Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones
The first thing one is struck with about this Stones album is the wacky cover. Now you tell me, what kind of brain-fried stoned-deaf hippie would concieve of such a contraption as is featured on the jacket's front side, reproduced in somewhat more banged-up form on the back? What, prey tell, is it's PURPOSE? What we have here appearrs to be an old phonograph player, complete with copy of Let It Bleed ready to play. The spindle has been severely elongated to allow the stacking of several round objects in a pile suspended above the record. These objects include but are not limited to:
*A rubber tire...
*What looks to be a pizza...
*The face of a clock
*...and the piece de la resistance, a nicely decorated flat cake with tiny statuettes of the Stones adorning the top!
Simply beautiful, what else can one say? When it comes to classic album covers, you have to admit that this one ranks up there with the best of 'em.
A transition album of sorts, as Brian Jones was ousted from the band and Mick Taylor joined the group during the same time these sessions were recorded. Perhaps that goes some way in explaining the inconsistancy of the album's songs. This is certainly not as strong an album as their best work (Sticky Fingers, Exile On Main Street), with at least one bona fide clunker in the mix ("Country Honk")...but then again, it does contain some of the Stones very best songs ("Gimme Shelter", "Monkey Man", "Midnight Rambler" and, arguably, "You Can't Always Get What You Want", though, as you will soon see, I've never been fond of that overdone track).
From the opening taps on Keith Richards' guitar building up to a climax interrupted by the rat-a-tat-a-tat machine gun snare drum of the chorus riff, the template is set for what should have been a kick-ass Stones album...I mean, can you imagine if this song had been on the same record as "Street Fighting Man", "Sympathy For The Devil", "Sway"...That would have been an album to be reckoned with.
That's not to say that their re-working of Robert Johnson's "Love In Vain" isn't without it's charms, but it is a pretty drastic transition from the doom prophet rocking to the drunk-staggering wail of the blues.
But oh well. It IS a great interpretation of the song. Jagger sounds about as down and out as the song requires, you can almost detect a few tears in his voice if you listen close enough. Or maybe that's sweat, an alcohol diluted sweat stinking of smoke floating in a dive bar...
But what's this? Some kind of joke? Why, they're singing "Honky Tonk Women" with alternate lyrics against a rough and rackety country sound. I suppose there are some out there who might be smitten each and every time the Stones dish out their version of spoiled-English-Poofsters country ("Far Away Eyes", "Dead Flowers", "Wild Horses", etc.), but to me, "Country Honk" just sounds like wasted Beam.
The rockin' returns full-on in the next track, "Live With Me", but the feel is much more testosterone-fueled and less apocalyptic than "Gimme Shelter". More sex, less righteous indignation. And this, I guess, is what the Rolling Stones have always done best. Libido zapping raunch 'n' roll. Oh my goodness, is it fornication and cohabitation that Mr. Jagger is proposing in this ditty? Shame on him.
The title track, "Let It Bleed", I always figured was a play on the documentary chronicling the disintegration of the Beatles, "Let It Be"...after all, there always seemed to be some sort of competition and catch-up going on betwixt the two super bands. But I've been wrong before.
Here we have LickyMicky at his most decadent, raciest, dare-you-to-be-offended best. "We all need someone we can cream on, and if you want to, you can cream on me" he invites. Oh, REALLY? I can do that on you any ole time I wanna, eh, Mick? I don't think so, buddy. Maybe in my dreams, but more likely it'll be Linda Blair I'm, errr, "creaming on" if it happens in MY dreams. If it makes you feel helpful to offer yourself up to such a thing, then by all means keep the offer open long enough and I may just pop up on your doorstep one fine day with a little something I cooked up just for you!
One of the most overlooked Stones classics, I believe, is "Midnight Rambler". I mean, yeah, the version on Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out choogles harder and grunts louder, but don't let that detract from the total overall enjoyment of this less raucous rendition. PickyMicky's harmonica sounds about as forlorn as a coyote trapped in the cold wilderness, echoing through caves of deprivation and sadism. This here boy is gonna stick a knife down the Rambler's throat, baby and it hurts!
It hurts, alright, to follow this wicked song with one of Keith Richards' less endearing vocal efforts, "You Got The Silver"...What, did the producer decide we needed a break from the intensity of the rocking so he slapped this snoozer in between a couple of the best ones they've ever committed to tape?
And yes, even though you never see it on any of their hits compilations, the following track, "Monkey Man" is in the same league as any of their radio hits. The song is made up of three segments...the first with Boogie Micky spitting out boasts, worried about coming off too Messianic or a trifle too Satanic backed by a sweet lounge jazz rhythym that soon turns hook funky. This is what a cold italian pizza sounds like. "Monkey", I imagine, is an underground reference to heroin (as in, "Smack's a monkey on my back"), and here we have Junky Mickey proclaiming himself a "Monkey Man" ("Heroin User") and expressing his gratitude that his current piece of ass is a "Monkey Woman", too. Nothing says "I love you" like tying your sweetheart's tourniquet for him/her. Just ask Nancy Spurgeon.
The second musical segment takes it down a notch, the better to build it back up with, piano and slide guitar fighting for attention, the battle giving in to a sort of melodic coitus, which ends with an orgasmic release in shimmering descending chords, the song's third, and best, musical segment...the bliss shattered by the persistant Sicky Micky doing his version of Lennon's "Cold Turkey", vomiting out the confession "I'm a monkey...I'm a monkey"...Yes, Mick. You ARE a monkey.
Truly one of the greatest songs the Rolling Stones have ever recorded, and that really says a lot.
Okay, the horrible truth must come out, after all there is nothing secret that will not one day be exposed in the Light. I LOATHE "You Can't Always Get What You Want". These guys must have really been impressed with Phil Spector's work on the Beatles' Let It Be (another hidden clue as to the album's meaning...saying, perhaps, yes, it is time for the Fab Four to lay down the crown, but we shall be persistant, even as we have lost a member to a chlorinated drowning and have just found this brilliant axe-man Mick Taylor, who only gets to shine in two songs, and that may not be what we want, but we just might find it's what we need)...what I mean to say is that the a capella choral french horn introductions sound like they were lifted straight from the Spector Fakebook. But whereas Spector was able to, in my opinion, if not "improve", then at least EMBELLISH "The Long And Winding Road" and "Across The Universe", the producer of Let It Bleed manages to make similar elements sound totally schmaltzy. Irredeemably kitschy, especially during the closing segments when the chorus works itself up to a fever pitch before letting go with a shrill, ear-numbing scree. "Ave Marie" sounds nice coming from a church choir..."I saw her today at the reception, a glass of wine in her hand" sounds kinda creepy coming from that same choir, if'n you ask me. And then there's that french horn that sounds like it's blowing the theme song from the old TV series, The Waltons.
Another drug song, no doubt, when Preachy Micky bemoans not getting " what you want", he's talking about his next fix, his next saddling up of the horse for a long ride into oblivion. Sometimes, it is true, you CANNOT always hook up with what you WANT, but if you'll open your mind to new experiences, sometimes you may nevertheless recieve exactly what you NEED. Maybe you can't score any heroin...there's always the chance you WILL score some meth, or cocaine, or even some good kind. You needed a break anyway. So listen...My breasts, they always be open, baby, you can lay your weary head right on me. Here, give me your arm. Good God, look at the track marks on your arm!
Agggh, I could go on all day about how much I hate "You Can't Always Get What You Want", but I won't do that. I'll just wrap up this bit of opinion slinging by saying that Let It Bleed may not be the Rolling Stones' best album, but it's worth the price of admission for the classic songs alone.
Besides, you can't go wrong with that album cover...
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