Exile on Main St.

Never actually heard the whole of this before. Seems like the perfect encapsulation of what the Rolling Stones are to me.

A few good songs overshadowed by mediocrity! Definitely better Stones albums out there

Didn't really love this. But the groove and the production were really, really good.

Sweet Virginia and Tumblin' Dice definitely boost it.

Just a bit generic and bland. I appreciate this may have been more influential and out there in the 70s but listening today it's just a bit boring 2

Not my favourite Stones album, but this one's just a nice comfy listen. It has this warm, inviting vibe that makes you want to sing along with it. It does feel a bit samey in parts though and doesn't really justify its length in my opinion, so that's gonna knock a star off for me.

Favourite tracks: Rocks Off, Sweet Virginia, Torn and Frayed

Top table. It doesn't get much better than this. Some English guys take a load of heroin to France and make one of the best blues rock albums of all time.

Hell yeah

Overall: 4.7/10

Personally, not for me. The instruments were the main thing keeping my ears focused. I can see why people would like it, but I can’t get jiggy with this.

Much better than Beggars Banquet because of its better production and livelier tunes. "Tumbling Dice" is the big one everyone remembers, for good reason, with its earworm backing vocals and groovy blues guitar lick.

Please, God, no more Rolling Stones. Please. I'll go to church every Sunday, I'll stop cheating on my taxes, I'll give more money in the offering plate so the preacher can buy another Cadillac in your name. I'll stop drinking, FFS! Just please, please, PLEASE no more Rolling Stones albums. 😭

Uck. I'm still not surprised to get this, since 3 Rolling Stoneses seems about right given how much they're talked about in Society, but we juuuust had one of theirs. And it's ANOTHER double album!!! I dunno, it's not that bad, maybe a 2.5, but it has no real redeeming features. So, to me, they're frustratingly overrated! Also, slur count = 1.

2/5

A 3.5, rounded down for not being a 4

Competent, but not especially inspiring. I like other Stones albums more

⭐⭐⭐¾

Better than Coldplay

For en streak Stones var på på dette tidspunktet. Rett etter urrock-klassikeren Sticky Fingers går de i selvpåført eksil, med heroin og mye div, i et herskapshus i Frankrike. Her lever de og spiller sammen, bokstavelig talt. Keith har skrevet at han var så oppslukt i å lage albumet at han sov under miksepulten. Dedikasjonen høres tydelig.

Allerede fra første låt er energien til å ta og føle på. "Rocks Off" og "Rip This Joint" er ren høyoktan rock n' roll, og det er rett og slett gøy å høre på. Videre blir bluesrøttene deres tydelig fremtredende. Kanskje for siste gang på mange år med den tyngden og overbevisningen. Utover 70-tallet flørter de med både disco og reggae, men her er det fortsatt bluesen som banker i hjertet av bandet.

Countryinnflytelsen fra Keiths vennskap med Gram Parsons svever over plata. Ikke bare på "Sweet Virginia", men også i gospel-gløden på Loving Cup (selv om den ble skrevet pre-Parsons) og den seige, uimotståelige "Tumbling Dice". Riffet på sistnevnte er så tilbakelent og enkelt at jeg ikke skjønner hvordan han fikk det til.

Apropos gospel, "Shine a Light" må være tidenes Stones-låt, uansett hvor mange ganger Scorsese bruker "Gimme Shelter" i filmene sine. Det er lys, mørke og frelse på én gang. Har hørt mye på Primal Screams "Movin' Up" i det siste, og det er en knallåt, men målt opp mot "Shine A Light" blir den i beste fall et forsøk på det samme.

Jeg har tidligere sammenlignet Exile on Main St. med White Album, men det er egentlig urettferdig. White Album mangler retning og drukner i to egoer, to undertrykte egoer og overflødige spor. Exile, derimot, er et rot med visjon. Selv når blues-Stones ikke er min favoritt, bærer gospelkoret og følelsen alt. Soundet passer perfekt til musikken. "Sweet Virginia", "Torn and Frayed" og "I Just Want To See His Face" høres ut som de er tatt opp i en svett kirke i sørstatene. Kulturell appropriasjon eller hyllest? Jeg tror det er gjort med ekte kjærlighet til røttene.

Lyden er skitten, miksen er tett og uperfekt, men det er poenget. Exile on Main St. høres ut som rockemyten: søvnløse netter, rus og gudgiven inspirasjon. Ikke prøv dette hjemme.

It’s not my favorite Stones album because of the sameness of the songs and it being a double album set at that. But it’s a vibe that resonates with me so as boring as it gets it’s not unenjoyable to me.

I think this is now the 5th Rolling Stones album on the list. From the previous 4 I had been coming to the conclusion that they are really just a singles band and most of their songs are filler. So imagine my surprise when their most consistent one is a double album with none of their biggest songs on.

The Rolling Stones’ best album. It doesn’t have any of their big hits, but it has some of their best songs because they play with different sounds and styles. One of the big criticisms of the Rolling Stones is they just followed others and never really did anything new; Exile on Main Street is the one time it felt like they tried to be original

Kyllä rollaritkin osasi bluesia tehdä.