Track Listing

1. Dancing With Mr D
2. 100 Years Ago
3. Coming Down Again
4. Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)
5. Angie
6. Silver Train
7. Hide Your Love
8. Winter
9. Can You Hear The Music
10. Star Star

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50116 in Music
• Released on: 1994-08-15
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered

CD Description
Following the enormous success of EXILE ON MAIN STREET, GOATS HEAD SOUP found the Rolling Stones jetting down to Jamaica in 1973 and tweaking their rebellious image with a bit of voodoo imagery. Kicking things off with "Dancing With Mr. D"., the Stones picked up the thread of "Sympathy For The Devil" and gilded their already hedonistic reputation with some Satanic allusions. References to Beezelbub aside, SOUP offered up some of the Stones' more heartfelt ballads including "Winter", "Coming Down Again", and the lilting, minor-key classic "Angie".
Of course, being known as "The World's Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band" means a number of songs more than back up this moniker. Among them are "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)", propelled by Mick Taylor's wah-wah pedal and Billy Preston's electric piano, and the twang and slide guitar of "Silver Train". There's an abundance of cheeky attitudehere despite a slew of slow songs, and the Stones close outwith a nasty, backhanded tribute to groupies called "Star Star". Though GOAT'S HEAD SOUP does not hold up to the four studio masterpieces that preceded it (BEGGAR'S BANQUET, LET IT BLEED, STICKY FINGERS, and EXILE ON MAIN STREET), it is still full of strong songwriting, great playing, and plenty ofclassic Stonesy swagger.

Customer Reviews

Misjudged and misunderstood
Coming, as it did, on the back of Exile On Main Street, arguably the Rolling Stones masterpiece, Goats Head Soup never really stood a chance. However, those that dismiss it are missing the point. To their credit, the Stones didn't try to recreate the dirty sound of Exile, but took a new approach entirely - a much more pensive, melancholic approach, showcased to full effect on the likes of Angie, 100 years ago, Coming Down Again, and the epic, sweeping ballad Winter.

If it's rockers you're after, you may feel a little short-changed here. Indeed, the only track that rocks convincingly is Heartbreaker, and even that's unconventional. However, the one-two punch of Silver Train and Hide Your Love represent the bluesier end of the Stones spectrum, and they do it well. In fact, the only tracks that aren't convincing are opener, Dancing With Mr D, and closer, Star Star. The latter is a very tame Chuck Berry wannabe, the lyrics of which seem rather contrived, as if intended to stir controversy, and as such come off looking merely foolish.

These two tracks ensure that Goats Head Soup is not a classic album. But to be fair, it's not far off. It's only real crime was that it came after a genuine classic against which it will always be judged. But judged unfairly. You'd do well to remember that.

Quite Beautiful
It's the popular view that the Stones somehow came to the end of their run of classic albums with the release of 'Goats Head Soup' and that the album proved quite a disappointment. This view is quite understandable (although i don't quite agree) as it does often lack the clarity and focus of the Stones albums released in the five years prior to its release. However what it tends to lack in conventionally great songs it more than makes up for in mood.
With 'Goats Head Soup' the Stones sound becomes more mellow and sophisicated and a little more experimental where there's less emphasis perhaps on rock 'n' roll (although it is still present). Much of this change is due to a greater involvement by Mick Taylor who collaborates more closely with Jagger than he has previously. His guitar playing contributes to some of the Stones most beautiful moments such as the songs '100 Years Ago' and 'Winter' which become richly intoxicating on repeated listens. There are also more typical Stones numbers which some fans may find more palatable such as 'Star Star' and 'Silver Train' which are also highly entertaining but these aren't perhaps the songs that leave the most lasting impression.
Many of the songs do tend to sound quite jaded as though the Stones are coming down from some enormous high yet at the same time so many of them are transcended into moments of such great beauty thanks in the main to Mick Taylor's beautiful guitar lines.

While it's probably difficult to make a case for 'Goats Head Soup' belonging with the Stones most highly regarded albums ('Beggars Banquet'- 'Exile On Main Street') it an album that is nevertheless quite unique. The Stones future output (post Mick Taylor) would never again incorporate such beautiful sounds which means ultimately 'Goats Head Soup's uniqueness will always remain exclusively its own.

Sex 'n' satanism
"Goats Head Soup" doesn't quite reach the same heights as it predecessor, the magnificent "Exile On Main Street", but it is a good album in its own right.

It opens with the self-conscious aren't-we-bad-tune "Dancing With Mr D." (the gentleman in question being the devil), followed by the solid, folkish "100 Years Ago" and the slow, slightly eerie "Coming Down Again" ("I really like the [songs] I did when I was on smack", Keith Richards once said. "I wouldn't have written Coming Down Again without that".)

One of the best songs on "Goats Head Soup" is undoubtedly the acoustic ballad "Angie", but the slide guitar-driven "Silver Train" rocks very well also, and "Hide Your Love" is a good, swinging blues tune.

There is really nothing bad on "Goats Head Soup". The slower, slightly, eh, alternative tunes like "Can you Hear The Music" and "Coming Down Again" may not appeal to everybody, but fortunately "Goats Head Soup" closes with one of the Stones' best, toughest rockers.
It hasn't gotten a lot of publicity, and even less airplay, but "Star Star" (as it was prudently re-titled on the cover) grooves with a vengeance, opening with a Chuck Berry-esque riff, and culminating with the supremely catchy chorus. Not everybody may be inclined to sing along (the song's actual title is "Starf***er"), but it certainly rocks with its own mean vulgarity.
And, honestly, who doesn't love mean vulgarity? Eh?