Somebody has been discovering Sticky Fingers - nice to see a Beatles fan finding out what the Other Band is all about:

[www.thecrimson.com]

The Sway of the South
By Andrew R. Chow, CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Published: Friday, March 23, 2012

There are few albums with better openings than “Sticky Fingers” by the Rolling Stones. Seven fuzzy chords, unmistakably played in Keith Richards’ signature open tuning, ring out tremulously. Then drummer Charlie Watts breaks the reverie with a crisp pop on the snare, bassist Bill Wyman starts churning away, and the band is off, strutting and snarling, as if hurtling through the cotton fields of the American South in a Bentley S3 Continental. In 1971, the Stones—with their British cars, thick accents, and skinny jeans—were distinctly foreign to American audiences. But on “Brown Sugar,” they took a few simple chords, a wailing sax, and a whole lot of bravado, and burst through the Atlantic and across the Mason-Dixon Line as if they owned the land.

This is exactly what I hoped to do, nearly 40 years later, in the summer after senior year of high school. In the spring of that year, my friends and I decided to plan a big road trip together, away from the tedium of ten periods a day, from curfews and familial obligations. College was around the corner with all of its glorious freedom. As a group, we were coming out of our shell, spurred on by the success of our absurd punk-pop band that was gaining school-wide recognition. This was the beginning of the best times of our lives, we told ourselves. Let’s travel, do stupid things, and remember them forever.

It was in this idealistic mindset that I adopted “Sticky Fingers” as my soundtrack. The Beatles, with their astounding arrangements and harmonies, had always been my favorite band. But what the Stones lacked in musical intricacy they made up for with sheer force. Bruce Springsteen said that Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” kicked open the door of his mind; the first two chords of “Brown Sugar” razed the path to what I was sure at the time would be a rebellious adolescence. Even though I was jumping only from one wildly successful British rock band to another, the Stones packed a different kind of punch and a whole new attitude.

“Sticky Fingers” was a revelation. The first few times I listened to it all the way through I was underwhelmed. It seemed a little too short and scattered and not up to the rigorous songwriting standards of Lennon and McCartney, but I found myself listening to the album quite a lot anyway. Most of it didn’t have to do with the songs themselves but rather with they way they were delivered. “Wild Horses” is a fairly standard ballad with simple chord changes and melody, but when Mick Jagger raggedly mumbles over Keith Richard’s prickly strumming, the song becomes defiantly poignant. And I listened to “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” less for its melody and more for the four-and-a-half-minute blues freak out at the end, which is light on substance but rife with a possessed energy.

The Stones were on my mind as I sat on my friend’s roof in late senior year, discussing our grand plans for the summer. Several of my friends wanted to make the customary backpack trip through Europe, but I wanted to go south. I wanted to escape the bleak, cold and black cities of the North to take in the fresh air. “I could’ve stayed here for days,” wrote Keith Richards about the South in his autobiography, “Life.” “You walk out and there’s sweat all over you and perfume, and we all get in the car, smelling good, and the music drifts off in the background. I think some of us had died and gone to heaven.” I began to have daydreams about local bars with old blues musicians, cornbread, and ribs and driving down little dirt roads, blasting “Bitch” on full volume.

The trip, of course, never panned out. It was a far-fetched idea with little to no concrete details or funds. I spent that summer bumming around at home and taking care of my sister. And after that, I went to college, went to class, and did my schoolwork, and things were entirely normal. I never quite found the crazed spirit of the Glimmer Twins in me. But I still listen to “Sticky Fingers” as a faint promise of an eventual personal metamorphosis. Every break when I go back home, my friends mention the trip and declare that it will happen the coming summer. It probably won’t. But no vacation could ever live up to the road trip that is “Sticky Fingers.” The album is motivation to be more assertive and a reassurance that my next personal breakthrough is “just about a moonlight mile, on down the road.”

­—Staff writer Andrew R. Chow can be reached at andrewchow@college.harvard.edu.

Nice article! Great album!

Very Nice! Makes me wanna listen to Sticky right away....so here we Gooooooooo.....

2 1 2 0

[www.houseofblues.com]

I find the reviewer's use of the word "scattered" interesting. I have long felt the same way. Since the topic has come up I will again mention that I no longer listen to the studio song order. I rearranged the songs and feel that the new song order takes you on a musical and emotional journey that makes sense (at least to me).

BS, Bitch, CYHMK, Sway, DF, WH, IGTB, YGM, SM, MLM. The guitar muscle songs to CW to Blues to the production ballads.

I often go between SF and LIB as being their best album. Sometimes it's TY. SF is outstanding.

Quote
WeLoveToPlayTheBlues
I often go between SF and LIB as being their best album. Sometimes it's TY. SF is outstanding.

Yes...all three are like '6 star' albums really.

Excellent.

My favorite Stones album and their best album start to finish imo.

"Lyin' awake in a cold, cold sweat. Am I overdrawn, am I going in debt?
It gets worse, the older that you get. No escape from the state of confusion I'm in.

A perennial Desert Island disk.... maybe their best.

Here's my take on Sticky Fingers - the greatest Stones album ever.....


Sticky Fingers – 1971 (US #1; UK#1)
Brown Sugar • Sway • Wild Horses • Can’t You Hear Me Knocking • You Gotta Move •
Bitch • I Got The Blues • Sister Morphine • Dead Flowers • Moonlight Mile

Stones Fan – *****
Casual Listener - *****

Sticky Fingers was the first album The Stones released on their own Rolling Stones Records label. It was also the first new studio album they released in the new decade and the first full studio album featuring Mick Taylor. The legendary artwork was done by Andy Warhol and consisted of a man in tight jeans (front and back of the cover), highlighted by an actual working Cort zipper. If one opened the front cover, underneath was a man in tight white underwear, not leaving much to the imagination. For the remastered CD’s, this image has been moved to the back cover, probably for it’s “shock” value. The inner sleeve photo showcased the band with their relatively new young guitarist and most importantly the first appearance of their Rolling Stones Records tongue logo. This was clearly a new beginning for The Stones in a new decade and they were definitely going for an impact. To this day, they have never bettered the artwork for an album (though Exile came close). So, how about the music?

Sticky Fingers starts off with Brown Sugar. Keith starts off with one of the greatest, most recognizable riffs in the history of rock. But that’s not enough, after four measures of this incredible riff, with Charlie playing along on the floor tom, in comes a completely different riff propelled by driving acoustic guitar and we’re off as only The Stones can do. Mick’s vocals, with Keith kicking in on harmony, are rock and roll perfection. After two verses in comes the solo, but instead of a typical lead guitar solo, they kick it to Bobby Keys for a classic sax solo. Then in comes the blistering chorus with Mick shaking the maracas. There’s so much sound and power. It’s an incredible experience, even to this day – 38 years later. In fact, with the possible exception of Gimme Shelter opening Let It Bleed, there is no better opening on any Stones album. The lyrics – sex trade, drug trade – it doesn’t really matter, they’re just great. When the coda reaches “Yea Yea Yea Whoo”, it’s ecstasy and to this day a highlight of any Stones show. At the end, when Charlie ends with a roll on the tom, you can hear someone in the studio say “yea”. Amen brother. Oh, this was also a #1 US and #2 UK single. Imagine that? A classic rock song actually going to number one – those sure were the days.

A second of quiet and Mick counts in a ferocious guitar lick and starts singing about that demon life that’s got you in it’s Sway. Mick’s vocals were so powerful in the 70’s partly because his voice was part of the music’s mix. It’s another instrument in the musical sound, as opposed to a voice on top of the instruments. It was hard to hear what he was singing, but it sounded so damn great. Sway’s a perfect example of that. It’s an incredibly powerful song, especially because of Mick Taylor’s fluid, melodic leads throughout. Especially at the end where the piano and Paul Buckmaster’s orchestral background take Taylor’s lead lines higher and higher. You literally feel yourself take off. Supposedly Keith doesn’t even play on Sway, which is amazing considering how powerful The Stones sound here. This isn’t just music, it’s an experience. The Stones never even tried to perform this live until their Bigger Bang tour. It was a definite thrill, but they didn’t really pull it off. Mick’s vocals were too center stage in the mix, and they just can’t play live like that anymore, if they ever could. Listen to Carla Olson and Mick Taylor’s live “Too Hot For Snakes” album for a phenomenal live version of Sway.

Wild Horses is next. This is simply one of the greatest ballads in the history of rock. Listen closely and the delicate, yet powerful textures literally grab your heartstrings. Taylor’s harmonic notes, simple lead lines and over flowingly magnificent 12 string acoustic guitar weaving, backed with Charlie’s tasteful drum fills create an overwhelmingly warm beautiful atmosphere over serious melancholy lyrics. The beautiful acoustic guitar solo backed by only acoustic guitars build up to a classic Charlie Watt’s drum fill which kick into the chorus. It’s explosively powerful, yet so delicate at the same time. Jagger’s vocal and lyrics have never been better. The whole song is a beautiful poem set to gorgeous music. Again, his voice is part of the mix, yet the lyrics are clear and incredibly touching. At 5:40, it’s a long ballad, but that says something about the times in which commercial consideration was not a priority. It was issued in the US as the 2nd single and it peaked at a paltry #28. The song is too perfect to edit for commercial concerns, and thankfully they didn’t. The Stones tried to make it a hit again for Stripped in 1995, to no avail. Ballads don’t come any better than this and as much as I love The Flying Burrito Bros, no cover version comes close either. One complaint though, why do the remastered CD versions (both Virgin and Universal delete the opening single guitar note).

After floating on Wild Horses, you’re jolted by one of the greatest riffs, Keith ever came up with…the opening to Can’t You Hear Me Knocking. Bill’s bass is up in the mix with Charlie’s drums and Mick is screaming all about what you got. This is some serious rock. Then the band stops for a beat and in comes that amazing riff for another verse, but the guitar now is never stopping in that right speaker. That rhythm guitar is truly blistering and the howling vocals, drums, keyboards are swirling together building up, orgasmically right up to the 2:45 mark when the song stops and completely changes….congas, sax solo, jazzy rhythm come in and this is a Santana type jam led by sax solo and then another beautiful lead solo by Mick Taylor. Charlie’s now jazzing it up, drum fills, cymbal splashes…the riff changes for another buildup. The guitar solo building up with the drums. Now horns are accenting. Another closing melody for the finale that ends on a single cymbal crash. At over 7 minutes, the Stones have never sounded like this. No one has... this is unique music. The Stones finally tried to play this live on their Licks tour and it was great fun. Woody is no Mick Taylor, but then again, neither is Mick Taylor anymore.

After all that’s come before, You Gotta Move comes on as a nice respite. This is true blues slide guitar heaven, a total porch sing-along. Mick sounds like he’s having a blast as is Keith singing along in the background with his slide guitar, propelled by simple bass drum and cymbal crashes. They’re having a great time and so is the listener. The Stones started playing this live in 1969 (two years before the album) and they tried it again in 1975 and 1976 (on Love You Live) and it was a highlight on that show too with Billy Preston singing along.

What a first side (at least on the old vinyl version). But it doesn’t let up. Bitch starts off the second side like Brown Sugar did the first. With a classic riff that most bands would kill to get once in their whole career, and a single snare shot, we’re off again. Mick’s vocals are so powerful throughout, that even he yells whoo. This time, we get the reverse of Brown Sugar. The horns run throughout most of the song, pushing and pulling, and accenting. The horns with the weaving riff constantly taking the song higher. And instead of a sax solo, we get one of the greatest guitar solos in the Stones canon. And the solo keeps going, weaving in and out with the horns taking it higher to the end when Jagger starts singing Hey Hey Yea. This is a boiling cauldron of sound and the only way to end it is by fading it away. Someone explain to me, how Bitch is not played daily by classic rock stations. Does it get any better than this? No!

After that onslaught, they take it down. I Got The Blues is blues heaven. Jagger’s vocals are way upfront, backed by horns that are faded up and down to tremendous effect. Keith sings harmony on the “Everynight” bridge and that sure makes you miss those days when they sang together in unique harmony like that. Then Billy Preston comes in an incredible gospel type organ solo that’s almost overwhelming but works so well. Then into the final verse again pushed by the horns and Jagger threatening to bust his brains out and tear his hear out. He is singing his song for you. The Stones finally burst this one live on the No Security tour (except for the 1971 Marquee show). It was fantastic live.

Instead of raising the pulse, The Stones take you deeper even further with Sister Morphine. Jagger singing to a strummed acoustic guitar with electric slide guitar leads coming out the right speaker. This is seriously moody, disturbing music set to dark lyrics. It’s a perfect match that gets heightened as the drums and bass pound in for the next verse and last through to the finale. This is now a powerful dark rock song with twitchy lead lines sinewing throughout, matched by eerie keyboard fills and powerful drum and bass driving the song to a faded out ending. Marianne Faithful’s version is terrific, but this is moody yet powerful rock music. This is adventurous, scary and challenging music that Spain wouldn’t even allow on their version of the album (replaced by a live version of Let It Rock – see the Rarities collection from 2005).

After that, we can use a pick me up and we get it with Dead Flowers. Opening with nice friendly guitar strums, piano up front in the mix, pedal steel note highlights and Jagger singing in a wonderful country manner, this is catchy as hell, sing-along country rock at it’s best. Great lyrics, fantastic “Take Me Down” lead in and “Send Me Dead Flowers” chorus, it’s hard to get this one out of your head. This one album track is better than virtually all the popular country music of today. It’s another song that should be a staple of classic rock radio, if not classic country rock.

After some piano flourishes at the end of Dead Flowers, we hear acoustic guitar strummed in the right speaker. Then in comes a tom tom fill, atmospheric sounds and Jagger singing so wonderfully, creating a completely enveloping sound to fill the whole room. Again, this is moody atmospheric music but not dark like Sister Morphine. This is complex, powerful and symphonic music. Jagger is riding down your Moonlight Mile and so are we. Again a build up with a guitar lick buildup in the left speaker, floor tom beating almost like a tribal festival building to a climax. In comes a fantastic string arrangement from Paul Buckmaster to take you higher and higher. Jagger singing building up and up and then suddenly when we think this song will explode, Jagger takes us down, slowly and delicately on the acoustic guitar, with the atmospherics surrounding the sound, piano notes, strings, electric sounds. This is absolutely transfixing music. But it’s not enough. Now we are slowly building higher and higher with electric guitar in the left speaker, Jagger crescending higher and higher again until he and we can’t go any further but to end on a final strings coda. This is symphonic, almost progressive music at its best. The Stones finally played this one live on their No Security tour too, and it was amazing as well. Moonlight Mile is a masterpiece and a perfect way to end Sticky Fingers.



Sticky Fingers is not only the greatest Rolling Stones album, it’s one of the greatest albums ever made by anyone. Listen to this album and you’ll understand why The Rolling Stones are the greatest rock band ever. The Stones can do so many styles of music and do all of them so well, better than almost everyone else. Sticky Fingers has a sampling of so many styles: hard rock, ballad, blues, country, and deep atmospheric almost symphonic touches. It’s got almost everything (no dance or funk, but that’s to come), and it’s all so top notch. The sequencing is perfect, taking you on a musical journey. Whether through headphones or blasting through a stereo at home or in the car, it doesn’t get much better than this. Sticky Fingers should be near the top of every best classic album list, and every home should have one. I’ve heard this album since 1971 and to this day, it’s amazing, not dating one iota. It simply doesn’t get any better….anywhere. Sticky Fingers peaked at #1 on both sides of the Atlantic and was a huge commercial success. It’s also one of only four Stones albums since 1967 in which The Stones have played every song live.

Quote
kammpberg
Here's my take on Sticky Fingers - the greatest Stones album ever.....


Sticky Fingers – 1971 (US #1; UK#1)
Brown Sugar • Sway • Wild Horses • Can’t You Hear Me Knocking • You Gotta Move •
Bitch • I Got The Blues • Sister Morphine • Dead Flowers • Moonlight Mile

Stones Fan – *****
Casual Listener - *****

Sticky Fingers was the first album The Stones released on their own Rolling Stones Records label. It was also the first new studio album they released in the new decade and the first full studio album featuring Mick Taylor. The legendary artwork was done by Andy Warhol and consisted of a man in tight jeans (front and back of the cover), highlighted by an actual working Cort zipper. If one opened the front cover, underneath was a man in tight white underwear, not leaving much to the imagination. For the remastered CD’s, this image has been moved to the back cover, probably for it’s “shock” value. The inner sleeve photo showcased the band with their relatively new young guitarist and most importantly the first appearance of their Rolling Stones Records tongue logo. This was clearly a new beginning for The Stones in a new decade and they were definitely going for an impact. To this day, they have never bettered the artwork for an album (though Exile came close). So, how about the music?

Sticky Fingers starts off with Brown Sugar. Keith starts off with one of the greatest, most recognizable riffs in the history of rock. But that’s not enough, after four measures of this incredible riff, with Charlie playing along on the floor tom, in comes a completely different riff propelled by driving acoustic guitar and we’re off as only The Stones can do. Mick’s vocals, with Keith kicking in on harmony, are rock and roll perfection. After two verses in comes the solo, but instead of a typical lead guitar solo, they kick it to Bobby Keys for a classic sax solo. Then in comes the blistering chorus with Mick shaking the maracas. There’s so much sound and power. It’s an incredible experience, even to this day – 38 years later. In fact, with the possible exception of Gimme Shelter opening Let It Bleed, there is no better opening on any Stones album. The lyrics – sex trade, drug trade – it doesn’t really matter, they’re just great. When the coda reaches “Yea Yea Yea Whoo”, it’s ecstasy and to this day a highlight of any Stones show. At the end, when Charlie ends with a roll on the tom, you can hear someone in the studio say “yea”. Amen brother. Oh, this was also a #1 US and #2 UK single. Imagine that? A classic rock song actually going to number one – those sure were the days.

A second of quiet and Mick counts in a ferocious guitar lick and starts singing about that demon life that’s got you in it’s Sway. Mick’s vocals were so powerful in the 70’s partly because his voice was part of the music’s mix. It’s another instrument in the musical sound, as opposed to a voice on top of the instruments. It was hard to hear what he was singing, but it sounded so damn great. Sway’s a perfect example of that. It’s an incredibly powerful song, especially because of Mick Taylor’s fluid, melodic leads throughout. Especially at the end where the piano and Paul Buckmaster’s orchestral background take Taylor’s lead lines higher and higher. You literally feel yourself take off. Supposedly Keith doesn’t even play on Sway, which is amazing considering how powerful The Stones sound here. This isn’t just music, it’s an experience. The Stones never even tried to perform this live until their Bigger Bang tour. It was a definite thrill, but they didn’t really pull it off. Mick’s vocals were too center stage in the mix, and they just can’t play live like that anymore, if they ever could. Listen to Carla Olson and Mick Taylor’s live “Too Hot For Snakes” album for a phenomenal live version of Sway.

Wild Horses is next. This is simply one of the greatest ballads in the history of rock. Listen closely and the delicate, yet powerful textures literally grab your heartstrings. Taylor’s harmonic notes, simple lead lines and over flowingly magnificent 12 string acoustic guitar weaving, backed with Charlie’s tasteful drum fills create an overwhelmingly warm beautiful atmosphere over serious melancholy lyrics. The beautiful acoustic guitar solo backed by only acoustic guitars build up to a classic Charlie Watt’s drum fill which kick into the chorus. It’s explosively powerful, yet so delicate at the same time. Jagger’s vocal and lyrics have never been better. The whole song is a beautiful poem set to gorgeous music. Again, his voice is part of the mix, yet the lyrics are clear and incredibly touching. At 5:40, it’s a long ballad, but that says something about the times in which commercial consideration was not a priority. It was issued in the US as the 2nd single and it peaked at a paltry #28. The song is too perfect to edit for commercial concerns, and thankfully they didn’t. The Stones tried to make it a hit again for Stripped in 1995, to no avail. Ballads don’t come any better than this and as much as I love The Flying Burrito Bros, no cover version comes close either. One complaint though, why do the remastered CD versions (both Virgin and Universal delete the opening single guitar note).

After floating on Wild Horses, you’re jolted by one of the greatest riffs, Keith ever came up with…the opening to Can’t You Hear Me Knocking. Bill’s bass is up in the mix with Charlie’s drums and Mick is screaming all about what you got. This is some serious rock. Then the band stops for a beat and in comes that amazing riff for another verse, but the guitar now is never stopping in that right speaker. That rhythm guitar is truly blistering and the howling vocals, drums, keyboards are swirling together building up, orgasmically right up to the 2:45 mark when the song stops and completely changes….congas, sax solo, jazzy rhythm come in and this is a Santana type jam led by sax solo and then another beautiful lead solo by Mick Taylor. Charlie’s now jazzing it up, drum fills, cymbal splashes…the riff changes for another buildup. The guitar solo building up with the drums. Now horns are accenting. Another closing melody for the finale that ends on a single cymbal crash. At over 7 minutes, the Stones have never sounded like this. No one has... this is unique music. The Stones finally tried to play this live on their Licks tour and it was great fun. Woody is no Mick Taylor, but then again, neither is Mick Taylor anymore.

After all that’s come before, You Gotta Move comes on as a nice respite. This is true blues slide guitar heaven, a total porch sing-along. Mick sounds like he’s having a blast as is Keith singing along in the background with his slide guitar, propelled by simple bass drum and cymbal crashes. They’re having a great time and so is the listener. The Stones started playing this live in 1969 (two years before the album) and they tried it again in 1975 and 1976 (on Love You Live) and it was a highlight on that show too with Billy Preston singing along.

What a first side (at least on the old vinyl version). But it doesn’t let up. Bitch starts off the second side like Brown Sugar did the first. With a classic riff that most bands would kill to get once in their whole career, and a single snare shot, we’re off again. Mick’s vocals are so powerful throughout, that even he yells whoo. This time, we get the reverse of Brown Sugar. The horns run throughout most of the song, pushing and pulling, and accenting. The horns with the weaving riff constantly taking the song higher. And instead of a sax solo, we get one of the greatest guitar solos in the Stones canon. And the solo keeps going, weaving in and out with the horns taking it higher to the end when Jagger starts singing Hey Hey Yea. This is a boiling cauldron of sound and the only way to end it is by fading it away. Someone explain to me, how Bitch is not played daily by classic rock stations. Does it get any better than this? No!

After that onslaught, they take it down. I Got The Blues is blues heaven. Jagger’s vocals are way upfront, backed by horns that are faded up and down to tremendous effect. Keith sings harmony on the “Everynight” bridge and that sure makes you miss those days when they sang together in unique harmony like that. Then Billy Preston comes in an incredible gospel type organ solo that’s almost overwhelming but works so well. Then into the final verse again pushed by the horns and Jagger threatening to bust his brains out and tear his hear out. He is singing his song for you. The Stones finally burst this one live on the No Security tour (except for the 1971 Marquee show). It was fantastic live.

Instead of raising the pulse, The Stones take you deeper even further with Sister Morphine. Jagger singing to a strummed acoustic guitar with electric slide guitar leads coming out the right speaker. This is seriously moody, disturbing music set to dark lyrics. It’s a perfect match that gets heightened as the drums and bass pound in for the next verse and last through to the finale. This is now a powerful dark rock song with twitchy lead lines sinewing throughout, matched by eerie keyboard fills and powerful drum and bass driving the song to a faded out ending. Marianne Faithful’s version is terrific, but this is moody yet powerful rock music. This is adventurous, scary and challenging music that Spain wouldn’t even allow on their version of the album (replaced by a live version of Let It Rock – see the Rarities collection from 2005).

After that, we can use a pick me up and we get it with Dead Flowers. Opening with nice friendly guitar strums, piano up front in the mix, pedal steel note highlights and Jagger singing in a wonderful country manner, this is catchy as hell, sing-along country rock at it’s best. Great lyrics, fantastic “Take Me Down” lead in and “Send Me Dead Flowers” chorus, it’s hard to get this one out of your head. This one album track is better than virtually all the popular country music of today. It’s another song that should be a staple of classic rock radio, if not classic country rock.

After some piano flourishes at the end of Dead Flowers, we hear acoustic guitar strummed in the right speaker. Then in comes a tom tom fill, atmospheric sounds and Jagger singing so wonderfully, creating a completely enveloping sound to fill the whole room. Again, this is moody atmospheric music but not dark like Sister Morphine. This is complex, powerful and symphonic music. Jagger is riding down your Moonlight Mile and so are we. Again a build up with a guitar lick buildup in the left speaker, floor tom beating almost like a tribal festival building to a climax. In comes a fantastic string arrangement from Paul Buckmaster to take you higher and higher. Jagger singing building up and up and then suddenly when we think this song will explode, Jagger takes us down, slowly and delicately on the acoustic guitar, with the atmospherics surrounding the sound, piano notes, strings, electric sounds. This is absolutely transfixing music. But it’s not enough. Now we are slowly building higher and higher with electric guitar in the left speaker, Jagger crescending higher and higher again until he and we can’t go any further but to end on a final strings coda. This is symphonic, almost progressive music at its best. The Stones finally played this one live on their No Security tour too, and it was amazing as well. Moonlight Mile is a masterpiece and a perfect way to end Sticky Fingers.



Sticky Fingers is not only the greatest Rolling Stones album, it’s one of the greatest albums ever made by anyone. Listen to this album and you’ll understand why The Rolling Stones are the greatest rock band ever. The Stones can do so many styles of music and do all of them so well, better than almost everyone else. Sticky Fingers has a sampling of so many styles: hard rock, ballad, blues, country, and deep atmospheric almost symphonic touches. It’s got almost everything (no dance or funk, but that’s to come), and it’s all so top notch. The sequencing is perfect, taking you on a musical journey. Whether through headphones or blasting through a stereo at home or in the car, it doesn’t get much better than this. Sticky Fingers should be near the top of every best classic album list, and every home should have one. I’ve heard this album since 1971 and to this day, it’s amazing, not dating one iota. It simply doesn’t get any better….anywhere. Sticky Fingers peaked at #1 on both sides of the Atlantic and was a huge commercial success. It’s also one of only four Stones albums since 1967 in which The Stones have played every song live.

Did you write this? Well done! And I loved the Crimson article...
And yes, I had to listen to Sticky immediately after reading this!

Exile is better...But Sticky is close.

I went and checked out the building in Alabama where they recorded Brown Sugar and Wild Horses it a few years ago. Gave me goose bumps.

>I went and checked out the building in Alabama where they recorded Brown Sugar and Wild Horses it a few years ago. Gave me goose bumps.

And "You Gotta Move"!

Great review and it's the high water mark for the greatest rock'n'roll band in the world. I love the sound also. It's clean and modern sounding, but still slightly muddy and earthy. Just perfect.

If someone never heard of the Rolling Stones, you would give them Sticky Fingers and Ya Yas and let them digest that first. Sticky Fingers is timeless, and Brown Sugar will get people's blood pumping 100 years from now.

Bitch is a _sizzling_ song and I use it to evaluate speakers and to adjust equalization.

It's the "Perfect Storm" Rolling Stones album.

Gotta give Jimmy friggin Miller credit for his role in bringing out this great great record. I like it better than Exile because ALL the songs are top notch (except maybe Sister Morphine).

And who amoung us didn't dig the LOOK these guys had for this record? Mick Taylor was so perfect for this period. This is the record that made me start stealing clothes out of my big sisters closet to wear. You know what I'm talkin' about. peace

Even though I slightly prefer Exile as an album, I think "Sway" might have to be my all time favorite Stones recording, if I had to pick one.

Quote
71Tele
Even though I slightly prefer Exile as an album, I think "Sway" might have to be my all time favorite Stones recording, if I had to pick one.

Ah, Sway is the first song I listened to after reading this post...a masterpiece.

But I will always count Exile as the VERY BEST.

Sticky Fingers is the last great album by the Stones IMO.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-03-24 07:15 by howled.

Thanks for the nice comment(s) on my reviews - yes I write my own reviews. Exile would be my #2 pick as the greatest Stones album ever. Exile is an amazing timeless musical journey, but pound for pound Sticky Fingers is tops in my book.

Quote
howled
Sticky Fingers is the last great album by the Stones IMO.

Holy smokes. Exile, Some Girls and Tattoo You aren't great albums? Your standards for a great album are pretty high.

"Lyin' awake in a cold, cold sweat. Am I overdrawn, am I going in debt?
It gets worse, the older that you get. No escape from the state of confusion I'm in.

Quote
71Tele
Even though I slightly prefer Exile as an album, I think "Sway" might have to be my all time favorite Stones recording, if I had to pick one.

Excellent choice!