Is this a gem buried on Steel Wheels?

An underappreciated "deep cut"?

A "filler" piece with little to no value?


Personally I don't care for it. Was always like a D+ or 4/10. But i 've liked SLIGHTLY more recent months. Does it grow on you?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-11-08 15:49 by James Lynn.

I like it. Great song but not a classic if that's what you mean/

Cheers,
Wuudy

It's a good one. Johnny Cash could have done a metal cover of it, where the song explodes about halfway through, like he did with Rusty Cage.

It has a terrific beat, but Jagger's over-affected singing I don't like.

I would have recorded / mixed the vocals as on Want to see His face from Exile.

My personal taste, anyway!

C

It should have been on "Rarities 1971 - 2OO3."

its a filler....no need to talk about it....ha..

It's boring just like Steel Wheels (except for Continental Drift).

I like Break The Spell It has a clear, bluesy melody and has a great mixture of groove and power. Just like Wandering Spirit, Mean Disposition and Brand New Car of that time.

one of the best 3 cuts on the album, along with Sigh and Slipping.

excellent song, one of the numerous songs that should be played live immediately !!

Excellent song with the wonderful bass lines from Ron Wood ... Wish they would play it live

James Lynn Wrote:
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> Is this a gem buried on Steel Wheels?
>
> An underappreciated "deep cut"?
>
> A "filler" piece with little to no value?

Definitely a filler. A filler on a filler album. When I first heard "Break the spell" I was kinda attracted by its feel but it wore out very fast, it sounds just like some novelty to me now.

If STEEL WHEELS will ever be remastered they can leave that track off (along with "Continental drift" and "Slipping away"). I always hated the fact that with the arrival of the CD albums suddenly became longer but not better. Why 12 songs if not even all of 10 are really really good? Why again two Keith songs? Why no decent cover? I think the album was a compromise. Mick and Keith talked to each other again, but all the rules had definitely changed: all albums since have been filled with fillers. No decent cover art anymore. Too many (pure) Keith songs. No more Jagger/Richards/Wood songs. Too few albums in too many years. Too many solo albums instead. Too many disco mixes that noone needs. Etc. Etc.

The STEEL WHEELS sessions produced lots of fillers. In the 70s these tracks would have appeared on bootlegs, but CBS preferred to sell them as B sides and bonus tracks. IMHO the album should have looked something like this:

1. Sad Sad Sad
2. Mixed Emotions
3. Terrifying
4. Hold On To Your Hat
5. Hearts For Sale
6. Blinded By Love
7. Rock And A Hard Place
8. Can't Be Seen
9. Almost Hear You Sigh
10. Fancy man blues

Still it would have been a very mediocre album in the Stones catalogue. I think this was one of the reasons why Bill Wyman left for good (and he took a lot of shit in the past).

I've never been a fan of it, though it's certainly not their worst song.

I like it but it's not my favourite off of SW. Mick's harp playing is pretty good on it though.

boring, no hook, no melody