Rolling Stones Deep Cuts
Since I did a playlist of Beatles deep cuts last week, I thought it was only fair to do one this week for the Stones. And honestly, it’s been fun – reminds me of reading Spin as a teenager. As with last week, this is not a list of the Stones’ best songs, but rather my favorite eleven underrated ones. So if you feel that a great song didn’t make the list, it might just be that I think it’s already well-known. Conversely, if you think a song on this list is well-known, that’s just my own faulty sense of it. And of course, this isn’t exhaustive of the Stones’ albums. Obviously, they made way more songs than the Beatles, so I didn’t go through everything. Instead, I’m roughly tracking the same time period as the Beatles’ list, which also happens to be the Stones’ most interesting musical era, from 1967 to 1972, and comprising six albums: Between the Buttons, Their Satanic Majesties Request, Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Main Street – quite a run!
I will say that after getting into the Beatles a bit lately, I definitely have more of an appreciation for their genius. People say you’re either a Beatles fan or a Stones fan, and I used to say I was the latter, but now it’s a closer call. You might say the Beatles are more creative, melodic, and gentle, the Stones more improvisational, primal, and raucous. The choice depends on mood. The Beatles are for creating; the Stones for tearing it all down. Maybe I’ll split the baby by saying I’m a Beatles fan during the day and a Stones fan at night.
I’ve got a Tidal account now, so here’s the playlist.
Like the last one, the songs are listed chronologically by album:
“Who’s Been Sleeping Here?” – Mick knows he’s been getting the runaround, and he wants an explanation. The song features a warm acoustic guitar, a funky bass line, a volume pedal, a harmonica, and a lively piano that chimes in with the melody.
Their Satanic Majesties Request
“She’s A Rainbow” – This is maybe a cheat, because apparently the song was in a lot of commercials recently. But at least until then, I wouldn’t have called it well-known. With a toy piano that sounds like an antique music box, triumphant horns, weird high-pitched backing “ooh la las”, and string arrangements by John Paul Jones, a goddess is adored with childlike wonder.
“Dear Doctor” – A ragged acoustic blues-country waltz, with the type of funny, demotic story that Mick perfected: a cold-footed lout of a fiancé having the tables turned on him.
“Monkey Man” – A tribute to Italian pop artist Mario Schifano, this one packs a wallop, with Keith’s choppy blues guitar laying down the groove for Mick’s raw vocals, a slide guitar, and some tinkling piano on top.
“Sway” – Some of the baddest guitar playing ever on a Stones song, ironically with none by Keith. Mick Taylor handles lead and slide, while Jagger does rhythm – the first time he’d played electric guitar on an album. Keith pitches in on backing vocals though, with Pete Townshend. It could be a hangover, or worse, as Mick wakes up to find himself broken, lamenting “that demon life”.
“Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” – Chunky, funky, call-and-response guitar riffs combine with Mick’s barking delivery, then the whole thing devolves into a conga and saxophone jam, which in characteristic Stones style, is completely impromptu.
“Dead Flowers” – Another country blues swinger. In fact, country fans might recognize this song more than rock fans do, as it’s been pretty widely covered by artists in that genre. Poor boy Mick affects his best American country drawl as he luxuriates in his desolation at the hands of little silver spoon Susie.
“Rocks Off” – A runaway freight train of a song, with pumping horns that kick the chorus into overdrive. The effect is visceral, evocative of mariachis, and I can’t imagine that Jeff Mangum didn’t have those horns in mind when he arranged “Holland, 1945” for Neutral Milk Hotel.
“Rocks Off” has the added bonus of perhaps the most British line in rock and roll: “The sunshine bores the daylights out of me.”
“Sweet Virginia” – This one may be too well-known, but I have to include it for sentimental reasons. 😊 A rootsy, lackadaisical acoustic country jam, Mick delivers his dazed paean to California wine and hard drugs, then wonders why Virginia won’t join him.
“Torn and Frayed” - I seem to be a fan of these Stones country tunes, and this one may be the pinnacle in that category. Gram Parsons being present at the recording probably didn’t hurt. The story of a vagabond guitarist and the gritty underworld that he inhabits, emotional intensity is driven bone deep with Al Perkins’ plaintive pedal steel.
“Loving Cup” – A contrite piano sets the scene, with Mick performing initial obeisances, then the whole ramblin’ wreck kicks in. Featuring some tasty morsels from Keith, and meaty horns from the usual suspects, Mick ain’t too proud to beg for a drink.