JK Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I love Goats Head Soup. That album has a special
> place in my heart.
> It made me a Stones fan.

I can understand that very well. my younger brother became a Stones fan just because of this album. he bought it because of the single, Angie. before that, he could never understand my love for the band. but he played GHS again and again and again, and consequently, I also listened (or was gently forced to listen) to GHS much more than its predessors Sticky Fingers and Exile (those two albums, Exile in particular) I did not quite get at the time and therefore, they were not on my turntable that often - believe it or not! but through my brother, I listened to GHS probably a thousand times. it has a special place in the heart of my brother, and therefore also in mine.

alimante, your story reminds me of my older brother. He has good taste in music and we like a lot of the same stuff but Differs from me because hes really a lot more into punk rock then me and he likes heavy metal, which im not really into at all. so hes really more into a lot heaver kind of stuff. But one time we were in the car and and Angie came on the oldies station and he turned it up and said "This is Angie, this song is Bad Ass!" and I remember him tapping on the dash board along to Charlies drumming. I thought it was cool that someone with his taste in music would like Angie and really made me appreciate the song even more.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-01-06 23:41 by ryanpow.

walkingthedog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SG is the weakest. It has 4 decent songs (Miss
> you,Some girls,
> Far away eyes and Beast of burden). The rest is
> Stones-by-the-numbers.

Refreshing & reliefing to hear someone sayin' that.
Lurvly era, punkish energy.. But song-wise it aint much.

Still, my 50c is put at Black And Blue, which I like a lot,
but which cant be taken seriously as a Stones album-effort.
Sounds like a work in progress.

Many true consents here. With the possible exception of Some Girls, Goats was the last Stones album to have a coherent style and mood -- the last to move the band in a totally new direction while not being stuck in a predefined "Stones land". The latter has made IORR and most albums after 1974 incoherent and slightly boring.

Contrary to many, I also like the production of GHS. Yes, it's murky, voodooish and swampy, but it's got character and a lovely heavy sound. IORR is just flat and in comparison. And Mick Taylor was brilliant on GHS, of course.

Agree with LieB on production. Swampy is a well-found word.

GHS has some lovely numbers on it, but I must agree with the topic starter and say it is the weakest Stones album of the 70's, although I still think it's great. And contrary to what everyone seems to be saying, I prefer IORR over both GHS and BnB, because although it's the first instance in which the Stones are trying to sound "Stonesy", it sounds like they are far more energetic, fresh, and inspired than they were on GHS.

cc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> rooster Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > You know what!!?? ( while makin Indian food
> > ...roti!!) I just love ''Can you hear the
> > music''!! I bet no one likes it!
>
> I LOVE that song, rooster! "Can ya hear the
> GIT-arrr?" It's very pretty, actually, and
> slightly philosophical, a nice companion to "100
> Years Ago."

And the bridge is beautiful too!

I love all the 70s releases. There are probably 2 songs released by the Stones in the course of the 70s records that I don't like: Fingerprint File and Hot Stuff.

BB, Exiles, GHS, IORR, B&B, Some Girls all bring wonderful feelings and memories out every time I listen...whether they be memories of a party, a friend, or just listening and discovering the band.

The weakest thing from the 70s got released 6 months after the end of the decade: Emotional Rescue....Indian Girl????

sluissie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> cc Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> > I LOVE that song, rooster! "Can ya hear the
> > GIT-arrr?" It's very pretty, actually, and
> > slightly philosophical, a nice companion to
> "100
> > Years Ago."
>
> And the bridge is beautiful too!

yeah, that's my favorite part, actually... "and I get scared--I get SCARED!"

No, one of my favourite stones albums. Has a great feel to it.

Don't know about you, but all this talk about GHS - now I'm gonna go play it - LOUD! ;-)

MOJO - October 2002



ROCKMAN

It was the first album I bought with the Stones, and it´s still my favourite. I think it captures the essence of the band. All the elements are present, the groove, the tenderness, the sleaziness, the rockers, the ballads, it´s all there...

One of my fav. Albums

Goat's Head Soup, despite the murky quality of the recording, has some of the Stones' most underrated songs ever. Keith's Coming Down Again is an absolute classic as is Hide Your Love which should be revived for the next tour. Heartbreaker, which has been played several times on recent tours is another and Can You Hear The Music is a beautiful tribute to Brian with its chiming Moroccan sounds.

The general problem with the album is that it represents the first time the Stones went into cartoon self-parody mode - Star Star being the main offender - which set the tone for all that jokey 12 bar rifferama like It's Only Rock'n'Roll. It was the birth of the Stones as an arena/stadium band rather than the bluesy rock band they had been until Exile.

> The general problem with the album is that it
> represents the first time the Stones went into
> cartoon self-parody mode - Star Star being the
> main offender - which set the tone for all that
> jokey 12 bar rifferama like It's Only Rock'n'Roll.
> It was the birth of the Stones as an arena/stadium
> band rather than the bluesy rock band they had
> been until Exile.


interesting point! never thought of it that way...but i honestly think that this (as you call it) "cartoon-self-parody-mode" was important for them to survive that long. it's a tipical jagger thing and i think that it helped him and the band to keep it all together, ahh its difficult for me to express my thought with my poor english...;-( hope you know what i mean ;-)

Silver Dagger, I think you pretty much nailed it: Partly it's promising new directions and partly it's just going through the motions. It lacks direction somehow. Even if you listen to the many strong outtakes, there's a feeling of loosing grip. IMO "Coming Down Again" would have made the perfect title track, because that's what it is, essentially.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2008-01-07 13:31 by Greenblues.

I have to agree with Erik completeley on this - GHS is a great weird, mellow album, one of my faves without question, and Winter is one of the best tracks ever written with the beautiful tone of MT's guitar - quite magical!

"till the next time..."

walkingthedog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SG is the weakest. It has 4 decent songs (Miss
> you,Some girls,
> Far away eyes and Beast of burden). The rest is
> Stones-by-the-numbers.


WHAAAAAAAAT?!!!!!!?

Mr Dog, I know you're entitled to your opinion and we're not the Taliban here, but COME OFF IT!

Some Girls has exactly one weak/by the numbers song on it: Lies.

Excluding the ones you've mentioned ....

When The Whip Comes Down is Jagger doing Lou Reed (and very well),
Imagination is Jagger doing The Sex Pistols doing The Temps (an intent made even more explicit in the live versions from the 78 tour),
Some Girls is one of the funniest/nastiest/most self-deprecating lyrics Jagger has written (referencing both sexist and racist stereotypes, Bob Dylan's recent divorce (The house on Zuma beach) and Jagger's own divorce from Bianca), Respectable is a great boiling gob of spit back in those same punks' eyes - more self-deprecation - this time at the expense of the group
Before They Make Me Run is Keith self-mythologising in the wake of his Toronto bust, but in a very arch, knowing way
And Shattered - a love-hate ode to the New York of the 70s.

Some Girls is as steeped in late 70s New York as Lou Reed's 70s albums - it encapsulates everything that made the city tick - its sleaze, its dangerous glamour, its sounds. And it's also one of the boldest, brashest, bravest albums The Stones put out.

Out of interest, what do you consider their strongest post-Exile 70s album?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-01-07 15:52 by Nikolai.

echoing other sentiments in previous posts, GHS does it for me because it's become so ingrained in my psyche

for starters my Dad has it on LP - years before i even knew how to work it or anything i just used to sit with it before me, staring at the weird photographs of these funny-looking men (ESPECIALLY Keith on the back - woah!)

when i was a bit older i was searching through the LP's again, listening to some on headphones...GHS pops up so i gave it a spin, but just ignored the tracks really - at the time i had only just 'gotten into' the Stones so i was more used to their 'big hits' and didn't really 'get' all these mad tracks..they seemed so out of character compared to JJF!

the summer of my GCSE's (exams you take leaving secondary school in the UK) was what really got me into GHS...spending long days revising in the heat and sun and having it spinning on the record player in the background and playing it LOUD to annoy the neighbours! whenever i hear Silver Train (for some reason it's that song) i am instantly transported back to those weeks and months i spent off school at home preparing for my exams playying that disc...great days, great memories and an amazing album, it'll forever have a hazy summer vibe to it for me

Nikolai Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> walkingthedog Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > SG is the weakest. It has 4 decent songs (Miss
> > you,Some girls,
> > Far away eyes and Beast of burden). The rest is
> > Stones-by-the-numbers.
>
>
> WHAAAAAAAAT?!!!!!!?
>
> Mr Dog, I know you're entitled to your opinion and
> we're not the Taliban here, but COME OFF IT!
>
> Some Girls has exactly one weak/by the numbers
> song on it: Lies.
>
> Excluding the ones you've mentioned ....
>
> When The Whip Comes Down is Jagger doing Lou Reed
> (and very well),
> Imagination is Jagger doing The Sex Pistols doing
> The Temps (an intent made even more explicit in
> the live versions from the 78 tour),
> Some Girls is one of the funniest/nastiest/most
> self-deprecating lyrics Jagger has written
> (referencing both sexist and racist stereotypes,
> Bob Dylan's recent divorce (The house on Zuma
> beach) and Jagger's own divorce from Bianca),
> Respectable is a great boiling gob of spit back in
> those same punks' eyes - more self-deprecation -
> this time at the expense of the group
> Before They Make Me Run is Keith
> self-mythologising in the wake of his Toronto
> bust, but in a very arch, knowing way
> And Shattered - a love-hate ode to the New York of
> the 70s.
>
> Some Girls is as steeped in late 70s New York as
> Lou Reed's 70s albums - it encapsulates everything
> that made the city tick - its sleaze, its
> dangerous glamour, its sounds. And it's also one
> of the boldest, brashest, bravest albums The
> Stones put out.

Why should the Stones need to do the Sex Pistols ?
My point is : I'm not saying i do not enjoy When the whip comes down,
Lies, Respectable, Before they make me run or Shattered. I'm just
saying they are very very simple songs and not in the league of
the Stones previous work. These songs sound like Mick or Keith
could have written them in 3 minutes. The only song on GHS I
feel the same about would be Hide your love. Just my imagination
is OK, but not the Stones most inspired Motown cover.
>
> Out of interest, what do you consider their
> strongest post-Exile 70s album?

A very difficult question, since I do not consider any of them as true classics.
The ones I seem to enjoy playing the most these days are Tattoo you,
Bridges to Babylon, Talk is cheap, Wandering spirit and Goddess in the doorway.

I agree, Goat is one mighty fine album, it's great all way round, but sticky, exile, iorr, b&b and girls are all, for one reason or the other, stronger.

C

I'm listening to Winter (once again) and I really really looooove the song...

Early in the song, everything is still dark and the mood is low... only to be enlightened by those little soft guitarfigures, that give so much comfort, so much express what the song is about... and while Mick later on sings about the blankets and candles, Taylor (I assume) is playing on top of Mick's singing and truelly translating the words into sound, feeling... he plays the blanket, plays the candle... (from 2.50/4.40 onwards) wonderful!

Just to say that GHS was my first Stones album. Asked for it for my 15th Birthday present and not looked back since. Some great songs 100 Years Ago Coming Down Again Heartbreaker Can you Hear The Music Winter Star Star and I grew to love Angie Silvertrain. Still not sure Hide Your Love. Oddly whilst Dancing with Mr D was a favourite it's one i've since gone off!

But this was the album that started it all for me!

walkingthedog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nikolai Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > walkingthedog Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > SG is the weakest. It has 4 decent songs
> (Miss
> > > you,Some girls,
> > > Far away eyes and Beast of burden). The rest
> is
> > > Stones-by-the-numbers.
> >
> >
> > WHAAAAAAAAT?!!!!!!?
> >
> > Mr Dog, I know you're entitled to your opinion
> and
> > we're not the Taliban here, but COME OFF IT!
> >
> > Some Girls has exactly one weak/by the numbers
> > song on it: Lies.
> >
> > Excluding the ones you've mentioned ....
> >
> > When The Whip Comes Down is Jagger doing Lou
> Reed
> > (and very well),
> > Imagination is Jagger doing The Sex Pistols
> doing
> > The Temps (an intent made even more explicit in
> > the live versions from the 78 tour),
> > Some Girls is one of the funniest/nastiest/most
> > self-deprecating lyrics Jagger has written
> > (referencing both sexist and racist
> stereotypes,
> > Bob Dylan's recent divorce (The house on Zuma
> > beach) and Jagger's own divorce from Bianca),
> > Respectable is a great boiling gob of spit back
> in
> > those same punks' eyes - more self-deprecation
> -
> > this time at the expense of the group
> > Before They Make Me Run is Keith
> > self-mythologising in the wake of his Toronto
> > bust, but in a very arch, knowing way
> > And Shattered - a love-hate ode to the New York
> of
> > the 70s.
> >
> > Some Girls is as steeped in late 70s New York
> as
> > Lou Reed's 70s albums - it encapsulates
> everything
> > that made the city tick - its sleaze, its
> > dangerous glamour, its sounds. And it's also
> one
> > of the boldest, brashest, bravest albums The
> > Stones put out.
>
> Why should the Stones need to do the Sex Pistols
> ?
> My point is : I'm not saying i do not enjoy When
> the whip comes down,
> Lies, Respectable, Before they make me run or
> Shattered. I'm just
> saying they are very very simple songs and not in
> the league of
> the Stones previous work. These songs sound like
> Mick or Keith
> could have written them in 3 minutes. The only
> song on GHS I
> feel the same about would be Hide your love. Just
> my imagination
> is OK, but not the Stones most inspired Motown
> cover.
> >
> > Out of interest, what do you consider their
> > strongest post-Exile 70s album?
>
> A very difficult question, since I do not consider
> any of them as true classics.
> The ones I seem to enjoy playing the most these
> days are Tattoo you,
> Bridges to Babylon, Talk is cheap, Wandering
> spirit and Goddess in the doorway.


The Stones were dismissed by The Pistols - and the punks in general - as boring, irrelevant old farts. They basically played the punks at their own game (Jagger went so far as to wear a "Destroy" t shirt during the '78 tour) and amped up the outre element on Some Girls as much as they could. Some Girls was the quintessential "Jagger album" - keeping abreast of current music trends (punk and disco) and incorporating elements of them into The Stones trademark style. If the songs sound simple and dashed off to you, that's probably because they were meant to be a nod to punk's simplicity, its stripping away of musical excess. There's a lot of self-deprecation going on in the lyrics too, a kind of self-iconoclasm. Respectable seems to be saying: "Yeah, we're the establishment we once railed against. And so?"

Now, please help me out here, Mr WTD. I loathed BTB with a passion when it first came out. And I never play it. What am I missing?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-01-07 17:41 by Nikolai.

GHS actually has grown to be my favourite Stones album with BnB a close second.
Sticky Fingers and Exile used to be my favs before that but now I listen more to GHS.
There is some sense of coming full circle, reflection, melancholy, maturity.
Mick and Keith turning 30...

Musically, I find GHS far more listenable than Black & Blue, which I barely find listenable. I find GHS to be another in the line of GREAT albums that the band put out in the late 60's thru early 70's. No automatic skips on that one. There's just nothing that draws me to Black & Blue. I do listen to it from time to time to see if there's something that I'm missing (usually when I see someone on here singing its praises). There are some ok songs, but none that make we want to listen to them over & over again.

I've always thought that the artwork on the cover of GHS portrays a crotch. There's a bellybutton just above Mick's head...the folds in the material covering his face form the outline of legs meeting at the pelvis....I've not yet been able to figure out why Micks's open mouth is so clearly portrayed as a vagina. Am I the only one? I suspect so.

"Gotta go.....voices in my head."

Like most of the songs on GHS, Dancing with Mr.D, Coming Down (maybe my fav. Keith ballad), Heartbreaker, Winter, @#$%& are all excellent songs I think. But I'm not comfortable with the sound on it. The album would have been up there the four greats if ,especially, the drums have sounded better.
Agree on Emotional beeing an all time low!

[www.reverbnation.com]

WMiller Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've always thought that the artwork on the cover
> of GHS portrays a crotch. There's a bellybutton
> just above Mick's head...the folds in the material
> covering his face form the outline of legs meeting
> at the pelvis....I've not yet been able to figure
> out why Micks's open mouth is so clearly portrayed
> as a vagina. Am I the only one? I suspect so.

HAHAHA! Now you're no longer the only one.
The promo poster for the '73 tour of Europe points in the same direction.

Erik_Snow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There's very mixed emotions about Goats Head Soup,
> even on this board - in the knowledgeable Rolling
> Stones society.
> Apart from the "big 4", Goats Head Soup is my
> favourite RS album. Songs like Can You Hear The
> Music, 100 Years Ago, Coming Down Again and Winter
> are 10 stars IMO....what a terrific, wierd and
> laidback mood...

Other than the ones you mention I'd give 10 stars to Dancing With Mr D, Heartbreaker and @#$%&. I like this album very much while finding IORR much weaker. Each to their own.