"…It's My Heart That You Stole…"
Following an album like 1971's magnificent "Sticky Fingers"
was always going to be a tall order - but The Stones did it with swagger and
panache. "Exile On Main St" was released 12 May 1972 as a 2LP set on
Rolling Stones Records COC 69100 in the UK and on COC 2-2900 in the USA. It
reached the coveted number 1 spot on both sides of the pond - and like The
Beatles "White Album" before it - is a flawed and sprawling thing but
considered by most to be a masterpiece nonetheless. And this fabulous Expanded
2CD Reissue/Remaster is only going to cement that legendary reputation even
more. Here are the big red rubber lips, double entendres and three balls in a
man’s mouth…
Released 17 May 2010 – "Exile On Main St.: Deluxe Edition" by THE ROLLING STONES on
Rolling Stones/Polydor 273 429-5 (Barcode 602527342955) is a 2CD Deluxe Edition
and breaks down as follows:
Disc (67:18 minutes):
1. Rocks Off
2. Rip This Joint
3. Shake Your Hips
4. Casino Boogie
5. Tumbling Dice
6. Sweet Virginia [Side 2]
7. Torn And Frayed
8. Sweet Black Angel
9. Loving Cup
10. Happy [Side 3]
11. Turd On The Run
12. Ventilator Blues
13. I Just Want To See His Face
14. Let It Loose
15. All Down The Line [Side 4]
16. Stop Breaking Down
17. Shine A Light
18. Soul Survivor
Disc 2 (41:12 minutes):
1. Pass The Wine (Sophia Loren)
2. Plundered My Soul
3. I’m Not Signifying
4. Following The River
5. Dancing In The Light
6. So Divine (Aladdin Story)
7. Loving Cup – Alternate Take
8. Soul Survivor – Alternate Take
9. Good Time Women
10. Title 5
Disc 1 has the full double-album compliment of 18 tracks while Disc 2 is
a new 10-track mixture of previously unreleased outtakes and alternate
versions. All songs are by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards except
"Ventilator Blues" which is co-written with Mick Taylor, while
"Shake Your Hips" and "Stop Breaking Down" are Slim Harpo
and Robert Johnson cover versions. As with "Sticky Fingers", the
additional musicians and producer (Jimmy Miller) added hugely to the power of
almost every song and should be noted for it - Bobby Keys on Saxophone, Jim
Price on Trumpet, Nicky Hopkins, Ian Stewart and Billy Preston on Piano and
Organ with lady-soul veterans Clydie King and Vanetta Fields on Backing Vocals.
Dr. John also sang backup on "Let It Loose".
SOUND:
As with the 2009 reissues STEPHEN MARCUSSEN (over 1000 mastering credits
to his name including the “Alfie” soundtrack with Mick Jagger) and STEWART
WHITMORE of Marcussen Mastering have remastered the original tapes and the
sound is glorious throughout. "Loving Cup" followed by
"Happy" are beautifully clear and "Tumbling Dice" is at
last full and in your face. Most every track is improved - the instrumentation
in your speakers with a fabulous live and shambolic feel. The acoustic and harmonica
opening of "Sweet Virginia" and the drums of "All Down The
Line" are superb. To me it's a huge improvement, a balls-to-the-wall
triumph. Downsides - the hiss level on "Shine A Light" that was there
in the first place is now more accented as it is on the frantic "Rip This
Joint". Some despised the 2009 remasters, so this will be more of the same
for them, but most I suspect will absolutely love it. Wish I could say the same
about the presentation...
PACKAGING:
Very poor I'm afraid. The front flap and rear of the original 2LP cover
are produced on the outside of the digipak (as they should be) with the inner
LP photo spread reproduced on the inside of the digipak, BUT the original vinyl
double also had two fantastic inner sleeves and a set of fold-out postcards.
Only 1 side of the two inners is reproduced! That the idiots would not bother
picturing the 'postcards' seems to be par for the course for Stones reissues
these days, but that great shot of Mick & Keith at the mike with whiskey
bottle in hand is missing - as is the "I Don't Want To Talk About Jesus I
Just Want To See His face" quote on the other side - unbelievable! The
supposedly exclusive 12-page booklet is different to all other issues, but
turns out to be just black and white photos of the session and no liner notes
whatsoever - none! The track-by-track details are now only bland black and
white printed listings, which lose all of the inner sleeves magical artwork.
It's an insult that this supposedly 'deluxe' reissue cavalierly misses out on
crucial visual elements of the original release - it's hugely unimaginative and
workmanlike at best.
BONUS DISC:
Although the 10 bonus tracks have the same original backing band - and
despite what the track-by-track credits 'don't' tell you - it's obvious that
the first 5 have had 'treatment' of some kind - vocal tracks added on/redone
recently.
"Pass The Wine (Sophia Loren)" is an ok opener, but the track
that sounds most like a genuine outtake peach is "Plundered My Soul"
which is fantastic (it was issued in April 2010 as a limited edition Record
Shop Day 7" single in the USA and UK). Best approximation is that it
sounds like the B-side "Tumbling Dice" should always have had (lyrics
above). "I'm Not Signifying" is ok, but hardly great, but there then
follows a genuinely lovely ballad "Following The River" complete with
the new girls giving it some soulful backing vocals (Lisa Fischer and Cindy
Mizelle). It's far better than you think. "Dancing In The Light" is a
jaunty mid-tempo song similar to "Hide Your Love" off "Goat's
Head Soup". The opening of "So Divine (Aladdin Story) is closer to
Brian Jones Rolling Stones circa "Dandelion" and its really
interesting - Jim Price on vibes and Bobby Keys on some kind-of treated saxophone
sound. There follows two "Alternate Takes" of "Loving Cup"
and "Soul Survivor". Now these are far closer to what we want -
"Loving Cup" opens with a lovely Nicky Hopkins piano refrain and
suddenly it's "there" - that shambolic feel to everything -
especially the guitars of Richards and Taylor dueling to the end yet
complimenting each other so perfectly. Now this I will love. And then another gem - Keith carrying the
vocals and sloppy stuff on "Soul Survivor" instead of Mick - and it
works - and when that riffing guitar kicks in, I'm balling my eyes out and
there are chills on my arms. "Good Time Women" is a forerunner for
"Tumbling Dice" and is fab - rough and tumble as well. "Title
5" opens with studio chatter of "Take 1" and is a strange little
rocking instrumental which kind of peters out, interesting but that's all...
Ok - so there's no live stuff and there should be (legendarily good),
the "All Down The Line" Alternate Take that's on the B-side of the
"Plundering My Soul" 7" single isn't on here either, which is
just stupid - and the 4-track Excerpts 7" Flexi single from the April 1972
NME in the UK with song edits and an exclusive "Exile On Main Street
Blues" track is nowhere to be seen let alone pictured either. But overall
- I'm kind of shocked at how good Disc 2 is. I'll ignore some of these newer
makeovers for sure, but those Alternate Takes are thrilling.
In May 2012, "Exile" will be 40 years old and Mick and Keef
will be more Zimmer Frames than Glimmer Twins. But that won't stop this coolest
of double-albums from being the absolutely business. I suspect the real truth
about this 2CD reissue is far simpler - men around the world will see this
digital temptress pouting on the shelf of their local megastore, feel a
quickening of the pulse and a movement in their trouser area - and be unable to
resist.
And you know - you can't help but feel that these two canny English lads
already know this…
PS:
HMV in the UK have issued "Exile" with the digipak inside an
exclusive card slipcase (Polydor 274 102-3). I've pictured both sides of it for
fans.
The Japanese, however, have not surprisingly got the most desirable
version of them all; it’s inside a 14-disc box set called “From The 70’s To
00’s” which contains all their albums from “Sticky Fingers” through to “A
Bigger Bang”. They are all on the SHM-CD format (Super High Materials) and each
has the original album artwork repro’d on one of those 5” Mini LP sleeves we so
love (UICY-91558). “Exile” is included - being the 2010 Remaster version – and
is in a gatefold card sleeve complete with its original foldout postcards and
two inner sleeves.
PS:
HMV in the UK have issued “Exile” with the digipak inside an exclusive card slipcase (Polydor 274 102-3). I’ve pictured both sides of it for fans.
The Japanese, however, have not surprisingly got the most desirable version of them all; it’s inside a 14-disc box set called “From The 70’s To 00’s” which contains all their albums from “Sticky Fingers” through to “A Bigger Bang”. They are all on the SHM-CD format (Super High Materials) and each has the original album artwork repro’d on one of those 5” Mini LP sleeves we so love (UICY-91558). “Exile” is included - being the 2010 Remaster version – and is in a gatefold card sleeve complete with its original fold-out postcards and two inner sleeves.
