by Mott the Dog
5 Stars
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.
The Rolling Stones
Mick Jagger - Vocals
Keith Richards - Guitars
Mick Taylor - Guitars
Bill Wyman - Bass
Charlie Watts - Drums
Songs
Brown Sugar
Sway
Wild Horses
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking
You Gotta Move
Bitch
I Got The Blues
Sister Morphine
Dead Flowers
Moonlight Mile
To contact Mott the Dog email: [email protected]
Mott’s CD review: 