Let me start out by stating I realize I am in the minority when it comes to this album, as I know how beloved it is by so many. I am just not a fan of the Billy Preston tangent they took, and GHS reeks of Billy Preston to me.

I am blown away by the alternate versions just released for Dancing w/ Mr D, Heartbreaker, and Hide Your Love. Guitar driven, MT on fire, Exile on Main Street swagger. Signature Stones, pure swagger and balls.

Had Preston not been brought into the mix, GHS very likely could have been included in the discussion when we talk about their peak albums, starting with BB and ending with Exile.

Discuss (and flame away)!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020-09-05 22:15 by Kennedy.

This is exactly what Keef said in a 78/79 interview : they had to fire Preston cause he was so good and talented in the studio that he'd come up with a finished arrangement for song ideas while the band was still struggling with basic riffs.

I don't think Billy was the main problem. They needed a new sound, and it fits the times of funky 1973. Much better than all those sounds on Bridges to Babylon, and Dirty Work, which have not aged well.

I think it was exhaustion. After the coke fueled 68-72 period, they crashed. They went to such heights that it was expected there would be a come down. Not just in the songs, but Jimmy Miller is obviously played out, and the sound is uneven at best, shallow in others.

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Kennedy
Discuss (and flame away)!

Here: [iorr.org]

Kennedy,

Although I am a fan of GHS and love this remix, I have been pondering the same thing since listening to the instrumentals.

I think it was more than just Billy Preston influencing the Stones at the time. While I was not born until until later, in 1972-1973, Exile was still considered somewhat of a disappointment and produced no hit singles, which seemed like a big deal to Mick based on his comments about the album.

So if your last album has mixed reviews and no hit singles, do you double down on that sound or try to do something different? Obviously, they decided to take the songs in a different direction, but I wonder if Exile had been labeled a masterpiece from the get-go, would the band have stuck with that sound, or would they still have gone in the direction they took?

- Cam

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CamRS
Kennedy,

Although I am a fan of GHS and love this remix, I have been pondering the same thing since listening to the instrumentals.

I think it was more than just Billy Preston influencing the Stones at the time. While I was not born until until later, in 1972-1973, Exile was still considered somewhat of a disappointment and produced no hit singles, which seemed like a big deal to Mick based on his comments about the album.

So if your last album has mixed reviews and no hit singles, do you double down on that sound or try to do something different? Obviously, they decided to take the songs in a different direction, but I wonder if Exile had been labeled a masterpiece from the get-go, would the band have stuck with that sound, or would they still have gone in the direction they took?

- Cam

That's a real interesting and solid point about Exile. I don't think it was nearly as highly regarded in 73 as it is now...and had it been, would they have stuck with that sound? Great question.

I agree that some of these newly released early versions and outtakes have a much more Exile feel (Hide Your Love sounds like a direct Exile outtake actually).

As Mick has stated, they were looking for a new and varied sound. It’s my belief that they went out of their way to make this material sound less-Exile.

I think that idea is also reinforced by the rejected Glyn Johns mixes.

I agree that some of these newly released early versions and outtakes have a much more Exile feel (Hide Your Love sounds like a direct Exile outtake actually).

As Mick has stated, they were looking for a new and varied sound. It’s my belief that they went out of their way to make this material sound less-Exile.

I think that idea is also reinforced by the rejected Glyn Johns mixes.

I think when your hired hand extra keyboard player ends up with 2 solo tunes in the middle of the setlist its fair to say his influence has perhaps gone too far.

I thought his dominant keyboards spoiled many numbers on the 75 tour.

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vertigojoe
I think when your hired hand extra keyboard player ends up with 2 solo tunes in the middle of the setlist its fair to say his influence has perhaps gone too far.

Well someone here who was a direct witness of the 1975 year of the band said it was a stroke of PR genius as that year Preston was a superstar.
But I get your idea : I never listened to these 2 songs on the 75 recordings I own.
And the fact that the 2 Preston cuts are missing on most audience tapes from the tour prove not everybody was OK with Billy taking centerstage... "turn that bloody recorder off man! We're here only for the Stones" :-)

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dcba

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vertigojoe
I think when your hired hand extra keyboard player ends up with 2 solo tunes in the middle of the setlist its fair to say his influence has perhaps gone too far.

Well someone here who was a direct witness of the 1975 year of the band said it was a stroke of PR genius as that year Preston was a superstar.
But I get your idea : I never listened to these 2 songs on the 75 recordings I own.
And the fact that the 2 Preston cuts are missing on most audience tapes from the tour prove not everybody was OK with Billy taking centerstage... "turn that bloody recorder off man! We're here only for the Stones" :-)

I don't like them 2 Preston songs, but if it wasn't for them, maybe RS wouldn't play as many songs as they did on TOTA. I'm sure Jagger needed a rest, running around as much as he did, something he didn't do on previous tours. So, I don't mind.

PLUS: it gave the tapers the time to change tapes!

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Rokyfan
I thought his dominant keyboards spoiled many numbers on the 75 tour.

Could not agree more. I remember reading a review of the Milwaukee County Stadium show, where someone described his keyboards as drowning out the rest of the band when his keyboards kicked in during HTW, literally shaking the entire stadium. With keyboards. Hard pass.

Goats Head Soup and adding Preston was Mick beginning to wrest control of the studio from Keith.

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vertigojoe
I think when your hired hand extra keyboard player ends up with 2 solo tunes in the middle of the setlist its fair to say his influence has perhaps gone too far.

Let’s just be glad Chuck doesn’t get two songs!

that got me chuckling!

Billy Preston plays on two songs on Goats Head Soup, how does the Soup “reek” of him?

how does the Soup “reek” of him?

Late one night in a moment of madness
Keef pinched Billy's wig and stuck it on the goats head ... ....



ROCKMAN

I always thought it was great that the Stones backed Preston on stage for those tunes of his. Thought the tunes sucked, but it was cool they supplied the music. With Taylor in an afro wig I think, at least on some occasions.

jb

Keith Interview from RollingStone:

There’s an old quote where you were looking back on the Seventies, and you said the Stones had too many people playing on your records, which compromised the sound. Has your view on that changed?

"I might have said that. I was probably pissed off about a track or two. But nah, I wouldn’t wanna stick that on anything, especially this record, because all of the sidemen, there’s very few of them, and they’re the best in the world, you know?"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020-09-07 18:07 by JordyLicks96.

GHS was, is, and always will be a great LP. Nice to hear new stuff, though Mick's 2020 vocal style (sharp enunciations) on All the Rage is hardly as pleasant as his vocals from late 72-73. Still, it's cool to hear a "new" "old" Stones' song.

The live stuff is the stuff of legend and worth 10 times the cover price alone.

The songs, Cross Cross, Scarlet, and DWMD, Heartbreaker, Silver Train, and Hide Your Love are wonderful to hear, because the band sounds like it is actually grooving and trying.

GHS got beat up by Dave Marsh and others when it was released, but most groups would have given their eye-teeth to release an LP this good. As evidenced by the Stones' set lists into the 2010s, they continue to include half of this LP (5 songs) in live performances. Not so with so many earlier ("classic") LPs (Buttons, Aftermath, etc.)

I hope this GHS release reflects a new trend of "opening up the vaults".

Like it, like it, yes, I do!

stonesstein

Kick me like you did before
I can't even feel the pain no more
Rocks Off, 1972

I've made some album playlists where, regardless of when they were finished, songs that were recorded for album A that ended up on album B or etc. Like STICKY FINGERS - it had quite a few more tracks on it making it a double album. Or BLACK AND BLUE, SOME GIRLS and EMOTIONAL RESCUE, as well as GOATS HEAD SOUP prior to the reissue, getting the TATTOO YOU tracks and various B-sides added.

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GasLightStreet
I've made some album playlists where, regardless of when they were finished, songs that were recorded for album A that ended up on album B or etc. Like STICKY FINGERS - it had quite a few more tracks on it making it a double album. Or BLACK AND BLUE, SOME GIRLS and EMOTIONAL RESCUE, as well as GOATS HEAD SOUP prior to the reissue, getting the TATTOO YOU tracks and various B-sides added.

Me too. It lets ya make a killer CD of your favorite. Ex. A Better Bang is what I call one of them.

GHS

Star Star
Scarlett
Heartbreaker
Criss Cross
Can You Hear The Music
Hide Your Love (Rocking Version with old lyrics)
Mr. D (Bonus version with maybe some better lyrics or not)
All The Rage AKA Her Ass (with some "her ass" lyrics)

Tops
Coming Down Again
100 Years Ago(Piano Version)
Winter
Through The Lonely Nights
Angie
Waiting On A Friend


Odd Man Out: Silver Train - just too generic and boring for The Stones (yeah, I know Bill and Mick T.)

"No Anchovies, Please"

When you look at the bootleg series Bob Dylan's team put out for his albums like More Blood, More Tracks and Trouble No More, these Stones "super deluxe" releases are really short and sad in comparison. You don't get a lot of takes or unreleased demo songs

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NilsHolgersson
When you look at the bootleg series Bob Dylan's team put out for his albums like More Blood, More Tracks and Trouble No More, these Stones "super deluxe" releases are really short and sad in comparison. You don't get a lot of takes or unreleased demo songs

yes, some early versions of "Tops" or WOAF would have been nice.

"No Anchovies, Please"

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NilsHolgersson
When you look at the bootleg series Bob Dylan's team put out for his albums like More Blood, More Tracks and Trouble No More, these Stones "super deluxe" releases are really short and sad in comparison. You don't get a lot of takes or unreleased demo songs

I bet they're saving some for a future release!

Scarlet, Criss Cross and All the Rage tells me that Keith was still coming up with riffs and putting the tracks together -- but they didn't have a functional producer to get them organized. And sorry to say, where was Mick? These lyrics sound like they were made up on the spot.

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wonderboy
Scarlet, Criss Cross and All the Rage tells me that Keith was still coming up with riffs and putting the tracks together -- but they didn't have a functional producer to get them organized. And sorry to say, where was Mick? These lyrics sound like they were made up on the spot.

The lyrics to All The Rage are quite good. Scarlet, eh, it's short and to the point. Criss Cross is out there a bit.

Made up on the spot? Mick made up Brown Sugar on the spot supposedly. Probably lots of others.

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S.T.P

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NilsHolgersson
When you look at the bootleg series Bob Dylan's team put out for his albums like More Blood, More Tracks and Trouble No More, these Stones "super deluxe" releases are really short and sad in comparison. You don't get a lot of takes or unreleased demo songs

I bet they're saving some for a future release!

They will be no one left to buy them !

sc uk