The Complete Works: Ranking All 373 Rolling Stones Songs

Vulture ^ | May 5th, 2017 | By David Marchese

[Albion Wilde]

Are you seriously going to applaud the product of some of the most godless, immoral and hedonistic performers in rock and roll? You are disingenuous, at best.

God makes everyone different and unique. Some creatures get wet in the rain, others like sheep and birds have oil in their wool and feathers—and rain just rolls right off. Several in this thread have said they don't admire the Stones as persons, but their musicianship is technically impressive. So their lyrics and their lifestyle roll right off.

The Stones set out to bring the African-American blues music of the poor deep South to an audience of white kids here and in UK who had never heard it. In this way they helped to break racial barriers (a lot more organically than with government force). Without the vast popularity of the Stones, many of these dirt-poor artists would never have been heard outside their small segregated club circuit, much less appreciated by mainstream audiences. So, whether the Stones set out intending to do good in life or not, in their way they did. God works even through evil to do good.

Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.”

Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Philippians 2:13 "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Proverbs 16:4 "The LORD has made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil."

[Albion Wilde]

bump for later

[Albion Wilde]

I found this video while doing something else today, and thought of our discussion here. It is Keith Richards being interviewed twenty years after the beginning of the Stones, and the interviewer clearly thought that was an astoundingly long time for a rock band—yet it was 35 years ago in 1982, and they are still going!

Several things struck me in Keith's remarks that have been touched upon in this thread, such as that they never intended to be big stars, but instead wanted to bring Mississippi Delta rhythm and blues to the wider mainstream audience.

Also, many of us have taken note of their technical prowess in spite of their often disgusting front edge. Keith at that time, twenty years in, was admiring his band's brotherhood and their craftsmanship, always striving to make the next performance better than the one before, not just resting on past laurels.

Part of Keith's candor on this video is about his recovery from substance abuse and having come to understand the harm it was doing to others. From other sources I've heard that Keith is the organizational power behind the band, that Mick is astute with managing their money, that he still works out and minds his diet in order to be able to continue, and that Keith's autobiography was more than a cheap money-maker; it was insightful and in its way historic.

Here's the video:

The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards on drugs & rock 'n' roll (1982)

And here's my favorite rock'n'roll photograph, of all the glittering performers out there. This one looks like it was painted by an Italian renaissance master:

[M Kehoe]

Thanks for the ping.

Is Keith clean? Miracles do happened.

5.56mm

[Gay State Conservative]

Ten bucks says the Kinks' "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" was about Brian Jones and/or Keith Moon.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

One facet of their success is their “professionalism” on the concert circuit. That is, they lead an organization that leaves nothing to chance, with their advance team setting up semi-trucks full of equipment, performing repair or replacement for any damages enroute, the actual concert management itself, and the tear down and repackaging for the next venue.

After the Altamont disaster in 1969, they became businessmen and have only gotten better since.

[Gulf War One]

Yes. Gimme Shelter is my fav too.

[SamAdams76]

I was born the same year the Rolling Stones was formed so by 1981, they were already a "dinosaur band" when I was just 19. I was in the Marine Corps during the fall of 1981 when they played a couple of shows at the LA Coliseum. The concerts were on Friday and Sunday night with a USC vs Arizona game in between on Saturday.

Well my claim to fame is that I went to the football game the day between those two concerts. The atmosphere around the Coliseum was electric and I so wish I could have had tickets to one of the Stones shows. They were playing with George Thorogood (who rocked) and Prince (who sucked). There was another band playing too but I forget who they were. But I did get to see the backdrop of the Rolling Stones set at the football game. I don't remember much of that game except for the running back Marcus Allen, who ran for something like 200 yards that particular game. But USC still lost!

[Clearly Right]

Thanks for the ping and the link. (That certainly is a "very well-paying hobby", like it's called in the video!)

It is always good to see someone get off that junk habit. Let's hope it is permanent for Keith.

Do you like this early blues by the Stones? (I like the guitar "duet" intro with the slide guitar and the other guitar. I also like the blues harmonica in this one.)

   "What A Shame"

[Albion Wilde]

Good times! So near, and yet so far!

The second time I saw them, Chuck Berry opened for them. He was in his way more awesome than they were. The whole thing was unreal. My husband and I were at Fort Benning as he was training to go to VietNam, and we drove over to Auburn University in Alabama to see them on a Saturday night, not so much out of loving their thing, but out of the awful boredom of the deep South at a military base back in the day. Even the first-run movies didn't come to Columbus, Georgia until a year after their release in the north.

Chuck Berry and the Stones were so incredibly late coming onstage (this was in the late 60s) that an announcement from the University came on the loudspeaker that all the college women would have to leave in time for curfew at 11:00 pm. Despite the loud moans, they got up and left, and many of their southern gentlemen boyfriends left to escort them—it was different times, when young people were more respectful. It was our good luck; my husbamd and I walked right down to the front row and sat down in some of the abandoned seats. At one point, I got up and put my arms outstretched over the edge of the stage, about four feet from their feet. I've never experienced anything quite like that night again.

Am I a fan of theirs? Not really, because of the repulsive factor. But I can't help but respect their musicianship, performance skills and staying power.

[Albion Wilde]

I had no memory of that track, although I must have heard it at the time. It’s kind of amazing how inaccurate the fingerwork is at that early stage of their development. But I like the fact that, as noted above, they were bringing that blues style to the wider world. Just never thought of them as muscial archaeologists or curators until this thread. LOL!

[Yardstick]

Keith is always a great interview in the guitar player magazines. He is ultra pithy and witty and also very humble.

[Albion Wilde]

One facet of their success is their “professionalism” on the concert circuit. That is, they lead an organization that leaves nothing to chance..

A very astute observation. A few years ago I read a DailyMail article about the genius manager they had who made them so financially stable and well-organized; as I recall a gentleman investment banker. I think he had passed away at age 80-something at that time. I guess Mick's university studies at London School of Economics served him well.

Just looked for the article and found it:

Now Jagger loses Prince who made him so rich: German aristocrat who brought the Rolling Stones from bankruptcy to billions dies aged 80

[Albion Wilde]

Craig Ferguson apparently spent some time on the road with the Stones, and he has said Keith is the actual leader of the band behind the scenes. He is apparently a much more intelligent man than the image he projects. This thread has made me look at a few interviews between Keith and Jimmy Fallon, who are apparently friends.

Just ran across these tributes photos of Keith and Mick that they posted at the recent death of Chuck Berry:

That's the age they were when I saw them perform on the same bill in 1969. Chuck did his special thing where he scooted across the stage with one leg bent and the other out in front of him. A legend.

[Yardstick]

I can believe it. His intelligence comes across in the interviews I’ve read.

[Zeneta]

Interesting that your time line was similar to mine.

I was The Air Force at Tech school just outside Denver in 1981. We heard the Stones were playing in Boulder and had some time off and drove there without tickets and scored a few general admission tickets from a scalper.

The show was George Thorogood, Heart and the Stones.

What an Awesome show !!!

While the front bands were playing we were able to weasel our way into a sky box at the Boulder outdoor stadium. Just as Heart was wrapping up their encore the Stones fans began to flood into their seats and fill the stadium. It was an amazing sight to see from our perch as we were quickly escorted by security to our proper place in the crowd. Just as the Rolling Stones took the stage a security buffer of about 30 feet between the floor crowd and the stage completely collapsed under the crush of the fans on the floor under a massive wave of humanity pushing themselves to the stage. I’ll never forget that scene. I’ll also never forget the sound of a human body hitting concrete as he rolled over drunk from his bleacher seat.

Those are the memories I have.