The Rolling Stones - Goats Head Soup

One of their best in the long run.

Containing none of their big hits except Angie, one of my least favorite Stone songs, this album still delivers a wide range of sounds when the Stones are still experimenting with moods and directions. Their contemporary releases sounds all similar to me, but that may be due to time and a growing familiarity with Goat's Head Soup, an "album," now CD and MP3s, that contains some of my most played Stone singles. October 23, 2008

Stones' "Goat's Head Soup"

As a dyed-in-the-wool Stones fan and having had the LP version for years and years, I found the cd to be all I expected. October 13, 2008

My Guilty Pleasure Favorite Stones Album

I am the Stones authority. And this is their most underrated outing during their peak years of 1968 through 1973. Its reputation suffers among Stones purists for two reasons - it was judge at the time in light of recent Stones history and the breath taking string of master albums that preceded it, beginning with Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed to end the Sixties, and then Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street to kick off the Seventies. So what album would look impressive in this company? The second reason this album's reputation suffered with Stones purists was the radio single that became the hit representing this album. As "Start Me Up" taints Tatoo You with the Stones aficionado, so too in the minds of many Stones fans does "Angie" taint this album - which is unfortunate really, because few songs have aged as well as that single. "Angie" was the song that was popular with people who were not Stones fans - and to any purist who feels that a band belongs to them, because they love the songs that nobody knows, especially those beautiful people phonies who never loved the band, but now dance to "Angie" - well, this was more than many Stones fans could stomach and so they dismissed it outright. I was one of them. But "Angie" is a great song. I'll stack "Heartbreaker" up against "Brown Sugar" "Rocks Off" and "Bitch" any day. "100 Years Ago" is every bit as unique and wonderful as "Sway", and "Winter" is nearly as haunting and just as wonderful as "Moonlight Mile". "Star, Star" is just flat out cool fun, and "Hide Your Love" and "Can You Hear The Music" are the rarely traveled netherworld of rythms not seen since Our Satanic Majesties Request and not revisited again until side two of Tatoo You. It is great stuff.

For many they count this album as the beginning of the Stones Seventies glam period that finished with Emotional Rescue in 1979 and reached its peak with Some Girls in 1978. And that is true. But it is also true that this is the final movement of a stretch of creative output unrivaled in Rock history - the coda on a brilliant five album run. For me it is both, and a necessary bridge of departure from one era onward to another. And when I am sitting around with my purist Stones friends drinking and telling lies, well, we'll be listening to Exile On Main Street, because that is the proper thing to do, but when I am alone and thinking about the days of youth gone by this is the album I'll pull off the shelf and drift away to a time and place far, far away, magical, fresh and alive. October 8, 2008

A Bit Adrift After Exile, But Still Worthy

Keith's into H, Mick's into Bianca, the 1972-73 Stones are beginning to lose touch with the comprehensive vision that created Exile On Main Street, but Goat's Head Soup is still something any modern band would die for. "Dancing With Mr. D" is a slow,snaky sequel to "Sympathy," "A Hundred Years Ago" a rousing '70 leftover from the Marianne Faithfull days, "Coming Down Again" a lost gem of a ballad from Keith, and "Can You Hear The Music" pioneers the clavinet sound that would become so central to Queen's work throughout the decade. And don't forget "Angie."
It's only in the loudly empty "Silver Train," groovy but repetitive "Hide Your Love," Elvis Vegasy "(Doo Doo) Heartbreaker," and cheap Chuck Berry knock-off "Star Star" that the album shows a band nodding off at the wheel, but compared to Cher, the Captain Tennile and other goop of '73, they're still keeping hope alive. May 16, 2008

Tired of eating the same old meal? Have a taste of this for something different.

It was bound to happen. It was inevitable. As it was, it was still quite jarring to the listener when "Goat's Head Soup" was released in 1973 coming off the heels of an amazing 8 year run (1965-1972) of some of the most amazing music ever put on this planet. At the time this was a major disappointment to Stones fans, however, time has been kind to this release and has softened the blow that originally (and unfairly) gave it the reputation as being a lousy record and follow up to the monumental "Exile". In many ways, it IS the disappoinment of legend because this was the first 'slip-up' of 'The Greatest rock and roll band in the world". They were human, after all and perhaps, tired. In other ways this stands as a more than competent collection of rock and roll songs played by a very competent band. After all, a Stones record with some flaws is still about as good as any other rock and roll record out there.

The album opens with a lazy vintage Keith riff intoducing "Dancing with Mr. D." As far as Stones openers go, this was not along the same lines as the previous 4 releases. The groove never really seems to catch hold and the lyrics, although not completely ridiculous are pretty darn close. The second song, "100 Years Ago" is where the album begins to take hold. Opening with an organ riff and ending with a heavily wah-wahed solo by Taylor you have a song that is great but overshadowed by other songs the Stones have done. Although not as good, it's fate has become similar to that of "Sway" from "Sticky Fingers". "Coming Down Again" is a countryish-styled ballad sung by Keith. It is one of his best performances that, if you know anything about his life during this time, is very interesting lyrically. Of course the next 2 songs represent the hits from this release, "Heartbreaker" and the heartbreaking "Angie"-two bona-fide Stones classics.

The second half kicks off with a rocking "Silver Train" and contains a stellar slide guitar workout by Taylor. However, this song seems to sum up the problem that is inherent on "Goat's Head" and that is that although the songs are very good they often sound like imitations of GREAT songs they have done in the past. In this case, this is an inferior version of "All Down the Line" from "Exile". The album continues on to "Hide Your Love", a piano driven blues song with some great lead lines played by Taylor and the beautiful ballad, "Winter" which is reminiscent of "Moonlight Mile" from "Sticky Fingers" but not nearly as transcendant (What could be?). "Can You Hear the Music" follows and is a psychedelic styled song I didn't like at first but repeated (and closer) listens have, over time, revealed it's subtle charms. The last song is the notorious "Star Star" or otherwise known as "Starf*****". Built upon a swinging Chuck Berry riff the song is all at once funny, funky, rocking, sexy and daring..everything we have always loved about the Stones.

Time has been kind to "Goat's Head Soup" and although not a classic, it is still a GREAT rock and roll album. Yes, there are some flaws but it is a competent and fairly cohesive collection of songs and the record reveals a charm all of it's own. This is not the place to start if you're a newbie but if you're already a fan, there is lots to like about this recording.

Any Stones collection must start with the following (in order of release):

Aftermath (UK version)
Beggar's Banquet
Let it Bleed
Get Yer Ya Ya's Out (live)
Sticky Fingers
Exile on Main Street
Some Girls
Tattoo You

If you own these and your Stones cravings are still not satisfied I recommend:

Their Satanic Majesties Request
Goat's Head Soup
It's Only Rock and Roll
Steel Wheels
Voodoo Lounge
A Bigger Bang
Shine a Light (live)
April 15, 2008

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