You
want a Rock ‘n’ Roll album that’s got
it all? Well, this is it. And considering
it is, is quite a feat in itself. Let
me firstly take you back to the situation
as it was with “The Stones” in mid 1971,
when this album was thrust out into the
world. After having been written off as
a spent force in 1967, after the release
of their disastrous reply to “the Beatles”
‘Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band’
with their own album ‘Their Satanic Majesties
Request’, which the cleverest thing about
was the arty 3D cover, their first flop
single “We Love You” released to try and
get them some much needed support after
the first of their very public drug busts,
which failed to even make the Top Ten
either side of the Atlantic. Of course
they bounced back, avoiding prison sentences.
The next two singles were superb, number
ones all over the world (Jumpin Jack Flash
and Honky Tonk Women). But even better
they broke through properly, establishing
themselves as a band capable of writing
and recording classic Rock ‘n’ Roll albums
in “Beggars Banquet” (1968) and the Phenomenal
“Let It Bleed” (1969), both of which were
again worldwide number ones. Then tragedy
struck with Brian Jones, founder member
and probably at one time the most musically
talented Rolling Stone, leaving the band
due to his increasing waywardness because
of his Rock ‘n’ Roll lifestyle, making
him destructive to himself and the band.
He was found a week later drowned in his
own swimming pool in most mysterious circumstances.
This obviously had a very disabling effect
on the band, but a replacement was found
in a certain Mr. Mick Taylor, who had
been wowing the blues world with his guitar
playing for John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.
(Having been brought into the Bluesbreakers
to replace Peter Green, who in turn had
been brought in to replace a young Eric
Clapton.)
So after some pretty heavy rehearsals
and a very average free concert at London’s
Hyde Park, the band set out on a huge
tour of America, which was a triumph until
the last concert, a free gig at the Altamonte
Raceway, where for some reason best known
to themselves, The Stones hired a chapter
of the Hells Angels to run security. The
end result was one fan beaten to death
mere yards from where the Stones were
playing. Only an on stage plea from Jagger
himself and a quick dash to the waiting
helicopters got the band out of the situation
before anything else went wrong. A live
album from the tour was released, “Get
Your Ya Ya’s Out’’, which showed how much
the band had improved as a live act with
Taylor’s contributions, turning good stage
numbers into real corkers. Have a listen
to the guitar solo Taylor turns in from
the Stones version of Chuck Berry’s “Little
Queenie” for evidence. “Get Your Ya Ya’s
Out” is probably still the most complete
and exciting live album the Stones ever
released; you can almost hear the sweat
running up and down the fret boards.
So the last three albums had been number
ones and the last two singles the same,
but that had been two years hence, and
the last album had been released to finish
their contract with Decca records, and
now they were branching out on their own
with their own record label. Would they
survive on their own? What did they know
about business? (Long Haired Layabouts)
Would Taylor work in the studio? Was the
magic still there?
Of course it was, if anything “Sticky
Fingers” (the name Sticky Fingers was
given to the band as a present by Mott
The Hoople, who were going to call their
second album that, but plumped for Mad
Shadows instead) was even better than
its two predecessors. As soon as opener
Brown Sugar’s guitar riff comes belting
through your speakers you know you are
in for a frantic ride. Keith Richards
has kept his unique guitar slinging style,
but Taylor’s more fluid runs fitted in
perfectly with the new songs.
Jagger’s voice had never been better,
in fact as if knowing that this was such
an important album artistically, Jagger’s
singing throughout “Sticky Fingers” is
at his very best. By the time the drums
and bass come in, you cannot help but
be tapping your feet. The saxophone solo
in the middle of the song turned Bobby
Keys from unknown session musician to
probably the most famous Rock ‘n’ Roll
saxophonist of his era (he still plays
with the band live today recreating the
same solos).
If ever you are having a party and things
are falling a bit flat, put “Brown Sugar”
on, that will get them all going again.
Next song up, “Sway” is equally as strong
with some great Taylor guitar work and
a real strong Stones style chorus that
lots of other bands have tried to create
but somehow never even come close. The
electric piano has always been a very
important part of the Stones sound, which
is especially well shown here, which is
strange in a way as although the Stones
have always had a keyboard player, both
in the studio and on stage, there has
never been an official keyboard player
in the band. In fact it wasn’t until the
eighties that any keyboards or keyboard
players were actually visible on stage,
but on “Sticky Fingers” some of the finest
keyboard tinklers of our time were used,
such as Nicky Hopkins, Ian Stewart (who
was with the Stones from the beginning
until his untimely death in the nineties),
Jack Nitzche, and J. Dickinson, who was
responsible for the playing on the beautiful
song “Wild Horses”, still today one of
the best known Stones ballads with the
band’s playing under pinning Jagger’s
lament.
The filthy guitar riff that belts out
to open up “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin”
is such a contrast that it is a wonder
that the same musicians can turn it on
to such a degree, nobody can get down
and dirty like the Stones. Then at the
three minute mark the whole thing turns
round into a bluesy jam giving room for
both guitarists, Bobby Keys and Billy
Preston on organ, to have a blow, almost
sounding like a latter day Santana. Closing
what would have been the end of side one
in the good old days of vinyl is the only
non-original on this collection written
by Fred McDowell and the Rev Gary Davis.
What can I say, “You Gotta Move.”
Then we get nearly four minutes of “Bitch”,
a real Stones classic rocker which is
like a blast of fresh air when you listen
to this album in its entirety, as it is
not as famous as its brother rocker “Brown
Sugar” as it was never released as a single,
therefore not as over played. (Some great
songs are.... Well, great. But how many
times can you hear “Stairway to Heaven”?)
But again, on “Bitch” Mick Taylor’s guitar
takes it to a rip-roaring climax.
“I Got The Blues” is the album’s only
real blues, a lament for lost love with
some remarkable playing from Billy Preston.
“Sister Morphine” is the most harrowing
anti-drug song ever written, with a co-writing
credit given to Marianne Faithful. This
is five and a half minutes of pain that
shows that some of these people have been
places that the rest of us just do not
want to go. A genuinely scary piece of
music.
Thankfully things then musically lighten
up with the wonderful “Dead Flowers” with
its rousing chorus and Country and Western
feel, but still with its warning lyrics
about the evil that can come to you through
not taking care of yourself, and not being
led down the road of temptation. The album
closes with the reflective “Moonlight
Mile” with a typical catchy Stones chorus
with the band finishing off in fine style
musically with the sound being bolstered
by a rousing orchestral arrangement by
Paul Buckmaster.
All in all a tremendous triumph for the
Glimmer Twins and the Boys, of course
they were going to even eclipse this with
their next album, “Emotional Rescue” but
that’s another story for another day.
The Rolling Stones Forty Licks Tour comes
to The Impact Arena Bangkok on Tuesday
8th April, get yourself a copy of “Sticky
Fingers”, have a listen, and then get
yourself a ticket to go and listen to
the real thing live.
Pawed by Mott The Dog
Remastered by Ella Crew
E-mail: review@mott-the-dog.com
