Exile On Main Street

i've been listening to Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me a lot lately, which is a great record for when you want to listen to The Cure but you don't care too much about which song they play. it is the essence of The Cure you want, their spread and squall and earnestness. if you don't love The Cure, it might suffer for its length compared to some of the more pedestrian songs, but I Love The Cure and sometimes Disintegration or Pornography are a bit much, and so it's Kiss Me x 3 for at least a week. Exile feels like a similar record for the Stones, when you just want to hear them do what they do without having to decide on another record to put on for a good long while. the problem for me is that, barring a couple songs, i didn't really know what The Rolling Stones do. they were a massive blind spot in my music intake before a few days ago. i can now confirm that there's a lot of blues in what they do, but a lot of country, motown, and gospel, which was a delightful surprise. it's the gospel tracks i particularly love here, in all their bleary exaltation. they sound like a band of guys who really, genuinely Need gospel music. they are not fucking around with this stuff; their souls are in poor standing even the songs less to my taste are played with a kind of shambling passion i find undeniable. everything is knocking into everything else just so, and the racket made by all these collisions is wonderful. it turns out, against literally no odds at all, that The Rolling Stones are a great band! who'd have thunk. wonderful record, stoked for more

#295 Heard Before? Yup. Notes: - I've tried several times to get into the Stones, and it just doesn't work for me. - the best parts of this album have the least to do with the main performers: some great saxophone and other horn parts, nifty backing vocals, etc. - it's all fun, nothing actually bad, but no songwriting i admired or even earworms that got to me. - much-ballyhooed for a mix of genres, i just don't hear it. no element stands out as groundbreaking or even genre-bending. Verdict: Rock n roll guys rockin n rollin. Listen Again? Unlikely.

I firmly believe the Stones have a really bad great song* to mediocre or bad song ratio. This album doesn’t deny that theory in the least. *- that being said, the great songs really are timeless classics. Just wish there was more than 2 or 3 per album.

Very easy to listen to this album despite being longer than one hour but it made me think they the stones are probably the longest running band for being a sacred cow, if you like rock then you like the stones but Mick Jagger is not the greatest song writer, not I've ever seen his name in that discussion. Someone else mentioned that the best moments were by guest musicians and I think he is right. It's like Gimme shelter, the best moment is the chorus not anything that the main members do. Not a single track is bad but not a single track in it's entirety is memorable beyond those piano, sax or trumpet parts. It did help me to find the names of those musicians and l discover new music. I probably won't listen to this album again.

Number: 283 Familiarity: 3 Rating: Moderate (3) Before: ======= Never been a huge Rolling Stones Fan, except for maybe a brief period during my early teen years. I do have one song from this album on my 1972 list. After : ======= I believe this one could have been left off The List. Or maybe not. Apparently it's considered by many to be their best album. I guess I'm just not that much of a Stones fan.

I never could get into The Rolling Stones. But this has swayed all my opinions about them. I absolutely loved this album, the mix of genres blues, rock, gospel and more all comes together incredibly to form an engaging listening experience. You get tired of hearing of hearing guitar and here comes a brass section, you get tired of brass and here comes a choir. I bet the band had a great time recording this and it really shows, very upbeat album with not one bad song. The lyrics are incredible too, I haven’t properly looked into them but Mick Jagger is extremely gifted and he’s giving it his all on this album. Every time I tried to listen to a Stones album I was bored almost immediately, but this is right up my street. I think the production is a bit middy at times and makes it kind of straining to listen to but I can excuse that because the music is just that good. I found it really difficult to choose a favourite song because all of them make you want to get up and dance. Right now it’s between Tumbling Dice, Torn and Frayed, Loving Cup and All Down The Line. I’m going to have to go with the last one there. All Down The Line has me absolutely ascending. From the guitar solos to the choir singing it just does something to you and you want to listen over and over again. Absolutely fantastic but won’t be getting five stars. I feel like the production is lacking and the album drags on a touch too long, and some of the songs are lacking the drive that All Down The Line has, but other than that I love it.

Solid blues rock, though not terribly memorable.

TOO LONG but good stuff

i dont fuck with them like that

even tho its too long imo its still like a perfect record

Sounds all the same...

3.5

Middle of the road (or street?)

Damned good album. The Stones showing their ability to rock.

There are 3 songs I took notice of. Shake Your Hips, Happy & Ventilator Blues. The rest is just generic stuff and way too long. I never understood the big deal about the Rolling Stones.

Interesting style for the album cover. One I do not care for though. This album is significantly better than Sticky Fingers, which is the only other Rolling Stones album I have heard. Its alright. This band has been hyped up for generations as literally the greatest of all time. Their music is just not for me. In particular I REALLY do not like the vocalist or the lyrics. Soul Survivor and Let it Loose are the standouts for me, but still I would not listen to these outside of this album. Seriously though, the instrumental on Let it Loose is great. There is alot to enjoy here, even if I personally dont, with 18 songs. Best Song: Let it Loose. Worst Song: Turd on the Run.

There is not one memorable song on this album.

Maybe it would be better if they didn't add every one of their songs into one album, especially if they were all recorded and written on the same day. There's some clear time and repetition issues here, which makes it feel like they compiled a bunch of similar songs rather than make a coherent album. That being said, each song, individually, is catchy and well-made. It would be great to listen to one or two tracks at a time, since their quality is high, but eighteen is far too many. At least I can't find a terrible song, unlike their album "Sticky Fingers," which I can now say is a 2 or 3 star instead of the outrageous 4 I initially gave.

this is the album with happy on it :)

Muy buen álbum de la banda. Te diría que de los que más me gustan. Ventilator Blues el mejor tema.

No entiendo nada, tenía ganas y muchas expectativas para escuchar un álbum de los rollin, pero me puse a escucharlo y nada, ninguna canción me gustó mucho. En general están todas bien, pero no sé, lo tendré que escuchar de nuevo otro día y ver, pero por mi escuchada de hoy, como mucho le puedo poner 3.

You can tell the blues inspiration of this album, especially in Shake Your Hips. Anytime I think of the Rolling Stones and blues/rock and roll, I think on how Chuck Berry punched Keith Richards for touching his guitar. Has some good songs on this album, like Sweet Virginia, Tumbling Dice, and Let it Loose.

Rough and tumble, weary and sick, rock and roll. While the styles vary--country twang, boozy blues, gospel reach, R&B shuffle--the overall burned out longing and searching (through these musical forms) just keeps on kicking ass. There are better pop albums, better blues albums, better country albums, but no better rock album.

The Stones at their shaggiest and loosest. I get bored by some of the blues excursions, but the latter half gets better and better.

2026.10.25.

Not my favourite Stones album

Prior to listening to Exile On Main Street, all I really knew of the Stones was the excellent compilation Hot Rocks. They're so much more than their hits and this is a brilliant album although there's nothing in here to match a Wild Horses or Gimme Shelter, it's a proper rock n roll classic. There's some filler which you'd expect with a double album but overall very good. Highlights Rocks Off, Tumbling Dice, Happy, Shine A Light

Definitely one of my preferred Rolling Stones albums we've gotten in this challenge, but coming as it does on the heels of their fairly lacklustre debut, and with a double-album structure of largely just, you know, blues rock... it's hard to really get overly excited about. Maybe I'm just fucking tired man, idk.

The Rolling Stones are a hits band, not an albums band, as evidenced by how much I love their hits but have actively disliked most of their albums on the 1,001. I didn’t hate this, at least. Other than Sticky Fingers, this was probably the most listenable Rolling Stones album I’ve heard. But there was not really a single memorable song on it for me. A little long, and I’ll forget every track by tomorrow. Meh.

fuuuuuuuuuck they actually made a good album Standouts: Rocks Off • Rip This Joint • Tumbling Dice • Sweet Virginia • Loving Cup • Happy • All Down The Line • Stop Breaking Down

WHY IS THIS ALBUM SO LONG. Absolutely no reason for this. Tighten this to 40 minutes and it's perfect. Easily has some of my favorite songs by them on here (Shine a Light, Tumbling Dice) but this is just a little too much blues rock grooving for me. Ego down please.

Found myself tapping my toes a couple of times but nothing really stood out

A classic Stones album. Quite a mix of genres and sometimes the music is mixed a bit loud compared to the vocals, especially the piano. A veryclectic album and stated by many to be their best, but, while its good, I disagree that its the best. (4/5)

If you're not a Stones person, this album is a tiny bit of a chore, but it's just good enough to keep you listening through all 1:08 of this double-album. Rock, blues, cool riffs, and more cocaine than any human should snort. I'm not a big Stones person, but I dug this.

Not bad! Would like this on vinyl actually, good background noise.

Rating: 5/10 First listen: Yes Would listen again: No Fav track: Turd on the Run Comment: Fuck rolling stones all my homies love the beatles Salu na stranu, mnooogo mi se vise svideo Beggar’s Banquet

This is a solid album. I knew of this album in college because I was obsessed with Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville, but I didn’t really get into THE Rolling Stones until the past decade. Listening to this record, I just imagined all the stereotypes of what sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll going on as the wrote and recorded these songs. I am going to see if there is a documentary I can watch to test my hypothesis! Whatever the processes and / or influences the band members were under, the instruments are incredible and Mick Jagger’s voice is iconic for a reason. I loved the mix of rock and jazz and country and even gospel elements at the end. My favorite tracks were “Sweet Virginia” and “Shine A Light.”

7.9/10. Going back to their roots of rebuilding British Blues, the Stones brought lots of Southern music styles into this, most notably Blues, Soul, Gospel, and R&B. I enjoyed it, it didn't have many particular standouts, but also didn't have any bad songs, it was very consistent throughout. I might listen to one or two of the songs individually, but I feel you need more than one in a row to get a true feel for what they created for this album.

Look, easily one of the greatest rock and roll albums ever made, a pure classic and untouchable. What else to say…

Tråkigt album i början. Mitt i lossnar något och det blir jäkla gött! En trea som går mot en fyra men den sega starten gör att det inte når riktigt ända fram. Lyssnar gärna igen, in på iPoden med sig!

Not too bad

Kinda mi daje background music nista mi se nije isticalo osim zadnje 2 pisme

Their best album

A classic rock album that I haven’t relistened to in years. Always enjoyed the Rolling Stones from their 60s baroque sound to the early 70s rock and roll. Sometimes their individual songs seem better than the albums as a whole and I’ll see how I feel about this one. Right away, it Rocks Off….sorry. It really rocks. This feels like quintessential late 60s/early 70s rock music. It’s bluesy and full of energy. A great country blues rock sound. Great guitars and solos. Casino Boogie is a favorite on the first side. Tumbling Dice is a great song. Love the sound on a lot of it. Really not many down songs on the first two sides. That blues rock vibe works so much. Happy is a highlight of the back half of the album. It does feel to go a little too long. Nothing is bad or ruins it for me, but there’s a point where your first thought is, is this the last song and it’s not. Hard to judge between 4 and 5. It’s a great album and a cohesive classic rock sound throughout. It does seem to lose a little of the punch toward the end though. It’s all still great though. Maybe earlier songs just stand out a little more and are more noteworthy. Love this sound though. Shine a Light kinda brings it all back in. Wish it was the closer. I’ll go up because enjoyed this listen a lot.

Arguably their best, and you won't get an argument from me in opposition.

gran album, desgraciadamente me hubiese encantado que me vuele el bocho

Jamais écouté avant. Décidément, je ne suis pas fan des Rolling Stones. D'autant plus sans Brian Jones, qui avait au moins l'avantage d'ajouter un peu d'inventivité et de nouveauté dans le pastiche de blues excessivement révérencieux dont Mick Jagger et Keith Richards semblent incapables de transcender. Résultat, c'est un album compétent mais répétitif et chiant, ce qui est particulièrement problématique pour un double album interminable... Je ne vois vraiment pas comment Exile on Main Street peut être considéré comme un immense album, et même comme le meilleur album des Stones. Top : Tumbling Dice Flop : I Just Want to See His Face

I had listened to this before, but liked it a bit more on this occasion. I don’t think I will ever be a massive Stones enthusiast though.

Exile on Main St. is the Rolling Stones at their most complete as a musical collective—not necessarily their most disciplined, polished, or consistent, but perhaps their most convincing. The album's genius lies in the way its styles reinforce one another. Blues provides the foundation, country supplies warmth and melancholy, gospel creates emotional release, and rock ’n’ roll gives the entire record its physical energy. These are not separate influences taking turns. They are different parts of the same musical personality.

8.7/10 ⭐️: Let it Loose and All down the line

This was the last of four great albums that took the Stones from the late 1960s into the 1970s. It's perhaps a little long, but I guess they were on a bit of a roll.

The Rolling Stones are overrated. Good, but not the best of all time.

Probably my favourite Stones record. Love the raw sound, love how many sounds it touches while still sounding cohesive. Has the classic White Album effect of even the songs that kinda suck still fitting. "Rocks Off" is my fav song of theirs,"Tumbling Dice" is really pretty, "Shine a Light" is a masterwork. Great album!

idk man. stones are a greatest hits band for me, and this album goes further to prove it, works of absolute genius next to dross.

One of the best albums of all time

It's just a collection of good, well thought out, compositions. Mick's voice is obviously distinct and appealing to the ears, and the accompaniment from his bandmates is legendary. Their soul, their funk, their groove, it all fits so harmoniously together. There's a reason these fellas were and are so popular. Long live The Stones!

Good/solid

I love this era of the Stones but this record is my least fave of the four with Taylor. I get the appeal it has for some people, but it’s all a bit of a mess for me. Some great tracks on here still, but some of the second half always felt like filler.

我很喜欢，我会再听一遍。

"Exile on Main St." is the music you’re supposed to blast while riding a chopper into the sunset on Route 66. Problem is, I don’t like motorcycles; and after two listens, I’m not sure I like this album much either. The album has an overall raw and loose feel throughout, giving it a real rock edge. The band pulls extensively from blues and country conventions, which creates a strong “America!” atmosphere. At the same time, it makes a lot of the tracks feel predictable and samey. Most songs have similar energy and tempo and there are almost no real hooks to grab onto. The mix doesn’t help either. At times the vocals sound like they were recorded in a different room from the rest of the band. There’s probably a reason this record has been remastered multiple times over the years. After two listens, I struggle to remember specific moments. I respect the legacy and attitude, but the album didn't grab me. A light to decent 2.

quintessential boomer rock album lol definitely of its time, and probably contains like every classic/blues rock stereotype you could possibly imagine (they had to come from somewhere) but the songs are great so it's hard to complain really the whole album is trying its absolute best to be an opus, from the length of the tracklist to all the grand backing vocals/horns/everything else, and i gotta admit i think it succeeds in doing so favourite songs: tumbling dice, loving cup, stop breaking down least favourite song: torn and frayed

thank you rolling stones

No es para cualquier momento, es dar un espacio para escucharlo y disfrutar.

I have this album, and it’s on heavy rotation. Over 1 hour long but it doesn’t seem it. Opens off strong with “Rocks Off.” “Plug in, flush out, and fire the fuckin’ feed” has a nice verbal flow. I also like the ratatat on “shake Your Hips.” “Casino Boogie” isn’t a fave, but I like Bobby Keys sax on it and also the lyric flow for some reason. “Tumbling’ Dice” is always a fave. I’m thinking, on a whole, the songs on this album are well crafted, the words/vibe/sound work. A rambling, American rambling sound. A sleazy, skeezy America, but it has that vibe. “Sweet Black Angel” I learned at some point was sort of about Angela Davis. Still comes off as fetishization of black women with “Brown Sugar” also released by the same band. “Happy” definitely makes me happy. The band sounds like they’re having a great time. “All down the Line” is a fave of my for no discernible reason. I just like it. I did notice that Keith and Mick were keen on repeating words on the last minute or so of their songs. Works for them, and it’s not like they had done that throughout the songs, so it wasn’t a problem for me. I like the raggedy, jaggedy album sound.

Eh. The Rolling Stones have a lot of great songs and none of them are on this album.

Exile On Main St. is my favorite Stones album. I know that’s not an unconventional opinion these days, as it’s widely considered one of their best but, it wasn’t always that way. When Exile was released, they had been on quite a run. After dabbling in psychedelia culminating in the divisive Their Satanic Majesties Request, the Stones put out a run of albums that rival the best in rock history with Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers. So, when the Stones released this lo-fi, dirty, bluesy, rambling, shambling double album, reviews and reception were mixed but, over time, it has become considered one of the best, if not the best, Stones album in their discography. The album was recorded in the basement of Keith Richard’s villa in South France, acquired to avoid the heavy taxes in the UK, with the use of a mobile recording studio. The proceedings were unorganized, debaucherous and around the clock. Keith was apt to sleep all day and work all-night fueled by drink and drugs and his new best friend, Gram Parsons, who most certainly inspired the country tinged songs on the 2nd side of disc 1. The rest of the album is a mix of music styles inspired by black American music blues, gospel and soul. Deconstructed rock and roll. It’s brilliant and fun listen. For me, it never gets old and my favorite songs vascillate every time I listen to it, which must be in the several hundreds at this point. It is messy, but it’s also undeniably great. I’ll knock off a few 10ths of a point just because I might be biased and it might take a few listens for the average person, but if you don’t like this… what’s wrong with you? Seriously. 4.9

Nice

A double album, we are not off to a great start. Rocks Off is great classic Stones though. Shake Your Hips is a classic blues song...I prefer ZZ Top's La Grange though. Tumbling Dice is the hit and one of the best Rolling Stones songs. You got to roll me. Sweet Virginia is another great album cut. The Rolling Stones might have the best album tracks of any band ever. I know that's a function of the era, FM Radio playing entire album sides rather than just singles. Loving Cup is another great song. Maybe it's not double albums that are the problem, maybe it's the bands doing them so far. Happy isn't my favorite song and it was the other single. Gospel Stones is not my favorite. Shine a Light is amazing.

Resisting reductive definitions is a worthwhile aim on the one hand, and yet, on the other there's a part of me that knows in my bones that I've spent most of my life listening to what amounts to rock music. Variations on a theme in myriad ways but ultimately you can eliminate all nuance, boil it down, strip away genre flourishes and creative malignancies. And sure, if you were drawing a detailed map there'd be jazz lines, classical lines, hip hop lines, world music lines, experimental, avant-garde and music concrete lines. But, c'mon, you know if we counted up all the minutes spent on those paths against rock music and its gloomier but still distillable elements all those other lines would hardly compare. And, in that time, I've met a lot of fans of the Rolling Stones who have extolled their virtues. Who've recommended this record or that record. I've even bought a couple of them. Maybe this one. But try as I might I've never been able to get into this band. There's something about their adoption of the blues and contentment to sit in that pocket that has always bored me. Their career has spawned a new term for me: legazy (lazy legacy). When they decide to rip things up and rock I'm a little more intrigued. Tempo need not be up, they just need to be hitting a little harder (e.g. Ventilator Blues). The record has a lot of things to it that have become cliched and I suspect the Stones and their success are partly to blame but it's not fair to do so. The harmonica, the horn section, the piano, the swagger, the group backing vocals, all stuff available to anyone and certainly nothing they invented. But they certainly seemed to popularize. I like the album's loose vibe and frankly find it more engaging than many of their other records. Since they're no heroes of mine, I also have no trouble saying it also feels kind of mid like all the rest of their music. Were they exiled from the mainstream, self-imposed, maybe, but ultimately they were pulling from and articulating whatever street they found themselves on. So, what's the best thing about Exile on Main St? Probably Liz Phair's reply Exile in Guyville. The album had an impact that's created new turns on the rock road so hey there's that.

Good old rock !

Perfect record. Nothing as raw is as beautiful, nothing as beautiful as raw. Maybe the sound of the mind souring, like a delicious, nutritious yogurt.

Listening session: october 6th, while getting ready in the morning Listened to before: heard one song before Thoughts: a bit boring, I’m not a Rolling Stones fan and this is not even their best album Favourite tracks: Shake Your Hips & Torn And Frayed

One of the few Stones albums that I have, found it late, probably 2000s, but loved it, and I do play on occasions, rock n roll as it should be, my sister recommended it tbf.

Really not what I expected from a rolling stones album but I enjoyed more than I thought I would.

Sound like what you'd expect from the Stones. It was nice to hear something different than the usual hits, but I guess I'm not going to be a Stones fan anytime soon, and that's mainly due to Jaggers voice.

Really cool grooves and vocals, the gospel inspirations pull most of the weight of the album, a bit long though.

The Rolling Stones are so iconic and I appreciate their place in music history. The tinny-ness of the old recording systems was too unpleasant on this album.

very good very good

Decent - probably need another listen to properly appreciate - but quality

2,5 maybe

Great album since the stones are great but no song stood out as amazing, very high 4

- Starts strong with the brass of "Rocks Off" and finishes strong with the organ on "Shine A Light" (the best track). But the rest of the album might as well be interchangeable Stones tracks. Totally fine to have on, but nothing that is piquing my interest. - "Ventilator Blues" started to do something harsher and different, but I am not sure it sticks that landing. - Find it funny that Jagger apparently has no love for this album and questions why it is so revered.

Okay album. Still have the nice cheerful Rolling Stones sound but was generally uninteresting. Couple really good songs and a nice vibe in general

OK album, but not a big fan of the stones - there's about 10 Rolling Stone songs 10 songs from all time I love and therefore I don't dislike the band. None of them on here. Completely agree with the top voted rating of 3/5, it's ok, it's the stones, but is it really their best, does anything really stand out? Generic blues style music while being tax evading holiday makers. For the record the stones tracks on my regular playlist are: Gimme Shelter, Paint it Black, You Can't Always Get What You Want, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction and Sympathy for the Devil. Maybe JJF, maybe Fingerprint File because the music is fun even if the lyrics are cooked. This album came after and nothing is of that calibre here. Most of it is boring, even if you take the time period into account. Shake Your Hips, Tumbling Dice, Shine a Light I remember well from my younger years but they don't have the same impact as the earlier stuff which I'm still a fan of, and some of this album is poor, eg Sweet Virginia, Happy, All Down the Line, Soul Survivor and the like. I feel they went for quantity over quality (18 tracks, really! But none a stunner) because quantity is easier when you just want to get shfaced on holiday. Not even a 3/5 for me, more like a 2.8 but I'll round up ans maybe ion this 18 track boring album there's 3 good ones. Gimme Shelter.

Heroin and honky-tonks. I got the replacing all my blood blues.

7/10

bit too safe, lacks edge. solid dad rock.

Funny how I get this shortly after getting the White album, which I think is the closest equivalent to this in terms of scope, this is more cohesive, however it suffers from the same problem of filler just not as much of it

I'm not really a Rolling Stones fan, and can't say I've listened to a whole album before. The hits that I have listened to are, obviously, all time classics. This album was very wide ranging, and overall I enjoyed it. I'll listen to it again in future and maybe rethink it (because I know it is critically acclaimed) but for me, for now, it is a solid 3.

I really liked this longer blues inspired album. It felt really cohesive despite the different arrangements. Listened to it twice, and still it kept my attention. Loving cup, and ventilator blues were particular highlights. As was the piano playing throughout (just looked it up and of course it was Nicky Hopkins, which tracks!) An incredibly strong album, a 4.5 for sure.

Yupp

5/5 best stones album cld b my favorite

Too much Stones for one spin for me but it's alright

Sorry, but this album truly confirmed they're just a Greatest Hits artist for me.

If there is a more quintessential rock album, I can’t think of one. I guess the same thing can be said about many Stones albums, but this album feels more raw and less polished than their other albums and makes it feel rock n roll. This sound likely grew from the fact that the album was recorded in a basement over session with different people filling in due to too much partying. Some think this created shitty production, which in some ways it did, but I think it works. There isn’t much that I can say about the album that hasn’t already been said, so I’m not going to bother. I enjoyed it. My biggest complaint is that the album is too long, like most double albums.

Overall pretty enjoyable album. This was the first stones album I listened to and it was an entertaining hour and a bit, and usually if find that a bit too long for an album. I think there were two songs I wasn’t massive on which were “shake your hips” and “I just want to see his face”. If I had to list some standout songs I would definitely say “tumbling dice”, “sweet Virginia”, “Ventilator blues” and “let it loose”. Overall I give it a 4/5 and would listen to it again, enjoyed the bluesy elements of it the most.

No songs I knew, but solid music

“See, white folks, they like the blues just fine. They just don't like the people who make it.” Sinners (2025)

Did not need to be a double album. Lots of fat that could have been trimmed. Still worth listening to.

listened later