Re: What is the Stones most beautiful melody?
Date: October 4, 2018 12:50
What a great question.
Because there are melodies hidden that are not always the lead vocal line.
Or some "overall" melodies are created by harmonic divergence and re-discovery.
"Back Street Girl" is beautiful as a vocal song w/ chords but the accordion in there makes for transcendent beauty.
Or the combination of lyrics with music can truly make a moment gorgeous. Take "Winter". When Taylor's big solo ends, the music comes way down, and Jagger almost whispers "Well well well, Baby, don't you..sometimes I wanna keep you warm and.." That part is the culmination of the song for me, but it is very intimate, the 'k' on the word 'keep' has an echo on it like he is right in your ear, on your pillow.
So all that is an incredible melody IMO.
The song "Think", not one of their well know tunes has a great, great line that is almost a Saxophone line; the hook of the song has an electric guitar and ( I think) a 12 string on either side combining; but there is a third fuzzed guitar that hits a syncopated accent, and that is a great melody. I thought for a while it was horns, but once the verse starts you can tell it is guitar.
"The Lantern" has a beautiful vocal melody. And the actual song part of "Gomper" is great.
Two of my favorte melodies are B sides "Child of the Moon" and "Through the Lonely Nights" ; esp. the "everytime I see ya" part.
"You Got the Silver", Slippin Away" and "All about you" - all three.
Exile is peppered with countless melodies. "Rocks Off" has a superb melody;and it is a pity that it has never carried over to live stage.
"Tumbling Dice" the way Jagger delivers that melody is so strong; and we all know how this song began as 'Good Time Women" with no melody at all.
Thats another Stones secret weapon: often the lead line is harmonized by Keith Jagger again, or by Keith, or by both. This in turn creates new horizons.
"Torn and Frayed" and "Loving Cup", and "Let it Loose"....
Maybe "Loving Cup" should get top honors in this whole thread. The verses, the words, Keith's harmony, the bridge!..the horns, my God what a song.
I will stop. But need to mention 'Gangtsre's Moll', 'Zip Mouth Angel' and "Never make you cry' as 3 that got away.
Oh and "waiting on a Friend" of course.