Quote
Ross
Who all remembers what a WTF moment it was when you heard Angie for the first time as the single off the new Stones album? I was 15 and continually trying to convince my non-Stones friends what a bad-ass band the Stones were...then they release a schmaltzy ballad!

After a few listens, I adjusted and love the song. Great arrangement (in spite of the strings), Nicky is at the top of his game, and Jagger's vocals are heartfelt. To these ears, it is one of their finest ballads.

I had a similar moment when Emotional Rescue (the single) came out - never did adjust to loving or even liking the song.
Didn't even try to convince anyone the Stones were great - I thought their glory days were long gone with that single!!!
Thought the rest of the album was OK, but it was tainted by my first impression of hearing E.R.
Thankfully Tattoo You and the following tour turned things around.

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

[www.nzentgraf.de]



ROCKMAN

I wonder if Keith ever pondered singing Angie himself for the official studio version.
No doubt it still would have been great, and possibly even greater than how it ended up being.

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

ROCKMAN

I totally agree that "Criss Cross" could have toughened up GHS. And CYHTM may should be the one to go. I always feel that CYHTM could be a MUCH better song. That is a pretty lethal riff. Maybe if it was a tiny bit faster, and they found a different approach to drums/percussion.

Although Through The Lonely Nights being a B-side is better than never being released, it should've been released on an album. Excellent ballad, great guitar, great production.

Jagger's "Too Many Cooks" fits in with the sound of "Save Me" and even "Through the Lonely Nights" surprisingly well.

I like that this album is less popular with a lot of people
I have always liked that about it...
It makes it feel more like my album, more personal for me.... some how.

The GHS outtakes/alternates release by Godfather Records is the best release of that stuff. Including everything that circulates except the censored Star Star version and Men-Eating Woman which only appeared as playback from Rotterdam 75, recorded from outside the studio.

Quote
Palace Revolution 2000
I totally agree that "Criss Cross" could have toughened up GHS. And CYHTM may should be the one to go. I always feel that CYHTM could be a MUCH better song. That is a pretty lethal riff. Maybe if it was a tiny bit faster, and they found a different approach to drums/percussion.

Yeah. I still like the song, it's pretty unique. But I agree that the riff could have been toughened up. Had they recorded it in '71, it may have sounded more like CYHMK, with a tight rhythm and fewer percussive embellishments (just a cowbell or maraca or something, but otherwise just funky drums à la HTW).

Quote
LieB

Quote
Palace Revolution 2000
I totally agree that "Criss Cross" could have toughened up GHS. And CYHTM may should be the one to go. I always feel that CYHTM could be a MUCH better song. That is a pretty lethal riff. Maybe if it was a tiny bit faster, and they found a different approach to drums/percussion.

Yeah. I still like the song, it's pretty unique. But I agree that the riff could have been toughened up. Had they recorded it in '71, it may have sounded more like CYHMK, with a tight rhythm and fewer percussive embellishments (just a cowbell or maraca or something, but otherwise just funky drums à la HTW).

Great idea re. Maracas. Or a Guiro.

I've been heavily in to Goats Head Soup lately and came across this thread. I found this a most interesting thread. I've been looking at the outtakes and just re-appreciating this album all over again! I've been talking to real Stones fan (just like everyone here at IORR - thanks BV for this forum), my good friend Dan.

Dan wrote: I love the idea of reshuffling the track’s running order…I did that on a cassette as a 8-9 year old!!- A “Tattoo you” type variation- ‘Up tempo’ on one side of the cassette and the ‘mellow’ stuff to listen to in bed on the b-side.


My son put Spotify on my phone and it plays in shuffle mode. When I played Goats Head Soup over and over, I never knew which song would be next. The songs could be arranged in a different order and work well. "Hide You Love" and then "100 Years Ago" went well like other song orders did.

I was surprised how many people didn't like "Mr D" or thought it was a poor opener for GHS. I love "Mr. D." It's got a great grove and an awesome solo but it's the mood and the adventure of the song that is most astounding. Mr D sets the mood for the album.

Mr D was always great to me. It sets the mood of the album better than any other song. Would Silver Train had been a better opener? Maybe if a different approach was employed for the album like on Sticky Fingers or Exile where a strong rocker starts off the festivities of an album listening, GHS would be a different album.

Mr D is soooo cool due to the mood and imagery and story. I think Mr D is the Devil.

The Stones don't usually write the "I loved her, she loved me, look what happened song." Mick paints the picture of the scene and becomes the character. Ah man, I close my eyes I'm I'm there in the cemetery watching in a 30-year-old Mick with the lady in black the cemetery where they had their tryst.

First we getting the setting as any great story would have started,
"Yeah, down in the graveyard where we have our tryst
The air smells sweet, the air smells sick."

Then we meet the characters,
"He never smiles, his mouth merely twists
The breath in my lungs feels clinging and thick
But I know his name, he's called Mr. D."

It has to be the devil,
"And one of these days he's going to set you free
Human skulls is hanging right around his neck"

Then Mick steps in to the scene and tells us how he feels,
"The palms of my hands is clammy and wet."

The he tells us or the Lord,
"Lord, I was dancing, dancing, dancing so free
And dancing, dancing, dancing so free
And dancing, Lord, keep your hand off me
And dancing with Mr. D., with Mr. D., with Mr. D"

Then the plot,
"And will it be poison put in my glass?
And will it be slow or will it be fast?"

"The bite of a snake, the sting of a spider,"
sounds devil/Black Magic like to me!

Then we get a most powerful delivery and action with,
"A drink of Belladonna on a Toussaint night
Hiding in a corner in New York City
Looking down a forty-four in West Virginia!"

Why was he in this mess/ Because he was,
"dancing, dancing, dancing so free"

Who had there hand on Mick putting him in this problem of,
"Hiding in a corner in New York City
Looking down a forty-four in West Virginia?"

More excitement in the plot,
"One night I was dancing with a lady in black
Wearing black silk gloves and a black silk hat
She looked at me longing with black velvet eyes
She gazed at me strange all cunning and wise
I saw the flesh just fall off her bones
The eyes in her skull was burning like coals
Lord, have mercy, fire and brimstone
I was dancing with mistress D."

The Devil? "Lord, have mercy, fire and brimstone..."

Mr D is a most dramatic song. I love the scream part. The backing vocals are very cool. Mick has a powerful delivery where he's setting-up the scene in the beginning of the song or looking down a 44 in West Virginia

Exile is my favorite album by far because of the feel, the mood and a million other reasons. GHS for the same reasons. It's more than music and some sassy lyrics. It's great work of art in many ways.

Black and Blue and Sticky Fingers have great songs but those songs don't fit together as well as GHS or Dirty Work or Emotional Rescue. Disagree if you like, I respect everyon's opinion. Black and Blue and Sticky Fingers took too long to to put together with songs written over years. I love those albums, of course and song for song they would beat-out GHS or IORR, but as an album, not for me.

GHS has many things that make the songs fit together such as the high hat (but Angie....high hat...), the wah-wah, the sound of the Mick Taylor's guitar and style of playing, the feel/mood of the album.




David Bailey photo

It's interesting for someone to point-out that Star F ucker doesn't fit the album. It's also interesting for someone to point out that perhaps GHS is more of a Jagger/Taylor album. Keith has major contributions of course and there are many. Star Star may not fit the album as well as the rest of the album fits together and belongs at the end to be a bit separated from the rest and to have a very strong closer with the album fading up and not fading out.

I love Star Star! STAR F UCKER PUMPS ME UP! YEAH! I love singing along with it. "Baby, Baby, I've been so sad since you've been gone..." I love the very end where Mic says, "I'll ball ya girl! I'm telling the world." There's many more nuances of the song I could pick-out but over all, it's a great Rock and Roll song with a great solo. Mick's tacky smut lyrics tell another cool story, again, Mick becomes the character, "If I ever get back to Fun City girl, I'm gonna make you scream all night!"

Do you think that "Coming Down Again" has the best Keith vocals ever? The song is perfect for Keith. How about the line "She was dying to survive?" Great! Simply great! I also love, "Being Hungry, It ain't no crime." I love the mood of this song, "Where are all my fiends." Sad and lonely song.

If I get some time, I'll write some more later.

I sent some of the comments from this thread to my good friend and Rolling Stones extraordinaire (a real fan - LOL!) who loves GHS. I'll post more of his quick comments below.

ExileStones

BEST STONES VIDEO EVER! MR D!

[www.youtube.com]


Just kidding about 'best ever' since all of the videos are so different. I do think it's a great video making the song even better. Jagger has some of his best moves here!

I sent Dan excerpts from this thread since he loves Goats Head Soup. He's some of what he had to say.....


Dan wrote back:

SO PERSPECTIVE AND HISTORY WITH THE ALBUM MATTER to people’s opinions….


VERY INTERESTING. I wish I could be in a room with these folks and hear more of what they have to say…

I really liked the guy who said “Silver Train” had already been written as “All Down The Line.”

Silver Train was written first and was given to be recorded by Johnny Winter for his album that came out before Goat’s head Soup.

I like Silver Train…is that because we like that KIND of song…or something else. But as another says- some of the Recordings are not as Fat and dynamic. And Star Star and Silver Train suffer for it.

I agree with the band going for a mood and change of direction because there are conscious chord progression changes, and types of songs and lyrics recorded…..

Johnny Winter, Silver Train, Live At The Palace Theatre, 1973.
VIDEO: [www.youtube.com]





Johnny Winter - Silver Train (studio)
VIDEO: [www.youtube.com]
Randy Hobbs on bass


Johnny Winter - Silver Train
7 "Single
CBS 1620 (uk)

Year: 1973
Music / Lyrics: Mick Jagger
Keith Richards
Producer: Rick Derringer
Cover version of: The Rolling Stones - Silver Train



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2019-01-19 17:16 by exilestones.

love it!

The Rolling Stones - Silver Train - OFFICIAL PROMO VIDEO
VIDEO: [www.youtube.com]






I remember the first time I saw "Dancing with Mr D' and "Silver Train" promo
videos. I was very excited that they were going to be aired on Don Kirshner's
Rock Concert TV show. I was away at my cousin's house and they had respect fo
r the Stones but they weren't big Stones fans.

I talked about the upcoming TV show with my cousins. We waited for days and
then all day long until the show aired late at night.

My cousins were in shock seeing the Stones (Jagger) in the early 1970's glam
look. They that the bad boys of Rock and Roll were now jet setters and lost
there edge. They complained. I sat there and smiled. I didn't say anything. I
smiled some more. They asked me what I thought. With a huge smile I said,
"Wasn't that great? Especially, "Dancing with Mr D." Jagger made the best
moves! So cool. I smiled some more.


Glam Rock Definition: [en.wikipedia.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-01-19 17:58 by exilestones.

It's a okay lp, Dirty Work as title says is not a good release.For me the worst lp is a toss up between Dirty Work & Undercover.I never listen to these two releases.

Agreed. Meanwhile GHS is top 10

I always interpreted Mr. D as Death, like the Grim Reaper.

I agree it’s a good opening song for the Goat’s Head/Jamaican theme.

I love Winter. One of my favorite ballads.

I’m not a huge fan of Hear the Music. It kind of sounds like they just wanted to experiment with a bunch of instruments, and I don’t understand the message they’re going for. I’d have polished Criss Cross or Travelin Man and made Side 2 more of the “roots” side.

The album had a little bit of everything: blues, rock & roll, ballads, funk, whatever Hear the Music is. Haha. You can definitely hear Billy Preston’s funk influence for the first time on Side 1.

Although there are some songs that could have fit on Exile, I would say Goat’s Head was more “modern” sounding at the time. I assume this was Jagger’s idea.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-01-19 19:24 by TravelinMan.

I love it; it's a favourite album of mine by any group, and specifically the Stones.

Dynamic Sounds Studios, Kingston, Jamaica, November-December 1972
[rollingstonesvaults.blogspot.com]

Goats Head Soup was recorded in Jamaica, United States, and the United Kingdom,
and mixed in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The album contained 10
tracks, all written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, including lead single
"Angie", which went to No. 1 as a single in the United States and top 5 in the UK.

Goats Head Soup received positive reviews and achieved number one chart positions
in the UK, US, and several other world markets. The album was remastered and
released in 1994 and again in 2009 by Virgin Records and Universal Music
respectively.




In November 1972 the band relocated to Kingston, Jamaica's Dynamic Sound
Studios. Keith Richards said in year 2002: "Jamaica was one of the few places
that would let us all in! By that time about the only country that I was
allowed to exist in was Switzerland, which was damn boring for me,
at least for the first year, because I didn't like to ski... Nine countries kicked me
out, thank you very much, so it was a matter of how to keep this thing
together..."

Of the recording process, Marshall Chess, the president of Rolling Stones
Records at the time, said in 2002, "We used to book studios for a month, 24
hours a day, so that the band could keep the same set-up and develop their
songs in their free-form way, starting with a few lyrics and rhythms, jamming
and rehearsing while we fixed the sound. It amazed me, as an old-time record
guy, that the Stones might not have played together for six or eight months,
but within an hour of jamming, the synergy that is their strength would come
into play and they would lock it together as one..."

Jagger said of their approach to recording at the time, "Songwriting and
playing is a mood. Like the last album we did (Exile on Main St.) was
basically recorded in short concentrated periods. Two weeks here, two weeks
there – then another two weeks. And, similarly, all the writing was
concentrated so that you get the feel of one particular period of time. Three
months later it's all very different and we won't be writing the same kind of
material as Goats Head Soup.

On the sessions and influence of the island, Richards said, "The album itself
didn't take that long, but we recorded an awful lot of tracks. There were not
only Jamaicans involved, but also percussion players who came from places like
Guyana, a travelling pool of guys who worked in the studios. It was
interesting to be playing in this totally different atmosphere. Mikey Chung,
the engineer at Dynamic, for example, was a Chinese man — you realise how much
Jamaica is a multi-ethnic environment."

The first track recorded at Dynamic was "Winter", which Mick Taylor said
started with "just Mick (Jagger) strumming on a guitar in the studio, and
everything falling together from there."

The album's lead single, called "Angie", was an unpopular choice as lead single
with Atlantic Records which, according to Chess, "wanted another 'Brown Sugar'
rather than a ballad."

In 1993, Richards, in the liner notes to the compilation album Jump Back: The
Best of The Rolling Stones, said that the title was inspired by his baby
daughter, Dandelion Angela.[10] However, in his 2010 memoir Life, Richards
denied this, saying that he had chosen the name for the song before he knew
the sex of his expected baby: "I just went, 'Angie, Angie.' It was not about
any particular person; it was a name, like 'ohhh, Diana.' I didn't know Angela
was going to be called Angela when I wrote 'Angie'. In those days you didn't
know what sex the thing was going to be until it popped out. In fact, Anita
named her Dandelion. She was only given the added name Angela because she was
born in a Catholic hospital where they insisted that a 'proper' name be added."

This was the last Rolling Stones album produced by Jimmy Miller, who'd worked
with the band since 1968's Beggars Banquet sessions. Unfortunately, Miller had
developed a debilitating drug habit during the course of his years spent with
the Stones.

Aside from the official band members, other musicians appearing on Goats Head
Soup include keyboard players Billy Preston, Nicky Hopkins, and Ian Stewart.

Recording was completed in January 1973 in Los Angeles and May 1973 at London's
Island Recording Studios. The song "Silver Train" was a leftover from 1970s
recordings at Olympic Sound.

At the time of release, Jagger said, “I really feel close to this album, and I
really put all I had into it... I guess it comes across that I’m more into
songs. It wasn’t as vague as the last album which kind of went on so long that
I didn’t like some of the things. There’s more thought to this one. It was
recorded all over the place over about two or three months. The tracks are
much more varied than the last one. I didn’t want it to be just a bunch of rock songs.”

Preceded by “Angie” as the lead single, which sailed to number one in the
United States and became a worldwide hit, Goats Head Soup was released in late
August 1973 and also shot to the top of charts worldwide. The Rolling Stones'
autumn 1973 European Tour followed soon after, in which four slots in the set
list were given to the new material: “Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)”,
“Star Star”, “Dancing with Mr D”, and “Angie” – although apart from a few
earlier performances of “Silver Train” and “100 Years Ago” nothing else from
Goats Head Soup has ever been played live by the Stones until Silver Train and
Dancing with Mr D were dusted of for the 2014 and 2017 tours.


The sleeve and gatefold were shot by David Bailey who photographed the cover for the Rolling Stones' second album (known in the UK as No.2 and the USA as 12X5)




The album cover was designed by Ray Lawrence and photographed by David Bailey, a
friend of Jagger's who had worked with The Rolling Stones since 1964. The
portrait of Jagger on the front cover was approximately life size in the
original 12-inch LP format. Jagger was reluctant to be shot enveloped by a
pink chiffon veil, which Bailey said was meant to look like "Katharine Hepburn
in The African Queen". The album's gatefold has all the band members wrapped
around a similar fabric.

The sessions for Goats Head Soup were abundant with outtakes. Two of these —
"Tops" and "Waiting on a Friend" — would surface on Tattoo You in 1981, and
feature Mick Taylor on guitar; "Through the Lonely Nights" became the B-side
to the "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" single and was released on CD
for the first time on the 2005 compilation Rarities 1971–2003. It is a soft
rock ballad that features Richards on wah wah/leslie speaker filtered guitar
with Mick Taylor playing a brief solo. In addition, Short and Curlies was
started at the Goats Head Soup sessions and ended up appearing on the It's
Only Rock 'n' Roll lp.

In 1994 Goats Head Soup was remastered and reissued by Virgin Records, and
again in 2009 by Universal Music. The 1994 remaster was initially released in
a Collector's Edition CD, which replicated in miniature many elements of the
original gatefold album packaging. The first pressing of the 2009 remaster
contains a censored version of "Star Star" that was on the original US vinyl
release, but not on the 1994 Virgin CD; later pressings contain the uncensored
version.

The album was reissued once more in 2011 by Universal Music Enterprises in a
Japanese-only SHM-SACD version, which includes the uncensored version of "Star
Star" with a previously unreleased fadeout.


All tracks written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Side one


1. "Dancing with Mr. D" 4:53
2. "100 Years Ago" 3:59
3. "Coming Down Again" 5:54
4. "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" 3:26
5. "Angie" 4:33


Side two

6. "Silver Train" 4:27
7. "Hide Your Love" 4:12
8. "Winter" 5:30
9. "Can You Hear the Music" 5:31
10."Star Star" 4:25

The Rolling Stones

Mick Jagger – lead vocals (all but 3), backing vocals (1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10), electric guitar (6, 8), harmonica (6), piano (7)

Keith Richards – electric guitar & backing vocals (1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10), bass guitar (2, 4, 6, 7), acoustic guitar (5), lead vocals (3)

Bill Wyman – bass guitar (5, 8-10)

Charlie Watts – drums (all tracks)

Mick Taylor – electric guitar (1, 2, 4, 6-10), backing vocals (4, 6), bass guitar (1, 3), acoustic guitar (5)



Additional personnel

Nicky Hopkins – piano (1, 3, 5, 8, 9)

Billy Preston – clavinet (2, 4), piano (4)

Ian Stewart – piano (6, 10)

Bobby Keys – tenor saxophone (3, 4, 7, 10)

Jim Horn – alto saxophone (3, 4), flute (9)

Chuck Findley – trumpet (4)

Jim Price – horn arrangement (4)

Nicky Harrison – string arrangement (5, 8)

Anthony "Rebop" Kwaku Baah – percussion (1, 9)

Pascal (Nicholas Pascal Raicevic) – percussion (1, 9)

Jimmy Miller – percussion (9)



Technical

Chief engineer and Mixer – Andy Johns.

Assistant engineers – Carlton Lee, Howard Kilgour and Doug Bennett.

Photography and sleeve design by David Bailey.


wiki



Nicky Hopkins



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2019-01-20 00:24 by exilestones.

"Great song off the hugely under appreciated Goats Head Soup. I think this
belongs with Beggars, Exile, Let It Bleed, and Sticky Fingers. Winter, Hide
Your Love, Starf$cker, Can You Hear The Music, Coming Down Again, Heartbreaker
all amazing!?" - Brad Squires









++++++













++++++













+++++++++

Love the album although it would never be as good as the golden period preceding. Not a knock to it, those other albums are just far too strong. Very little can rival them, and yeah its almost unfair they all came out in a row. They were rolling for sure.

But Goat is a great record. Same with Its Only Rock N Roll to me. To other bands, they would be excellent records. By Stones standards, they are VERY good, but they aren't the best. Goat is not perfect to me. Can You Hear The Music sucks and I also never really liked Hide Your Love. Just doesn't go anywhere. But the best is just fantastic. Angie is a great song, @#$%& is as fun as the Stones have ever been, Heartbreaker, Dancing With Mr. D, Winter. Then also deep cuts like 100 Years Ago and Coming Down Again? Its an awesome album. Far from any end or major drop off as some say coming after Exile. It just isn't a top 10 flawless album of all time. For them to have 5 of those would really be unheard of though. I still revisit Goat a lot, probably moreso than the actual classics because its not overplayed.

Quote
Hairball
I wonder if Keith ever pondered singing Angie himself for the official studio version.
No doubt it still would have been great, and possibly even greater than how it ended up being.

My god Keith singing Angie?Would have ruined the whole song

Love it !!!! got it when it 1st came out, and have been listening to it to this day.

Trust me, there are far worse albums in the Stones catalog : Undercover, A Bigger Bang, Still Life

I think Dirty Work gets a bum rap. Keith did the best he could under tough circumstances. I like it.

Quote
harlem shuffle

Quote
Hairball
I wonder if Keith ever pondered singing Angie himself for the official studio version.
No doubt it still would have been great, and possibly even greater than how it ended up being.

My god Keith singing Angie?Would have ruined the whole song

I can hear it my head right now as clear as a bell, and it sound fantastic!
Seems your imagination has been stifled by some irrational force.

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

Love the entire album since I first got it! My favorite tracks on the album have to be “100 Years Ago”, “Winter” And “Heartbreaker”!

Quote
Darin75
Love the entire album since I first got it! My favorite tracks on the album have to be “100 Years Ago”, “Winter” And “Heartbreaker”!

Precisely my choices too!

Might be a good idea to merge this thread with the GHS ALBUM TALK.