Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones

I won't go track by track but opener Rocks Off is a good start, an energetic rocker with the saxophone featuring prominently. We have sax in the second song too, and fast piano, this pulls more from 50s rock and roll than from country or blues. But then Shake Your Hips sounds very bluesy in an experimental way, the clipped rhythm guitar plugging along. Tumbling Dice is the biggest song here, although it's not one of their massive hits, followed by Sweet Virginia and its Dylan esque harmonica. Then Torn and Frayed sounds like a proto Sweet Home Alabama. We're covering a lot of ground here and it's still the first half. Oh yes, this album is 67 minutes long too. A second half highlight is Let It Loose, quite different from the rest. A gospel influenced ballad with a memorable melody. An unlikely favorite for me off the record. In a similar vein I also like Shine a Light, which features a great guitar solo too. There's a lot of songs and a lot to unpack here. I really think it's an achievement and there's tons of depth here to absorb. I'm just stuck at **** because it doesn't all resonate with me yet.

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