The fact that you like it does not make it underrated. If everyone liked it alot it would be more highly rated. I can never figure out why everyone says whatever they like alot underrated.
@@jerrypeters2095 Case in point...Soul Survivor is my least favourite song on Exile, along with Casino Boogie and I Just Want To See His Face. It is a popular track though so I'm probably in the minority there...
" Truthfully, this is the album that everyone wanted the Stones to aspire to, yet in doing so the Stones far exceeded all possible expectations and rendered the results temporarily inaccessible to many people...... (Rip This Joint) arguably the most spontaneous and uninhibited moments ever to have been captured on a rock record. ... .their magnum opus - an album which not only themselves but their contemporaries have yet to surpass. Never has one collection covered all aspects of rock music with such exhaustive attention to detail. ......this album clearly demonstrates the Stones musicianship which, because of the subtle deployment of instruments and the unorthodox meshing of the mix, may have slipped by those people who prefer to be sledgehammered. Thorough reinvestigation reveals Exile as one of the best double albums ever made." - Roy Carr, NME.
I was born in ‘91 so I listened to it with in the car with my dad, but I don’t think I really absorbed it until college. It’s the definition of a grower. I remember being knocked out by “Let It Loose” the first time, though. That one helped me nurse a broken heart at the time.
Doesn't have any songs which stand out? every song is brilliant. The brilliance is in its inperfection. Stones at their finest, which blends sloppy and tight with the right combo of gospel, blues, bluegrass, country and hard rock with bawdy and at time nonsensical lyrics. It's their masterpiece.
Favorite Stones record. Other than the occasional tune, like "Waiting On A Friend", all downhill after Goats Head and Mick left... See the interview on YT of Al Perkins talking about walking into the studio cold, sitting down, and having Mick dance around him, singing "Torn and Frayed" as a duet with his pedal steel. Again cold, right out of the box. Amazing.
Love the album and the cover. All Down the Line may be my favorite. I wish that track was in stereo, though. I agree with you, John......the album had to grow on me. But it did!
Loved this record on first spin back when I purchased it as a gift for my 8th grade teacher at the end of the school year in 1978. He had lent me each Beatles record in order of release (American versions). So when I gave Exile to him, he gave it right back to me to borrow and record on cassette. Back then I thought Turd on the Run was about poop. I was so young and naive.
If you want to get a band together, this is the text book. Learn from this, kids. The album is the very definition of a drums'n'guitar garage band - strip away everything and just listen to Charlie and Keith - that's the bedrock of rock'n'roll, rebellion, youthful immortality. On that, everything else in the world of rock music is built. I've literally spent years trying to nick Keith's open G licks and fills and rhythms on this album and I'm nowhere near it yet, there is just so much pure soul in it. Production standard achieves nirvana - it sounds like you're standing in front of the stage in a club with the band playing their asses off.
Took me a long time to appreciate this album. When I first listened to it, I absolutely HATED it. But now I love it! Rocks Off is for sure in my top 3 Stones songs of all time. And Tumbling Dice, Sweet Virginia, Happy, Shine a Light and Soul Survivor are all superb songs! Although, I will admit, the production on this album is pretty terrible.
I like Exile, it's one of the Stones's best, but I also rate Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers, to me all four albums are equally the Stones at their peak. I agree John, this is one of a handful of double albums from the late 60's/early 70's that justifies being a double rather than a single. Some of the Stones best songs are here: Rocks Off, Tumbling Dice, Happy and Rip This Joint. This album was their first to be recorded abroad for tax purposes, setting the trend amongst other stars to do so, and the documentary on its recording is well worth watching.
Thank you very, very, very much John!!! Great. The only thing I want to complain about the reissue, is the cut of the some of the right cover pictures and startet again with the left cover pictures. And the pictures are to dark. The original is more beautiful. Thanks again John, you are the real deal!!! Greetings Oliver.
John I only recently discovered this album, and now would say its my fav from the stones along with Emotional Rescue and Some girls. Just very roots based in rock and roll, blues and country. has to be listened to all at once.
Sweet Virginia is my favourite Stones song. It was recorded during the Sticky Fingers sessions but didn’t make it onto that album. Thank god it made it onto Exile.
I'm not a big Stones fan but I do like their early 70s period and Exile for me is quite consistent, I remember getting a free Flexi disc with the NME with Mick introducing excerpts from Exile, accompanying himself on the piano, with Curved Air and Fanny on the B side and I still have it in my collection !
John, great review for an absolute classic album. I appreciated how in depth you went. The longer video format suits you! Hope more are done like this one.
Listened only to Exile over and over again ,along with Babylon Bus double live album by Marley , thru studying in Med School. Made it more tolerable sitting there hour after hour ; reading , remembering , understanding.
Nice review John. Funnily enough I really love the mixing on this record. Too many albums (particularly modern ones) highlight the vocals too much, but on this the vocals are beautifully submerged. It's often forgotten that an awful lot of mixing happened in LA afterwards. That DVD looks really interesting, I didn't know about that.
Great point about the mixing of the vocals, and a practice I wish the Stones would revisit. I always thought of Jagger's vocals in this mix as being 'another instrument' and so not over or under-emphasized in the mix.
As a single album with all the really awesome trakcs together it would stand up to Let it Bleed but as a double it shows their weaknesses as a band in the 70's. Soe of their best tracks ever are on this (Rocks off, Tumbling Dice, Happy etc.) but also some weak ones (SWeet Virinia, Sweet Black Angel ect.) But hey ;you can't always get what you want eh?
nice job....bringing some insights and your views. We know that this type of review can go in so deep. I never recommend this to anyone wanting to start with the Stones. It is a deeper FAN album, probably 3-4 deep in buying for the beginner. It is nice that we have received so many details and docs about the album in the recent years, but as growing up in the 70's.....all we had were the tunes and our imagination. Good point about Mick and Goat's Head. I will be getting to a deep LIB review in the near future. I did not hear you mention Gram?? .......
Excellent discussion, John. I do enjoy the album immensely but “Sticky Fingers” remains my favorite Stone’s album of all. Have you done a review of that record? If not, please do. Take care, my friend.
Great Review. Casino boogie and Sweet Virginia are my favorite songs on the album. I was lucky enough to find a first Canadian pressing of Exile that included all the postcards. Although I am not a fan of the muddy production, it binds the songs together for me. Making Exile sound kind of like a tribute to early blues. Though this is probably not my favorite Stones album as the UK version of Between the Buttons takes the cake.
The half speed pressing from Abbey road contains all the original artwork including the postcards. The sound is clearly superior to a European pressing from 12 years ago.
Brilliant album. Tumbling dice is the standout track. Also love sweet Virginia. Comes a narrow second to sticky fingers as the stones best album. Another great review.
I was never quite able to determine whether this album is The Stones’ greatest effort or not...and still I’m not, really. The LA overdubs were needed, otherwise it would have been the most crappy, sloppy record from a major band ever. On the other hand, without those hard nosed rough & tough sessions from Nellcote the album wouldn’t have had that spirit - the sound of The Stones working in progress, sometimes very seriously, sometimes absolutely not. There’s something very charming about that kind of work that exposes the Hart & soul of a great band. Can’t help thinking about The Beatles’ “Get Back” sessions - kind of a similar situation. Well, some tracks are really taped before the ones in France, others later in LA. But there’s space for such things on a double album. It kind of links the record to the past as well as the future. Surely one of my Top 5 favorites from The Rolling Stones...
Isn't the point the final product though? Both those elements of the album blend together into something fantastic. I used to think Sticky Fingers was my favorite until I realized this album was my favorite above and beyond. The songs are fantastic, authentic and drip with an enthusiasm that makes them sound absolutely timeless. To this day that hearing that "oh yeah" can lift my mood in spectacular ways. What an album for a road trip or travel as well. Nothing like hitting the the road with these songs at your side. The sentimental sound a lot of them have is just ripe to have memories attached to, which is another reason why I think people love this one. Sorry for the novel, I just love debating the Stones and gushing over exile.
The criticism and bad reviews stalled the sales . I was even reluctant to purchase it . Doubles were about twice the cost. I was at a friend's house who was on a mail order thing ,and I was paging through and there it was unopened .I said Bob would you mind if I barrow this ❓ He said sure . Bob was into Elton John and Neil Diamond and other stuff like that. It was about a year later and Bob asked me if I still had it . I said yeah but you and me both know this isn't your kind of music. He just stared at me and said yeh your right ,keep it. A few weeks later I heard he came out. Still a good friend ,but definitely helped him out by ripping it off from him . Great LP but I'm sure I'll get flack but I think it could've been better if Wood was on it. 😎
I had the originalExile on main street album wich i was given in August 1972 compleat with postcards in the sleeve et al- an original copy i should think bought from an old record shop, so it could have resided in the shop wich was very small since may 1972 the month it waz actuly released!! Probably most or 80% of mt albums are original copies!!.
The out takes of Exile are stunning it's a vastly superior Album and the mix is superior crisp audio to the flat mix of the original - something that was also odd from the start. ( Too much overdubbing of you know who ) Some of the tracks are unbelievable in quality ! Richards is virtually non existent .Hillside Blues / Ain't Signifying easily in their top 5 - and also explains the ( Slaughtered My Soul ) disappearance ( mystery ) Exiles could have been a masterpiece apart from one dud track listed in outakes . An unbelievable gutting of the real Exiles ! Hear it yourself - the proof of the pudding with out the junk ! True ✋
For the life of me I cant get into this album,I've tried time and again over many years , I've been listening to people that I respect like john over many years but I just cant get it
I was looking to go see the Stones play in London this year but the tickets prices are basically "taking the piss". You can go and be at the back for £100.00 and watch them on TV really but if you want to be close it's £451.00 which isn't even VIP, utter money grabbing bull.
Off to see Jeff Lynne again in October at the O2 £130.00 and 6th row so very happy. :) I think when a top price ticket starts to go well beyond £150.00 I think I may stop going as it's pricing out most people.
Hi John great review again...started collecting the stones on vinyl , last one I purchased was some girls 1st pressing great album... can I ask your thoughts on a vinyl on eBayuk at the moment..george Harrison's all things must pass in mint condition 1st press ( not been signed) it's up at the moment for £410 with 41 bids...finishes today at 20.30 pm, never seen a copy for this album at this price !!
I have never understood the fuss about this album. It is at best a turgid series of half arsed blues riffs that don't vary much over 18 tracks. There's no excitement or inventiveness that makes truly great albums great. Just my opinion!
Great review as ever John! 😊 I have always felt the Stones were a really great singles band and never really produced a classic album. Let it Bleed, Beggars Banquet and Sticky Fingers have great moments but don't work as cohesive albums. I reckon The London Singles Collection and the Rewind albums represent them at their best.
First time I read someone's view about the Stones that reflects mine :) There is no such thing as a Rolling Stones classic album. I think their songwriting was never focused enough to last the length of an album but as compilations go HOT ROCKS 1964-1971 for me is THE Stones' masterpiece. REWIND 1971-1984 is a lesser proposition but a good overview of those years...
The Stones have never really developed or changed in 50+ years. They tried with Satanic Majesties and that didn't work. Some love that they are the same RnB band they were in '63. Fair enough, but they can't hold a candle to The Beatles who went from Love Me Do to Tomorrow Never Knows in FOUR years! I would say the same of The Kinks and The Who, they went from pretty basic RnB to Villiage Green and Tommy respectively. The Stones were great at what they did and I will crank them up and really enjoy them, but I don't return to them as much as The Beatles....
Brilliant review. What do you think of the remastering job of that 2010 reissue? One rock reviewer said it was horrendous, that it was too bright and glaring. The writer seemed to like the murkiness of the original album and strongly suggests one should seek out older editions of this album. I know the 1994 special edition of this album came with the postcards you mentioned.
Hi John Great review . I don't have this lp and have seen it a lot in my record store . I would like to here the first song . But after that is sounds like it goes down hill . I think the Stones are pick and chose after 70's. I don't think I would like it . Thank you for doing a review on this lp . Take care .
This album dose grow on you maybe not all hits per day but filled with great songs Hard for a band to hold your interest for one album let alone a double but I think the stones pull it off on your first listen Sweet Virginia rocks off happy soul survivor just some of my favorites
Circus oddities. Undercover, Cover would have made a better shocking impact. Negroes in carnival positions was much more palatable at the time. Either way, provacative.
Tax Exile on Dope not a rocker again Richards can't stand rivalry to his limited three riffs - the whole Album sounds odd at best an average rhythm and blues non rocker lyrically nothing special - emperor's new clothes it just smells of that corporate smack and Rolls Royces that was the hype of Jagger and Richards in swinging London . The absurdity of their faux exile in a shataux - gotta be shitting me . Often cited as their masterpiece - but in reality contested with Sticky because there is not really a number one Stoners Album - easily Yah Yahs fills that space And besides the session men Charlie Bill Taylor who wrote it then saw it turned in to the frankienstien of J an R - were there for money only - mostly they hung around bored rigid waiting on Keef who was unconscious mostly . Keef's bio is curiously scant on any musical info about it .Bill left in 81 - musical stagnation . Total abscence of any social reality in the J an R bubble they were mostly a band for screaming girlies who are way out of their depth on this memoir of 72 . Even the cover is half assed .
