Sticky Fingers - The Rolling Stones

In honor of the deluxe edition being released I decided to review this. I also  reviewed Help! for it's 50th, back in August (and have a special review for its 50th in August and June). This album follows their 1969 classic Let It Bleed. That albums great and it is the best Rolling Stones album. Now I go back and forth between my favorite being that and Her Majesty's but I think the songwriting is the most focused and fleshed out on that album (LIB). Moral of the story, this album has a lot to live up to. This is also their first album on their very own Rolling Stones Records. The album that was right before this, 1970's 'Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! which was a live album, but that isn't a studio album so it's you know what ever.

1. Brown Sugar: This is the album opener. And this is a great opener and sets the tone for the harder tracks. It's a great time, but not for the lyrics. When you find out they were supposedly about Claudia Lennear you kind of lose some respect. I mean look her up, 10/10, plus she can sing. Bowie also wrote a tune for her, Lady Grinning Soul. There's a big difference in tone and substance. Where this is straight forward, starts and finishes, Lady sort of takes you on an adventure of romance and passion. The better song is the latter, but that doesn't matter really. This is a fun song, with great horns and a great riff. There is a fun feeling to it and the backing vocals are pretty good here also. It's got enough grit to it, but it's also got a punch.
2. Sway: I much prefer Stay, but I guess Sway will have to do for now. This almost sounds like it could be a song on Beggars Banquet, but a tad more trippy. There is a sort of trippy vibe I get from this tune. This is pretty well put together, and isn't pretty enough to sound "lame" that this band is playing it. And those strings towards the end, nice. (thumbs up emojii)
3. Wild Horses: This is an acoustic, country sort of ballad. You know, this song isn't terrible, it's just..... I remember hearing so many songs like this when I was into classic Woodstock rock stuff. At this point in my life this is kind of a boring song. I used to dig it more, but I mean..... I really can't say I like it that much.
4. Can't You Hear Me Knocking: This is a great track that still boggles my mind they played that solo (the jazzy section). It sounds like Santana came in and had his band play the end (well a slowed down band, or played it in a slower time signature). The story goes they just let the tape keep going and the solo section wasn't planned. On its own merit, without the solo, its still a solid track. I mean that riff and chorus still get you into the song enough for that other part to work even better. As much as I praise the latter half, the first is just as crucial to the song working. I mean ever one here is playing top notch and I don't think this song could have anything changed to make it better. It's one of those instances where, it just works as is. WHY THE FUCK DONT YOU GIVE ME MORE OF THIS KEITH. Wait Keith did not play lead? Well on the part that I LOVE at least, oh yeah that was Mick. Probably the best thing to happen to the band..... what. If you haven't head this song, it's one of those that is well deserving of being on a best classic rock tunes ever list. Like seriously, I'm cutting the bullshit 90 % of tunes on those are shit, this is among the truly great 10-20%.
5. You Gotta Move: A cover of a track by Mississippi Fred McDowell. 33 years later one of my favorite bands Aerosmith made a bad covers album and covered this version of the song for it. I actually prefer this to the Honkin on Bobo version. While I don't normally like this type of song, I do have a bit of an affection for this. It's kind of a straight tribute to their heroes, you can't really knock someone for that. And it isn't consuming the entire album. This is probably the best version I've heard of the song.
6. Bitch: This is another good track from this LP. While that intro might sound odd, because I do like most of this album, this track stands out as a track I revisit. I mean the pre-chorus isn't as great as I remember, but those horns make up for it. One thing I do think is a shame is I prefer the extended version from the deluxe edition more. I assume that's the full length version which was cut for time for the album. It's a shame, get it..... ahahahaha. Maybe they could have cut a track like Wild Horses or I Got The Blues rather, for this to be longer. Actually the math works out to where it'd fit. I also like the energy more. But regardless, it's the same track so it just the uncut version.
7. I Got The Blues: This song made me laugh for whatever reason, I imagined a sort of "Weird Al" parody of a bluesy 50's tune. I mean this isn't terrible, I like it, it's just I don't think it works that perfect along with the rest of what was present. Yeah I looked it up, I couldn't think of his name, but I totally agree with the Otis Redding comparison, sort of Stax Records vibe. This also reminds me a ton, a ton, of Aerosmith on maybe What it Takes or another ballad, Amazing?
8. Sister Morphine: This track was co written with Marianne Faithful. Marianne performed a version first in 1968 and I haven't heard it yet. A quick, unrelated personal note, thing that's funny is whenever I hear the word Morphine this song pops in my head. This acoustic intro reminds me a tad of Van Morrison's best song off Astral Weeks, The Way Young Lovers Do. This is a nice song that I think fits and it pretty great to be honest. I mean I don't revisit it often, but it's got some nice shit going on.
9. Dead Flowers: This may come as a surprise, but this is one of my favorite tracks here. It's chord progression is so fun to play and it's easy. I really enjoy this song and it brings back memories for me. It is just a fun song over all, even though it's topic might not be that fun. Great tune that I LOVE.
10. Moonlight Mile: Closing the album we get a tune that was, according to Jagger, "All Mick's". I guess he had the idea and "the band just figured out how to play it". That's pretty cool to be honest. The strings here are great, and this just feels like a closer. Great tune. It sort of harkens back to the days of Last Time, but more grown up. More mature, much more wise. I don't know, that's what I get.

Overall I have to give this album a 7/10. As much as I make fun of the group, I this is a great record. While I really don't love all the tracks that are more country sounding, for what ever reason this works for me. Actually I do remember I really like Beggars Banquette and this is kind of part two for that album. That albums more rootsy this is more country with grit at parts.

Now I will plug, of my own doing, RateYourMusic. I love that site, I have uploaded everything I've released to that site information and I rate albums almost daily on there. And for the most part the rating on there, double it and that's out of ten. Some albums may be up for discussion (tagged revisit), but for the most part the ratings are how I truly feel. And if I feel unsure or need a bother listen or two. Even if I don't understand what's going on, I tag the album "revisit". If I see potential in it being one of my favorite albums ever I tag it " candidate". And if I have a review in this site of it, I have it tagged "review" though some artists in the free download section aren't on the site. 

Bomber - Motörhead

This is the third, and second released in 1979, album by British Heavy Metal band Motörhead. I don't have a ton of experience with Motörhead, but I do know some of their stuff. I've listened to about 90% of the 1980 release Ace Of Spades, and various other releases I've heard a decent amount off. For some reason I can't recall ever hearing anything off Bomber. My friend, Justin, was supposed to have this up for his 18th birthday, but we made a deal. Since I goofed about the whole understanding of the review I do Bomber today, and Phantom Antichrist tomorrow. I did So Far, So Good... So What last year. This album was produced by Jimmy Miller, look him up, he has a pretty neat discography for production. This includes the first three Traffic albums, Blind Faith's sole album, the five Stones albums between Beggars Banquet and Goat Head Soup and albums two & three for Motörhead. There are other's but lets get back to the review.

1. Dead Men Tell No Tales: This song starts out with a type of intro that I would recognize as Motörhead. This sounds like a classic Motörhead song. The first time through I don't really know what to say about it. I think the solo's distortion is pretty cool.
2. Lawman: I like this song a little more than the last. Maybe because it's kind of sinking in. I was reading about this song and it says that it's one of his more "ferocious" because it's "hitting hard at the police". I don't really know what that means but I think it doesn't sounds anymore aggressive, lyrically maybe, but not sound wise. And after looking at the lyrics, they are kind of aggressive. Upon second listen this song kind of has a march to it. I think it's a pretty decent song actually.
3. Sweet Revenge: I like the guitar in this song. I like the like scream "REVENGE" at the fade out. This is a pretty cool song. I am curious as to how they got that guitar sounds. Though I like the sound of this song it is kind of "wearing" my interest in the album down. This totally reminds me of Priest off Sad Wings Of Destiny.
4. Sharpshooter: Yes, an uptempo song. This song kind of reminds me of Iron Fist. Which might be my favorite Motörhead song. Either that or Mean Machine off 1986's Orgasmatron. The guitar is awesome, and I think that solo is pretty sick. This is what I needed. This kind of lifted my spirits in listening to this. I'm not dissing the album, but from the first three tracks it kind of wore me down, but this has gained my interest back.
5. Poison: The lyrics to this are kind of a "backlash" at his father for leaving his mother. That's from what I read. I think this is another Ok song.
6. Stone Dead Forever: Before I started this song I went and did a "favorite hits" of my own to kind of get more in the spirit to listen more intently. This is a pretty decent song. Better than those side 1 songs.
7. All The Aces: Does that include Spades? This song isn't really any different from any other songs. I think it's ok, but yeah.
8. Step Down: This also reminds me of '70s Priest. The guitar and whole entire "darkness" to it. Eddie's voice even reminds me a ton of Judas Priest. I could see this being a tribute or a cover of a song by them. This song UGH!
9. Talking Head: I doubt that this is a reference to the band, mainly because their first album came out in '77, but who knows. It's actually about TV. The beginning of this riff reminds me of Lonely Boy by The Black Keys. I did a review of the album that was on. I also own that CD. The bass in this song reminds me of that song. The guitar in it is also awesome.
10. Bomber: This is a pretty good way to end this album. Don't pussy out, make it mad! Go out with a bang! It's A Bama, It's A Bama, It's Obama?

Overall I have to give this a 8/10. The lyrics on this thing are pretty aggressive any "angry". That doesn't play any part in the score, but it's kind of neat that there was obvious passion that went into these lyrics. I like that the songs are no longer than, minus 1, about 4 minutes long. Part of what frustrates me is that the songs, you can't really understand Lemmy. It's frustrating to me. I have to look at the lyrics to understand what the hell, beside the title of the songs, he was saying. But because of songs like Talking Head and Sharpshooter, Talking Head, Step Down. Also the kind of Priest vibes I got from this helped me enjoy this. So I hope you like this review Justin. And look for tomorrows review, tomorrow. The 2nd side is much better, I think, than the first.