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2014Slayer
I just got GHS on cd, have loved the original for years. Interesting listening to it in a car as opposed to a record player where the sound is so much richer, I think it has a shallow feel on a cd. Am I crazy, or has anyone else noticed that?

In your car? I think everything sounds goofy in automobiles. Then again... what version of CD do you have? If it's UMe then it's truly garbage. If it's Virgin then that tells you your car is no place for listening, it's just for hearing. If it's CBS then perhaps the car stereo can't get loud enough.

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LuxuryStones
They only played it once that tour.. Strange & Thank you.

I wondered about that. It turns out they played it twice, the first and second shows of the tour. They played it too fast!

I agree with those who say it has a hangover feel to it, due to the dreamy ballads like Winter, Angie, and of course Coming Down Again. I actually like Dancing With Mr. D as the opener because it's dark and reminds me of Louisiana/creole blues.

I think Jagger definitely took control and had a bigger impact in the songwriting vs Richards. Silver Train was resurrected because they needed another rocker with Star Star. Jagger was more and more into funk so Heartbreaker and 100 Years add new sounds to the Stones songbook. Can You Hear the music is my least favorite, but I admit, it has grown on me. I think Save Me/Criss Cross would have added a nice sort of Richards rocker meets funk song to the album. I love Through the Lonely Nights (which is a weird sort of country ballad). Tops and Waiting on a Friend were probably not pursued because of the abundance of ballads being written at the time.

Goat's Head Soup: a perfect title considering the different styles of music included. Some don't like it because there aren't many rockers, but I believe it offers another side of the band which I really enjoy.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-08-07 18:18 by TravelinMan.

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latebloomer
Great review Kammpherg, thanks for taking the time to write it. I agree with 24FPS, the album has a melancholy tint to it...but, perhaps that is because it does seem like an echo of EOMS. At any rate, I love it, and for a time, I listened to it all the time...my constant companion on long walks. I can't imagine a better one.

Bloomer, now you are talking!

Also should add Dancing is the song that most reminds me of the goat's head in the soup. Sort of a Voodoo vibe.

Their time in Jamaica must've had an imprint on them to name the album after a Jamaican cuisine. Mannish Water, as it is called in some places in Jamaica and is aka Jamaican Goat Soup, from what I could find, is a recent thing, being first called that and perhaps made in 1968.

Of course the other one probably wouldn't've gone over as well, if they had called it JERK CHICKEN. Although MANNISH WATER may have worked.

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GasLightStreet
Their time in Jamaica must've had an imprint on them to name the album after a Jamaican cuisine. Mannish Water, as it is called in some places in Jamaica and is aka Jamaican Goat Soup, from what I could find, is a recent thing, being first called that and perhaps made in 1968.

Of course the other one probably wouldn't've gone over as well, if they had called it JERK CHICKEN. Although MANNISH WATER may have worked.

Seems very similar to southern style Brunswick Stew (made in the old days with a hog head, now usually Boston Butt and chicken).

"No Anchovies, Please"

BTW, I dig the album except "Dancing" and "Silver".

I see a lot of love for this album here but, honestly, GHS was a huge disappointment for me. Charlie's drums sound like they were recorded underwater. Billy Preston's wakka-wakka keyboards...Jagger's vocals...there's very little about this record that appeals to me. 100 Years Ago and Winter are listenable, but this thing just sounds so weak, so...flaccid. Haven't listened to anything off this record in 40 years.

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GasLightStreet

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2014Slayer
I just got GHS on cd, have loved the original for years. Interesting listening to it in a car as opposed to a record player where the sound is so much richer, I think it has a shallow feel on a cd. Am I crazy, or has anyone else noticed that?

In your car? I think everything sounds goofy in automobiles. Then again... what version of CD do you have? If it's UMe then it's truly garbage. If it's Virgin then that tells you your car is no place for listening, it's just for hearing. If it's CBS then perhaps the car stereo can't get loud enough.

Truly? There is something special, imo, in listening to music while cruising in a car down the highway. It's almost a sacred thing and some of my most memorable listening experiences are in vehicles. In America it's a tradition of sorts actually.

When we go on vacations we always pick up 3 or 4 CD's we want to hear and play them incessantly over the course of the trip and that creates an association so that whenever we hear that music again it brings up fond memories of the trip.

As far as the sound of GHS, The Universal remasters are definitely brickwalled to death but the earlier CD releases are as good as the vinyl. The overall sound is a bit different than their earlier record but if you consider the equipment and studio they were using it's surprisingly good.

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Elmo Lewis

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GasLightStreet
Their time in Jamaica must've had an imprint on them to name the album after a Jamaican cuisine. Mannish Water, as it is called in some places in Jamaica and is aka Jamaican Goat Soup, from what I could find, is a recent thing, being first called that and perhaps made in 1968.

Of course the other one probably wouldn't've gone over as well, if they had called it JERK CHICKEN. Although MANNISH WATER may have worked.

Seems very similar to southern style Brunswick Stew (made in the old days with a hog head, now usually Boston Butt and chicken).

What the heck is Boston Butt? I have to say, the only thing that I don't like about the album is the cover. It kinda makes my stomach turn.

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kleermaker

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latebloomer
Great review Kammpherg, thanks for taking the time to write it. I agree with 24FPS, the album has a melancholy tint to it...but, perhaps that is because it does seem like an echo of EOMS. At any rate, I love it, and for a time, I listened to it all the time...my constant companion on long walks. I can't imagine a better one.

Bloomer, now you are talking!

Glad I could make you happy, Kleerie, but I think you mean now you are walking.

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Naturalust

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GasLightStreet

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2014Slayer
I just got GHS on cd, have loved the original for years. Interesting listening to it in a car as opposed to a record player where the sound is so much richer, I think it has a shallow feel on a cd. Am I crazy, or has anyone else noticed that?

In your car? I think everything sounds goofy in automobiles. Then again... what version of CD do you have? If it's UMe then it's truly garbage. If it's Virgin then that tells you your car is no place for listening, it's just for hearing. If it's CBS then perhaps the car stereo can't get loud enough.

Truly? There is something special, imo, in listening to music while cruising in a car down the highway. It's almost a sacred thing and some of my most memorable listening experiences are in vehicles. In America it's a tradition of sorts actually.

When we go on vacations we always pick up 3 or 4 CD's we want to hear and play them incessantly over the course of the trip and that creates an association so that whenever we hear that music again it brings up fond memories of the trip.

As far as the sound of GHS, The Universal remasters are definitely brickwalled to death but the earlier CD releases are as good as the vinyl. The overall sound is a bit different than their earlier record but if you consider the equipment and studio they were using it's surprisingly good.

Because of where speakers are situated it makes hearing everything a challenge as well as different vehicle types is why it's goofy in automobiles.

Boston Butt is a pork shoulder used to make Bar-B-Q (AKA Barbeque). Similar to a ham - just at the other end of the pig!

Dancing With Mr D ***1/2
100 Years Ago *****
Coming Down Again *****
Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) *****
Angie **
Silver Train ***
Hide Your Love ***
Winter *****
Can You Hear The Music ****1/2
Star Star ****

Through The Lonely Nights *****
Criss Cross Mind *****
Tops *****
Waiting On A Friend *****

My first stones album. I still like coming down again, silver train, winter, star star. Just last winter I played that song while it was snowing in the car on my way to work.

Must be the liner notes of Rarities where I read that Charlie likes Through The Lonely Night a lot. Maybe I read it elsewhere, doesn´t matter. But I was very surprised to read this, since I consider the song one of the weakest they ever recorded. You never know with Charlie, maybe he was just kidding. TTLN is boring and somewhat unintentionally funny at the same time.

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keefriffhards

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Naturalust

Sorry to be a pain Naturelust but is there any chance that you can tell us the story about your boat trip with Keith and Patti. I would love to hear it along with many others i would imagine..
Oh and sorry for being off topic..

No worries, I will probably get around to telling the story in greater detail someday, I was actually waiting to find a couple pictures to accompany the story to embellish it and show how absolutely beautiful Patti was at that time. This is not the thread to tell it though and fyi it was 2 boats rides, not just one!....and one party which went on all night and half the next morning.

Naturalust, have you procured your photographs yet?

I agree that this is not the thread: if I present you with a legitimate opportunity to divulge your tales, will you oblige us?

.....

Olly.

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Olly
Naturalust, have you procured your photographs yet?

I agree that this is not the thread: if I present you with a legitimate opportunity to divulge your tales, will you oblige us?

No you'll have to be patient Olly, they are in a box in a barn quite buried under the trappings of the materialistic life I once lived. I remember the experience quite well, down to the swimsuits Patti wore and drinks (and drugs) we shared. I'll get around to it someday soon.

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Naturalust

No you'll have to be patient Olly, they are in a box in a barn quite buried under the trappings of the materialistic life I once lived. I remember the experience quite well, down to the swimsuits Patti wore and drinks (and drugs) we shared. I'll get around to it someday soon.

Yes, please. It would be illuminating if you could just provide the context of how you came to be in the Richards' company.

.....

Olly.

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Olly

Yes, please. It would be illuminating if you could just provide the context of how you came to be in the Richards' company.

Purely a right place at the right time thing, I was working in Baja when he decided to get married there.

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Dbs1972
I actually like this record. A different perspective ... I once read a review that argued GHS could have easily been sides 5 & 6 of "Exile On Main Street." While that sounds absurd on the face, I believe it to be true. The riffs, the horns, the tunes are all there. I think the reason we tend to write this LP off is 100% "packaging." TERRIBLE cover art. I remember rushing to Record Bar to buy this album the day it came out and immediately saw the cover and said, "Wow the Stones have totally gone glitter." Unfortunately this influenced everything we heard coming off the grooves from then on, and we all tended to view it as some new direction/era for the band. I always thought they should have used the goat head in the boiling pot as the actual cover art, with something grittier on the back. Imagine if you had taped this LP off the radio and became very familiar with it before you ever saw the cover. Do not discount the power of packaging ... another great example of bad cover art in my opinion was "Quadrophenia" from that same year. The dark, depressing images forever framed the music inside as such in my mind. Just some food (soup) for thought.

I think the cover is great. Bailey's front coverphoto of MJ as Kathrine Hepburn is very beautiful - and the sequenzing of the other photos, where you gradualy discovers that the faces being burnt in hellfire. It fit the songs and the moods of GHS wonderfully.

Great record, Perks loves it. Thanks for all the great pics, most never seen before.

Enjoyed reading reviews/ thoughts here GHS. I am surprised at myself for not ever really caring for it (except 'Winter' which is a masterpiece to me, truly)

Hearing people say an extension of Exile makes me bristle, as Exile to me will always, always be golden unto itself, and GHS does not feel like Nellcote, which more than buried vocals, 'muddy' sound, was an ENERGY. It was a specific frame of mind, a special slotted short time in history, gone and vanished.
Angie I've never cared for (and I'm a sucker for Mick's emotion) Star, Star mmmm, no, it never jammed/ moved me, I don't want to sing it. Heartbreaker I appreciate the construction, timing, guitars, love a doo-doo-doo sing along, but I guess it is the darkness- it's too much, I don't replay it for a listen. Darkness like this clouds the album for me, again a surprise, because I do other Stones darkness (to a point).

Other tracks tho I will revisit, thanks.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-08-07 22:42 by 35love.

Goats Head Soup promotional party 9/6/73