Best and Worst of the Rolling Stones

I've slowly built a small but respectable Stones collection, and I've noticed that some of their albums are fantastic, and others....totally blow. I'll try to group them into 3 different categories.

Awesome--------------- Decent Enough---------------Crap
Beggar's Banquet------------ Some Girls --------------Black and Blue
Exile on Main Street------ It's Only Rock N' Roll --------Tattoo You
Sticky Fingers----------------Let It Bleed


I'm curious as to others opinions of the Stones' albums, especially of those who own more of them than I do.

Out the gate to Brian Jones departure, I'd call good for the most part.

The Mick Taylor years, pretty awesome stuff.

After that it is hit and miss for me, a good tune here and there on an album. Nothing meriting a purchase with the exception of perhaps Some Girls.

I am huge Stones fanboy and I think that 'Let It Bleed' and 'Some Girls' are both excellent releases, as is 'Tattoo You'.

'Black and Blue' is a hit or miss but still has some really good moments such as 'Hand of Fate' and the ballads especially 'Memory Motel'

I agree that the Stones output since the 90s is really spotty. The one fairly solid album in there IMO is Voodoo Lounge.

All you need is 40 Licks and possibly Let It Bleed & Beggar's Banquet.

I've never been a fan of this band.

More power to those are like em though.

Metallic Blaze wrote:

I've never been a fan of this band.

More power to those are like em though.

Im pretty much with ya on this one. Which is why Ive only got 40 Licks, all the Stones Ill ever need really.

Though The Stones Voodoo Lounge tour is still the best concert I've ever seen, I too only own 40 Licks and several other comps plus Voodoo Lounge.

However, I own more concert DVDs by The Rolling Stones than any other band. They are definitely something to experience live.

One of my favorite Stones tunes is the bluesy Keith Richards ballad on 40 Licks, Losing My Touch. Best of the 90s from them, IMO.

Lacking Brian Jones era stuff, so i'd suggest a couple of comps from the 60's Big Hits (High Tide & Green Grass) (1966) and Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) (1969).

Both are pretty essential, and ideal for someone exploring the pre "Big 4" years. Which may lead you to some of their great 60's studio records.

Personal faves being..........

Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)
Much malinged and unfairly so. One of the greatest albums ever and the Stones best imo, except it really isn't a Stones record! The atmosphere is what does it for me, just a dreamy cloud of sounds. Brian Jones comes into his own here experimenting with a whole kaleidoscope of exotic instruments colouring the songs.

Out Of Our Heads (1965)
Gritty garage R&B that encapsulates what the early Stones were about before the experimenting and almost exclusively writing their own songs. Still finding their feet but striking a perfect balance between inspired covers (Solomon Burke, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and Bo Diddley get the treatment here) and brilliant originals (Satisfaction, The Last Time, Play With Fire etc.)

Between The Buttons (1967)
Very English folksy psych pop record that is definitely in the same
class as what contemporaries the Kinks and Small Faces were doing at
the time. Severely underrated.

I dont own any Stones but Ive heard them all my life from Radio and friends n such. I used to have a couple best of's. I suppose the mid 60's to about '72 ish is the best era.
So I suppose I would agree with rattpoison above.

"I will be your knight in shining armor...."

I'm pretty partial to most of their output in the 70's myself. Most of the cds I own from them are from that era, late 60's too. Then after Tattoo You, I think it's pretty down-hill from there. Some good songs, but not real strong albums.

I am huge Stones fan and I even think most of their output is very solid, including some of their 80's output:

Emotional Rescue-Is a cool album, not one of their best but it has few solid songs that I think are very cool. 'She's So Cold' is one of the best pop tunes Jagger/Richards have ever written.

Tattoo You-IMO is an excellent albu, of course it is made up of songs from different sessions some dating back to the 70's.

Undercover-Is an underrated classic, and has Mick Jagger and Co, spewing about the politics of its day, in songs like' Undercover of the Night' "It Must be Hell', tales of his first b. j. (All the Way Down) marrying teenage babes (Too Tough) and state of moves etc (Too Much Blood). It also has the worst single they have ever released ( She was hot)

Dirty Work-It is ok album and it is an album of band that was it was it crossroads, and trying to find some purpose in continuing forward, but it has some great songs on it and cool guitar work by Jimmy Page on 'One Hit to the Body'

Steel Wheels-is another good album, not spectular but a good Stones album. This is an album made by a band once again enjoying being a band, not out to prove a thing. Also has a track influenced by their late band mate Brian Jones (Continental Drift) which has a very strong middle eastern influence. And a ballad (Out of Tears) that is one of their best ballads and some great classical guitar work from Keith Richards.

Emotional Rescue is what i'd call a great album, really funky and dancey. A more organic approach to disco, great grooves. Get's forgotten a bit because it's sandwiched between Some Girls and Tattoo You.

Undercover is a big fave of mine, in particular "Too Much Blood". That would be in my top 10 Stones songs ever. I can't get enough of that song, those horn charts are so damn addictive!

I've been considering buying "A Bigger Bang"...that one any good?

Schbopo wrote:

I've been considering buying "A Bigger Bang"...that one any good?

Well worth it...............but i would get into more of the earlier stuff before it. I see your missing Goats Head Soup, classic record.

rattpoison wrote:

Well worth it...............but i would get into more of the earlier stuff before it. I see your missing Goats Head Soup, classic record.

Yeah, I've heard it's a classic....it's just that I've also heard it compared with "Black and Blue", which I thought was god-awful. British people should never try to play reggae.

I think it gets maligned because it comes after Exile, which is always going to be a disappointment. But it really is a stellar album while Black And Blue is definite drop in form, remember It's Only Rock N' Roll comes between them. So i don't know were the comparison comes from.

Here's my fave song off GHS.........

Schbopo wrote:

I've been considering buying "A Bigger Bang"...that one any good?

Listen to Rattpoison, worth getting but get some of the earlier ones first.

Goats Head Soup is another winner from the 70's and has a few classics like the song mentioned by RP, also a great ballads ' Winter' and 'Coming Down Again'. It also contains the ultimate groupie kiss off or maybe its groupie tribute ('Star Star' aka 'Star F**ker)

I have a soft spot for 'Black and Blue' since it was the first Stones I ever purchased , I agree it is far from their best, but then again I have never heard of a band treating the recording of an album as an audition sessions for the then vacant spot in the Rolling Stones

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I'm pretty partial to most of their output in the 70's myself. Most of the cds I own from them are from that era, late 60's too. Then after Tattoo You, I think it's pretty down-hill from there. Some good songs, but not real strong albums.

Agree completely.

[quote="rattpoison"]Emotional Rescue is what i'd call a great album, really funky and dancey. A more organic approach to disco, great grooves. Get's forgotten a bit because it's sandwiched between Some Girls and Tattoo You.

I listened to this album last night and I have to back pedal a bit and agree with RP. Excellent description of this album, 'Let Me Go', 'Send Her to Me' 'Dance' and the title track are all classic Stones songs with as RP puts it an organic approach to disco. I like that phrase so much, when ever I get to my Stones discography thread I may just steal this line.

After Steel Wheels (which is one of my favorites) I kind of lost interest. I just found the albums to be alright with a few really good songs scattered throughout them. Nothing I'd consider crap or even bad though.

It might not be cheap but the Singles Collection: The London Years is a great (and comprehensive) intro to the early Stones.

Best?

.............

Worst?

The Rolling Stones
12 X 5
Rolling Stones No. 2
The Rolling Stones Now!
Out of Our Heads
December's Children (And Everybody's)
Aftermath
Between the Buttons
Flowers
Their Satanic Majesties Request
Beggars Banquet
Let It Bleed
Sticky Fingers
Jamming with Edward
Exile on Main Street
Goats Head Soup
It's Only Rock and Roll
Black and Blue
Love You Live
Some Girls
Emotional Rescue
Tattoo You
Undercover
Dirty Work
Steel Wheels
Voodoo Lounge
Bridges to Babylon