We now delve into our favourite and a couple of cringeworthy Rolling Stones songs, and yes, again, we have a mix of well known songs and obscurities.
Jumping Jack Flash-This is as far from an obscurity as one could get, as it deservedly leaped to #1 in 1968. This was a turning point for the band after the folk-rock and psychedelia of 1967, and kicked off what would become a four-year album winning streak from 1968 to 1972, even as this was a stand-alone single. The song itself rocks as a whole, of course, but what really makes it is the grungy sound of the instrumental intro(recorded by Keith Richards lo-fi on purpose). It has the musical tension of the best Who songs, and I can listen to it over and over again.
Street Fighting Man (mono single mix): What was said above about Jumping Jack Flash also goes for this song, both in sound and context. Again, there’s a grungy intro that demands repeated listening and is also musically tense. And this was recorded in a year of extreme turmoil, including mass protests, riots and the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. Still, I think the more common stereo mix is too “clean.” The mono single mix is wild — Mick Jagger’s lead vocal is buried and has some echo and/or reverb applied to it. This, to my mind, provides the correct match in terms of sound, atmosphere and context.
Soul Survivor– This is the last song and a fitting ending to the near-perfect Exile On Main Street double album. Full of tension again, and it has one of Keith Richards’ best guitar riffs, or should I say, attacks. It’s the musical equivalent of a machine gun.
I’m Going Down– Now this qualifies as an obscurity. This is the concluding song from the much maligned 1975 Metamorphosis album, an LP compiled by the much maligned Allan Klein, the Stones’ former manager who controlled their 1960s catalogue. I was really curious about this album when the 1979 Rolling Stone Record Guide gave it a “worthless” rating. I mean, how horrible could a Stones album be? It’s a mix of demos, some with strings and female backing vocals, for other artists, and album outtakes. I think it’s a fun album, and I’m Going Down has another magnificent guitar riff and the tightest playing I ever heard from the band. The only flaws are that the lyrics don’t seem to be fully developed and Jagger seems to be mumbling, and the vocals are somewhat buried. Yes, they are also barely audible on the above-described Street Fighting Man as well, but the effect is not the same.
We Love You/Dandelion– This may well be my favourite Stones single of all time, in terms of both the A (hit)-side and the B-side, and this was a stand-alone single. Again, context is important here. We Love You (with some backing vocals from John Lennon and Paul McCartney) was recorded at a time when Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were in real legal trouble after a high-profile drug bust, and the song is seen as a thank-you to fans who stood by them. And it has the greatest Charlie Watts drumming sequence I’ve ever heard, as well as the sound of a jail cell closing and landmark piano from session man Nicky Hopkins. I also loved Dandelion for an even longer time — it’s hook-filled psychedelic pop. Now this should have been the template sound for the over-indulgent Their Satanic Majesties Request album.
And now for the cruigeworthy section:
My first impulse would be to choose the big hit Emotional Rescue, because of Jagger’s screechy falsetto during much of the song (it’s such a relief when he reverts to his normal voice), but I now see that as just campy fun, along with the deep-voiced narration.
Instead, my choices are the relative obscurities Under the Boardwalk and My Girl, cover versions of superb songs by the Drifters and Temptations, respectively. The Stones have done wonderful cover versions, including one of their first hits, Bobby Womack’s It’s All Over Now. But these were not executed well. Under the Boardwalk has an unnecessarily murky atmosphere and echo that makes the singing sound dorky.
My Girl, an outtake from 1965 or so that found its way onto the U.S.-created Flowers album, is just plain weak compared to the original. And unnecessary.
Next time: Retro Roundup’s favourite musical encounters and concerts.
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