somewhere in the early seventies on the album AROUND AND AROUND together with some early singles. A joyride from start to finish. A nice bonus is the backcover of the album with a great picture of Jagger, caught on stage by a girl-fan and a policeman coming to the rescue. Those were the days. Fun indeed.

Well said.

I'll go further and insist that next to Ya Yas, the greatest official Stones live release is the "Got Live If You Want It" EP.

Incendiary-like performances and atmosphere.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-09-18 05:24 by Gazza.

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His Majesty
For me these are the best and are pretty much on equal footing, the rest I don't really care that much about even though a lot of the later albums feature more solid playing, better production etc.

There's a certain spirit and naivety in these albums that is totally gone from the work that followed imo.









Their Satanic Majesties Request pisses on everything post 1973. ><

I think you make a good point, His Majesty, concerning the earlier Stones albums. I have periods of listening to only 'The Rolling Stones' debut, or 'Aftermath', or many of the Stones earlier singles like '19th Nervous Breakdown', 'Paint It Black, etc. where they do contain a certain rawness, a very primitive form of energy, which can become very addictive. I believe 'Beggars Banquet' is where, with the help of Jimmy Miller, the Stones become a touch more sophisticated with the way the album is produced, but the beauty of 'Beggars Banquet' is it is primarily a country/blues flavoured album, and is not really that sophisticated in terms of instrumentation, even on a track like 'Street Fighting Man'. The album has a really beautiful sound because it is uncluttered. where the songs breathe easily. 'Let It Bleed' continues in that approach to a degree, but is a little more grand in its approach in places, like the closing track 'You Can't Always Get What You Want', and the track 'Live With Me' does very much seem like a template very much for the rock sound the Stones would investigate more fully on 'Sticky Fingers', especially with the introduction of the saxophone. It is however, one of the few Stones songs from this period i fail to warm to, but it undoubtedly sets the style for the Stones more inspiring moments, once the quality of the song matches the sound. Sometimes i feel an album like 'Sticky Fingers' is a little too slick for my tastes in places, despite it being undoubtedly one of the Stones greatest ever releases. It is the most sophisticated of the big four where everything is played to perfection, in an extremely professional way. 'Can't You Hear Me Knocking' is a great rock track for sure, but there are elements within its sound which i find less appealing. I love 'Bitch' and 'Dead Flowers' but always tend to take to the rougher, and more raw sounding live versions from the 72 period, over the original studio cuts. However, i pretty much feel the studio version of 'Brown Sugar' just can't be touched, in addition to the beautiful 'Moonlight Mile' which is just so utterly awesome. I am being extremely fussy though, in my criticism of 'Sticky Fingers' which overall is a brilliant piece of work. I admit though, i do sometimes miss the rawness and spontaneity which were so evident on earlier recordings. I agree with you about the spirit and naivety point too, which i think started to go post 'Beggars Banquet', when the Stones became more of a rock group, which isn't of course necessarily a bad thing. However, there is undoubtedly a special charm to an album like 'Beggars Banquet', which is very seductive, and appealing, where the Stones were far from the branded sound of 'rock' and the jaded rock 'n' roll posturing, which they would edge ever closer to in years to come, which would ultimately become a bit of a cliche.

Your comment 'Their Satanic Majesties Request pisses on everything post 1973' made me smile, because i agree with that too!



Edited 9 time(s). Last edit at 2010-09-18 10:57 by Edward Twining.

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Edward Twining
I have periods of listening to only 'The Rolling Stones' debut, or 'Aftermath', or many of the Stones earlier singles like '19th Nervous Breakdown', 'Paint It Black, etc. where they do contain a certain rawness, a very primitive form of energy, which can become very addictive. !

Yeah, talking about punk here, Edward? (Well, one of my claims re SOME GIRLS was that The Stones discovered something nostalgic and familiar in the punk movement.. and personally speaking, that is also the same point why the pre-BEGGARS/TAylor/sylistic sophistication era Stones songs sounded more appealing to punk/Wood/Marconi era ears than the ears cultivated by the professional/Taylor era. But I leave this theme here. At least partly...)

I agree very much the way to see the transformation period from the late 60's to early 70's, roughly from LET IT BLEED to STICKY FINGERS. I think there are two 'key' songs to point out. Like Edward says "Live With Me" is s song that has a lot of elements that belong to the precise STICKY FINGERS-like stylistic sophistication; that's the song on the album that indicates the direction the band is heading on (think of, say, "Bitch"). But on STICKY FINGERS I find one song that very much belong to the BEGGRS/BLEED/PERFORMANCE era, and that is "Sister Morphine". There is so much 'end of the 60's' atmospher in that song. I laways have found that particular song as a bit oddity in STICKY FINGERS.

What Edward says of STICKY FINGERS is very much the same sentiments I have. Not that it is NOT a great album. It is an AWESOME, BRILLIANT album. But in a way, it is an expection to a rule - almost like SATANIC MAJESTIES - in Stones catalog. They were so precise, so sophisticated that sometimes it makes me wonder if it is The Rolling Stones I happen to know at all but replaced by some professional studio musicians. They are so great (in one sense of the term). For example, the famous jam-part of "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" is in technical and professional terms a total oddity in Stones repertuare - it is very different from the old idea of capturing the atmosphere spontaneity of "Goin' Home" or "Midnight Rambler". (Well, now when I think of that, it actually took me quite long to finally appreciate the very jam part because it almost jazz/prog rock kind of tendency to develop a 'theme' didn't suit to my idea of the Stones. I tended to skip it when I listened to the album...) The same is with "Moonlight Mile" that directs the arrangement ideas and intrumentation to a very different sphere than the wild and raw Brian Jones-flavor rhythm'n'blues-based group of the 60's (and the re-born rock and roll band from 1978-82). Of course, I love both of those two songs very much these days for their tendency to enlarge the musical scope but there are sudden reflections in me - like with SATANIC MAJESTIES - that say "hey, are they really heading a bit too far in their experiments, like losing their identity?" if you know what I mean. By contrast, in EXILE they were much rougher, loosier, relaxed, perhaps even groovier in more familiar Stones terms. We can, for example, compare the tightness and stylistic perfection (starting from Jagger's voice) of "Dead Flowers" to raunchier "Sweer Virginia" to get the picture. But as terms of evolution, the sophistication and professionalism of STICKY FINGERS - to really show their technical and stylistic competence - was probably needed to have the balls to make EXILE ON MAIN STREET.

But I think I somehow made myself clear why I gave "only" #4 position to STICKY FINGERS, that is, the 'worst' of those golden era albums.

- Doxa



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2010-09-18 11:57 by Doxa.

1. EXILE ON MAIN STREET -72
4. STICKY FINGERS -71
2. BEGGARS BANQUET -68
3. LET IT BLEED -69
6. AFTERMATH -66
8. GOATS HEAD SOAP -63
11. OUT OF OUR HEADS -65
16. IT’S ONLY ROCK’N’ROLL -74
12. BLACK AND BLUE -76
9. TATTOO YOU -81
7. THE ROLLING STONES -64
22. A BIGGER BANG -05
10. BETWEEN THE BUTTONS -67
14. EMOTIONAL RESCUE -80
5. SOME GIRLS -78
15. THE ROLLING STONES NO 2 -65
20. BRIDGES TO BABYLON -97
21. VOODOO LOUNGE -94
17. UNDERCOVER -83
19. DIRTY WORK -86
13. THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES -67
18. STEEL WHEELS -89

It would be interesting to see a ranking just based on sales to compare to all of our objective opinions in here.....

Sticky Fingers
Exile
Let It Bleed
Ya Yas
Black and Blue
Aftermath
Tatoo You
Out of Our Heads
Beggars Banquet
IORR

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mckalk
It would be interesting to see a ranking just based on sales to compare to all of our objective opinions in here.....

Well, the trouble is that the idiots are also allowed to buy these albums as well, not solely us, the people with an objective, accurate, privileged, cultivated taste...

- Doxa

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Doxa

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mckalk
It would be interesting to see a ranking just based on sales to compare to all of our objective opinions in here.....

Well, the trouble is that the idiots are also allowed to buy these albums as well, not solely us, the people with an objective, accurate, privileged, cultivated taste...

- Doxa

So "people with an objective, accurate, privileged, cultivated taste" do consider Some Girls album as a masterpiece and rank it #5 in their list of Definitive Rolling Stones Album Ranking? Well, one is never too old to learn.

Btw: I wouldn't be surprised if "the idiots [that] are also allowed to buy these albums as well" would rank Some Girls also #5 or even higher.

Let It Bleed
Beggars Banquet
Sticky Fingers
Exile On Main Street
Some Girls
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
Goats Head Soup
The Rolling Stones No.2
Out Of Our Heads
A Bigger Bang
The Rolling Stones
Aftermath
Tattoo You
Black And Blue
Between The Buttons
Satanic Majesties
Emotional Rescue
Steel Wheels
Bridges To Babylon
Voodoo Lounge
Dirty Work
Undercover


The first four are equal to me, depends on the humour of the day. The last 2 were always there : the grey days.

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kleermaker

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Doxa

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mckalk
It would be interesting to see a ranking just based on sales to compare to all of our objective opinions in here.....

Well, the trouble is that the idiots are also allowed to buy these albums as well, not solely us, the people with an objective, accurate, privileged, cultivated taste...

- Doxa

So "people with an objective, accurate, privileged, cultivated taste" do consider Some Girls album as a masterpiece and rank it #5 in their list of Definitive Rolling Stones Album Ranking? Well, one is never too old to learn.

Btw: I wouldn't be surprised if "the idiots [that] are also allowed to buy these albums as well" would rank Some Girls also #5 or even higher.

They did. The top three selling Stones studio albums are Some Girls, Tattoo You and Sticky Fingers.

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kleermaker

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Doxa

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mckalk
It would be interesting to see a ranking just based on sales to compare to all of our objective opinions in here.....

Well, the trouble is that the idiots are also allowed to buy these albums as well, not solely us, the people with an objective, accurate, privileged, cultivated taste...

- Doxa

So "people with an objective, accurate, privileged, cultivated taste" do consider Some Girls album as a masterpiece and rank it #5 in their list of Definitive Rolling Stones Album Ranking? Well, one is never too old to learn.

Btw: I wouldn't be surprised if "the idiots [that] are also allowed to buy these albums as well" would rank Some Girls also #5 or even higher.

Hi, kleermaker, I don't see your list anywhere yet! Join the party (by the way, the "idiots" actually ranked with their wallets SOME GIRLS as far as I know all way to #1... The "objective blah blah blah taste" was more cool-headed... )

EDIT: Gazza just verified the point.

- Doxa



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010-09-18 21:56 by Doxa.

I completely agree with you, Doxa. With 'Exile On Main Street', the Stones sound so utterly confident in whatever genre they touch, totally at ease and loose, yet technically very accomplished, but that accomplishment being not overtly flashy in its execution, and is pretty much eclipsed to the ear of the listener, by the overall rock 'n' roll vitality of the performances. That is perhaps the difference between 'Exile On Main Street' and 'Sticky Fingers', with 'Exile' it all sounds so freeflowing and natural, and so utterly funky. Maybe with the 'Sticky Fingers' sessions there was more emphasis in figuring out Mick Taylor's strengths and major assets and where he fitted into the Stones sound, and by 'Exile' he was so deeply integrated into their sound, he in a sense doesn't stand out so much in a more obviously individual and explicit way, yet his contributions are totally vital in making 'Exile' such a richly rewarding listening experience. It's so easy to take the greatness of these performances for granted, the Stones make it look so easy. But post 'Exile' the Stones really did struggle to maintain that perfect balance of accomplishment of sound, in terms of it not turning into rock 'n' roll cliche.

I find 'Beggars Banquet' pretty much just as an enjoyable and richly rewarding listening experience as 'Exile On Main Street', only perhaps primarily in a more delicate, and perhaps more subtle (less funky) way. The greatness of 'Beggars Banquet' is it isn't cliche driven to any degree, and it manages to maintain an element of freshness, however many times one chooses to listen to it (from my perspective). 'Sympathy For The Devil', Street Fighting Man' and 'Stray Cat Blues' are so brilliantly executed because they don't go for a typical thrashing heavy sound, which i believe would have been the case if they had been recorded by the Stones in the mid seventies. I believe in this respect, those songs find Keith very much an ingenious rock 'n' roll purveyor, pretty economical too, in terms of him not overburdening the songs with too much 'sound'. He is the master of the riff, of course, but he also knows when to use his discretion (such as acoustic guitar on the main riff of 'Street Fighting Man'). I think a lot of the Stones influenced rock acts that came later often miss this point a little. And i think that's pretty much the point of the whole of 'Beggars Banquet'. It is Keith's absolute peak in terms of him using a more delicate and subtle musical approach, be it acoustic, slide, or electric quitar. However, Brian's beautiful and haunting slide on 'No Expectations' has to be one of the album's musical highlights, and as well as one of his last major contributions to a Stones album. Jagger's vocals are also remarkably fresh, and perhaps less forced and mannered, than they would become when he got more heavily into the 'rock' sound. 'Beggars Banquet' ultimately shows great maturity on the Stones part, and they are still very much exploring, and consequently the album retains a wonderful freshness - the Stones not having overburdened their influences. 'Beggars Banquet' for me is perhaps the Stones most uniquely perfect album in my opinion, in me not wanting to change a single note on it. Everything for me is perfect, although i believe 'Exile On Main Street' also comes pretty close.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2010-09-19 10:40 by Edward Twining.

I agree with you about 'Sister Morphine', Doxa, it almost belongs to a different era (it primarily does belong to those 68 Beggars Banquet sessions with Marianne taking a hand in the writing). That remark really does demonstrate how fast the Stones were moving in that period, where each album marked another step forward (or at the very least another step!). I certainly wouldn't vouch that each step was always in a better, or at least more satisfying direction in my opinion, but the Stones didn't stand still very long, even though in the 68-72 period, primarily their influences remained pretty much the same (rock 'n' roll, blues, country, a touch of soul etc.). I think the inclusion of a track like 'Live With Me' on 'Let It Bleed' did actually bridge much of 'Let It Bleed's more acoustic, 'Beggars Banquet' style tracks with what would be the dawn of the Stones new sound on 'Sticky Fingers'. 'Let It Bleed' is a great album, for sure, and it incorporates many of the Stones most memorable tracks (including of course 'Gimme Shelter', 'Midnight Rambler' and 'You Can't Always Get What you Want'), but i have always found the album as a whole a fairly uneven listening experience, where the true classics stand side by side songs which for the period they were recorded, really don't show the Stones at their very best (the routine 'Live With Me' and 'Monkey Man' for example), and there are times when i feel the grandness of, say, 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' may just be a touch overblown. There is always the view that the studio version of 'Midnight Rambler' actually really pales by the side of the more dramatic and more theatrical live versions from around that period, but i beg to differ slightly. I think the studio version has a great bluesy feel, even if it lacks a little of the threatening nature of the live versions. I love the way the track is followed by 'You Got The Silver' which has very much the same texture of sound. I think the 'Beggars Banquet' - 'Let It Bleed' albums were where the Stones really started to hone those blues influences into something which began to sound more authentic, although they never did sound black. Those chicago blues influences and covers in the early days worked fine, and i really did enjoy them, but they never really approached the originals, in terms of emulating genuine blues sounds (although 'Little Red Rooster' was a great effort). I think when the Stones went for that more acoustic Robert Johnson influenced sound with 'Beggars Banquet' and 'Let It Bleed' they managed to attain a very credible, and original interpretation of their own. I think Keith's acoustic and slide playing on those two albums are wonderfully emotive, and the more electric influences to be found on 'Let It Bleed' are performed very tastefully.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-09-20 09:09 by Edward Twining.

Sister Morphine should have been on Let It Bleed, would have made it even darker.

LIB is patchy/uneven for me, understandable given the stuff that was going on during it's drawn out creation. They maybe should have let Mick Taylor overdub on to some of the tracks which were nearly completed before he joined.

Man you guys sure are in the mood to wax lyrical about this stuff!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-09-20 09:11 by His Majesty.

Which tracks would that be?

I think Keith's slide on LIV is one of the most soulful takes on the blues ever. Same with Monkey Man. Midnight Ramble could have used a little spark, though.

GS should not have been touched.

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DandelionPowderman
Which tracks would that be?

I think Keith's slide on LIV is one of the most soulful takes on the blues ever. Same with Monkey Man. Midnight Ramble could have used a little spark, though.

GS should not have been touched.

Gimme Shelter is a slice of perfection, no other version beats it, live or otherwise.

Dunno which other tracks, was just saying.

THE VOTES COUNT THE VOTES!!!!!!!!!!!