Product Description

The last Stones studio album of the '60s finds the band, for perhaps the first time, accurately reflecting the spirit of its age. The erstwhile bad boy outsiders of rock now foundthemselves firmly in the centre of the social and politicalpost-'68 whirlwind, and faced up to the challenge magnificently. The band's confident climb to its artistic peak was begun by BEGGAR'S BANQUET, but LET IT BLEED is a quantum leap even from that musical milestone.
The album's opener, "Gimme Shelter", with its insinuating guitar introduction, leads us decisively out of Flower Power and into a world where rape and murder are "just a shot away", and the Devil of BANQUET is very much alive and taking names. There's a nod to seminal influence Robert Johnson, whose "Love in Vain" is a mandolin-accompanied highlight. The climax arrives in the formof "You Can't Always Get What You Want", bearing referencesto the fallout of the Swinging London era. LET IT BLEED finds the Stones brimming with musical confidence and artistic inspiration.

Track Listing

1. Gimme Shelter
2. Love In Vain
3. Country Honk
4. Live With Me
5. Let It Bleed
6. Midnight Rambler
7. You Got The Silver
8. Monkey Man
9. You Can't Always Get What You Want

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1374 in Music
• Released on: 2006-08-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 43 minutes

Customer Reviews

The best Rock N Roll band in the World
With this album the Stones grabbed that title and effortlessly held the title until sometime after the release of Exile On Main Street. A supreme mix of of blues influenced rock music with a bit of country and the frankly really oddball, but magically catchy "You Can't Alway get What You Want".

The album starts with one of the Stones best ever tracks "Gimme Shelter", which is nearly four and a half minutes long. The influence of Chuck Berry can still be heard on this track but the Stones have moved the goal posts and although Chuck invented some of the greatest Rock N Roll guitar licks, on Gimme Shelter Keith Richards raises the bar.

Following the slow Robert Johnson blues "Love in Vain" (superb) and the country rewrite of "Honky Tonk Woman" that is "Country Honk" (probably the weakest track) we get to "Live With Me". Heres a track that could easily have been on Exile on Main Street. A supreme piece of Rock Music, Jagger snarls the lyrics, a barnstorming Sax solo by Bobby Keys, the twin Pianos of Nicky Hopkins and Leon Russell pounding in the background. Its probably my favourite track on the album.

Having said the title track "Let It Bleed" is quite something as well. Charlie Watts who is frequently forgotten when the Stones are discussed, as always propels the track along with indecent drive, theres some lovely slide guitar from Keith Richards and Ian Stewart (the Stones equivlent to Billy Preston) adds the funky Piano licks.

As a previous reviewer has stated, and as I indicated at the start of my review, if you have this album, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street you have the Stones at the very height of their powers. There are many other worthy albums they made which are worth getting but none touch these three.

An album full of filler, 4 good songs and 5 bad ones
This is, hands down, the Stones' most overrated album. More often than not you'll hear it described as their best which makes me think that these people need to listen to "Exile on Main Street", "Beggar's Banquet" and "Sticky Fingers" again - and this time with the TV turned down. The album opens with Gimme Shelter, an absolute belter and one of The Stones' VERY best songs. Sadly after that come 4 dreadful country/blues fillers which completely ruin the vibe. Midnight Rambler pops up next, a decent song but nothing special. Then another filler with Keith on vocals. Next up comes Monkey Man, an absolutely belting rock song which is nothing like the rest of the album! It could be off one of their much later releases. I often think of ditching this album, after all I have the hits on Hot Rocks, but I have Monkey Man nowhere but on this album so I end up keeping it for that one song! Finally it's You Can't Always Get What You Want and the pretentious, overly-dramatic intro grates every time. Their best album? No way. It contains one all time classic in Gimme Shelter and the essential Monkey Man, the rest I can live without.

The Stones in transition
Someone walked off with my vinyl of this in the early seventies (I still remember who, if you read this Tony) and it wasn't the first Stones CD I had to buy when converting. When I did get and play it, from the opening of 'Gimme Shelter', I immediately saw what a gem I'd been missing. This is a transitional album, after Brian Jones had gone(he features on two tracks but only on percussion and Autoharp) but before Mick Taylor arrived (only features on Country Honk)

It's like the rest of the band have something to prove and Keith's lead vocal "You got the Silver" is brilliant - as featured in Zabriskie Point. A lot of keyboards, Nicky Hopkins, Leon Russel, possibly some of the last Ian Stewart and some rare Al Koooper. Keith does most of the guitars and the songwriting is some of their best. The weakest thing on here is 'Can't Always Get What You Want' which says much for the other tracks.

It's like when Ronnie Wood joined them they became a charicature of themselves - he was bought in as much for his bad boy image as his playing ability (a la Sid Viscious to the Pistols). This predates all of that and still has some innovative and delicate stuff, before everything became a bit musically formulaic. Even Country Honk sounds great & fresh. Maybe some of those Stones tribute bands should try including it in their repertoire as a medley with the more recognisable (and predictable)Honky Tonk Women.