In this thread I rank my favorite Rolling Stones songs: 204-1: Four Musketeers Get Their Ya-Yas Out (2 Viewers)

[Dr. Octopus]

14. You Can't Always Get What You Want

Year: 1969

US Album: Let It Bleed

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“I went down
To the Chelsea drug store
To get your prescription filled
I was standing in line
With Mr. Jimmy
And man
Did he look pretty ill
We decided
That we would have a soda
My favorite flavor cherry red
And I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
And he said one word to me
And that was dead”

This song famously features the London Bach Choir opening the song, throughout and closing it out. The Choir asked not to be credited on the album because of the “dirty” lyrics on “Live With Me” which also appeared on the record.

Only three Stones played on the song, Mick, Keith and Bill – as Charlie found it difficult to play the groove so Jimmy Miller (who is allegedly "Mr. Jimmy") stepped in and Brian was MIA. Al Kooper plays piano and organ.

The three verses address love, politics and drugs and reflected the end of the overlong party that was the 1960s.

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

I've been away for a few days and missed a hell of a run. I am catching up now, Doc.

For now, I will say that I am starting with Child Of The Moon.

Oh, child of the moon, bid the sun arise
Oh, child of the moon

It is sweet; not a typical radio play in my area when I was growing up. Thus, it feels like a newer experience to me.

 

[Man of Constant Sorrow]

20. 19th Nervous Breakdown

Year: 1966

US Album: Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass)

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“You were still in school when you had that fool who really messed your mind
And after that you turned your back on treating people kind
On our first trip I tried so hard to rearrange your mind
But after a while I realized you were disarranging mine”

Keith starts this one off with one of his signature riffs but them Brian takes over the lead playing in a bass-note style derivative of Bo Diddly. Bill is the star of this one however with booming bass-line.

There’s some really heavy lyrics in this one written by Mick dealing with a spoiled rich kid that was never quite right in the head.

This song is pure chaos lyrically and musically – what a trip.

This one is a killer for me. I can't remember when I first heard it, but it was one of my 1st Stones favs. I like the ranking.

You better stop, look around
Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes, here it comes
Here comes your nineteenth nervous breakdown

Although ...19th may have been a slightly better slot. 

 

[wikkidpissah]

16. Street Fighting Man

Year: 1968

US Album: Beggars Banquet

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

14. You Can't Always Get What You Want

Year: 1969

US Album: Let It Bleed

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

Hot Rocks, disc 2, maaaan. The greatest and most thematically cogent LP of all time may be half a hits record.

I got a bag of CDs designed for the open road that i took w me on my vacay. 2nd one i popped in was HR2. Kismet.

Jumpin' Jack Flash/Street Fighting Man/Sympathy/Honky Tonk Women/Shelter/Rambler/You Cant Always Git What You Want/Brown Sugar/Wild Horses.

I'm sorry @krista4, but "Git" is every bit as epic as A Day in the Life, and it's almost a downer on this. The Stones, like every Brit band, tried be be the Children of the Blues, almost forgot that mission and then actually exceeded the dream. Though from a terribly male perspective, every syllable of these songs takes music where those men clawing themselves thru the mud of the delta woulda gone if they'd had the chance. Every sound has the chop & chops, the sass & class, the prowl & growl of a beast risen to conquer. And, as if because it was a cultural appropriation, the images are painted black & blue with trouble, anger, sex, enslavement, turmoil, filthy pride. And chocolate women who can put one down like nobody's business. I love me some Beatles, but THIS is Rock & Roll. Why did anyone even make another rock album?!

 

[Leroy Hoard]

27. Moonlight Mile

Year: 1971

US Album: Sticky Fingers

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“When the wind blows and the rain feels cold
With a head full of snow
With a head full of snow
In the window there's a face you know
Don't the nights pass slow
Don't the nights pass slow”

This song is said to be the result of an all night session between the two Micks. Taylor took a short recording of a guitar piece by Keith labled “Japanese Thing” and reworked it for the recording. Of course he believed he would get a song writing credit but once again he was disappointed. Jagger plays the acoustic guitar riff throughout the song, Taylor came up with the idea of adding the string section and Jim Price who usually played trumpet played the piano. Bill and Charlie added bass and drums later.

The lyrics are said to be about the loneliness and isolation of life on the road and are a peek at the real Mick and not his larger than life persona.

One of the overlooked beautiful ballads the band has released.

This was just on an internet station this morning, solid song.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Well my plan was to stop at 10 on Wednesday anyway, with the holiday weekend on tap and with @wikkidpissah gone, and continue today. My first “time out” in 15 years here made that the reality anyway. So now we’ll have the top 13 start a little later today.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Hot Rocks,

Of course this was my introduction to the Stones. There are greatest hits records and there are GREATEST hits records....

Thank God Steve Ventura decided to try something different instead instead of buying another KISS or Queen record back in '77/78.

 

[rockaction]

Well my plan was to stop at 10 on Wednesday anyway, with the holiday weekend on tap and with @wikkidpissah gone, and continue today. My first “time out” in 15 years here made that the reality anyway. So now we’ll have the top 13 start a little later today.

I gently lodged my complaint over in the SP, my man. Let's get back to it!

 

[Dr. Octopus]

13. Angie

Year: 1973

US Album: Goats Head Soup

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

"With no loving in our souls, and no money in our coats, you can't say we're satisfied."

Credited to Jagger/Richards, this was written almost exclusively by Keith.

A super beautiful acoustic guitar driven ballad about the end of a romance brought tears to your, at the time, ten year old narrator’s eyes despite not knowing what true love really was outside of my love for my mother and my albino German Sheppard.

There was speculation that the song was about Mick’s love for the wife of his friend David, Angie Bowie, but it was written by Keith and the title inspired by his baby daughter Dandelion Angela Richards according to the liner notes in one of their compilation records. In his book “Life”, Keith contradicted this and said the name was just chosen randomly before he even knew his baby would be a girl.

This one is a bit sappy (and there will be a semi-run on sappy songs) – but I’m a sappy guy at heart.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

12. Memory Motel

Year: 1976

US Album: Black and Blue

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“Hannah honey was a peachy kind of girl
Her eyes were hazel
And her nose were slightly curved
We spent a lonely night at the Memory Motel
It's on the ocean, I guess you know it well
It took a starry to steal my breath away
Down on the water front
Her hair all drenched in spray”

This is one of the few songs where Mick and Keith share lead vocals, with Mick doing the heavy lifting and Keith handling the “bridge” lyrics (i.e. “She got a mind of her own…”).

It’s a love/road song and at over seven minutes it’s one of their longest. The title comes from an actual motel located in Montaulk, Long Island, NY.

As mentioned in prior write ups from this album, “Black and Blue” was used as an audition record to fill Mick Taylor’s spot in the band and the lead guitar on this one is played by candidate Harvey Mandel while the acoustic is played by fellow candidate Wayne Perkins. Mick, Keith and Billy Preston play acoustic piano, electric piano and string synthesizer, respectively.

I have always loved this song but now it holds an even fonder memory for me. About three years ago a good friend was over my house for a BBQ party and I was playing this album in the backyard and he said “I forgot how great this one was. The first thing I’m going to do when we get home is to buy it and download it” – that was my last conversation with him (where he could talk back at least) as he suffered a brain anneurysm two months later and did not recover, passing at 45 years of age.

 

[wikkidpissah]

13. Angie

Year: 1973

US Album: Goats Head Soup

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

THIS is where Mick Jagger became empirically hateable. One might never have liked this sullen voluptuary, this ####-of-the-walk fop but, until this, that was down to you. But with Angie, virtually the same song every vainglorious sophomore wrote strumming on the edge of his dorm bed, Sir Michael said, "lemme show ya. Ima take this lovesick tripe and make you cry wivvit cuz that's who i am, i'm Mick" and made us all sick. Love sick, envy sick, sick with tears. His vocal performance was an application of skill & moment that no one this side of Redding/Pickett has been capable of and then squitrted the whipped cream of his essence all over the top for good measure. Soon enough, young men & women everywhere were actually, f'real whispering "Angie" to each other as a way of saying "Well, aren't you delicious?!" It was disgusting, unforgivable & downright amazing. nufced

 

[wikkidpissah]

11. Memory Motel

Year: 1976

US Album: Black and Blue

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

This would have been much more impactful if they hadnt done a bizarro version of the same song on the other side of the record with Fool to Cry. Still good stuff, i guess, but It's Only and this had me thinking that they had reached that part of the artist's cycle of those who hadn't heard the word "no" for far too long. With a few exceptions i dont think i was wrong.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

This would have been much more impactful if they hadnt done a bizarro version of the same song on the other side of the record with Fool to Cry. Still good stuff, i guess, but It's Only and this had me thinking that they had reached that part of the artist's cycle of those who hadn't heard the word "no" for far too long. With a few exceptions i dont think i was wrong.

It definitely signaled the end of their "greatness" as far as putting out new music, but they still had "Some Girls" in them (which would be a pinnacle record for a lot of bands) and I like "Tattoo You" a lot as well, although that is mostly outtakes from older sessions.

 

[wikkidpissah]

It definitely signaled the end of their "greatness" as far as putting out new music, but they still had "Some Girls" in them (which would be a pinnacle record for a lot of bands) and I like "Tattoo You" a lot as well, although that is mostly outtakes from older sessions.

abso true and Some Girls was a great surprise (altho it being the soundtrack of my gf's bad acid trip made it less personally listenable) but it & its era in general signaled the end of me hanging on new releases for epicness in life

 

[Dr. Octopus]

11. Wild Horses

Year: 1971

US Album: Sticky Fingers

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“I watched you suffer a dull, aching pain
Now you decided to show me the same
So no, no sweeping exits or, or offstage lines
Can make me, can make me feel bitter or, or treat you unkind”

Mick on writing the song

"I remember we sat around originally doing this with Gram Parsons, and I think his version came out slightly before ours. Everyone always says this was written about Marianne but I don't think it was; that was all well over by then. But I was definitely very inside this piece emotionally."

Keith on same:

"If there is a classic way of Mick and me working together this is it. I had the riff and chorus line, Mick got stuck into the verses. Just like "Satisfaction", "Wild Horses" was about the usual thing of not wanting to be on the road, being a million miles from where you want to be."

The simplicity of the song structure and the deep, melancholy lyrics always hit me in the right spot.

This is an example of the Stones playing country without Mick resorting to his “country voice” with outstanding results. You can feel the pain in his voice here, and while I don’t generally mind his “country voice”, I’ll admit it likely would have ruined this song if he implemented it here. The soul would be lost.

 

[wikkidpissah]

*drum roll*

it's a Charlie showcase!!

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I would imagine most following this thread can figure out which ten songs are probably left (although it may take a bit of work). Obviously there are some heavy hitters left, and there are also a couple of deeper cuts that would be well known to Stones' fans but maybe not to more casual fans....

 

[Dr. Octopus]

10. Ruby Tuesday

Year: 1967

US Album: Between the Buttons

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards (but really Jones/Richards)

“She would never say where she came from
Yesterday don't matter when it's gone
While the sun is bright
Or in the darkest night
No one knows
She comes and goes
Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you smile with every new day
Still I'm gonna miss you
Don't question why she needs to be so free
She'll tell you it's the only way to be
She just can't be chained
To a life where nothing's gained
And nothing's lost
At such a cost
There's no time to lose, I heard her say
Catch your dreams before they slip away
Dying all the time
Lose your dreams
And you will lose your mind.
Ain't life unkind?
Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you smile with every new day
Still I'm gonna miss you”

I listed the full lyrics above instead of just the usual snippet because for me these are the greatest lyrics in the Stones catalogue. The imagery, the message, the poignancy, the hope, the despair, the poetry – it has it all. The lyrics were all Keith’s who said they were written about his girlfriend, Linda Keith, who had left him for Jimi Hendrix and was heading down a dark path with drugs, and who he desperately wanted back.

Although the song is credited to Jagger/Richards, as stated the lyrics were Keith and the musical composition was Brian’s. Mick said to Rolling Stone magazine about this song, "It's just a nice melody, really. And a lovely lyric. Neither of which I wrote, but I always enjoy singing it."

It’s a great song to test out any new equipment you buy to play your music mostly due to Brian’s work on the piano (along with Jack Nitzsche) and the recorder. Brian also provides some great harmony vocals on this one as well.

Lovely stuff here.  

 

[wikkidpissah]

10. Ruby Tuesday

Year: 1967

US Album: Between the Buttons

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards (but really Jones/Richards)

The culmination of the Jonesy/LadyJane songs. nufced.

Last time i  on my Breakfast at Tiffany's remake:

1983. New Wharton graduate Eric Rice gets off the same bank of payphones used by Paul Varjak in B@T from telling his mom he got to NYC OK, looks at some ads he's highlighted & makes his way to 169 E71st St. He's buzzed up and rises the stairs as Tiffany Varjak descends from Mr. Yunioshi's apartment wearing naught but a poorly-buttoned man's shirt and carrying a scrapbook and one loose picture. They arrive at the 2nd floor landing simultaneously, Tiffany smiles, waves what appears to be a naked picture of herself w pride, says "Happy Birthday to me!"  then ducks into what was Holly Golightly's apartment.

Eric looks down at his notes on the newspaper and confirms that the apartment of his prospective new landlord is the same apt Tif ducked into. He rings the bell, Tif answers, invites him in, asks a number of inappropriate landlord questions as she mounts her new picture in her scrapbook while explaining that Mr Yunioshi has taken a naked picture of her on every one of her birthdays. She is now 22 years old and was given the entire building by her father as a college graduation gift. She ends up approving Eric as a tenant and he takes her father's old apartment upstairs.

Scene: Eric Rice on his 1st nite out on the town w his new Young Masters of the Universe pals from the investment firm of Dewey, Cheatam & Howe or whatever. They go into a piano bar and take a table and order single-malts to the strains of a punkette playing & singing a rather turbulent piano cover of Jimi Hendrix's Manic Depression. As they admire the entertainer's hotness & originality, Eric realizes that this is his landlord tarted up punk style. She finishes her song, rambles enough to evince that she's loaded and says, "Here's a song about my period" and launches into Ruby Tuesday (odd how the lyrics kinda fit). The boys are startled but delighted, however a middle-aged customer who was likely expecting something more cabaret, calls it enough and gets up in a huff in the middle of her song. Tif stops playing, yells "where ya going?", begins playing Let's Spend the Night Together and sings after him like he's her dream boy, eventually getting up and chasing the ol' fart out the bar, grabbing him inappropriately while singing "I'll satisfy your every need (whoa my) let's spend the night together now i need yo more than ever" before eventually letting go and stumbling back to her piano stool.

Do i have your $12.50?

 

[northern exposure]

That is The culmination of the Jonesy/LadyJane songs. nufced.

Last time i  on my Breakfast at Tiffany's remake:

1983. New Wharton graduate Eric Rice gets off the same bank of payphones used by Paul Varjak in B@T from telling his mom he got to NYC OK, looks at some ads he's highlighted & makes his way to 169 E71st St. He's buzzed up and rises the stairs as Tiffany Varjak descends from Mr. Yunioshi's apartment wearing naught but a poorly-buttoned man's shirt and carrying a scrapbook and one loose picture. They arrive at the 2nd floor landing simultaneously, Tiffany smiles, waves what appears to be a naked picture of herself w pride, says "Happy Birthday to me!"  then ducks into what was Holly Golightly's apartment.

Eric looks down at his notes on the newspaper and confirms that the apartment of his prospective new landlord is the same apt Tif ducked into. He rings the bell, Tif answers, invites him in, asks a number of inappropriate landlord questions as she mounts her new picture in her scrapbook while explaining that Mr Yunioshi has taken a naked picture of her on every one of her birthdays. She is now 22 years old and was given the entire building by her father as a college graduation gift. She ends up approving Eric as a tenant and he takes her father's old apartment upstairs.

Scene: Eric Rice out on the town w his new Young Masters of the Universe pals from the investment firm of Dewey, Cheatam & Howe or whatever. They go into a piano bar and take a table and order single-malts to the strains of a punkette playing & singing a rather turbulent piano cover of Jimi Hendrix's Manic Depression. As they admire the entertainer's hotness & originality, Eric realizes that this is his landlord tarted up punk style. She finishes her song, rambles enough to evince that she's loaded and says, "Here's a song about my period" and launches into Ruby Tuesday (odd how the lyrics kinda fit). The boys are startled but delighted, however a middle-aged customer who was likely expecting something more cabaret, calls it enough and gets up in a huff in the middle of her song. Tif stops playing, yells "where ya going?", begins playing Let's Spend the Night Together and sings after him like he's her dream boy, eventually getting up and chasing the ol' fart out the bar, grabbing him inappropriately while singing "I'll satisfy your every need (whoa my) let's spend the night together now i need yo more than ever" before eventually letting go and stumbling back to her piano stool.

Do i have your $12.50?

That is definitely not Mr. Ishida's Bookstore!

 

[Leroy Hoard]

11. Wild Horses

Year: 1971

US Album: Sticky Fingers

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“I watched you suffer a dull, aching pain
Now you decided to show me the same
So no, no sweeping exits or, or offstage lines
Can make me, can make me feel bitter or, or treat you unkind”

Mick on writing the song

Keith on same:

The simplicity of the song structure and the deep, melancholy lyrics always hit me in the right spot.

This is an example of the Stones playing country without Mick resorting to his “country voice” with outstanding results. You can feel the pain in his voice here, and while I don’t generally mind his “country voice”, I’ll admit it likely would have ruined this song if he implemented it here. The soul would be lost.

Great tune that has also been covered well by others. Good point about his voice on this cut, one of his better performances.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

9. She's a Rainbow

Year: 1967

US Album: Their Santanic Majesties Request

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“Have you seen her dressed in blue
See the sky in front of you
And her face is lik a sail
Speck of white so fair and pale

Have you seen a lady fairer
She comes in colors ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colors in the air
Oh, everywhere”

This was a relatively unknown song up until a few years back where advertisers finally started recognizing its glory. It has been called "the prettiest and most uncharacteristic song" that Mick and Keith wrote for the Stones.

The key to the song is Nicky Hopkins' light piano and Brian on the Mellotron. John Paul Jones prior to his days as a member or Led Zepplin arranged the strings - which are outstanding. Every member of the Stones, except for Charlie, provide the chorus of backing vocals, which are fantastic. Tell me you don’t love the child-like “Ooh La La Las”.

Charlie adds some nice drum fills for his part.

A perfect pop song.  I could play this song 1,000 times in a row and not tire of it.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

8. Rocks Off

Year: 1972

US Album: Exile on Main St.

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“The sunshine bores the daylights out of me”

Back to the down and dirty Stones. Who doesn’t love a song about wet dreams?

The lyrics are dirty:

“I was making love last night
To a dancer friend of mine
I can't seem to stay in step
Cum every time that she pirouettes over me”

And so is the mix: It’s haphazard as the instruments fall in and out of the mix and the lead vocals even get lost at times.

The song is driven by the brass section of Jim Price and Bobby Keys and the piano of Nicky Hopkins with the rest of the boys pitching in and doing what they do.

Another example of some great Keith harmony vocals in the background.

Near the two minute mark the tone of the song changes to a pseudo-psychedelic jam with Mick’s vocals electronically distorted – before kicking back into the bad-### jam the rest of the song is.

This is the Stones.

 

[wikkidpissah]

8. Rocks Off

Year: 1972

US Album: Exile on Main St.

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“The sunshine bores the daylights out of me”

Back to the down and dirty Stones. Who doesn’t love a song about wet dreams?

The lyrics are dirty:

“I was making love last night
To a dancer friend of mine
I can't seem to stay in step
Cum every time that she pirouettes over me”

And so is the mix: It’s haphazard as the instruments fall in and out of the mix and the lead vocals even get lost at times.

The song is driven by the brass section of Jim Price and Bobby Keys and the piano of Nicky Hopkins with the rest of the boys pitching in and doing what they do.

Another example of some great Keith harmony vocals in the background.

Near the two minute mark the tone of the song changes to a pseudo-psychedelic jam with Mick’s vocals electronically distorted – before kicking back into the bad-### jam the rest of the song is.

This is the Stones.

*wikkid grabs tomato, rears back, remembers what a labor love this all was, blows kiss, makes caprese salad*

 

[Dr. Octopus]

*wikkid grabs tomato, rears back, remembers what a labor love this all was, blows kiss, makes caprese salad*

I would have guessed this was one you loved. It's so rock n' roll.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Now there is still one coming up I'm predicting major blowback from you though.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

9. She's a Rainbow

Year: 1967

US Album: Their Santanic Majesties Request

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“Have you seen her dressed in blue
See the sky in front of you
And her face is lik a sail
Speck of white so fair and pale

Have you seen a lady fairer
She comes in colors ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colors in the air
Oh, everywhere”

This was a relatively unknown song up until a few years back where advertisers finally started recognizing its glory. It has been called "the prettiest and most uncharacteristic song" that Mick and Keith wrote for the Stones.

The key to the song is Nicky Hopkins' light piano and Brian on the Mellotron. John Paul Jones prior to his days as a member or Led Zepplin arranged the strings - which are outstanding. Every member of the Stones, except for Charlie, provide the chorus of backing vocals, which are fantastic. Tell me you don’t love the child-like “Ooh La La Las”.

Charlie adds some nice drum fills for his part.

A perfect pop song.  I could play this song 1,000 times in a row and not tire of it.

My favorite Stones tune from the Brian Jones era.  Fits well with the Beatles songs from that same time frame.

 

[jwb]

9. She's a Rainbow

Year: 1967

US Album: Their Santanic Majesties Request

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“Have you seen her dressed in blue
See the sky in front of you
And her face is lik a sail
Speck of white so fair and pale

Have you seen a lady fairer
She comes in colors ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colors in the air
Oh, everywhere”

This was a relatively unknown song up until a few years back where advertisers finally started recognizing its glory. It has been called "the prettiest and most uncharacteristic song" that Mick and Keith wrote for the Stones.

The key to the song is Nicky Hopkins' light piano and Brian on the Mellotron. John Paul Jones prior to his days as a member or Led Zepplin arranged the strings - which are outstanding. Every member of the Stones, except for Charlie, provide the chorus of backing vocals, which are fantastic. Tell me you don’t love the child-like “Ooh La La Las”.

Charlie adds some nice drum fills for his part.

A perfect pop song.  I could play this song 1,000 times in a row and not tire of it.

Really happy to see this so high. Love this song. 

 

[wikkidpissah]

Now there is still one coming up I'm predicting major blowback from you though.

"these posies have passed on"?

 

[wikkidpissah]

I would have guessed this was one you loved. It's so rock n' roll.

coming off their veryvery best HotRocks stuff, i found the alleycatness of Exile disappointing

 

[Dr. Octopus]

"these posies have passed on"?

Exactly 

 

[wikkidpissah]

Exactly 

i actually sing a pretty good version of that w my bff's garage band. otherwise, you'd be right

 

[Dr. Octopus]

i actually sing a pretty good version of that w my bff's garage band. otherwise, you'd be right

Actually one of the reasons why it ranks so high for me is that when the acoustic guitars came out at 3:00 am down the shore it was one of the few songs where I can contribute vocals and don’t sound horrendous - I sound much more like Keith than Mick though.

 

[wikkidpissah]

Actually one of the reasons why it ranks so high for me is that when the acoustic guitars came out at 3:00 am down the shore it was one of the few songs where I can contribute vocals and don’t sound horrendous - I sound much more like Keith than Mick though.

would that we could work it up sometime - i do my own harmonies on the 2nd & 4th line of the verses (rounds it out better)and the Stones harmony on the chorus. and the lead guitarist has an innate ability to make any song sound like a Neil Young song and the re-syncopation and harmony mishmash give it a fun quality

 

[Dr. Octopus]

7. Paint It Black

Year: 1966

US Album: Aftermath

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“No more will my green sea turn a deeper blue
I cannot foresee this thing happening to you”

This first number one hit to feature a sitar (played by Brian of course) is next on our list. Everyone knows that when they hear those sitar notes, Charlie is going to start pounding on the skins soon.

From wiki:

The song's lyrics are, for the most part, meant to describe blackness and depression through the use of colour-based metaphors. Initially, "Paint It Black" was written as a standard pop arrangement, humorously compared by Mick Jagger to "Songs for Jewish weddings".[9] The song describes the extreme grief suffered by one stunned by the sudden and unexpected loss of a wife, lover or partner. It is often claimed that Jagger took inspiration from novelist James Joyce's 1922 book Ulysses, taking the excerpt "I have to turn my head until my darkness goes", referring to the novel's theme of a worldwide view of desperation and desolation.[8] The song itself came to fruition when the band's leader Brian Jones took an interest in Moroccan music. It was their first song to feature a sitar instrumental.

In his book Brian Jones: The Making of the Rolling Stones, Paul Trynka has noted that the influence of Harrison's sitar playing, and, in particular, the Beatles' song "Norwegian Wood" on the Rubber Soul album, draws parallels in "Paint It Black"—most noticeably in Jones' droning sitar melody.[16] In response to claims that he was merely imitating the Beatles, however, Jones said: "What utter rubbish!" His sitar part on the track immediately became influential in developing a whole subgenre of minor-key psychedelic music.[12] Coupled with this striking instrumental motif, it is complemented by Jagger's droning, and slight nasal vocalization.[8] In addition, "Paint It Black" was highlighted by Wyman's heavy bass, Charlie Watts's low-pitch drumming, and Richards' bolero-driven acoustic guitar outro. Soon after, Richards noted that the conclusion of the track was over-recorded, and a different guitar could have potentially improved the song.[9][12]

Every red door you run across is ripe for a “I see a red door and I want to paint it black” meme because of this song.

 

[wikkidpissah]

7. Paint It Black

Year: 1966

US Album: Aftermath

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

The song that made my balls drop.

In the Beatles thread, i recounted listening to Norwegian Wood for the first time w my best friend's beatnik big sister and suddenly needing to wear Irish sweaters ALL the frikkin time. Well, that's how 1966 started for me & then there was PiB, Wild Thing, Good Lovin, Summer in the City, the cover of my Dad's Tijuana Brass album, finding his Playboy drawer in our new house, my first gf and how she sang 96 Tears as "now it sticks to ya" and how i soooo wanted to show her how meaningful that was to me. Paint It Black, though almost the opposite of a sexy record, shone a light on just how dark & dirty life was and that light aint never gone out. nufced

 

[gump]

"these posies have passed on"?

Great song...

 

[ProstheticRGK]

*wikkid grabs tomato, rears back, remembers what a labor love this all was, blows kiss, makes caprese salad*

Man, it must be a generational thing. I love this song. To me, this is the Stones at their nitty, gritty best. They roll around in the gutter and find the groove and the soul to grow like proud weeds through the cracks in the sidewalk. Mick's vocals fit this kind of song better than anything else.

 

[wikkidpissah]

Man, it must be a generational thing. I love this song. To me, this is the Stones at their nitty, gritty best. They roll around in the gutter and find the groove and the soul to grow like proud weeds through the cracks in the sidewalk. Mick's vocals fit this kind of song better than anything else.

It must be generational, but it may be only me.

The dense, salacious, syllables and perfect syncopation of rhythm to revelation of the Jumpin' Jack Flash-to-Brown Sugar songs were not only epic str8up announcements of the Rock sensibility but a culmination of its era. That an individual could bite the world was still a novel concept in 1970 and Sir Michael Phillip Jagger's prodigious mouth showed just how big those chomps could be. And Keith Richards made sure we heard the crunch of all the havoc the Stones invited us to wreak. For them to devolve so quickly from revolutionary heroes into scruffed-out alleycats measuring the world by the angle of their dangle was a comedown for your humble servant, though not really their fault at all.

 

[Mister CIA]

Fun thread.  As always, I'm with you fellas.

 

[Mister CIA]

The level of introspection that backs this up must be immense.

 

[Mister CIA]

They only credited him on one song, but the whole coda on "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" for one thing is all him.

Bump.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

6 Sympathy for the Devil

Year: 1968

US Album: Beggars Banquet

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith

And I was 'round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate”

Is there a rock song with a greater premise than this? The song highlights some of the atrocities of human existence (death of Jesus, 100 Year War, Russian Revolution, WW1, WWII, presidential assassinations) told through the vantage point of the song’s narrator, the Devil. And then the Devil demands our courtesy and respect, before laying out the harsh reality that we’re all just as responsible as him for the events which stain human existence.

Jagger who wrote the song mostly by himself laughed off criticisms that the Stones were devil worshippers because “it was only one song afterall.” 

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine he spoke about the song: 

It has a very hypnotic groove, a samba, which has a tremendous hypnotic power, rather like good dance music. It doesn't speed up or slow down. It keeps this constant groove. Plus, the actual samba rhythm is a great one to sing on, but it is also got some other suggestions in it, an undercurrent of being primitive—because it is a primitive African, South American, Afro-whatever-you-call-that rhythm (candomblé). So to white people, it has a very sinister thing about it. But forgetting the cultural colors, it is a very good vehicle for producing a powerful piece. It becomes less pretentious because it is a very unpretentious groove. If it had been done as a ballad, it wouldn't have been as good.

 "I wrote it as sort of like a Bob Dylan song."  It was Richards who suggested changing the tempo and using additional percussion, turning the folk song into a samba.

 Interestingly, the song was originally written with the line “I shouted out ‘Who killed Kennedy?’” but shortly after Robert Kennedy was killed as well so the lyric was changed to “Kennedys”, and of course the answer is “when after all it was YOU and me”.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

5. Dead Flowers

Year: 1971

US Album: Sticky Fingers

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“Well when you're sitting back in your rose pink Cadillac
Making bets on Kentucky Derby Day
Ah, I'll be in my basement room with a needle and a spoon
And another girl to take my pain away”

One of the best “#### you” to an ex songs ever. The lyrics are so very clever and gritty at the same time.

As mentioned by wikkid and I, a page back, it’s also a great sing along song.

In an interview Mick commented on his “country voice” (which is much more sincere and more understated here than on Far Away Eyes):

The 'Country' songs we recorded later, like "Dead Flowers" on Sticky Fingers or "Far Away Eyes" on Some Girls, are slightly different (than our earlier ones). The actual music is played completely straight, but it's me who's not going legit with the whole thing, because I think I'm a blues singer not a country singer – I think it's more suited to Keith's voice than mine.

It's funny that he mentions Keith’s vocals on it because that’s one of my favorite parts of this song.

Keith and the other Mick also share leads on the guitar with Keith playing the shorter choppier licks and Taylor the more fluid leads.

Bonus Video: Keith, WIllie, Ryan Adams, Hank III

 

[gump]

5. Dead Flowers

Year: 1971

US Album: Sticky Fingers

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“Well when you're sitting back in your rose pink Cadillac
Making bets on Kentucky Derby Day
Ah, I'll be in my basement room with a needle and a spoon
And another girl to take my pain away”

One of the best “#### you” to an ex songs ever. The lyrics are so very clever and gritty at the same time.

As mentioned by wikkid and I, a page back, it’s also a great sing along song.

In an interview Mick commented on his “country voice” (which is much more sincere and more understated here than on Far Away Eyes):

It's funny that he mentions Keith’s vocals on it because that’s one of my favorite parts of this song.

Keith and the other Mick also share leads on the guitar with Keith playing the shorter choppier licks and Taylor the more fluid leads.

Bonus Video: Keith, WIllie, Ryan Adams, Hank III

My go to when I point Stones newbys to Country Stones.

 

[rockaction]

8. Rocks Off

Year: 1972

US Album: Exile on Main St.

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“The sunshine bores the daylights out of me”

Back to the down and dirty Stones. Who doesn’t love a song about wet dreams?

The lyrics are dirty:

“I was making love last night
To a dancer friend of mine
I can't seem to stay in step
Cum every time that she pirouettes over me”

And so is the mix: It’s haphazard as the instruments fall in and out of the mix and the lead vocals even get lost at times.

The song is driven by the brass section of Jim Price and Bobby Keys and the piano of Nicky Hopkins with the rest of the boys pitching in and doing what they do.

Another example of some great Keith harmony vocals in the background.

Near the two minute mark the tone of the song changes to a pseudo-psychedelic jam with Mick’s vocals electronically distorted – before kicking back into the bad-### jam the rest of the song is.

This is the Stones.

I am really, really digging this song. 

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I am really, really digging this song. 

That was part of the idea of this thread - so very glad to hear that.

 

[wikkidpissah]

still digesting Late Lillies over Master of Darkness.....

 

[Dr. Octopus]

still digesting Late Lillies over Master of Darkness.....

Top 10 is pretty interchangeable. There was a point where I would call “Sympathy” my favorite.

Also “Sympathy” is surely the more important and likely objectively better song but if I only have time to listen to one, I’m putting on “Dead Flowers”.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

4. Gimme Shelter

Year: 1969

US Album: Let It Bleed

Songwriter: Jagger/Richards

“Ooh, see the fire is sweepin'
My very street today
Burns like a red coal carpet
Mad bull lost its way”

God bless Merry Clayton (credited as Mary Clayton) who adds the spectacular and powerful harmony vocals on this one. Apparently, she is now a double leg amputee after being in a serious car accident in 2014.

Upon the release of Let It Bleed, Rolling Stone Magazine said of "Gimme Shelter"' “[the band] has never done anything better.” Notwithstanding songs 1-3 still to come, they still may be correct.

Keith plays some spectacular guitar here. He said although it became a political song over the course of its creation germinated when he saw dozens of people scurrying for cover during a sudden monsoon while looking out the window of a friend’s apartment.

Jagger in a 1995 Rolling Stone interview spoke on its political nature:

Well, it's a very rough, very violent era. The Vietnam War. Violence on the screens, pillage and burning. And Vietnam was not war as we knew it in the conventional sense. The thing about Vietnam was that it wasn't like World War II, and it wasn't like Korea, and it wasn't like the Gulf War. It was a real nasty war, and people didn't like it. People objected, and people didn't want to fight it ... That's a kind of end-of-the-world song, really. It's apocalypse; the whole record's like that

Such a powerful song.