Entertainment For Lively Minds
The Rolling Stones
Posted by mojoworking on 28 November 2011 - 5:36am.
What's it called?:
Some Girls: Deluxe Edition
What It Sounds Like:
Ending a run of timeless albums that began with 'Let It Bleed' almost a decade earlier, 'Some Girls' stands as - and let’s be quite clear about this - the last truly great Stones’ record. Released in 1978, it was also Ron Wood’s first full album with the band, which was probably unfortunate timing for Ronnie.
'Miss You', 'Beast Of Burden' and the title track may be forever etched on our memories but the real interest on this umpteenth reissue lies with the bonus disc comprising 12 unreleased tracks. Some of the material has appeared on bootlegs, but as with the 'Exile' re-issue last year, several songs have now been enhanced with new vocal or guitar overdubs and they sound all the better for it.
Stand-out moments are 'Do You Think I Really Care', an up-tempo pedal steel guitar romp with Mick employing his famous comedy country voice, the 'Exile'-style 'Keep Up Blues' and Keith’s wonderfully ragged vocal on the ballad 'We Had It All'.
What Does It All "Mean"?:
Virtually any of these dozen leftovers would have improved the Stones’ albums that followed 'Some Girls'. It's almost like they ran out of ideas. Pity the sleeve is still censored, too.
Goes well with...:
An old school sound system with big bastard speakers kicking out some proper bass.
Might Suit People Who Like...:
The Stones when they were at the top of their politically incorrect game. You couldn't get away with the title track these days.
Tattoo You
I've never understood why Some Girls is always praised as the last great Stones album. I think it only has three decent songs on it (Miss You, Beast Of Burden and Faraway Eyes). For my money Tattoo You is far better. Yet always ignored as an odds and sods leftovers compilation. The run of songs on "side two", from Worried 'Bout You to Waiting On A Friend, is nigh on perfect.
Can't argue with
Start Me Up and WOAF, but much of the material on Tattoo You was left over from the Some Girls sessions.
Worried About You & Slave
are classics. Do you think that Mick, while putting together the fine Some Girls bonus disk, thought to himself "Wow, this really makes Superheavy sound like the unmitigated shite that it truly is"
Tattoo You vs Some Girls
Always had mixed feelings about these two.
Some Girls has some sublime moments, but I've always had to reach for the skip button on Before They Make Me Run, Lies and Respectable. The songs on the new 2nd disc seem to belong in this category as opposed to the heights of Beast of Burden or Just My Imagination.
Tattoo You spoilers for me are Hang Fire, Little T&A and Neighbours. I can also take or leave Black Limousine and Waiting on a Friend. The good stuff is very very good - my favourite being the never-rated Heaven - but the poorer stuff really did feel like filler.
Shattered
was the one song on Some Girls I really hated for decades. Then they did it live on Shine A Light and I grew to like (if not exactly love) it.
Before They Make Me Run has always been a favourite, though. What a great vocal from Keith.
here's a nice version from stones lover steve earle
and the supersuckers
Nice!
There's something about the songs that Keith sings that always hits the spot.
The Greatest
Rock n' Roll band in the world. Best live band I've ever seen and the masters of the fake encore
It you want to hear the 'Some Girls' outtakes
as nature intended you should try to hunt down a copy of the 4CD Place Pigalle bootleg, which also contains a lot of the even earlier material that ended up on Tattoo You. To my ears the cleaned up versions on the reissued Some Girls, with new vocals and guitar overdubs, no longer sound of a piece with the original album. Only 'No Spare Parts' retains the same feel, and even then it is a little too clean.
Definitely a great listen and worth having but, if they were going to be repackaged with the original album, I'd rather just have had the original demos cleaned up without any embellishment.
http://www.collectorsmusicreviews.com/rolling-stones/rolling-stones-plac...