Every time the Stones trot out their newest piece of product (as with this year's execrable Bridges To Babylon), each seemingly more lackluster than the last, it becomes harder to believe that they were once what they now merely advertise themselves to be--The World's Greatest Rock n' Roll Band.
This was never truer than in 1972, when the Stones were the most dangerous, offensive, ugly, and inspired group of miscreants the music world had to offer. The swaggering attitude that comes across as effete posturing in 1998 was very real when the Stones set out to record the crowning jewel of a string of records (Beggar's Banquet, Let It Bleed, and Sticky Fingers) that forever established them as auteurs of what was once considered a crass and artless medium.
Exile was recorded in the South of France in a sprawling villa the band had rented while exiled from their homeland due to tax problems. Aptly named, the sound and feeling of exile permeates the album--whatever lyrics can be deciphered through the murky haze of the chateau basement production style hint at alienation and disillusionment, while behind it all the band seems entirely disconnected from the outside world, unable to truly relate to anything but their music. Guitar riffs lurch forward occasionally from behind the churning rhythm section, punctuated by pumping horn lines, slithering organ fills, and the inimitable vocal bravado of Mick Jagger. The record sounds remarkably claustraphobic without being cluttered, intense yet casual.
Listening to Exile, it's easy to imagine the chemically-fuelled recording sessions, the musicians cloistered together far from home with no outside contact. The recording style, coupled with the seclusion of the band's musical stance, could go a long way towards explaining the baffled and chilly reception the album received upon its release. No matter for the recent listener, however; today, Exile sounds more lo-fi than any "indie rock" b.s. and more punk rock than any major lablel hair band available in a cd bin.
Virtually every song on Exile is a classic, and like any great recording, it should be listened to in its entirety while in an ideal frame of mind. Whatever you do, don't judge the Stones by any recent attempts to resurrect their legend--they may seem like doddering old codgers now, but once upon a time they rocked timeless.
If you like The Rolling Stones, check out:
The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet
Gram Parsons GP/Grievous Angel
R.L. Burnside Mr. Wizard
Uncle Tupelo Anodyne
Wilco Being There
psst...you might wanna check out our rock and roll links for more features on (guess what) rock and roll artists.
