I also got it for Christmas in 1973 at age 13! My folks got me an 8-track player and 2 8-tracks - GHS and The Statler Brothers Live. Guess which one I listened to! They (my folks) didn't know about "Star, Star" obviously.

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saltoftheearth

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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.

Yes, you are right, saltoftheearth. The GOATS HEAD SOUP album is, if anything, a much more contemporary sounding album than EXILE ON MAIN STREET, which was rooted more in the Stones more traditional country, blues and occasional gospel roots. With GOATS HEAD SOUP the Stones were being influenced by black seventies funk sounds on tracks like 'Heartbreaker', with the wah wah guitar, and the clavinet also, which features strongly on '100 Years Ago' too. The emphasis definitely begins to shift on GOATS HEAD SOUP, in terms of the use of ballads, also, which up until then had been more of a token gesture from the Stones, however great some of those previous ballads were. With GOATS HEAD SOUP, the ballads tend to become the aspects of the album, which, if anything, takes centre stage, especially with 'Coming Down Again', 'Angie' and 'Winter'. On those later two songs, and especially on 'Angie' Jagger sings in a very different way to how he had previously, and ever would again, within ballad form. He really does attempt a form of tenderness within his singing, with the use of his lighter, softer tone, which again places the song most definitely in a more contemporary frame than much of the Stones previous seventies releases. However, whatever the style on GOATS HEAD SOUP, be it rock, funk or more of a ballad type sound, the predominant impression one gets from listening to the album is that feeling of melancholly. Some of those songs, and especially the opener 'Dancing With Mr D', may be actually lacking in terms of being convincing in terms of song quality, but like many of the songs on this album, it is the overall mood which tends to override any shortcomings, especially if listened within the context of the album as a whole. The album is certainly more polished musically than EXILE, and the more traditional Stones influences do appear to be less prominant. In fact only on 'Hide Your Love' and 'Star Star' (and maybe 'Silver Train'), do the Stones really acknowledge those old blues and Chuck Berry influences, and in many ways 'Star Star' is actually the most untypical sounding song on the album, yet probably the most typical sounding Stones song relating to previous times.

The Stones on GOATS HEAD SOUP do sound a little less finely tuned than on those albums that came immediately before, almost as though they were a little fatigued, or the worse for wear. The music seems to be a little more frayed around the edges in many cases, and not so precise and focused. However, possibly apart from 'Dancing With Mr D' (and especially within the lyrics of that song), the Stones do not sound like the parody they would become on IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL, where the stones-by-numbers approach first truly veers its ugly head. The Stones on GOATS HEAD SOUP still sound pretty vital, and important, as though their previous muse from the BEGGARS BANQUET-EXILE ON MAIN STREET was still active, but maybe a little less focused. By IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL, that aspect may arguably have become irritrievably lost, within the triviality of the album's sound, and especially on that more consistent level, within the years to come.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-23 10:55 by Edward Twining.

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Edward Twining

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saltoftheearth

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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.

Yes, you are right, saltoftheearth. The GOATS HEAD SOUP album is, if anything, a much more contemporary sounding album than EXILE ON MAIN STREET, which was rooted more in the Stones more traditional country, blues and occasional gospel roots. With GOATS HEAD SOUP the Stones were being influenced by black seventies funk sounds on tracks like 'Heartbreaker', with the wah wah guitar, and the clavinet also, which features strongly on '100 Years Ago' too. The emphasis definitely begins to shift on GOATS HEAD SOUP, in terms of the use of ballads, also, which up until then had been more of a token gesture from the Stones, however great some of those previous ballads were. With GOATS HEAD SOUP, the ballads tend to become the aspects of the album, which, if anything, takes centre stage, especially with 'Coming Down Again', 'Angie' and 'Winter'. On those later two songs, and especially on 'Angie' Jagger sings in a very different way to how he had previously, and ever would again, within ballad form. He really does attempt a form of tenderness within his singing, with the use of his lighter, softer tone, which again places the song most definitely in a more contemporary frame than much of the Stones previous seventies releases. However, whatever the style on GOATS HEAD SOUP, be it rock, funk or more of a ballad type sound, the predominant impression one gets from listening to the album is that feeling of melancholly. Some of those songs, and especially the opener 'Dancing With Mr D', may be actually lacking in terms of being convincing in terms of song quality, but like many of the songs on this album, it is the overall mood which tends to override any shortcomings, especially if listened within the context of the album as a whole. The album is certainly more polished musically than EXILE, and the more traditional Stones influences do appear to be less prominant. In fact only on 'Hide Your Love' and 'Star Star', do the Stones really acknowledge those old blues and Chuck Berry influences, and in many ways 'Star Star' is actually the most untypical sounding song on the album, yet probably the most typical sounding Stones song relating to previous times.

The Stones on GOATS HEAD SOUP do sound a little less finely tuned than on those albums that came immediately before, almost as though they were a little fatigued, or the worse for wear. The music seems to be a little more frayed around the edges in many cases, and not so precise and focused. However, possibly apart from 'Dancing With Mr D' (and especially within the lyrics of that song), the Stones do not sound like the parody they would become on IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL, where the stones-by-numbers approach first truly veers its ugly head. The Stones on GOATS HEAD SOUP still sound pretty vital, and important, as though their previous muse from the BEGGARS BANQUET-EXILE ON MAIN STREET was still active, but maybe a little less focused. By IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL, that aspect may arguably have become irritrievably lost, within the triviality of the album's sound, and especially on that more consistent level, within the years to come.

Yeah, Edward, very much inspired by Stevie Wonder's sound.

I think it was kleermaker who wrote in another thread that the Stones started following the trends after 1974, but I think they started way earlier. Exile was a mish mash of blues/rock/country, just like The Band and other acts that increased in popularity at the time. The same goes for the Stones's' funky days, starting with GHS, continuing with IORR and BAB, even though the latter contained a wider range of musical styles.

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DandelionPowderman

Quote
Edward Twining

Quote
saltoftheearth

Quote
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.

Yes, you are right, saltoftheearth. The GOATS HEAD SOUP album is, if anything, a much more contemporary sounding album than EXILE ON MAIN STREET, which was rooted more in the Stones more traditional country, blues and occasional gospel roots. With GOATS HEAD SOUP the Stones were being influenced by black seventies funk sounds on tracks like 'Heartbreaker', with the wah wah guitar, and the clavinet also, which features strongly on '100 Years Ago' too. The emphasis definitely begins to shift on GOATS HEAD SOUP, in terms of the use of ballads, also, which up until then had been more of a token gesture from the Stones, however great some of those previous ballads were. With GOATS HEAD SOUP, the ballads tend to become the aspects of the album, which, if anything, takes centre stage, especially with 'Coming Down Again', 'Angie' and 'Winter'. On those later two songs, and especially on 'Angie' Jagger sings in a very different way to how he had previously, and ever would again, within ballad form. He really does attempt a form of tenderness within his singing, with the use of his lighter, softer tone, which again places the song most definitely in a more contemporary frame than much of the Stones previous seventies releases. However, whatever the style on GOATS HEAD SOUP, be it rock, funk or more of a ballad type sound, the predominant impression one gets from listening to the album is that feeling of melancholly. Some of those songs, and especially the opener 'Dancing With Mr D', may be actually lacking in terms of being convincing in terms of song quality, but like many of the songs on this album, it is the overall mood which tends to override any shortcomings, especially if listened within the context of the album as a whole. The album is certainly more polished musically than EXILE, and the more traditional Stones influences do appear to be less prominant. In fact only on 'Hide Your Love' and 'Star Star', do the Stones really acknowledge those old blues and Chuck Berry influences, and in many ways 'Star Star' is actually the most untypical sounding song on the album, yet probably the most typical sounding Stones song relating to previous times.

The Stones on GOATS HEAD SOUP do sound a little less finely tuned than on those albums that came immediately before, almost as though they were a little fatigued, or the worse for wear. The music seems to be a little more frayed around the edges in many cases, and not so precise and focused. However, possibly apart from 'Dancing With Mr D' (and especially within the lyrics of that song), the Stones do not sound like the parody they would become on IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL, where the stones-by-numbers approach first truly veers its ugly head. The Stones on GOATS HEAD SOUP still sound pretty vital, and important, as though their previous muse from the BEGGARS BANQUET-EXILE ON MAIN STREET was still active, but maybe a little less focused. By IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL, that aspect may arguably have become irritrievably lost, within the triviality of the album's sound, and especially on that more consistent level, within the years to come.

Yeah, Edward, very much inspired by Stevie Wonder's sound.

I think it was kleermaker who wrote in another thread that the Stones started following the trends after 1974, but I think they started way earlier. Exile was a mish mash of blues/rock/country, just like The Band and other acts that increased in popularity at the time. The same goes for the Stones's' funky days, starting with GHS, continuing with IORR and BAB, even though the latter contained a wider range of musical styles.

The early 70s funky influence...as I previously mentioned (near the top of page 7)

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WeLoveYou

Quote
DandelionPowderman

Quote
Edward Twining

Quote
saltoftheearth

Quote
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.

Yes, you are right, saltoftheearth. The GOATS HEAD SOUP album is, if anything, a much more contemporary sounding album than EXILE ON MAIN STREET, which was rooted more in the Stones more traditional country, blues and occasional gospel roots. With GOATS HEAD SOUP the Stones were being influenced by black seventies funk sounds on tracks like 'Heartbreaker', with the wah wah guitar, and the clavinet also, which features strongly on '100 Years Ago' too. The emphasis definitely begins to shift on GOATS HEAD SOUP, in terms of the use of ballads, also, which up until then had been more of a token gesture from the Stones, however great some of those previous ballads were. With GOATS HEAD SOUP, the ballads tend to become the aspects of the album, which, if anything, takes centre stage, especially with 'Coming Down Again', 'Angie' and 'Winter'. On those later two songs, and especially on 'Angie' Jagger sings in a very different way to how he had previously, and ever would again, within ballad form. He really does attempt a form of tenderness within his singing, with the use of his lighter, softer tone, which again places the song most definitely in a more contemporary frame than much of the Stones previous seventies releases. However, whatever the style on GOATS HEAD SOUP, be it rock, funk or more of a ballad type sound, the predominant impression one gets from listening to the album is that feeling of melancholly. Some of those songs, and especially the opener 'Dancing With Mr D', may be actually lacking in terms of being convincing in terms of song quality, but like many of the songs on this album, it is the overall mood which tends to override any shortcomings, especially if listened within the context of the album as a whole. The album is certainly more polished musically than EXILE, and the more traditional Stones influences do appear to be less prominant. In fact only on 'Hide Your Love' and 'Star Star', do the Stones really acknowledge those old blues and Chuck Berry influences, and in many ways 'Star Star' is actually the most untypical sounding song on the album, yet probably the most typical sounding Stones song relating to previous times.

The Stones on GOATS HEAD SOUP do sound a little less finely tuned than on those albums that came immediately before, almost as though they were a little fatigued, or the worse for wear. The music seems to be a little more frayed around the edges in many cases, and not so precise and focused. However, possibly apart from 'Dancing With Mr D' (and especially within the lyrics of that song), the Stones do not sound like the parody they would become on IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL, where the stones-by-numbers approach first truly veers its ugly head. The Stones on GOATS HEAD SOUP still sound pretty vital, and important, as though their previous muse from the BEGGARS BANQUET-EXILE ON MAIN STREET was still active, but maybe a little less focused. By IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL, that aspect may arguably have become irritrievably lost, within the triviality of the album's sound, and especially on that more consistent level, within the years to come.

Yeah, Edward, very much inspired by Stevie Wonder's sound.

I think it was kleermaker who wrote in another thread that the Stones started following the trends after 1974, but I think they started way earlier. Exile was a mish mash of blues/rock/country, just like The Band and other acts that increased in popularity at the time. The same goes for the Stones's' funky days, starting with GHS, continuing with IORR and BAB, even though the latter contained a wider range of musical styles.

The early 70s funky influence...as I previously mentioned (near the top of page 7)

I bet Mick catched Sly And The Family Stone already in the late 60s.

However, the Stones didn't become funky on record till after the 1972 tour with Stevie Wonder (CYHMK might be funky, but in a different way, imo). The year after, they hired Billy Preston in the tour lineup (yeah, I know he was on Sticky and Exile, too), and he surely brought color to their sound.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-23 15:17 by DandelionPowderman.

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DandelionPowderman

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WeLoveYou

Quote
DandelionPowderman

Quote
Edward Twining

Quote
saltoftheearth

Quote
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.

Yes, you are right, saltoftheearth. The GOATS HEAD SOUP album is, if anything, a much more contemporary sounding album than EXILE ON MAIN STREET, which was rooted more in the Stones more traditional country, blues and occasional gospel roots. With GOATS HEAD SOUP the Stones were being influenced by black seventies funk sounds on tracks like 'Heartbreaker', with the wah wah guitar, and the clavinet also, which features strongly on '100 Years Ago' too. The emphasis definitely begins to shift on GOATS HEAD SOUP, in terms of the use of ballads, also, which up until then had been more of a token gesture from the Stones, however great some of those previous ballads were. With GOATS HEAD SOUP, the ballads tend to become the aspects of the album, which, if anything, takes centre stage, especially with 'Coming Down Again', 'Angie' and 'Winter'. On those later two songs, and especially on 'Angie' Jagger sings in a very different way to how he had previously, and ever would again, within ballad form. He really does attempt a form of tenderness within his singing, with the use of his lighter, softer tone, which again places the song most definitely in a more contemporary frame than much of the Stones previous seventies releases. However, whatever the style on GOATS HEAD SOUP, be it rock, funk or more of a ballad type sound, the predominant impression one gets from listening to the album is that feeling of melancholly. Some of those songs, and especially the opener 'Dancing With Mr D', may be actually lacking in terms of being convincing in terms of song quality, but like many of the songs on this album, it is the overall mood which tends to override any shortcomings, especially if listened within the context of the album as a whole. The album is certainly more polished musically than EXILE, and the more traditional Stones influences do appear to be less prominant. In fact only on 'Hide Your Love' and 'Star Star', do the Stones really acknowledge those old blues and Chuck Berry influences, and in many ways 'Star Star' is actually the most untypical sounding song on the album, yet probably the most typical sounding Stones song relating to previous times.

The Stones on GOATS HEAD SOUP do sound a little less finely tuned than on those albums that came immediately before, almost as though they were a little fatigued, or the worse for wear. The music seems to be a little more frayed around the edges in many cases, and not so precise and focused. However, possibly apart from 'Dancing With Mr D' (and especially within the lyrics of that song), the Stones do not sound like the parody they would become on IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL, where the stones-by-numbers approach first truly veers its ugly head. The Stones on GOATS HEAD SOUP still sound pretty vital, and important, as though their previous muse from the BEGGARS BANQUET-EXILE ON MAIN STREET was still active, but maybe a little less focused. By IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL, that aspect may arguably have become irritrievably lost, within the triviality of the album's sound, and especially on that more consistent level, within the years to come.

Yeah, Edward, very much inspired by Stevie Wonder's sound.

I think it was kleermaker who wrote in another thread that the Stones started following the trends after 1974, but I think they started way earlier. Exile was a mish mash of blues/rock/country, just like The Band and other acts that increased in popularity at the time. The same goes for the Stones's' funky days, starting with GHS, continuing with IORR and BAB, even though the latter contained a wider range of musical styles.

The early 70s funky influence...as I previously mentioned (near the top of page 7)

I bet Mick catched Sly And The Family Stone already in the late 60s.

However, the Stones didn't become funky on record till after the 1972 tour with Stevie Wonder (CYHMK might be funky, but in a different way, imo). The year after, they hired Billy Preston in the tour lineup (yeah, I know he was on Exile, too), and he surely brought color to their sound.

It is true that the funkyness was obvious by 1973 when Billy Preston entered. But whar about Monkey Man from LIB?

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GetYerAngie

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DandelionPowderman

Quote
WeLoveYou

Quote
DandelionPowderman

Quote
Edward Twining

Quote
saltoftheearth

Quote
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.

Yes, you are right, saltoftheearth. The GOATS HEAD SOUP album is, if anything, a much more contemporary sounding album than EXILE ON MAIN STREET, which was rooted more in the Stones more traditional country, blues and occasional gospel roots. With GOATS HEAD SOUP the Stones were being influenced by black seventies funk sounds on tracks like 'Heartbreaker', with the wah wah guitar, and the clavinet also, which features strongly on '100 Years Ago' too. The emphasis definitely begins to shift on GOATS HEAD SOUP, in terms of the use of ballads, also, which up until then had been more of a token gesture from the Stones, however great some of those previous ballads were. With GOATS HEAD SOUP, the ballads tend to become the aspects of the album, which, if anything, takes centre stage, especially with 'Coming Down Again', 'Angie' and 'Winter'. On those later two songs, and especially on 'Angie' Jagger sings in a very different way to how he had previously, and ever would again, within ballad form. He really does attempt a form of tenderness within his singing, with the use of his lighter, softer tone, which again places the song most definitely in a more contemporary frame than much of the Stones previous seventies releases. However, whatever the style on GOATS HEAD SOUP, be it rock, funk or more of a ballad type sound, the predominant impression one gets from listening to the album is that feeling of melancholly. Some of those songs, and especially the opener 'Dancing With Mr D', may be actually lacking in terms of being convincing in terms of song quality, but like many of the songs on this album, it is the overall mood which tends to override any shortcomings, especially if listened within the context of the album as a whole. The album is certainly more polished musically than EXILE, and the more traditional Stones influences do appear to be less prominant. In fact only on 'Hide Your Love' and 'Star Star', do the Stones really acknowledge those old blues and Chuck Berry influences, and in many ways 'Star Star' is actually the most untypical sounding song on the album, yet probably the most typical sounding Stones song relating to previous times.

The Stones on GOATS HEAD SOUP do sound a little less finely tuned than on those albums that came immediately before, almost as though they were a little fatigued, or the worse for wear. The music seems to be a little more frayed around the edges in many cases, and not so precise and focused. However, possibly apart from 'Dancing With Mr D' (and especially within the lyrics of that song), the Stones do not sound like the parody they would become on IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL, where the stones-by-numbers approach first truly veers its ugly head. The Stones on GOATS HEAD SOUP still sound pretty vital, and important, as though their previous muse from the BEGGARS BANQUET-EXILE ON MAIN STREET was still active, but maybe a little less focused. By IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL, that aspect may arguably have become irritrievably lost, within the triviality of the album's sound, and especially on that more consistent level, within the years to come.

Yeah, Edward, very much inspired by Stevie Wonder's sound.

I think it was kleermaker who wrote in another thread that the Stones started following the trends after 1974, but I think they started way earlier. Exile was a mish mash of blues/rock/country, just like The Band and other acts that increased in popularity at the time. The same goes for the Stones's' funky days, starting with GHS, continuing with IORR and BAB, even though the latter contained a wider range of musical styles.

The early 70s funky influence...as I previously mentioned (near the top of page 7)

I bet Mick catched Sly And The Family Stone already in the late 60s.

However, the Stones didn't become funky on record till after the 1972 tour with Stevie Wonder (CYHMK might be funky, but in a different way, imo). The year after, they hired Billy Preston in the tour lineup (yeah, I know he was on Exile, too), and he surely brought color to their sound.

It is true that the funkyness was obvious by 1973 when Billy Preston entered. But whar about Monkey Man from LIB?

Yeah, that's funky, too, but more in the same way CYHMK is, imo. It's still rock, if you know what I mean.

Hi IORR,
I've been an avid reader and follower of IORR for years, but have never posted. I finally decided to give it a try. Goats Head Soup was the first Stones album I ever bought when it actually came out, so I have special feelings for it. Here's a review I wrote about it a couple of years ago.

Goats Head Soup – 1973 (US #1; UK#1)
Dancing With Mr. D • 100 Years Ago • Coming Down Again • Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) • Angie • Silver Train • Hide Your Love • Winter • Can You Hear The Music • Star Star

Stones Fan – *****
Casual Listener - ****

Goats Head Soup is in many ways, the most interesting Stones album. Without a doubt, it is the most underrated album in their canon, even by The Stones themselves. Yet, it is a perfect distillation of Exile On Main Street. Take Exile’s sprawling landscapes and styles and make it more concise and you have Goats Head Soup. If Exile was a triple album, this would slide in perfectly without the slightest dip in quality. Plus this album has something that Exile didn’t, a blockbuster single that was also a tremendous piece of art. Goats Head Soup peaked at #1 on both sides of the pond topping the US chart for 4 weeks. It also included a very cool, yet creepy “Goats Head Soup” poster insert that characterized the music perfectly.

Unlike Sticky Fingers and Exile, which opened with blistering rock tracks, the mysterious vibe of this album starts off with the opening guitar notes. Jagger starts singing about being down at the graveyard and one can picture oneself with him in some Louisiana swamp. Dancing With Mr. D picks up a nice steady groove, with Charlie slightly behind the beat as only had can. The song absolutely oozes with a loose and muddy feel, slightly speeding up as it moves along – something fairly unique with the Stones. Jagger’s vocals are buried in the mix (like Exile), and it works perfectly along with the occasional background howls. One has to struggle to understand the lyrics, and that makes it even more effective. I wish the Stones mixed the vocals like this nowadays. I’ve heard people compare this song to Sympathy For The Devil, but that’s just plain silly. If you want to hear some true Stones’ Jamaican “Voodoo Lounge”, jump right in here. Dancing With Mr. D was only played live on their 1973 tour, but they did use it to promote the album on Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert on US TV.

100 Years Ago opens with a tasteful Billy Preston clavinet introduction and Mick takes us on a journey through the woods the other day. Again the vocals are down and the mix is muddy but it creates a warm encompassing mood. After the intro, the band kicks in with a buoyant upbeat feel. After two versus, Taylor comes in with a wah wah solo but again its buried in the background. Then the song comes to a stop and Jagger starts singing about “lazy bones ain’t got no time to waste away”. This is a downright strange interlude – almost tagged on from another song. It’s brief and the band kicks back in with a truly vicious jam led by keyboards and the wah wah guitar wailing in the background till it fades out.

Coming Down Again is a magnificent ballad led by Keith on vocals and supported by Nicky Hopkins’ beautiful piano and heavy wah wah guitar. Keith’s voice is clear and upfront and absolutely magnificent, with Jagger helping on background vocals perfectly. Keith confesses about slipping his tongue in someone else’s pie, but being hungry it ain’t no crime. After a couple of versus, the song reaches even higher when Hopkin’s piano leads into a phenomenal solo break shared by organ and saxophone. It’s relatively short and segues back into the Coming Down Again verse, but it’s so effective. The Stones have an amazing amount of these phenomenal tracks that should be played, but are long lost, just waiting to be re-discovered.
Another exciting keyboard intro, Charlie’s drums kick in and Jagger sings about a tale of police mistaken identity and the death of a lone junkie in an alleyway. Heady stuff but backed by intoxicating upbeat music highlighted with horn accents, wah wah guitar and an infectious “Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo” chorus. This is hit material and a classic in my book. Heartbreaker is still performed in concert on occasion, it’s always a highlight for me. This was the 2nd US single (none for the UK) and it peaked at #15.

Angie comes next. It’s simply amongst the most well crafted ballads the bands ever done. It’s simply perfect. Jagger’s vocals have never been better (even when he tastefully whispers “Angie”), the lyrics are beautiful and the music is magnificent. The strings tastefully weave in and out along with the beautiful guitar fills and licks. Charlie’s high hat accents throughout are also a trademark of the song. The song is shorter and tighter than Wild Horses and consequently became a well deserved #1 US single (only #5 in the UK). Angie is a classic in every way.

Silver Train starts off side two. Compared to the rest of the album, it comes off a bit pedestrian and the muddy mix takes away from what could have been a truly powerful rocker. This time Jagger uses harmonica to highlight the verses to nice effect and slide guitar running throughout. When it’s time to solo, we get a nice slide guitar solo with Charlie fully riding the cymbal. Jagger raises his voice now, howling about the Silver Train and the song picks up considerable speed. But again the muddy mix distracts from its power. I still prefer the Stones version over the better-known Johnny Winter cover and surprisingly the Stones used this on Kirschner’s to promote the album as well.

Mick Jagger starts bopping on piano singing about sometimes being up and sometimes being down. Again the vocals are down in the mix and one gets the feeling of being in a room with The Stones doing a spontaneous jam on this song. A nice guitar solo starts to kick in and Hide Your Love builds in its power. What at first seems like a loose jam starts to coalesce into a fun loose song. Exile has a few of these type of jam songs, and Hide Your Love is just as good as them.

Next comes one of the all-time lost classic Stones tracks, Winter. I can listen to this song anytime, anywhere. It’s one of the all time great Stones ballads and it should be a regular on classic radio. The song starts with un-accompanied strummed electric guitar and Jagger this time sings clear and up in the mix about a cold hard Winter. At the end of the 2nd verse, one can quickly hear someone yell “yeah” deep in the background, and you feel it too. Jagger wishes he were out in California but instead he’ll wrap his coat around you. Nicky Hopkins piano comes in, as do the strings to bring you ever higher, but the electric guitar and slide licks really bring it home. As you think the songs ending, in comes a tasteful electric guitar solo, string highlights come in and you’re truly lifting higher and higher. At 5:30 it’s too long and not crafted enough for a single, but album ballads don’t come any better.

Suddenly we hear some odd middle-eastern sounds, joined by an infectious heavy wah wah guitar lick. Jagger sings over this tribal beat “Can You Hear The Music / Magic” and at the minute mark the song transforms with Jagger singing about “love is a mystery” with a beautiful melody. Throughout we have wonderful backdrops of sound: wah wahs, drums, eastern drones and strange horn sounds. It’s very effective and haunting. The song stops and in starts the great wah wah guitar lick that started it. By now we can feel the music and magic as Jagger goes back into the “love is a mystery” verse. The song does not feel forced at all, it’s very organic and natural – as if were in a great tribal jam with The Stones and some Arabian musicians. Open up and this music will really grab you.

Next up is Star Star (@#$%&), the only “classic sounding Chuck Berryish” Stones tune on the album. It’s a great way to end the album. We all know the controversy regarding the various lyrics (giving head to Steve McQueen etc), and because of that the vocal lyrics are seriously buried in the mix and in some points nearly impossible to decipher. When Virgin remastered the album, they cleaned it up in the mix and you were able to more clearly hear about “keeping pussy’s clean and getting John Wayne before he dies”. The new Universal mix seems to be closer to the original muddy mix. The song is a classic Stones rocker regardless and is still a highlight when they play it (especially with the blow-up penis on the ’75 / ’76 tour).

So there you have Goats Head Soup, the Stones all-time underrated album, even though it was a US #1 for 4 weeks and has Angie, a perfect #1 single. This album literally takes you on a musical journey, ala Exile On Main Street, but in a more concise way. This album has as many highs as Exile and no real lows and is just ripe for discovery for any Stones fan or casual listener who’s willing to let music envelop their senses. This album is in no way a let down from what came before. The Stones have only regularly played Angie, Heartbreaker and @#$%& live. Dancing With Mr. D, 100 Years Ago and Silver Train made in some cases rare live debuts only on the 1973 tour and the others have never been played live. But it’s not because of the quality, they just aren’t really live type songs.

>the Stones didn't become funky on record till after the 1972

"Jiving Sister Fanny" sounds pretty funky to me.

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Glam Descendant
>the Stones didn't become funky on record till after the 1972

"Jiving Sister Fanny" sounds pretty funky to me.

Yes. But it was "off the record" until 1975.

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kammpberg
Hi IORR,
I've been an avid reader and follower of IORR for years, but have never posted. I finally decided to give it a try. Goats Head Soup was the first Stones album I ever bought when it actually came out, so I have special feelings for it. Here's a review I wrote about it a couple of years ago.

Nice review.

I don't think GHS is the most underrated album.
Anyway, Stones released three albums from 73 to 76. (GHS-1973, IORR-1974 and B&B-1976)
Considering these, what a great achievement they have made in those years!

Thanks treaclefingers, I've edited.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-24 10:06 by Toru A.

Excellent Goat Patties!!!


SOULSURVIVOR

>But it was "off the record" until 1975.

So? It obviously wasn't influenced by Wonder on the '72 tour as was implied.

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Toru A

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kammpberg
Hi IORR,
I've been an avid reader and follower of IORR for years, but have never posted. I finally decided to give it a try. Goats Head Soup was the first Stones album I ever bought when it actually came out, so I have special feelings for it. Here's a review I wrote about it a couple of years ago.

Nice review.

I don't think GHS is the most underrated album.
Anyway, Stones released three albums from 73 to 75. (GHS-1973, IORR-1974 and B&B-1975)
Considering these, what a great achievement they have made in those years!

Black and Blue was '76...Made in the Shade and Metamorphisis were '75.

I will agree that these were good years, especially in retrospect. These albums have aged well, although GHS is not a personal fave.

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kammpberg
Stones Fan – *****
Casual Listener - ****

A nice guitar solo starts to kick in and Hide Your Love builds in its power. What at first seems like a loose jam starts to coalesce into a fun loose song. Exile has a few of these type of jam songs, and Hide Your Love is just as good as them.

Never liked Hide your love, it's rather a weak track.. Perhaps it would have been better if they had replaced it with Through the lonely nights. Probably this would have required changing the tracklisting.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-24 13:17 by saltoftheearth.

Great review by kammpberg.

I wholeheartedly agree.

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GravityBoy
Great review by kammpberg.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Me too. Nice job, kammpberg.

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57LesPaulSpecial

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GravityBoy
Great review by kammpberg.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Me too. Nice job, kammpberg.

Yes, well done.

I love GHS partly because, more than any other Stones album, it so brilliantly captures the dreamy, gauzy, ethereal feeling of being on an opiate high.

Drew



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-03-26 13:54 by drewmaster.

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Toru A

@Koh Hasebe
This is a photo from Terra Nova Hotel, Jamaica in 1972.
There's Paul Rodgers between Taylor and Charlie.
Does he have any involvement in Jamaican recording?

From Mick Taylor.Net:
Al Lewis asked Mick if he had ever been asked by Oldfield or Billy Preston to join their bands.
Mick replied “I did play with Billy Preston as you know and with Mike Oldfield I helped the founding of Virgin Records with that particular album (TUBULAR BELLS).
I did a couple of live concerts which were done at the Queen Elizabeth Hall which was basically the beginning of Virgin Records, but I was not asked to join their bands.
The only band that I was ever asked to join while I was with the Stones, and it wouldn’t’ve really necessitated me leaving the Stones was Free/Bad Company.
It was around the time we finished GOAT’S HEAD SOUP.
I met Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirk in Jamaica and they didn’t have guitar player and we weren’t touring at the time and they asked me if I would do a tour with them.
But I really couldn’t do it because of my involvement with the Stones. But it would’ve been a nice idea actually.”

They instead connected with ex-Mott the Hoople axeman Mick Ralphs, and Bad Company would achieve massive popularity.
One has to wonder what would’ve happened had Mick Taylor said yes?

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drewmaster

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57LesPaulSpecial

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GravityBoy
Great review by kammpberg.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Me too. Nice job, kammpberg.

Yes, well done.

I love GHS partly because, more than any other Stones album, it so brilliantly captures the dreamy, gauzy, ethereal feeling of being on an opiate high.

Drew

So thats what opiates are like?
Whoa...so much better then NyQuil

Well, I'm just unexpectedly revisiting GHS - BBC 6 Music is playing Winter. Nice surprise.

Oh, yes, ballads. Very nice. Piano and guitar.

GHS was focused with Taylor and Nicky Hopkins, who went on to do IORR as well.

Nicky Hopkins - piano on "Dancing with Mr. D", "100 Years Ago", "Coming Down Again", "Angie", "Winter", and "Can You Hear the Music".

Not to mention this was Jimmy Miller's last (he started with Beggar's Banquet).

Between Beggar's Banquet and GHS, simply the best:

Goats Head Soup Album (8/31/1973)
More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies) Album (11/1/1972)
Exile On Main St. (Rarities Edition) Album (5/12/1972)
Exile On Main Street Album (5/12/1972)
Hot Rocks 1964-1971 Album (1/1/1972)
Sticky Fingers Album (4/23/1971)
Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! Album (9/4/1970)
Let It Bleed Album (11/28/1969)
Through The Past(Big Hits V.2) Album (9/1/1969)
Big Hits Vol. 2 (Through The Past, Darkly) Album (4/1/1969)
Beggar's Banquet Album (11/1/1968)

Not to forget Ian Stewart. God bless him.

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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).

Me too exactly! The Stones toured in 72 and I was all of 14 years old. I was aware of Exile coming out because of that and of course Tumbling Dice. But the real resonating momment was the fact that my best friend's older brother bought Hot Rocks. Hot Rocks certainly spawned a whole generation of Stones fans that were just too young to have gotten it in the late Sixties and very early Seventies.

I remember some GHS song names were leaked in the summer of '73 and we wondered what they were all about just from the titles. Then Angie was heard on the radio for months.

I also remember the great anticipation about the Stones "appearing" on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert.

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MileHigh
Hot Rocks certainly spawned a whole generation of Stones fans that were just too young to have gotten it in the late Sixties and very early Seventies.

I remember some GHS song names were leaked in the summer of '73 and we wondered what they were all about just from the titles. Then Angie was heard on the radio for months.

We're around the same age, and yeah, as someone mentioned here on IORR not too long ago, Hot Rocks was the album everybody had.

Oddly enough I have no recollection of hearing "Angie" on the radio during the time it was a worldwide smash hit. I certainly listened to the radio enough, so I can't explain it.

It's possible that I just didn't recognize the band playing that ballad as the Rolling Stones, but when I bought the album (same as you, GHS was the first new Stones release I ever bought) I didn't recognize "Angie". It was a new song to me.

twanghound wrote:

""Exile" was too raw, without "hits"(well,maybe "Tumbling dice"winking smiley,
and "Goats" seemed to commercial, a disco-record, to me.
I only liked "Star star"."

"Goats" is not a disco-record.

Keith Richards 1972 Kingston, Jamaica
photograph taken by Koh Hasebe

If you feel that MM, CYHMK and JSF are funky......go buy Mother ship Connection NOW! I might also suggest befriending a black person or two....I LOVE JSF, but that is just about as straightforward, 4/4 Rock and Roll as it gets. Listen to what Ronnie brought to Black and Blue and onward. A wah pedal doesn't make you funky. Listen to the Jimi Hendrix Experience V/S Band of Gypsies, it's clear.

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Toru A

Keith Richards 1972 Kingston, Jamaica
photograph taken by Koh Hasebe

Hmmm...I thought that was from the early 1972, in Los Angeles, taken by Jim Marshall....
I still think so.

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Erik_Snow

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Toru A

Keith Richards 1972 Kingston, Jamaica
photograph taken by Koh Hasebe

Hmmm...I thought that was from the early 1972, in Los Angeles, taken by Jim Marshall....
I still think so.

It is!

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Glam Descendant
>the Stones didn't become funky on record till after the 1972

"Jiving Sister Fanny" sounds pretty funky to me.

It's a boogie, albeit played a bit more funky. It's not a funky rhythm.