Goats Head Soup - Rolling Stones (The) (CD 1994)

Goats Head Soup must have shocked everybody- and I do mean everybody- when it was released back in 1973. The Rolling Stones had just completed a string of four critically acclaimed and publicly adored roots-rock albums starting with 1969 s Beggar s Banquet and culminating in the 1972 double-album Exile On Main Street. The band was at both its critical and commercial peak of its forty-year long (and still counting) career. Adored by critics and general listening public alike for their untouchable take on more grounded rock and roll, - blues-rock, straight forward hard-rock, even country-rock, the Stones had mastered it all- what the band did next must have felt like nothing less than high treason. Instead of continuing on the path that had made the band truly live up to the name the Greatest Rock And Roll Band In The World, they did an about-turn and picked up where they left off with 1967 s generally despised Satanic Majesties Request as gutsy pop/rock experimenters. This time, however, it s not psychedelia that the band is playing with but a more laid-back, almost Caribbean sound. As a result, those looking for the usual Rolling Stones riff-rockers will be disappointed- the only song here that could be considered a genuine rocker is the rude, Chuck Berry-like Star Star (or Starf***er as it was meant to be called) and though good, it s hardly the album s best song. Of course, anyone with a more open mind should find plenty more to enjoy than just this one song- a whole lot more in fact. There is after all, a reason why I am giving this album such a high grade.

The first thing that you may notice about this album is that despite the relative lack of straightforward rock and roll songs, the guitar-work here is phenomenal thanks mainly to Mick Taylor- Keith Richards was, shall we say, out of it for much of the recording sessions. Songs like 100 Years Ago and Winter are tailor-made (pun definitely not intended. Well, all right maybe a little) for Taylor s virtuoso guitar work with some of the most complex and technically demanding guitar solos the Stones ever put to tape. Exceptional guitar solos aside, these two songs are easily among the bands most underrated, under appreciated masterpieces and are quite possibly the finest songs here. 100 Years Ago is an unusual four-minute track that takes a string of several very different song snippets and turns them into a wildly unpredictable yet still ridiculously coherent song. Winter is somewhat less experimental than 100 Years Ago- it is after all a ballad, something that the Stones are hardly strangers to- but typical is hardly the word that comes to mind when I think of this little known gem. In many ways a sequel to Sticky Fingers Moonlight Mile, Winter finds the Stones at their most epic, creating a song that captivates the listener with its haunting imagery, almost palpable atmosphere and huge, sweeping melody. Plus it has the best Mick Taylor guitar solo this side of Shine a Light, which would be enough of a reason to recommend the song, if it weren t for, ya know, all those other reasons. Anyway, Winter is my favourite song here and I see no reason as to why it has been as ignored as it has. No reason at all.

None of the other songs on the album quite measure up to these masterpieces but the album certainly has more than a mere two great songs. Take Angie, for instance. Aside for being the only song from the album to have any real widespread recognition, Angie is yet another superb little Rolling Stones ballad. It isn t quite sincere enough to rank up there with classics like Beast of Burden or Wild Horses but between the rather beautiful melody, superb piano/acoustic guitar interplay and Mick s amazingly expressive singing, it s definitely a rewarding listen. The other hit or at least relatively well-known song from this album is the enjoyable little rocker, Heartbreaker, a song apparently about police brutality. Whatever. No matter how serious the lyrics may be the actual music is so irreverent with its catchy Doo Doo Doo saxophone (I think) driven chorus that I doubt anyone who listen to the song pays much attention to the lyrics. Admittedly, it hardly ranks among the bands best work but Heartbreaker is certainly enjoyable and definitely ranks among the albums more energized tracks.

On the other end of the spectrum lies the Keith-sung ballad Coming Down Again. It s a sincere sounding, very moving ballad with a really nice saxophone solo but it just goes on for far too long to be considered a real classic. Better then is the song that opens the albums, the thoroughly enjoyable Dancing With Mr. D. Yes, it isn t nearly as creepy as it was so obviously trying to be but considering it has one of the best Stones riffs ever (apparently it s the riff to Jumping Jack Flash played backwards) I can t really complain too much. As for the other three tracks, well they re decent enough but they re all pretty forgettable so much so that I sometimes forget what they re even called.

Ultimately Goats Head Soup is a good album. Is it the Stones best release ever? Well, no not even close actually but that has more to do with the high standard the band has set for itself more than the album itself. It also has its fair share of filler but frankly the good material more than makes up for it.

Recommended.