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Deltics
The article you found online is lifted word for word from Wikipedia.
[en.wikipedia.org]

Thanks. I'm glad I found it. It was interesting about the Babylon art.




It must be a female lion.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-24 23:20 by exilestones.

some time ago i was looking for the info about Bridges To Babylon art also:

[en.wikipedia.org])

[www.bible-history.com]

[sagmeisterwalsh.com]

i don´t think was a female because the Beard and in the culture is King...

Must be just me but I always thought the album artwork was awful.

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exilestones
It must be a female lion.

It's a male lion.

The mane was sort of a giveaway. To say nothing of the King Tut burial mask goatee.

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Rocky Dijon
The mane was sort of a giveaway. To say nothing of the King Tut burial mask goatee.

I had to explain to someone recently that in the bug world, females are large, sometimes ornamented with large weapon looking things and colorful while the males are small and dull where as with most birds (I think the exception is the bald eagle) and probably just about every animal on the planet with the exception to humans, the male is colorful and big while the female is small(er) and dull.

A great example of the bug world: the Golden Orbweaver or Golden Silk Orbweaver. Incorrectly commonly called a banana spider, which is from Brazil and is poisonous (even though bananas are not from Brazil), the female Golden Orbweaver is absolutely fantastic to look at - and huge. I tend to get them on me often this time of year - they even play dead when they fall on the ground.



This is the size of a mature female:



Their webs look like they're soaked in pollen - and they do make a snapping sound when broken.

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dmay
Some nice art stuff. The thought that nags at me after looking at these is that, though I have this album on CD, its one of those Stones albums that remains rarely listened to, if remembered at all. There's more than one album like this in my collection and its not just the Stones.

Its terrible album. Even the halfway decent songs are so much better live than on the record. I know some love it, but I also could never stomach that they give the end of the album to Keith to just drone on. Whole album to me is completely worthless for the most part. But then I'm one of the few people that really liked A Bigger Bang.

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carouslambra
Must be just me but I always thought the album artwork was awful.

You are not alone...

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

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carouslambra
Must be just me but I always thought the album artwork was awful.

I never liked the Babylon artwork. They did a nice job on it and it's extensive. I just don't like it.

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GasLightStreet

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exilestones
It must be a female lion.

It's a male lion.

Where's his junk?




"Male lions possess an iconic mane that encircles their head; females do not. The color of the manes indicates both age and prowess."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-25 04:28 by exilestones.

Traditionally, artistic representations of animals tended to leave reproductive organs in shadows so that people didn't snicker or drool or refer to reproductive organs as "junk."

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GasLightStreet
Their webs look like they're soaked in pollen - and they do make a snapping sound when broken.

This was an interesting side of you I was unaware of, GasLight. If you don't mind me asking, how is it you interact with these particular spiders?

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Rocky Dijon

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GasLightStreet
Their webs look like they're soaked in pollen - and they do make a snapping sound when broken.

This was an interesting side of you I was unaware of, GasLight. If you don't mind me asking, how is it you interact with these particular spiders?

I work outdoors amongst a lot of trees! The past month they've been out, generally high off the ground but some are as low as 4 feet. They'e all over SE LA, although I don't recall ever seeing any in New Orleans.

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Hairball

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carouslambra
Must be just me but I always thought the album artwork was awful.

You are not alone...

Count me in there!

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Rocky Dijon
Traditionally, artistic representations of animals tended to leave reproductive organs in shadows so that people didn't snicker or drool or refer to reproductive organs as "junk."

It's not junk if it works. It's better to say junk than __________ .

Hard to believe we could go from The Lion of Judah to Grrregory.

And yes, I really enjoy the album and the artwork. I liked Banana Man on VOODOO LOUNGE as well. Both connected to the band's history in interesting ways.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-25 16:42 by Rocky Dijon.

Banana Man? I always thought it was a leopard-esque creature, hehe

"Banana-Man" is what the band called the figure in the artwork according to ICE in 1994. "Banana" was also what they called an old voodoo priest in the hills of Positano during their visit in 1969. The same visit where Marianne had her encounter with the witch in the hills that she wrote about in her book. I presumed the reference to the figure on the album cover made the connection to the past for them just as the Lion of Judah figure mattered to Keith from a Rastafarian perspective.

I have this mobile hanging from the rafters of my studio which floats around and sways menacingly alongside the inflatable Licks blimp:


As for the Bridges art, don't think I own any merch with that lion on it - not even a t-shirt.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

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exilestones

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GasLightStreet

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exilestones
It must be a female lion.

It's a male lion.

Where's his junk?




"Male lions possess an iconic mane that encircles their head; females do not. The color of the manes indicates both age and prowess."

His junk is clearly coming out his ass.

JumpingKentFlash

You must be a riot with Rorschach tests. The phallic tail never occurred to me.

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DandelionPowderman

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Hairball

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carouslambra
Must be just me but I always thought the album artwork was awful.

You are not alone...

Count me in there!

I didnt like the artwork (or the album) either. I did like the stage, though, visually their best presentation up to this day, I think.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-26 17:45 by SomeGuy.

Flip The Switch 3/10. Nup. Scratchy.
Anybody Seen My Baby? 8/10. Oops. I like it. What can I say?
Low Down 7/10. Love the tone. And mood. Nice
Already Over Me 8/10. I don't get, really, the general hate for "later day" Stones ballads. As good as Play with Fire or As Tears go By. Are they ONLY to rock?
Gunface 6/10. Ok but not outstanding.
You Don't Have To Mean It 2/10. Not big on Stones Reggae
Out Of Control 8/10. Works. Works even better, though, live.
Saint Of Me 7/10. Almost great. Almost.
Might As Well Get Juiced 4/10 pitiful attempt to sound contemporary. With an OK song
Always Suffering 7.5/10 fine ballad. Not classic. But better than ok.
Too Tight 8/10. Like this as a rocker. Not substantial but better than most.
Thief In The Night 9/10. Stunning Keith track. Exquisite.
How Can I Stop 9.5/10. Unbelievably, followed by a better Keith track.

Really solid record in the main. Near on a 7/10. Suffers from the roll call of producers. It's an album that I come back to often. Finding something new in it everytime.

Rod



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-26 14:57 by bitusa2012.

Flip the Switch 5,Anybody Steen my baby 4,Low down 4,Already over me 4,Gun face 4,You dont have to mean it2,Out of control 8,Saint of me 4,Might as well Get juiced 4,Always Suffering 5,Too Tight 6,Thief in the night 2,How can i stop 2

I love that bus stop Wembley poster a few posts up from ExileSones. Something so evocative about it (and I was kind of taking a break from the stones around those years, so I never went).

But the craziest thing about the poster....?

Not a single tongue in sight!

I truly adore "Flip the Switch." The late Jeff Sarli was a natural fit. I place this among the great album tracks. Perfect in every way. Killer one-liners that show the influence of hardboiled pulp thrillers (as would the title, but not the lyrics, to "Rough Justice"). Yet another example of the near-telepathic guitar/drum interplay of Keith and Charlie at their best. The pairing of Charlie and Jim Keltner proved inspired, particularly as they never step on one another as Charlie and Ollie Brown often did.

I enjoy "Anybody Seen My Baby" except for the dreadful Biz Markie sample. Attempts to render this awkward bridge live with Bernard were even worse. The "No Biz" mix is preferable, but unfortunately considerably shorter than the LP version. One day, perhaps, this lamentable error in judgement will be corrected and we'll have a reissue I can truly love. Whoever had the idea to put Waddy's solo at the end instead of as the bridge (The Dust Brothers, I imagine) deserves kudos. A shame the Stones never showed such thinking outside traditonal arrangements since then.

I like "Low Down." It doesn't quite live up to its potential, but it works well enough. I can't help thinking this needed more work to make it truly special when they appear to have been satisfied with aiming lower and just running through the motions to finish the song. As with VOODOO LOUNGE, some of the material sounds like it would better suit the Winos, but that's part of accepting how Mick and Keith grew apart creatively.

I really enjoy "Already Over Me." A rare latterday ballad from Mick. I don't think I'd want to hear the Babyface version. Mick's vocals here are quite effective and show Barry Gibb's influence (by way of Marvin Gaye) for the first time since "Tops." Lovely and understated, lyrically and musically.

I love "GunFace" apart from the dumb anime-style title. "Gun in Your Face" would have been much better. I do think that sequencing was a challenge for this album and even moreso for A BIGGER BANG. Great, nasty lyrics and a guitar/drum assault that matches. The dual impact of Charlie and Keltner again works wonderfully.

I enjoy "You Don't Have To Mean It." It never reaches the sublime brilliance of "Too Rude," but it's infectious and joyful despite the cynicism and genuine pain in the lyrics. I would have loved to have heard the Tex-Mex arrangement as well as the demo Rob Fraboni cut in Jamaica with the Winos and the Wingless Angels.

"Out of Control" is simply amazing, but the full-length Danny Saber mix is much better complete with a percussive coda that recalls "Time Waits for No One" and "Feel On, Baby." The moody vocalizing recalls The Faces' arrangement of "Losing You" while the spirit of "Papa was a Rolling Stone" looms large over the verses. If the chorus really was Reeves Gabrels on the demo, it's a pity he never had a chance to sit in with the band for this number live. The Don Was monitor mix without audience noise from Madison Square Garden is also very good and makes me wonder whether a live album of monitor mixes would have worked. You would have to lose Mick's between song patter, but you'd have the equivalent of one-take performances with no distraction and actual chemistry.

"Saint of Me" is also a joy. A comparison of the live versions with the studio version would make me swear Keith is playing on the studio track despite the credits. Regardless, I love the results. The loss of vinyl meant that listeners failed to appreciate how this and "Out of Control" mark the end of one side the same way "Thief in the Night" and "How Can I Stop" do the other by blending into one another. While effective, I prefer to hear the full-length Danny Saber mix of "Out of Control" which means opting for the single version of "Saint of Me" that doesn't open with "Out of Control" fading out. Again, this would be an improvement on a future reissue. It's possible, considering they gave us a superior version of "Sex Drive" when they reissued FLASHPOINT.

"Juiced" is a missed opportunity. Prior to the album's release, I heard a bit of the track as prepared by Don Was and Ed Cherney before The Dust Brothers put their synthesized fingerprint smudges all over it. Left as a genuine evocation of Delta Blues this would have been a highlight. As it is, it dates badly and doesn't hold up. Perhaps a future reissue can restore the Don Was version and undo the damage. Keith certainly wanted that version released and I don't mean the fake techno mixes that circulated on bootleg.

"Always Suffering" is really nice. This, "Already Over Me," and the B-side "Any Way You Look At it" really show what we miss by not giving Mick better ballads than sad, bad, smart, fart, shit, tit lyrics like he served himself up on A BIGGER BANG and, even worse, on "Following the River." I'll pause and let everyone picture the river holding hands with the sea and let Mick make my point himself. "Always Suffering" shows how well the band and Mick can do with traditional ballads.

"Too Tight" is a last stab at greatness. A nice memory of BETWEEN THE BUTTONS pop-rockers in the same fashion that the Winos revived "Connection." Jeff Sarli again proves how good he was with Keith and Charlie. The real loss on the album is Ronnie, though there were legitimate reasons for his limited input. I would have preferred Waddy and Keith had been given full freedom on the album with so little Ronnie in evidence. Much as I appreciate Jeff Sarli (next best thing to Joey Spaminato) as an alternative to the great Bill Wyman, it's a pity Darryl (who was so solid throughout VOODOO LOUNGE) has little to do here. The lyrics here have a great mid-sixties sneer tempered (maybe distempered) with age. Wonderful stuff.

"Thief in the Night" is, honestly, dull as was too much of CROSSEYED HEART to me. Not a bad song. The playing is fine. It just sounds like Keith and the band are feeling mellow in a self-medicated way and ready to nod off. The song lacks any transcendent moments of jazz and is content to simply serve as musical opium sending the listener off to slumberland with the singer and band.

"How Can I Stop" is, despite the cleverly edited blend with the previous song, everything "Thief in the Night" isn't. This is jazz, thanks in no small part to the drumming, the wonderful percussive coda, and Wayne Shorter's master musicianship. It has all the same qualities that pull down "Thief in the Night" but is bolstered by touches that take you higher.

"Any Way You Look At It," though seemingly a slight B-side, is really a perfect cap the capper for the album and should have followed "How Can I Stop." Nice echo of "As Tears Go By." Fun reference to Keith's Point of View retreat (just as he did in "Make No Mistake"). Sure they could knock these ballads off easily, but I enjoy them. It deserved to be on the album.

I listened to Bridges To Babylon again today on the work commute. I don't think I really changed my mind on any of the songs.

Flip The Switch - I've always liked this one. Though it's a standard Stones rocker and relatively uninspired as far as they go, I still enjoy it. It satisfies my craving for rock.

Anybody Seen My Baby - Perhaps my most hated Rolling Stones song ever. I hated "Constant Craving" when it was an inescapable hit, and I hate this one. Sorry.

Low Down - Never really liked it, but it sure is better than "Anybody Seen My Baby." The lyrics just seem lazy, and the music always sounds to me like Mick and Keith just couldn't get on the same page on this one. It's a similar song to "Baby Break It Down", but I enjoy "Baby Break It Down" and don't like "Low Down."

Already Over Me - I don't like it and wouldn't put it on any of my Stones mix tapes, but revisiting it today, it wasn't as bad as I remembered. Listenable, but I still would skip over it.

Gunface - Yes. I've always enjoyed this loping, awkward mid-tempo tune. It sounds different than their usual sound, and definitely unusual songwriting. In fact, I can't think of any song, regardless of artists, that sounds quite like this.

You Don't Have To Mean It - Yes. Just a nice, confident little tropical tune from Keith. How can anyone not like this one. It's like a little puppy.

Out Of Control - Oh, yeah. This is the real stuff. I loved this song on first listen and still enjoy it today. One of the Rolling Stones' latter day classics, in my humble opinion.

Saint Of Me - 1000x yes. Another Stones classic. Great melody, excellent bridge, gentle and precise instrumentation. To me, this is crazy good songwriting. And I love the live version where the crowd keeps singing it after the song ends. That gives me chills.

Might As Well Get Juiced - Again, a big yes for me. I know this is a controversial song, and lots of Stones fans despise it. A lot of those same fans also hate songs like "Sad Sad Sad" and "Rough Justice" where the Stones are bending over backward to sound like their most familiar sound. I don't mind the Stones mixing it up and trying a different approach. I like it.

Always Suffering - Am I the only one that thinks this sounds like "Already Over Me?" Nope.

Too Tight - Can not stand this one at all. Snooze.

Thief In The Night - Yes. I like it. Maybe not Keith's best, but still enjoyable.

How Can I Stop - Another sleepy time song. I skip it every time.

-

So, the 7 keepers out of 13 for me are:
Flip The Switch
Gunface
You Don't Have To Mean It
Out Of Control
Saint Of Me
Might As Well Get Juiced
Thief In The Night

"Babylon" to me is the only late era Stones album I really like. Many songs on there are close to classic material. They took it on the road, and played the hell out of it. Great all round.

The artwork to me is horrible. Just terrible. Steel Wheels, Voodoo, Bang, GRRR, Babylon, Primitive Cool - all of them are head scratchers to me. I mean WTF!?

Babylon and Steel Wheels especially. They always remind me of the small district outside of Rome called EUR.