Quote
Silver Dagger
As I've said before, pound for pound this is the Stones greatest album. There is not a wasted moment on it - every song is a killer and the recording is spot on.

There are not many Stones albums where every song has been played live - only Some Girls, recently Sticky Fingers I believe. However, songs from Let It Bleed have generously been used on every Stones tour since the album was released.

Gimmer Shleter, Midnight Rambler, You Got The Silver, Monkey Man and You Can't Always Get What You Want grace many fans top 10 songs - more than half the album. You can't get much more of a higher acclaim than that.

10/10 and then some.

If you count that short version of Country Honk played at Knebworth just after Honky Tonk Women, yes - these are the only three albums where every song was played on their tours. And all the Sticky Fingers songs were played on various concerts before the Fonda.

Back to the topic: a top notch album, on which there are no fillers.

Quote
with sssoul
I love every sound on this album

...what she said...

My absolute favourite Album, sheer musical beauty



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-10 20:04 by desertblues68.

Been listening to this one a lot lately - it and VL. It really is great, especially the remastered version from a few years back, cranked up loud in the car. You know which song disappoints me on here though compared to the live versions of nowadays? Live With Me. It doesn't have that heavy-ness to it that I think they bring to it now when they play it live. I still like the song, but I think it's a bit light on the original compared to the live versions.

Probably the 4th greatest album of all time.

Beggar's Banquet, Sticky Fingers, and Exile On Main Street all give serious competition for title of best Rolling Stones album. But, personally, it's hard for me to listen to Let It Bleed from beginning to end and not be just blown away. For an above average band, this would be a Greatest Hits. To imagine that this was all on one original album is unbelievable. It may not be better than BB, SF, or EOMS, but who could say that Let It Bleed is not their equal?

Gimmie Shelter: Those unforgettable, incredibly delicate chords, coming out of the silence, and then joined perfectly by the drums. Understated harmonica riff is just killer. This song is aching with emotion. Merry Clayton gives a performance that is the definition of classic rock vocals. There's no doubt that this song is genius. Intense and beautiful. You could argue that this is the single best Rolling Stones song ever recorded, and you'd have quite a few polls and critics to back you up in your argument. Or, you could just play the song and let the music do the talking.

Love In Vain: A straightforward blues number that builds at just the right pace. Such great guitar work, blending in together so nicely. Excellent track that really sets a mood.

Country Honk: A reworking of Honky Tonk Women, which of course works just as well as a country song as it does as a rock and roll tune. Acoustic guitars and even a fiddle are present, starting with the sound of a truck rolling by, as if the Stones were just sitting by the side of a dirt road basking and busking in the late summer sun. IMHO this is the weakest track on the album, and it just happens to be one of the coolest songs ever written. That goes to show you how good the record is overall.

Live With Me: A big bass groove, loud piano and a sax solo... and they all work in this driving rocker. Vivid imagery in the lyrics make this even sexier and funkier than it already is.

Let It Bleed: While Country Honk was strictly retro, the title track feels like a very fresh take on the country genre, adding just the right amount of rocking and rolling. Extremely awesome slide guitar work on this track. This is really fine songwriting, and excellent performance and production. Just a cool, good feeling groove that leaves you with a smile.

Midnight Rambler: It's hard to recapture the mind-blowing feeling the first few times you heard this song. As Let It Bleed was a modern country song, Midnight Rambler is a new kind of blues. It gets the bluesy spirit right, but is embedded in an epic tale of murder and madness that feels fresh and dangerous. The audacity, the length... all that is superseded by the excellent performances by the Rolling Stones. This song is flat out amazing and original. I love when the "oh, don't do dat"'s sync up, and then that unbelievably fantastic guitar and harmonica interplay that follows before it all builds up again. What a ride. A true masterpiece.

You Got The Silver: A heartfelt ballad from Keith Richards. This is an excellent song with AMAZING guitar work and overall production. Only a heart of stone could not feel the emotions coming from this song. It's a classic.

Monkey Man: Wow, this song is magic. Beautiful, fragile melodies begin the song, then it charges up to a biting rocker without losing the spine tingling feeling it built up in the first few seconds. I'd rank this song up there with any song the Stones have ever recorded. It's excellent, and a personal favorite.

You Can't Always Get What You Want: And the Rolling Stones top every track on the album with this powerful closer. Chill-inducing vocals by the choir at the beginning, followed by more hair-standing guitar, and then the sound of the forlorn horn that just catches you right in the throat... Really, who can argue that this song is not another masterpiece? What a track. Stellar music and inspired lyrics. Any songwriter or team would be proud to come up with just this one song, much less doing so along with all the other incredible songs the Stones have recorded over the decades. The truth of the matter is that disappointment is part of life, and to have this basic fact articulated in such a way (and following it with the promise of sometimes getting what you need) is just pure poetry in the very best sense of the word.

well put

PURE MAGIC! (my thoughts about the album)

My fave 1969: Midnight Rambler
My fave today: Gimmie Shelter

2 1 2 0

Quote
Silver Dagger
There are not many Stones albums where every song has been played live - only Some Girls, recently Sticky Fingers I believe. However, songs from Let It Bleed have generously been used on every Stones tour since the album was released.

All 8 songs of Black & Blue were played live as well.

Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

Sorry if this has been mentioned already.

The book, Rolling Stones and the making of Let It Bleed, by Sean Egan is a great read about this album.

best of the best

Their best or second-best (after Exile) album.
An absolute master-piece.

Discussing Tattoo You.

LIB has always been considered a materpiece while Tattoo You has been rated as a "very good album". Never understood that.

LIB was probobly more groundbreaking when it was released. LIB is in the canon of rockmusic.Recorded in an era surrounded by all myths about the band. An Untouchable era.

And is of course good. But Tattoo You has aged a lot better IMO.

It's combination of styles or genres - the desertrockdisco -is really unique. And sounds very modern now in 2015.

And Yes, I prefer Heaven, Worried About You or Slave compared to Monkey Man, Country Honk or Love in Vain. No doubt.

Quote
MingSubu
Sorry if this has been mentioned already.

The book, Rolling Stones and the making of Let It Bleed, by Sean Egan is a great read about this album.

It is true. It ' a great book I read quickly.

It is packed with informations and anecdotes about Brain and recording sessions. I did not know, for example, that Brian called Al Kooper for a studio session with the Stones. Or that Al Kooper worked remotely and several times at the song. Initially he also wrote some parts of trumpets and horns but then Mick cancelled this part of his work.

Their masterpiece.

It is the album that best encapsulates all the gloriousness of the Rolling Stones: the sex, the danger, and, most importantly, the earth-shatteringly good songs.

This is a great album. Top 5 Stones album of all times.

Can't say enough good things about LIB. It just sounds so damn good! Love nightskyman's comment on how this record is closely connected to BB in the way Revolver and Rubber Soul were similarly connected, I agree.I didn't discover the record till 10 years after it came out but was blown away, it was still amazingly fresh to me and the quality of the songs and production perfect. It still holds up! Listening to this record on vinyl still excites me in 2015!

Keith at the zenith of his powers, teamed up with the perfect producer, the perfect songwriting partner. He had it all at that time, love and hope, freedom and lifestyle, success and fame....there wasn't much personal baggage getting in the way, the drugs were still working, the relationships were good, etc. Seems like that was the perfect formula for amazing creative endeavors and the result was one of the best Stones records of all time. And Keith was still in full on learning mode, enraptured by new techniques and sounds and confident in his abilities to share them with us. I think the same could be said for Mick and obviously he deserves kudos for his role here too.

Overall impression: Just WOW.

A quote from Jimmy Miller about the record is good and deserves to be repeated here. (from timeisonourside)

The important thing about Let It Bleed is the amount of work Keith did. He literally was a WORKHOUSE. He was in a great cycle during that period, at a great point in his playing. When Brian died, that was accepted. Keith took over the musical leadership of the Stones, and did it brilliantly. There were times where I'd think, What could Keith possibly do to help this track better itself? I was afraid he'd overdo it. Then he'd suddenly just play something that would knock me out. It would always be some guitar figure I'd never imagined which made the whole thing work. THAT was the magic of the Stones.

- Jimmy Miller, 1979

Quote
DoctorFreddie
Love it. Every song is gold and also have this recordcover framed on the wall.

Really. Country Hunk is gold?

Its an album I haven't played in 20 years at least.

My opinions of course

Country Honk- Weak song

Midnight Rambler. Why would I waste my time listening to Album version when its 100 times better live.

Love in Vain. Why would I waste my time listening to weak Album version when live versions are 100 times better.

Gimmie Shelter- Heard so much on the radio I have no neen to listen to album version.

YCAGWYW- See GS,


You Got the Silver- Great song

The rest are pretty good but have to skip by too many to get to them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-09-12 20:24 by stanlove.

I agree with Naturalist and Jimmy Miller.

The important thing about Let It Bleed is the amount of work Keith did. He literally was a WORKHOUSE. He was in a great cycle during that period, at a great point in his playing. When Brian died, that was accepted. Keith took over the musical leadership of the Stones, and did it brilliantly. There were times where I'd think, What could Keith possibly do to help this track better itself? I was afraid he'd overdo it. Then he'd suddenly just play something that would knock me out. It would always be some guitar figure I'd never imagined which made the whole thing work. THAT was the magic of the Stones.

- Jimmy Miller, 1979

Fantastic words.

Thanks Naturalust.

Hi,
YCAGWYW is just top.
This song is very strong.
When I heard this song for the first time in my life with a choir (I've heard it before) in London 2012 (02). It was great
I'm aged nearer by 70 than 60.
I never thought that this would be happens with that song live.
Thank you Rolling Stones for this or those performence of that song with choir.
Greets Tioms,



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-09-14 09:27 by tioms.

I love Gimme Shelter and YCAGWYW. Masterpieces..

The title track is very good. As is You Got The Silver

Great energy in Live with Me. But really....the song is not that good.

Love in Vain and Midnight Rambler. Both great live. Much better than the studioversions.

Monkey Man. Great pianoplaying but otherwise....Oouch....

Country Honk Ok....but not that exciting.

Quote
Tops
I love Gimme Shelter and YCAGWYW. Masterpieces..

The title track is very good. As is You Got The Silver

Great energy in Live with Me. But really....the song is not that good.

Love in Vain and Midnight Rambler. Both great live. Much better than the studioversions.

Monkey Man. Great pianoplaying but otherwise....Oouch....

Country Honk Ok....but not that exciting.

I love country honk but I can see people not liking it
What don't you like about monkey man? To me it defines the album's sound as much as any track. Druggy, sleazy, forboding (the album almost feels like a party on the titanic with its darkness combined with sex, drugs, and threatening storms)

Farewell Brian.... Hello Mick Taylor.....

Quite simply one of the Rolling Stones best works..I have a mono CD of this which really packs a punch...

The LP artwork was for its original title, AUTOMATIC CHANGER.

Never have understood the comparison to The Beatles' LET IT BE, which came out 7 months after LET IT BLEED.

A toss up between LIB and SF as to which one is THE best Rolling Stones album.

Perhaps the exclusion of Honky Tonk Women is good for LIB. I like Country Honk and it represents part of what they were high on but in way retrospect perhaps they should've put I Don't Know Why on instead? And I love Jiving Sister Fanny. I'm Going Down is obvious why it was left off.

Live With Me is awesome but the best tracks are - easily - Gimme Shelter, Let It Bleed, Monkey Man and YCAGWYW.

YCAGWYW is stellar, incredible and kicks ass, no matter how many times it's been played live or on the radio (unlike Angie).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-09-12 22:31 by GasLightStreet.

Best Love In Vain ever. They never created that soar, mournful mood again.

I never really thought about it until looking at this post, but it just kind of hit me that I never listen to this "Big 4" album. I mean never. I listen to a lot of Stones music, especially 65-74, but not Let It Bleed? Live versions of GS, MR, YCAGWYW - sure. But the studio stuff other than GS, never. Even stranger, I'd estimate I have listened to the very mediocre to very bad post Tattoo You albums even more (but not much more) than LIB over the years. I have no rational explanation at to why LIB just doesn't make the cut. I really need to figure this out as other than LWM, which I've always hated, even live, these are great songs. Classics, in some cases. So why is my I pod never hitting LIB? I can't explain it?

Just push play...

Do love You Got the Silver.

Keith has said the title was just chosen from a "line in a song that Mick wrote and they all liked the song and the line so well it was chosen. But, I always thought it was a great double entendre for the studio recording techniques of letting some bleed from the different instrument and vocals mics into each other, an important part of the awesome sound that they got on LIB.