The Thursday Album #2 - The Rolling Stones - Goats Head Soup

The second album in my regular feature of abums that changed my life. We started off with The Rolling Stones and my love of my sisters copy of Sticky Fingers, that I spent a couple of years playing incessantly. In 1973, I was eleven. As a birthday treat, my big sister Val took me on the 52 bus to Kingsbury. There was a 'cool' record shop there. I had some pocket money saved up and wanted a record of my own. I hadn't really decided which one. Val was a pretty hippy chick at the time, and I was her annoying little brother. But she was always kind to me. We turned up at the record shop and she started to chat to the blokes running it. There were booths with headphones, where you could listen to records. I listened to three or four, then Val suggested we buy Goats Head Soup by the Rolling Stones. The bloke in the shop started to take the mickey out of me. Val was rather cross, but I insisted on buying it. On the bus home, she muttered that the guys were rather uncool. 

I got home, unpacked the album and put it on. I expected it to be like Sticky fingers, only better, because of course, the more records you make, the better you must get (If only I knew). I put it on, took out the poster of a goats head and banged it on the turntable. I was completely underwhelmed. Whereas Sticky fingers started with Brown Sugar, which is perhaps the  classic Stones track, it started with Dancing with Mr D, which is a perfectly fine track, but not in the same class. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. Not only that, I was cross, I'd spent my saved up money on a clunker! Then Val explained that you have to listen to really good albums three times, before you appreciate them. She explained how The NME had given Exile on Main St a really bad review when it came out, but a year later, the same reviewer printed a reassessment, saying it was the best Stones album ever. I wasn't convinced.

Worse was to come. At the dinner table, I showed my Dad the poster. He laughed and then said "Where did you get that". I replied that Val had taken me to the record shop and it was from The Rolling Stones new album. To say he went mental was an understatement. He shouted at Val, threw the album in the bin, smacked my bum and sent me to bed, telling me that I was never to bring Rolling Stones records into the house. I was distraught. Val stormed out. Some time later, Mum came up with the album, that she'd fished out of the bin. She said "Don't tell your Dad". Years later, I came to realise that Dad had PTSD from his wartime experiences. When he was triggered he'd go mental. An hour later he'd be fine and there'd be no problem, but I was devastated. I hated the album. I concurred with my Dad that it must have Satanic properties.

A week later, when Dad was at work, Val suggested that we listen to it again. I wasn't overly keen, but when she explained that the last track on side two had a very rude chorus, I relented. I realised that whilst it wasn't Sticky Fingers, it wasn't too bad. A week later, I listened to it again and realised that it was actually rather good. I have come to think that it is perhaps as good as Sticky Fingers. It doesn't have songs quite as outstanding as Brown Sugar and Moonlight Mile, but it is far more consistent. 

So what do I think of the tracks.

1. "Dancing with Mr. D."

I really disliked this track for a long time. It is possibly my least favourite track on the album, but that is probably a hangover from that first listen. It is an OK track, but I always felt they should've written a stronger track to start the album

2. "100 Years Ago"

A nice, reflective track. Bit of a melancholic, boogie woogie feel to it. I have always liked the line "Don't you think it's sometimes wiser to grow up".

3. "Coming Down Again"

Never been a massive fan of this track, it's ok but thats all . The begining is a bit too 'Elton John' for my tastes. Not abig fan of the piano in rock tracks generally. Redeemed by some nice slide guitar. Keith Richards sings. He doesn't do a bad job, but I prefer Jaggers vocals. 

4. "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)"

For me, this was always the point at which the album gets going. I've always believed that if this had been track 1, the album would have sold ten million more columns. A proper upbeat Stones track. This was the sort of Stones track that I loved. A proper belter, that I believe has never properly been recognised

5. "Angie"

Another track I didn't like at all when I first heard the album. I've come to realise that it's a beautiful song and one of their best. I spent a long time learning to play this on the guitar about 45 years ago. Reputedly about Angie Bowie. I was puzzled when my sister told me this. Writing  a love song for your mate's wife seemed a bit iffy to me. 

Side two

1. "Silver Train"

I've always had a soft spot for songs about trains. A half decent track that has a nice train running, shuffly groove and slide guitar that sounds like a whistle from a steam engine. What is not to like.

2. "Hide Your Love"

Starts with a pub sing song style piano riff. As mentioned earlier, not a big fan of that. It's a nice enough track that grooves along, but for me it is the number where I put the kettle on and make the tea.

3. "Winter"

The sort of slow Stones ballad I love. Just listening to the opening bars makes you put the heating on. Reminiscent to me of Moonlight Mile. The Stones did strangeness in ballads rather well when Mick Taylor was in the band. I've always felt that when Ronnie Wood joined, a lot of the subtleness went out of the music. If you are a songwriter, these songs are well worth a bit of analysis, to understand why they sound so good.

4. "Can You Hear the Music"

A bit too ploddy for me, not a bad track, some nice keyboard work by Nicky Hopkins on it. 

5. "Star Star"

For years, my favourite track on the album, mostly because of the up beat rhythm and the profanities in the chorus. In hindsight, I do sort of see that it confirms all of my Dad's prejudices about the Stones and to some extent his reaction. I'm not entirely sure how I'd have felt if my eldest daughter had taken my son out to the record store and got him to spend all his pocket money on a song that had the lyrics

Honey, honey, call me on the telephone

I know you're movin' out to Hollywood

With your can of tasty foam

All those beat up friends of mine

Got to get you in their books

Lead guitars and movie stars

Get their tongues beneath your hood

Yeah! You a starfu**er, starfu**er, starfu**er, starfu**er, star

Yeah, a starfu**er, starfu**er, starfu**er, starfu**er, star

A starfu**er, starfu**er, starfu**er, starfu**er star

This and Sticky Fingers were the albums that made me love Rock and Roll. When Punk arrived, I put them to one side and didn't listen to them for a couple of years. When Pete Conway left The False Dots and Craig Withecombe joined, he suggested we did a cover of Get off my cloud and The Last Time in a punky style. I was never overly keen on covers, but we did a half decent job of them. It made me revisit the early Stones catalog, which is rather good. I saw the Stones at Wembley in 1982 and was totally underwhelmed. Having spent five years watching punk gigs in small halls, I hated it. The songs didn't sound anything like the albums, the whole thing was ridiculously overblown and the selection of songs was a bit iffy in my opinion. I didn't listen to them at all until my mate Boz Boorer did a set in Camden playing mostly songs from Sticky Fingers about fifteen years ago. I revisited the albums and remembered why I'd liked them.

When we were getting our new False Dots set together, I wrote a song called "Buy me a bottle of Jack" which I sort of channelled the spirit of Keith Richards for. A sort of bluesy riff and gruff, nihilistic vocals. People seem to like it (you can see the band on Saturday 28th October at The Bull Arts Centre -   CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS )

The False Dots · Buy me a bottle of Jack

The Thursday Album No 1 - The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers

A new feature. Something I've wanted to do for ages.This is a journey through my musical development and an opportunity to listen to some amazing music. The albums that I spent far too long spinning obsessively. 

We start with The Rolling Stones and Sticky Fingers. This was released in 1971 when I was eight years old. My sister Val had the album in theorginal sleeve, with the zipper. Up until then, I'd liked some music, not in an obsessive way, but around this time, my brother built a top grade stereo system for my Dad. The enormous speakers would put many a carnival sound system to shame. Dad bought some headphones, which meant I could listen in peace. As it meant I wasn't annoying them, my parents just let me get on with it. We didn't have many records, but with its naught cover, I remember Val bring it home and playing it. The first time I heard it, I don't really think it registered. The sleeve interested me more. I think my main concern was that they should have put proper underpants under the zipper. 

As we didn't have too many decent albums (we had tons of singles, but these were a pain to keep changing), I started listening to the album regularly. I was going through a difficult period. Mum was going through her cancer and there was a bit of turmoil at home. I believe my Dad suffered undiagnosed PTSD during WW2 and he was not really coping well with Mum's illness. The album proved to be a refuge from the world. I knew every track intimately. 

Here is my take on them.

Brown Sugar - This is the Stones. The riff, the attitude, the references that I didn't understand. In some ways, it may be the best song ever recorded by the Rolling Stones. If I was asked to select one track to sum up the Stones, this would without doubt be the one. I suspect it is the most covered Stones track by pub bands. I still love it.

Sway - Another great track with a wonderful intro. You can tell exactly who it is after 3 seconds. A real trademark early 70's Stones sound. Slower tempo than Brown Sugar, but more expressive. I love that. The song always reminds me of getting out of bed with a hangover. Clearly I didn't have hangovers when I was eight, but I was intrigued why someone would boast about an demon life having it it's sway. In my naive, pre-adolescent mind, I assumed they'd written it for my mum and her battle with cancer. 

Wild Horses - I've never really been a fan of slow ballads. Mostly because I thought that none stands up to this. It is just such a good song. Well produced and possibly the best vocal performance ever by Jagger. I'm not generally a big fan of slide guitar, but on this track it works so well. 

Can't you hear me knocking - This songs is 2 minutes long, with 5 minutes of the Stones jamming. I was never too keen on the first 2 minutes, but this is the song where I learned to appreciate good rock musicians jamming. 

You gotta move - One of two tracks on the album I'm not that keen on. This was usually where I put the kettle on and went to the loo. I don't really like ploddy blues.It sounded like Steptoe and Son had managed to purloin a track. Fortunately it was the last track in Side One, so I'd usually just turn the album over at this point. 

Bitch - Although I think Brown Sugar is the best Stones track ever, this was my personal favourite at the time. Of course I didn't get the drug and sex references, but I just loved the groove of the song. I probably liked it as I thought it was about dogs. I love the up tempo beat and the horn arrangement. 

I got the blues - The other track I'm none too keen on. It just doesn't float my boat. Doesn't really go anywhere

Sister Morphine - I used to find this track a bit disturbing and difficult, but really liked it. As mum had been on Morphine, I associated it with her cancer, I still do, but I realised it was a briliant track.

"Here I lie in my hospital bed Tell me, Sister Morphine, when are you coming round again? Oh, and I don't think I can wait that long Oh, you see that I'm not that strong "

It seemed to sum up my life at the time. Of course, I had no concept that the morphine was not being used medicinally. Sometimes a difficult track helps you realise that other people are going through the same thing. The concept that Mick Jagger was sympathetic to my pain was a great help. 

Dead Flowers - To me this was a sort of throwaway track, but a very good throwaway track. For a song about your life falling apart in a heroin induced stupor, it's remarkably upbeat and fun. I sort of twigged it was about stuff I didn't really understand.

Moonlight Mile - I have always loved the unusual chord changes and slightly weird sounds. For me it brought images of Fenella Fielding in Carry On Screaming. The scene where she is attempting to seduce Harry H. Probably the lyric

"I am just living to be lying by your side But I'm just about a moonlight mile on down the road"

 Corbett's hapless detective played havoc with my pre pubescent imagination.  I sort of imagined that was how naughty people, behaved at the end of the moonlight mile. Since then, I've never been 100% sure whether deep down I'm an angel who wants to be a devil or vice versa.  My brother Frank, who had a massive crush on Fenella Fielding as a result of the film let me watch it once and I don't think I've ever been completely right in the head since. Musically, I think this has the best intro of any slow Stones track. 

There are many albums that have had a massive effect on me, but this one was almost like a lifeline. For maybe two years, I listened to it every day. 

Why not have a listen?