The Rolling Stones underwent personal and legal problems, lineup changes, and animosity between its two leaders in the 70s. But they overcame it all in typical Stones fashion to release a ton of thrilling music along the way.
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There was so much greatness from the Stones in the 70s that certain songs from that time period inevitably don’t get as much attention as others. Here are four you might not know, but you should.
“Moonlight Mile”
Sticky Fingers, the Stones’ first album of the 70s, immediately established a beachhead of greatness in the decade. It was the first album that fully incorporated the excellence of new guitarist Mick Taylor, who had replaced Brian Jones in 1969. In addition, the band showed off their ability to tackle just about any type of roots music. But the album’s closing track, “Shooting Star”, was a more esoteric creature. It’s the rare Rolling Stones song that received no contribution from Keith Richards. Taylor helped flesh out the slightly exotic music with Mick Jagger. And his guitar work, in conjunction with Charlie Watts’ intuitive drumming and arranger Paul Buckmaster’s strings, renders this an exquisite concoction.
“Ventilator Blues”
The Stones titled their 1972 Exile On Main St. because it was recorded in France to get away from prohibitive tax laws in their native Great Britain. Most of the tracks were laid down in Keith Richards’ French villa, with the band’s portable setup placed in a dank basement. Considering all the cigarette smoke and the other illicit substances wafting through the air, catching your breath was no easy feat in that environment. The band captures a lot of that claustrophobic atmosphere in “Ventilator Blues”. This one is underrated in large part because the band doesn’t play it live. Perhaps that’s because they couldn’t hope to replicate the conditions that helped make it such a thrilling grind in the first place.
“Memory Motel”
Black And Blue, on the whole, gets short shrift. Many people look at the circumstances behind its recording and write it off. Remember, that was the record where the band needed a replacement for the departed Mick Taylor. Their fascinating solution was to audition players while making the album. Harvey Mandel, one of the contenders, plays lead on “Memory Motel”. But the guitar mostly takes a back seat to some of the other elements of this wonderful ballad. The vocal harmonies are some of the best in the band’s history. And the story, that of a lonely musician who wishes to get back to that one special girl, is rendered brilliantly by both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, switching off on lead vocals.
“Before They Make Me Run”
We’ve grown to expect Keith Richards stepping forward to deliver some of his trademark, craggy lead vocals on The Rolling Stones’ albums. But that wasn’t always a foregone conclusion. Richards began to assert himself with his frontman performances as the 70s progressed. “Before They Make Me Run” represents one of his first standout efforts in that respect. It was also timed well. Richards didn’t make too much of an impact on the Some Girls album as he dealt with personal problems. That left Mick Jagger to push the band in a dance-friendly direction. But Richards offers up a chunky rocker on this song. It slyly alludes to some of his issues but comes out defiantly on the other side.
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images
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