IMO - there are no weak spots on this album. Everything fits...it's song has it's own special place.

That being said - the 1st time I heard this album I was a semi-Stones fan. So it was a hard album to get into at 1st - there's so much music to digest... Soul Survivor was one of the few songs that I instantly became attached to.

Check out the tone of Keith's guitar right in the begining - has the same exact twangy-distorted tone as Happy. Man, he has some sound going back then. His guitar comes across as almost horn-sounding. SS has it all - Great intro, great guitar riff, nice piano, Phenomenal screaming chorus, and orgasmic outro...This album is without a doubt the best album of all time. I actually stole my first copy of it. (Not proud of the fact - but it is kinda fitting) Have worn out at least 3 CDs of it so far. I got into it enough to drop $1500 on a copy of the "Exile - The Making of Exile On Main St." book put out by Genesis...

Soul Survivor for me.

Mick does great with this track.

I take Ventilator.

I think they are both extremely good, Ventilator Blues is one of my favourites on Exile.

They're so different so I can't really compare, but I do listen to VB more.

i don't do favourites and ratings and that kind of thing,
but some of these comments on Soul Survivor have been very cool to read, thanks!
when people give me a new way to hear a track, that's a true gift.
but you know ... everybody's gonna need a ventilator :E

Keith, be well - all the way, baby, all the way



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-05-14 21:22 by with sssoul.

Both are great songs and belong to my absolute favorites! If i had to choose only one of them, i would prefer Soul Survivor, but it´s very close!

Ventilator--all the way--very original groove. Never get tired of this song.

Soul Survivor sounds more ordinary to me (riff is revived for it must be hell). Repetitive. But the best part is that bit "gonna be the death of me".

Tough one - a couple of years ago, I would have said Soul Survivor with no hesitation; but lately, I've really been into Ventilator - it was listening to the Dallas rehearsal version from '72 that made me re-assess the album take.

Today, I would say Ventilator is the better song.

Always loved the rhytem of Ventilator
when your spine is cracking and your hands they shake.....
Some kind of Ventilator....

Chas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ventilator--all the way--very original groove.
> Never get tired of this song.
>
> Soul Survivor sounds more ordinary to me (riff is
> revived for it must be hell). Repetitive. But the
> best part is that bit "gonna be the death of me".

Isn't that the definition of a riff?The song changes gears toward the end.Great intro.Great backround vocals.Great lyrics: "You ain't giving me no quarter.I'd rather drink seawater.I wish I never had brought ya.Where you are,I won't be...."Ventilator Blues is an authentic piece of blues.You can't go wrong with this album.

Theif in the Night Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> LA FORUM Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Theif in the Night Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > LA FORUM Wrote:
> > >
> -----------------------------------------------
> > > > More Keith showing us how to
> > > > riff like Keith.
> > >
> > > You could say the same thing about any riff
> > he's
> > > ever done but,apparently if you read this
> > > board,every song they have ever recorded is
> > > lacking one thing or another.Perhaps they are
> > in
> > > the wrong line of work.
> >
> >
> > No I dont think so, I think this is a song
> where
> > he shows his new type of riffing. It wasnt new
> but
> > not very old. His personal style, the typical
> > riff.
>
> I disagree.Any riff that he does is "like Keith"
> because he is Keith.It is consistent with a style
> that he developed but,the riff of Soul Survivor is
> not the same as any previous riff.What is an
> example of a song it was used in before '72?Maybe
> you're talking about some rare early outtake that
> I have never heard because,I have listened to all
> Stones albums & there are only two other songs
> that have a similar riff & they were both recorded
> well after Soul Survivor.
> If you don't like the song,that's fine
> but,people say that it is missing something & then
> can't come up with any suggestions as to what it
> is missing then,say that the riff wasn't new
> but,don't say where it was previously used....not
> a very convincing argument.


But thats my point, the riff is new, the style is more or less new on Exile but is now the typical Keith riffing, open tuning riffing on the same chord (or two chords if you like). Its Keiths rock school, how to riff and create a Keith-groove.