Brian Jones was dead and Mick Taylor had just replaced him. The hippie madness of 60’s was coming to an end and Stones had progressed from the bluesy Beggars Banquet to a harder and darker territory with this record. ‘Let It Bleed’ saw the decade bleed to its death (if you remember Altamont).

The album kicks off with the chilly and ominous Gimme Shelter, probably one of the best tracks from the band’s vast kitty. It begins with a brilliant build-up of guitars leading up to the threatening vocals by Mick along with some equally menacing lyrics about rape and death. Adding to the menace is the mad vocals of the soul singer, Merry Clayton - ‘It’s just a shot away’.

The band then picks up Robert Johnson’s classic blues song, Love In Vain and gives it a sweet Stones treatment with a tasteful slide guitar from Mick Taylor and a sonorous ‘when he wants to sound sad’ vocals from the other Mick. This is probably the closest they ever got to the basic acoustic blues. The next track, Country Honk is a country take on their classic single, Honky Tonk Woman with the accompanying violin-line played by the versatile Byron Berline. An average song.

Next is the upbeat Live With Me wherein all the prominent sessions musicians come in. - Bobby Keys on the saxophone (debut with the band) and Leon Russell & Nicky Hopkins on the keyboard. This is followed by a typically lazy but lovely Stones track, the title track. The great RyCooder features here on the slide guitar.

Side two opens up with the grand Midnight Rambler (about a serial killer), a quintessential blues track with a large-hearted serving of the blues harp. The song has been a favourite in their live repertoire ever since. Next is the folk- bluesy, You Got The Silver, Keith’s first official attempt at vocals and the band’s last song recorded with Brian Jones (on autoharp). This is followed by Monkey Man with its distinctive piano intro and slide guitar. Some of you will recall the great usage of this track from the chase sequence in Scorsese’s Goodfellas.

And then we come to the final track, You Can’t Always get What You Want, with its stunning build up, London Bach Choir and an opera like feel, giving an epic finish to the album. Their Hey Jude.       

The cover art is like the icing on the cake (no pun intended) and was chosen by Royal Mail for ‘Classic Album Cover’ postage stamps issued in 2010.

This was my first Stones LP and I still remember the glee in my heart as I picked it up along with some other titles from the good old Rhythm House in South Mumbai. My young guitarist friend (who wasn’t into Stones) was with me, we want back home and gave the round black beauty a spin and he was a Stones convert by the time we reached the final track. I was smiling, like a messiah. Stones were performing live on my turntable.

Year: 1969

Genre: Blues, Hard Rock

Rock Duration: 46:41

Label: Decca

Producer: Jimmy Miller

Rating: 4.5/5

Reviewed by Meraj Hasan

Meraj Hasan is a Mumbai based communication professional (and an amateur poet/musician) with a passion for listening to music the vinyl way. His 25 year old Technics turntable along with a humble collection of LPs across genres like Classic rock, Classical, Blues and Jazz (amongst others) are his prized possessions.

He can be reached at +91 9833410791 or email: meraj.hasan@gmail.com .