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Erik_Snow
Count me in in the minority who really appreciate Can You Hear The Music

Me too!

As a matter of fact I appreciate this whole album

the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler!

this Lp was one of my XMAS presents in 1973 when I was 13 and learning guitar, has a few clunkers on it, but overall, i like it alot as it has sentimental value. and mick taylor aint too bad either.

CYHTM is a strange song for me. I find the riff a bit grating (what is that instrument anyway?) and the chorus is kind of irritating. But I love the bridge, both musically and lyrically, so this song is kind of fighting with itself in a way. Or at least that's my experience of it. Used to be my least favorite song on the album.

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Midnight Toker
this Lp was one of my XMAS presents in 1973 when I was 13

Exactly the same as me - Christmas present and I was 13 - my first Stones album (I did request it).

GHS, Sladest and Aladdin Sane is what I got that Christmas.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-21 10:38 by GravityBoy.

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71Tele
CYHTM is a strange song for me. I find the riff a bit grating (what is that instrument anyway?) and the chorus is kind of irritating. But I love the bridge, both musically and lyrically, so this song is kind of fighting with itself in a way. Or at least that's my experience of it. Used to be my least favorite song on the album.

Agreed. If find this song a mixture of great and strange elements. The odd sounds make it stranger, yet it would probably sound boring with more regular sounding guitars and keyboards. It's a bit like many tracks on Between the Buttons -- decent songs with crazy production.

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His Majesty
I seem to be one of the few that can't stand Winter.

Coming Down Again is about the only track I feel any connection to from this album.

I don't like Winter much either and I do like Coming Down Again a lot so you're not alone. I like Heartbreaker also, Angie is not bad.

Other than the above it's a pretty weak album. But I always think, if a new band came along today and GHS was their debut album we'd think this band were amazing. By Stones standards however GHS was weak coming after Exile and SF. I agree with the reviewer above about Dancing with Mr D, which I always thought was a horrendous going through the motions track - possibly the first time the Stones could be said to be going through the motions.

In general it seems the Stones were caught up in the funky keyboard Stevie Wonderish sound of the early seventies and this was not necessarily a good thing for them. I guess they were always influenced by the trends of the time - in 1971 it was the UK blues revival, then the funky period in 1972/3, in the late seventies it was punk and disco.

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LieB

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71Tele
CYHTM is a strange song for me. I find the riff a bit grating (what is that instrument anyway?) and the chorus is kind of irritating. But I love the bridge, both musically and lyrically, so this song is kind of fighting with itself in a way. Or at least that's my experience of it. Used to be my least favorite song on the album.

Agreed. If find this song a mixture of great and strange elements. The odd sounds make it stranger, yet it would probably sound boring with more regular sounding guitars and keyboards. It's a bit like many tracks on Between the Buttons -- decent songs with crazy production.

If they had recorded this tune with conventional instruments - acoustic guitar, piano, electric guitars - it could actually have been quite a good bluesy groove.

Perhaps if the Stones had restrained themselves and stuck to a more R&B / bluesy approach then GHS might have been much better.

In a sense GHS compared to Exile is like TSMR compared to BB. When they went back to basics with JJF it was the best thing they could have done following TSMR. it seems however that they left the basics and went off the rails again with GHS..... only to get back on track again in the mid to late 70s.

GHS IS ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS!!!! Its sound is unique, and the mellancolic atmosphere unique, and the Ccuck Brerrian last tune is unique, and coming down again is unique, and angie is unique, and winter is unique , and silver train, and 100 years ago, and dancing with mr D, and the production, ang MJ's voice, and MT's guitar, and the whole group.................and IORR is another big big album

100 Years Ago - one of the best things they ever did.

One problem.. it's not long enough.

Keith's not on it is he?

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KeithNacho
GHS IS ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS!!!! Its sound is unique, and the mellancolic atmosphere unique, and the Ccuck Brerrian last tune is unique, and coming down again is unique, and angie is unique, and winter is unique , and silver train, and 100 years ago, and dancing with mr D, and the production, ang MJ's voice, and MT's guitar, and the whole group.................and IORR is another big big album

I need the stuff you're on, mate

I am at work, but those albums are great, every RS album has its own greatness

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KeithNacho
I am at work, but those albums are great, every RS album has its own greatness

Spot on!

The essential value in GHS, despite its muddy production, lies in the live versions. Nobody who ever heard Dancing with Mr D will any more say that it is a weak song. It has a special feeling on the 1973 live recordings.

Doo doo doo doo doo (Heartbreaker) also was great on the 1973 tour - the wah wah/brass arrangements were simply classic -, while I prefer Star star in a good version with Ronnie Wood. Angie was also great in the 1973 version which I prefered for many years over the studio version but now it depends on my mood. And it is a drag that they never released one of the both live versions of 100 years ago (Vienna or Mannheim, if they have soundboard recordings at all!). Silver train is a rocker which also sounded good back in Vienna 1973. It would have been great if they had played that song altenating with All down the line.

This makes at least five great live songs and one that's pretty good, if nothing special (Silver train).

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71Tele
CYHTM is a strange song for me. I find the riff a bit grating (what is that instrument anyway?) and the chorus is kind of irritating. But I love the bridge, both musically and lyrically, so this song is kind of fighting with itself in a way. Or at least that's my experience of it. Used to be my least favorite song on the album.

You summed my thoughts about the track. I also love the bridge; it funnily makes the song to fly to other universe, and I rather spend more time in tha soundscape than we get. The rest is rather odd-sounding stuff that just.. what... stands there, circles around, and goes nowhere. I have alwys felt like this song is metaphorically a left-over from SATANIC MAJESTIES.

- Doxa

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Doxa

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71Tele
CYHTM is a strange song for me. I find the riff a bit grating (what is that instrument anyway?) and the chorus is kind of irritating. But I love the bridge, both musically and lyrically, so this song is kind of fighting with itself in a way. Or at least that's my experience of it. Used to be my least favorite song on the album.

You summed my thoughts about the track. I also love the bridge; it funnily makes the song to fly to other universe, and I rather spend more time in tha soundscape than we get. The rest is rather odd-sounding stuff that just.. what... stands there, circles around, and goes nowhere. I have alwys felt like this song is metaphorically a left-over from SATANIC MAJESTIES.

- Doxa

'Can You Hear The Music?' is definitely more seventies sounding, than sixties, in my opinion, and generally it's a great deal less pop based than the material to be found on THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST. My immediate thoughts concerning this song initially, was that it is rather indulgent, where perhaps the Stones weren't really sure where they were going, and perhaps it has a sort of aimless feel within the heavy density of its sound. However, like much of GOATS HEAD SOUP, there does seem to be an element of beauty lying within its grooves, which reveals itself especially after repeated listens. Like a number of songs on GOATS HEAD SOUP, and especially 'Dancing With Mr D', 'Can You Hear The Music?' will never go down as a great Stones song, whatever criteria one decides to use, but it does have a specific 'feel' which is pretty unique, and does pretty much belong exclusively to the GOATS HEAD SOUP album. The album as a whole, i love because of this, although i don't think it's difficult to acknowledge a number of the songs aren't as meticulously crafted as those found on the Stones previous few albums. Jagger sounds in quite a bluesy voice through most of 'Can You Hear The Music?' where he's trying to emulate a much harsher and blacker sound, however, that does tend to lift during the bridge. Love the strange mixture of guitars, too.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-22 08:58 by Edward Twining.

Dancing with Mr D.

Voodoo and all that was very popular in 1973.

James Bond - Live and Let Die was a big film.

I hear Dancing with Mr D and I see scenes from LALD.

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71Tele
CYHTM is a strange song for me. I find the riff a bit grating (what is that instrument anyway?) and the chorus is kind of irritating. But I love the bridge, both musically and lyrically, so this song is kind of fighting with itself in a way. Or at least that's my experience of it. Used to be my least favorite song on the album.

It's a wha-wha through a Leslie. Great sound. Interesting idea.
Lots of things sound good through a Leslie.
I told a friend of mine to run his pedal steel through one (been done before)
and it sounded fantastic.

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tomk

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71Tele
CYHTM is a strange song for me. I find the riff a bit grating (what is that instrument anyway?) and the chorus is kind of irritating. But I love the bridge, both musically and lyrically, so this song is kind of fighting with itself in a way. Or at least that's my experience of it. Used to be my least favorite song on the album.

It's a wha-wha through a Leslie. Great sound. Interesting idea.
Lots of things sound good through a Leslie.
I told a friend of mine to run his pedal steel through one (been done before)
and it sounded fantastic.

I love Leslies. The guitar on "Let It Loose" is fantastic. The Beatles of course used Leslies like crazy, even running vocals through them. Haven't tried a pedal steel through one yet though. Interesting idea!

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71Tele

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tomk

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71Tele
CYHTM is a strange song for me. I find the riff a bit grating (what is that instrument anyway?) and the chorus is kind of irritating. But I love the bridge, both musically and lyrically, so this song is kind of fighting with itself in a way. Or at least that's my experience of it. Used to be my least favorite song on the album.

It's a wha-wha through a Leslie. Great sound. Interesting idea.
Lots of things sound good through a Leslie.
I told a friend of mine to run his pedal steel through one (been done before)
and it sounded fantastic.

I love Leslies. The guitar on "Let It Loose" is fantastic. The Beatles of course used Leslies like crazy, even running vocals through them. Haven't tried a pedal steel through one yet though. Interesting idea!

I got that idea from a Mike Nesmith record where he did that, ran Red Rhodes's steel guitar through one (or maybe it was Lloyd Green who played it, I'll have to check).
The Pink Floyd aficionados could probably shed more light on this, but the beginning of Echoes is a regular piano through a Leslie.

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Edward Twining
...although i don't think it's difficult to acknowledge a number of the songs aren't as meticulously crafted as those found on the Stones previous few albums....

...but then imagine the classic Tour of Europe 1973 without the GHS songs. As great as the 1972 U.S. Tour may have been, it was these new songs which highlighted the European concerts. They certainly had a new sound and 'updated' the shows.
I can still remember how excited we were in the mid-1970s when we were listeing to songs like Star star and Heartbreaker.

GHS was the first Stones album that I had the pleasure of anticipating the release of and getting when it first came out. I discovered (or rather immersed myself in, as I was already aware of them) the Stones through Hot Rocks, and then worked my way backwards through the various records and phases. But GHS was the first one where I got to experience that delicious anticipation of a new Stones record, so it will always have a dear place in my heart. Plus, I just think the melancholy mood of the album is unique - it's an emotional place they had not gone to before. the sense of weariness, fatigue, wistfulness and longing is not what we expected from the band. It still has that effect on me today, where most of the ones that came after don't leave me with any particular feeling (excepting Some Girls and Tattoo You).

Well it looks like MJ had the same problem with missing teeth as Keith did back in this GHS era. Check out this interview on The Old Grey Whistle Test.
At exactly 6:37 one of Micks bridges comes loose and he about loses a tooth on camera. Quick recovery but I guess Keith wasn't the only one losing teeth back then. lol peace

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GravityBoy
Dancing with Mr D.

Voodoo and all that was very popular in 1973.

James Bond - Live and Let Die was a big film.

I hear Dancing with Mr D and I see scenes from LALD.

Yeah spot on!

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71Tele
GHS was the first Stones album that I had the pleasure of anticipating the release of and getting when it first came out. I discovered (or rather immersed myself in, as I was already aware of them) the Stones through Hot Rocks, and then worked my way backwards through the various records and phases. But GHS was the first one where I got to experience that delicious anticipation of a new Stones record, so it will always have a dear place in my heart. Plus, I just think the melancholy mood of the album is unique - it's an emotional place they had not gone to before. the sense of weariness, fatigue, wistfulness and longing is not what we expected from the band. It still has that effect on me today, where most of the ones that came after don't leave me with any particular feeling (excepting Some Girls and Tattoo You).

Wow Tele, nice post. peace

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Naturalust
Well it looks like MJ had the same problem with missing teeth as Keith did back in this GHS era. Check out this interview on The Old Grey Whistle Test.
At exactly 6:37 one of Micks bridges comes loose and he about loses a tooth on camera. Quick recovery but I guess Keith wasn't the only one losing teeth back then. lol peace

What's going on at 8:19

Fascinating.

Probably just food between his teeth...

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DandelionPowderman
Probably just food between his teeth...

Blame it on the birthday-pretzels, the OGWT interview took place at his birthday in 1973


July 26th 1973 - scanned by Rockman

Maybe it's a cyanide pill.

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71Tele
GHS was the first Stones album that I had the pleasure of anticipating the release of and getting when it first came out. I discovered (or rather immersed myself in, as I was already aware of them) the Stones through Hot Rocks, and then worked my way backwards through the various records and phases. But GHS was the first one where I got to experience that delicious anticipation of a new Stones record, so it will always have a dear place in my heart. Plus, I just think the melancholy mood of the album is unique - it's an emotional place they had not gone to before. the sense of weariness, fatigue, wistfulness and longing is not what we expected from the band. It still has that effect on me today, where most of the ones that came after don't leave me with any particular feeling (excepting Some Girls and Tattoo You).

Tele:

This is very similar to my introduction to the band. But I do also recall that the boys were all over the media in '72 for the U. S. tour (e.g., Dick Cavett), when I was a sprout of fourteen. My mom immediately voiced her disgust, which of course had the effect of me loving them all the more. I haven't been the same since.

But, yeah, like Tele, I still have a soft spot for GHS.

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Erik_Snow

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DandelionPowderman
Probably just food between his teeth...

Blame it on the birthday-pretzels, the OGWT interview took place at his birthday in 1973


July 26th 1973 - scanned by Rockman

LOL!