Album Summary
Beggars Banquet is the 7th British and 9th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 6 December 1968 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom and London Records in the United States. It was the first Rolling Stones album produced by Jimmy Miller, whose production work formed a key aspect of the group's sound throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. Brian Jones, the band's founder and early leader, had become increasingly unreliable in the studio due to his drug use, and it was the last Rolling Stones album to be released during his lifetime, though he also contributed to two songs on their next album Let It Bleed, which was released after his death. (Jones did, however, contribute to the group's hit song "Jumpin' Jack Flash", which was part of the same sessions, and released in May 1968.) Nearly all rhythm and lead guitar parts were recorded by Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones' other guitarist and the primary songwriting partner of their lead singer Mick Jagger; together the two wrote all but one of the tracks on the album. Rounding out the instrumentation were bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts, though all members contributed on a variety of instruments. As with most albums of the period, frequent collaborator Nicky Hopkins played piano on many of the tracks. Beggars Banquet marked a change in direction for the band following the psychedelic pop of their previous two albums, Between the Buttons and Their Satanic Majesties Request. Styles such as roots rock and a return to the blues rock sound that had marked early Stones recordings dominate the record, and the album is among the most instrumentally experimental of the band's career, as they use Latin beats and instruments like the claves alongside South Asian sounds from the tanpura, tabla and shehnai, and African music-influenced conga rhythms. Beggars Banquet was a top-ten album in many markets, including a number 5 position in the US—where it has been certified platinum—and a number 3 position in the band's native UK. It received a highly favourable response from music critics, who deemed it a return to the band's best sound. While the album lacked a "hit single" at the time of its release, songs such as "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Street Fighting Man" became rock radio staples for decades to come. One of their most acclaimed albums, it is considered the beginning of the band's enduring reputation as the "Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World". The album has appeared on many lists of the greatest albums of all time, including by Rolling Stone, and it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
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Reviews
"It's very American for a British album" was pretty much the only thought going through my head as I listened to this the first time. Like a couple albums I've listened to recently, I think it gets carried by one or two songs whilst the others just make up the numbers and don't really contribute much. I can see the appeal, I can see why it's got a plethora of positive ratings. I don't get it myself really. I think it's less well-formed than later albums they released; this is more experimental in the sense that it is testing of the waters of appeal of Americana blended rock on their audience. I don't think it's particularly earth-shattering or unique in it's content. Jagger's voice gets annoying at times. Keith Richard's guitar work isn't what it is in the next couple albums yet; the album as a whole is produced well but good production can only do so much. It's nearly there. What a great song Sympathy for the Devil is though. Wow. I could listen a million times and not be bored. I will say on my second listen through I enjoyed it more. Sitting somewhere between a 3 & 4, but closer to 3 for now.
Super enjoyable
Like it so far
not for me
Bangers RIP Brian
I feel like I'm listening to a country album
Beggars Banquet is both a return to the Stones' earlier blues-y sound, and a prototype of what a Rolling Stones album could and would be in the future. I'm going to set aside "Sympathy for the Devil," that's one of my favorite Stones songs period, and is the best song on the album in my opinion. This album does have a very American blues/country sound to it, but considering the band has never hidden their love of classic blues or R&B, I don't view that as a negative. Also, we're getting more of Mick Jagger developing his vocals into their final form. "Jigsaw Puzzle" sounds like it could be on any Rolling Stones album without issue. I also enjoy the fact that, unlike their first couple of albums, Beggars Banquet only has one cover, the rest are all written by Jagger and Richards. While its not my favorite Stones album, I still highly recommend it.
Ik denk na Sticky Fingers de mooiste plaat die de Stones hebben gemaakt; 4,5
Great energy
More country than I remembered
Nice blues rock record with sympathy as the clear standout
maybe a 3.5 decent stones album, very classic rock and roll nothing crazy that stood out. the first song is there best known one on the album.
Het album begint met een wereldberoemde hit, maar de rest is maar gewone pop-rock en het kan met niet heel erg boeien. Factory Girl viel me wel op omdat het meer een country song is.
God this band's catalogue is HUGE. I've lost track of how many albums we've had by them but we're at like one hit per album which is crazy. I figured at some point there would be an album where I'd be like "oh so THIS is where all the songs I know are from" but no, they're just super spread out because this band just has five million songs. That feeling was especially present listening to this album and immediately clocking track 1, so I assumed there would be another familiar song on here but nope. Prodigal Son was sort of familiar to me, but only because it's pretty much a cover of the old Robert Wilkins song. Anyway, this is a fun era of the Stones where they're not too rock-heavy and very blues/folk-focused. I appreciate getting to know all their different eras a little better.
Cool album. Enjoying the stones more than I thought after their first album on this list. They have a unique way to make slower rock songs that just works. This album in particular I think I'll have to revisit.
🥞
A classic album, the start of the Stones really great run from here to Goats Head Soup. Not a new opinion. You can hear the influence of Dylan but it's still very much the Rolling Stones. Some of their best songwriting. Jigsaw Puzzle is maybe a hidden favourite in here. Really great folk blues from one of the greatest bands to ever do it. Probably one of those albums that people will look on as a vital moment in music of it's time.
buen disco, tiene buenos temas y temas meh
Yup those stones are rolling.
A classic. Sympathy for the Devil alone deserves 5 stars!
A great sound. A return to a blues feel of their roots. Sympathy for the Devil is the stand out track and it comes screaming in as the first shot out of the gun. Street Fighting Man is another fun track, but Prodigal Son is a hat-full of blues and very worth passing around. Sadly, Stray Cat Blues has some very questionable content, such that would begin a Me Too\statutory rape investigation today. I probably never would have considered that back in the day, we've all needed to grow up and be better. Moving on to the next track is Factory Girl, hopefully this one will be less problematic.
Oooooooverrated.
6.5/10
I was not one to choose to listen to the Stones. Some real classics here though. Sympathy For The Devil got so much airplay that it is now hackneyed (IMO) but Street Fighting Man, Salt of the Earth alone make this worthy.
Zu langsam und eintönig
Jigsaw Puzzle is definitely a hidden gem.
Showing their true blues roots in a lot of tracks, this is vintage Rolling Stones. You have a couple of their hits here, especially Sympathy for the Devil. Some nice mellower stuff and acoustics too.
interesting album, everyone knows sympathy for the devil and not much after that
Still don't get the Stones... This album was better than Exile on Main Street, but only slightly. Giving it a three only because of the amazing first track.
Just okay
fun! but not their best. but fun! but not their best. but fun! but not thei
Gran álbum Amo a los rollings
a classic good album but not gonna lie these blues are not the type of music I usually listen to
I only knew two songs here. I kinda like Sympathy for the Devil, but it irks me hugely that the congas (and some other percussion?) are out of sync with the rest of the track. I’m mildly entertained. Y variety of styles and dynamics across other songs on the album. It’s not too offensive, but not very interesting to me - I have some prejudice against Jagger’s drawl. It’s Okay, 6/10.
Nearly perfect. Such iconic tracks
Raw, edgy and right on the money. The Stones go back to their roots and surge forward.
It has a few decent moments (quite liked Jigsaw Puzzle & Salt Of the Earth. I’m sure it was groundbreaking when it came out but overall it’s a bit shite.
The first song is pretty good sympathy for the devil. You can tell that other songs in the album are clear, cultural appropriation from black artists. For me that takes away from the album.
Got It. The real start of the classic Stones era when every Stones album was great from beginning to end.
This site has often reminded me of albums I've neglected, and in particular, I've been delighted to see the Stones and the Who on here. I mean, they're obviously both incredible bands, but I've taken them for granted for decades. I've been content to hear them when they're on the radio or someone else's playlist, but haven't taken the time to rel-isten to great albums like this one. Such a pleasure. I love hearing their version of the blues and their take on country (I almost put that in quotation marks...). In their oeuvre, this is maybe a 4/5, but it made me so happy--and that's all the matters right now--they get 5. :)
like i don’t hate it
I really liked the opening song, Sympathy for the Devil, but felt largely indifferent after that. I don’t like a country blues sound, so not really for me.
Another decent album. Sympathy for the devil is such a classic that listening to this album a few times just made me happy to hear it. I can't say I LOVED the other tracks but would definitely listen again.
I know they were the blueprint for this sort of thing, but they sound like every blues rock bar band that has spent the last several decades playing in your local dive bar trying to sound like this era of The Stones. If that's your thing, you'll at least like this record. If not, it's fine, not great. "Sympathy For The Devil" is a fantastic song.
underwhelming
nice enough
“Sympathy for the Devil” is an all-time classic and one hell of a way to open an album. After that, though, the Stones mostly get back to what they do best: blues, country, and that dirty, loose rock sound that would fit right in with what became Southern rock a few years later. It’s a pretty big change from the psychedelic direction of their previous couple albums. Instead of trying to sound strange or experimental, they sound much more comfortable just leaning into American roots music. “No Expectations” is a great example. That slide guitar sounds like it could’ve been recorded with Brian Jones sitting on somebody’s front porch. This feels a lot more like the Stones I think of when I picture the band. Rough around the edges, bluesy, a little sleazy, and not overly polished. They experimented with psychedelia for a while, but Beggars Banquet sounds like them figuring out where their real strengths were. Favorite song: “Sympathy for the Devil”
One of the best Stones albums I’ve heard from this project. A couple of classics in Sympathy for the Devil and Street Fighting Man. Plenty of variety in the rest that I didn’t know. Has a small bit of the country tinge that sullies some of their stuff but not enough to ruin it.
This literally made me fall asleep at work.
I would have originally titled this one "Sympathy for the Devil and 9 Other Songs." Nothing, and I mean, NOTHING, tops that all-timer of an opener. There's a reason every band worth their salt has a cover of "Sympathy" in their back pocket. It is perhaps the most rock-and-roll rock song of all with its invitation to listeners to listen to the other side of the story of history's most maligned figure. It remains a remarkably literate piece nearly 6 decades later, with lyrics so contemporary they were changed as history unfolded before it ("I shouted out 'who killed John Kennedy'" had to be changed to "the Kennedys" when news of Robert Kennedy's assassination broke out in June 1968.) What I'm saying is that "Sympathy for the Devil" is quite possibly the sole reason Beggar's Banquet is considered among the Stones' noteworthy. No other rock song has come close before or since in fusing tradition with modernity, timely lyricism with historical perspective, progressive structures with conventional songwriting...in short, no other song in the Stones' vast catalogue even comes close to its brilliance. Admittedly, I might have been a little dismissive when I said there were "9 other songs" on here. Truth be told, many of are actually quite good. They would fit very well on any album that didn't feature "Sympathy" - that song's shadow casts too wide for any other song to really "shine" in a traditional sense. It doesn't mean that the other songs all disposable nothings though: "Street Fighting Man" is a belter of a track that really communicates the dangerous element the Stones were so hellbent on putting forward. Nothing else on the album really captures the same sort of raw power as that track. "Jigsaw Puzzle" progresses slowly and steadily as it jams along its 6 minutes, and "Stray Cat Blues" is gritty Delta riffing played to a T. It's a shame its lyrics aged as horribly as they did. Those 3 are probably the best tracks on Beggar's Banquet after "Sympathy." The rest of the songs don't do much for me as they're a little too mellow and acoustic outside of "Parachute Woman." I guess the band was going for a more authentic blues rock sound on this one, but their greatest strengths lie in the rock half of that equation - the acoustic songs work best for them when presented in small doses (and sung by Keith Richards, if you ask me.) Going in, I had assumed Beggars Banquet was nothing more than a display case for "Sympathy for the Devil." After the 2 spins I gave this album, I can confidently say that the other songs also have a lot to offer. This is a strong entry in the Rolling Stones' discography, and it's definitely an essential listen in understanding the myth of the world's longest-standing rock band. Key Tracks: Sympathy for the Devil, Parachute Woman, Jigsaw Puzzle, Street Fighting Man, Stray Cat Blues
Though I knew "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Street Fighting Man", I'd never heard the album in full before. Overall very good, more country/honky-tonk than I expected. Apparently a return to more straightforward rock after the mess of Satanic Majesty's Request.
Some great tracks on here, really start to hear the stones 70s sound come through
The Rolling Stones were at their peak in this era of their career. This is just one of their 4 albums of their generational run where there are no skips only bangers.
Well, one thing I’ve learned from listening to this 1001 Albums list is that the Rolling Stones fucking suck and I hate them.
For me it’s edged by Let it Bleed and Sticky Fingers due to the more standard acoustic blues tracks Dear Doctor, Parachute Woman and Factory Girl just not standing up against the dynamism of the likes of Sympathy For The Devil and Street Fighting Man. but it’s still a great album. 4.5
4.4/5.
A really strong record with two standout tracks. Songs like stray cat blues have not aged so well but other than that, its one of the stones better albums. But not their best.
If you like the Stones, it's hard not to like this one. Much tighter than some of their records.
Boring would be generous and "bluesy" is euphemistic. I do not see the appeal of the Rolling Stones.
Some classic sones stuff Sympathy for the Devil
Opening track was certainly a highlight. Not much of a fan of the Rolling Stones in general, but overall this album was good. I'm sure there are worse albums to have started with, but I'm also sure there are better. 3/5.
Sympathy for the Devil
Sympathy for the Devil slaps, but oof stray cat blues is disgusting. Just has not aged well.
Niet zo memorabel
Super tof, kende de meeste zelf niet
The bluesy acoustic vibes are fun but run tired apart from the hits. I'm not really a Stones fan but I can see why people are. Rating: strong 6/10
One of their best. A bit more bluesy than some but that doesn’t distract it.
This may just be their best album. I really like their earlier stuff, but this is when they started playing their more Blues / Country-esque sound and really caught on. It's solid as an album and really feels like their first commercially successful attempt at an album, rather than just some hit singles and filler stuffed together. They sound angry too, unlike anything beforehand really. My favorites on here are probably Jigsaw Puzzle with the twangy guitar and the angry Street Fighting Man.
Mick Jagger has a great voice. The instruments are good but kinda unremarkable. The straight-up blues songs are underwhelming and knock the rating down a peg but the rock songs are often great.
It was just ok. More folk/blues than what I expected.
Cool, and I enjoyed the album a fair bit. Started out with its best track and kind of trailed off from there. Didn't really realize when some tracks had ended and the next had started, makes me feel that it wasn't all that interesting of an album, at least to me. Left in a weird place though because I didn't want to skip any songs. faves: Sympathy for the Devil, Jigsaw Puzzle, street Fighter man Rating: 6.9/10
Actually a really good album, a breath of fresh air and took me by surprise
3/5. The opener to this album “Sympathy for the Devil” is one of the best songs of the 60’s, sung from the perspective of the Devil himself as he recounts how he’s interfered in many historical events, backed by a great instrumental with those infectious background “woo woo’s.” Most of the rest of the album unfortunately doesn’t live up to the greatness of that song. There’s a few other highlights like “Street Fighting Man” or “Dear Doctor” but a lot of it is just kinda standard bluesy rock stuff. Theres also “Stray Cat Blues” which is about someone having sex with a 15 year old. Even if sung from the perspective of a character, it’s still a bit concerning considering the long history of early rock and roll musicians and that sort of thing. A few highlights for sure but I’ll admit I’ve never really been a big Stones kind of guy.
the album that more or less defines the sound of the Rolling Stones to me
Good album, 2 absolute bangers
Good album overall. The blues influence is really felt and the piano often steals the show. After an incredibly high, but early peak with Sympathy, the A side can feel a little dull, up until the amazing musical outro to Jigsaw Puzzle, leading into a stronger B side, starting with Street Fighting Man and riding a new high all the way to the end.
classic opener not my favourite rolling stones album but actually quite pleasant is it their most country one? or are they just more country than i remember? bit boring, bit too mellow it's okay
Meh. Never went much for The Stones Country twang. Sympathy for the Devil gets annoying after two minutes. Some decent stuff on here but nothing captivating. 2.5 out of 5
Solid album. Some big hits, some good b sides. The album has a lofi sound permeating throughout.
This was good. Highlight was of course the opening track but that was about it for me on this one.
i expected more than this since i really like the rolling stones :(
Solid rock album coming from the same era as the Beatles. It may not seem special by today’s standards, but for music coming from the late 60’s, this was special. No low points. Just great music throughout.
No sé qué pensar de los RS, se clavaron demasiado en el blues y cuando salen d ahí son geniales. Por que no lo hicieron más?
6.5/10
On the way
This album is just so boring. Every single track is extremely repetitive and gets stale after the first 30 seconds. There's certainly some great poetry on here, but there's also some pretty bad lyrics on this album. The shrieking lead guitar doesn't add either. It's just such a beige record that doesn't offer much. Tracks like Jigsaw Puzzle are quite nice, but the song structures are just so static. Yawner album.
Like It 3/5
Deep, meaningful, narrative lyrics. Exceptional guitar solos, piano and drums. Country roots. Favorite track - Sympathy For The Devil
not bad
Opening track is iconic, having featured in many a film. Love the bongos, over the subdued piano trill. Help me doctor might be my favorite. Disillusioned and forced to conform and the feelings of despondency when you realize you are empty because of the pressure. First real foray into the stones, I love how bluesy it is. Will definitely find more.
Hard to parse as an album when you know the singles so well, but even so this one was a joy to listen to. Dear Doctor and Jigsaw Puzzle were stand outs as a song i'd never heard before,but (1) instantly knew it was a rolling stones song and (2) instantly loved it.
Pretty much a flawless album. Like an epic honky tonk and should be the soundtrack to the best night ever in a smoky 70s pub.
Very nice
не осилил. очень скучно
Please allow me to introduce my review , I’m a man of wealth and taste. I think the Stones are overrated and are a band that makes good singles not albums … can you guess my score .. “Pleases doctor” followed by “Parachute Woman” kind of proves me right. But then “Sympathy” is such a great song ( although I prefer Jane’s addictions version),that I will forgive it, with my mood changed and most of the album is quite good.
Listening session: october 17th, while getting ready in the morning Listened to before: heard one song before Thoughts: the opening is a classic and the rest of the album is fine, but I’ll never truly be a fan of the Stones Favourite tracks: Sympathy For The Devil, No Expectations & Salt Of The
I really don't care for the slow bluesy songs by the stones and this album is full of them. I do enjoy the more upbeat songs (e.g sympathy for the devil, street fighting man) I'm going to probably give this a 2 for the 2 songs I liked
I liked it!
Gode greier. Rock og blues i skjønn harmoni. Kjinne det i rockefoten.
Bon album de rock. Pas de coup de coeur mais un ensemble qui est vraiment chouette.