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BEGGARS BANQUET
Fifteen Reviews - Overall Average Rating - 9.8 Tongues
(We are accepting fan reviews for this album once again for a limited time)
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By Anthony
September 21, 2001
Rating: 
Beggar's Banquet is the first disc of what is considered the Golden Period of the
Stones. And a fine disc it is. After Satanic which received a lot of flak and a
loss of musical direction, the Stones knew they had to rebound with a winner. And they
did. Keith rediscovered Guitar via open tunings and Jagger dropped the psychedelic lyrical
garbage and came up with some classics. There were political issues at hand , bent up
sexual frustrations to write about, and also as always still a healthy dose of humor. The
first track is one of the band's all-time classics. "Sympathy For The Devil".
Jagger had been doing a lot of reading and wanted to share what he had learned. This is
one of the best lyrics he ever penned. Plus he wrote the music, even though he did not
come up with the uptempo idea of the Sambabeat, as the movie One Plus One clearly
demonstrates. With Keith picking up the Bass the song finally took off. What we end up
with is a six minute tale of humanity portrayed as the devil of itself. Jagger delivers
the lyrics with uncharacteristic clarity. All this is set to a frenetic backdrop of
percussion, a mass choir chanting 'whoo whoo', and only once is the tale interrupted by a
Machine gun Guitar solo by Keith. Often declared to be his best solo. It is sparse and
straight to the point. Piercing. Lethal. Followed by the gorgeous other wordily beauty of
"No Expectations" with Brian making a formidable appearance on Slide guitar, to
assist Keith's Acoustic. The lyrics are quiet, sullen almost. Another one of Jagger's
best. The comical country flavored "Dear Doctor" follows with great Acoustic
guitar work by Keith. Acoustic guitars dominate this disc as the next one is
"Parachute Woman", recorded on a cassette recorder to get the proper distortion.
The Harmonica howls! The lyrics are nasty and tasty. Right into "Jigsaw Puzzle".
Another good piece of lyrics by Jagger who sings with utter conviction. The song musically
repeats itself over and over again, but builds in momentum and excitement with every
passing verse. Side 2 opens with another classic "Street Fighting Man". This was
the single off the album and due to it's political overtones was banned from radio, which
only added to its legend. It began as another tune "Did Everyone Pay Their
Dues?" This version can be found on Boots and is very interesting. Keith is
especially proud of this tune, since it is an absolute powerhouse of Rock'n Roll, but the
only electrical instrument on it is the Bass. Charlie does not even play real drums on it,
but a fold out practice drumkit. Next comes a cover of "Prodigal Son", a country
gospel number, with just Mick on vox and Keith on Acoustic. A Hi Hat holds time. The
sexual energy and lyrics of "Stray Cat Blues" are a great exercise in tongue in
cheek. One of the few straightforward rockers on this disc. "Another 'British'
Country song comes in the form of "Factory Girl". Keith outdoes himself on
acoustic guitar again. The disc's closer is a powerful Gospel tinged number called
"Salt Of The Earth", which ends in a rousing finale with a whole choir chiming
in.
To listen to some sound clips from BEGGARS BANQUET or to buy the CD, click here: Beggars Banquet
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BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By Mathison
April 29, 2001
Rating:
This is one of my favorite Stones albums, and I think it stands as a musical masterpiece
even if viewed independently from the context of the band's career. Although the album
shows Jagger and Richards sampling from several different musical styles, there is a
continuity to the album which is based on the music of the downtrodden and disadvantaged.
There is a taste of the rich blues produced by the deprivations of the Mississippi delta
in "Prodigal Son" (which subsequently presents the biblical story with a
powerful rustic elegance), there is an attempt cast at feeling the pain of poor white
trash with "Dear Doctor" (although "down in Virginia" shows a very
English feel for Southern Geography), as well as a poignant folk rendering of
"Factory Girl" which calls to mind an English working class sing along taking
place through the bleary haze of a few pints at the pub. The album also contains such rock
classics as "Sympathy For the Devil" and "Street Fighting Man" which
in there own right are accomplishments worthy of their place in the pantheon of great rock
songs.
However, these songs seem almost as singles tacked on to the rest of the album. They
possess an awareness which is more concerned with the current events of the time,
attempting an edge and a revolutionary tone that supersedes the scope of the rest of the
album. Without these songs the album would still be one of my favorites, being an
intelligent, multifaceted yet continuous artistic statement.
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By Alan Alwiel
February 19, 2001
Rating:
Beggars Banquet started the golden age of the Stones.This album proved that
Jagger/Richards were a great songwriting team. Also the album showcases Keiths amazing
maturity on the guitar. Ry Cooder showed Keith the delta blues form of playing in open
tunings and boy did Keith learn open tunings. Keith uses open tunings on many of the songs
and the signature sound of the Stones was born. The album opens with 'Sympathy For The
Devil', the best rock song ever put on record. Jagger was influenced by Dylan and wrote a
rock epic that is haunting. Keith plays an amazing bass and his blistering lead solo is
legendary. 'No Expectations' is a beautiful ballad sung by Jagger and Keiths dominant
acoustic in open tuning with Brian Jones' amazing slide. 'Dear Doctor', a fun song, the
first real attempt by Jagger/Richards to write a folk/country song. Their singing and
delivery of the song is great. 'Parachute Women' dives into the world of sex with Jagger
providing great vocals.'Street Fighting Man', a classic rock song showcases Keith's
driving rhythm with great vocals by Jagger and support from Charile and Bill. 'Progical
Son' shows Keiths' great ability to play acoustic in open tuning and his fingerpicking
style is beautiful. 'Factory Girl', another fun song has great Jagger vocals and Keith's
wonderful acoustic guitar. 'Salt Of The Earth' ends the album with Keith singing one of
his first solo verses on record. The song has great lyrics and a wonderful song to end a
great album. Beggars Banquet is a rock and roll gem with the majority of the
songs on acoustic and wow, what a feel and sound the boys put on record.
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By Net Pimp
December 28, 2000
Rating:
No explanation can describe how great and monumental this album was. It kick-started the
Stones once more and provided new horizons in their bluesy-hard rock experimentation's.
"Sympathy for the Devil" is outright awesome. The percussion and chanting vocals
is like some African samba. The feeling is destructive. Lines about the devil and war show
how the J/R song-writing team was growing in their harrowing madness, like Dylan's songs.
"No Expectations" is pure acoustic beauty. The song has a sad theme, mood,
everything. The piano from Nicky Hopkins is enthralling. "Dear Doctor" a
mock-country/folk ballad, is one with a funny delivery. The guitars all seem to work so
well. Brian Jones, though he was backing off from the band, still delivers a fine
performance. "Parachute Woman" is a sly, sexy song recorded on Keef's basement
recorder. "Jig-Saw> Puzzle" is an underrated tender, introspective song. The
next, also recorded mostly on a home tape-recorder, rocks to the bone with a wall of sound
being built to a crescendo in the chorus. The sitar is mesmerizing too. "Prodigal
Son" is the blues cover and it's captivatingly done. "Stray Cat Blues"
offers a loud, fast blues song that has sex-related themes, used in future. "Factory
Girl" is a down home, fiddling track. It's the weakest track, but it works.
"Salt of the Earth" is the moving finale dedicated to the working class. What a
song! What an album!
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By Steve Simon
November 9, 2000
Rating:
Beggars Banquet may be one of the most important albums in rock history. It is
the beginning of the Stones golden age. With the kick off 'Sympathy for the Devil', the
Stones explore the roots of evil with Satan depicted as a member of high society. Yet it
is the less known songs that sell this album. Soft melodic slide guitar glides over 'No
Expectations' while a fun country jive tells a story on 'Dear Doctor'. 'Parachute Woman'
rocks out with deep blues riffs by Keith. Perhaps the best song on this album is 'Jig Saw
Puzzle' which just lets it out with great lyrics and a scorching piano accompaniment.
'Street Fighting Man' is just a Rolling Stone classic. 'Stray Cat Blues' is a sexy hard
song in which Mick just rips it. 'Factory Girl' is such a relaxing jam. Even though
it's short that beautiful fiddle rings throughout the song. Finally 'Salt of the Earth'
finishes it up with the Stones tribute to the working man. So if you need to get juiced or
just lay back roll Beggars Banquet for instant pleasure. A Stones Classic.
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By John Barnett
August 19 2000
Rating:
1968 was a pivotal year in music history. The Beatles recorded and released 30 immaculate
songs on a double album, Jimi Hendrix was changing rock & roll by tearing some weird
and wired sounds out of his Fender, and The Rolling Stones put out Beggar's Banquet
in November, an album which in itself changed the history of rock music. Many people seem
to think that this album contains mostly acoustic playing. I'm not sure where this myth
originated, but anyone with a good ear can tell that it brims with electricity, be it the
emotional kind, or the kind that flows from an amp. Banquet was also the 1st
Stones studio record of 5 to be produced by Jimmy Miller, the only man who had the ability
to make the band sound better than they already did. Sexuality in music hits a new plateau
here, and one that I think it had to reach. Several songs here are so sexually charged
that many listeners can't help but blush while overhearing powerfully sung lines like
"I bet your momma don't know you scratch like that" and "Parachute woman,
land on me tonight."> At the time this album was recorded, the Stones were as
happy a band as you could hope for. Mick Jagger was just entering his reign as a rock
legend, Keith Richards had perfected his rhythm guitar skills once again after the band's
questionable foray into psychadelia, Bill Wyman's bass was a force to be reckoned with,
Brian Jones was still hanging around, and Charlie Watts' drumming was about 1/2 as good as
Keith Moon's (which is a HUGE compliment). The only true fault with Banquet is
that the seamless hit song 'Jumping Jack Flash' wasn't included. Recorded at the same time
as Banquet, 'Flash' would've made a great album even greater.
Songs:
SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL: Many Stones fans favorite song, this little slice of evil finds
Mick playing Satan and spouting some of the best lyrics the Jagger/Richards team ever
wrote. NO EXPECTATIONS: Wonderful ballad, haunting vocals, this original sounds just like
an early blues record. DEAR DOCTOR: A bit too country for me, but still a great tune.
Proves that humor CAN find it's way into a late 60's Stones LP. PARACHUTE WOMAN: Can you
say 'SEX'? This hard edged song finds the band contemplating the 1st of 2 unique girls on Banquet.
STREET FIGHTING MAN: ...This one will kick your ass. THE hardest rocking bit of music that
had been released up to this point. Recorded in Keith Richard's basement with a one track
recorder and a toy drum kit. PRODIGAL SON: This song combined with 'Sympathy For The
Devil' = The Rolling Stones VS. The Religious Right. Jagger has WAY too much fun making
fun of the Bible here, but I support him all the way. STRAY CAT BLUES: Can you say
"EVEN MORE SEX"? The most sexually explicit and hard rocking song that anyone
dared release until the Stones did it again in 1971 with 'Brown Sugar.' FACTORY GIRL: The
2nd of the girls pined after on Banquet is even more fascinating. Only this band
could pull off this song. SALT OF THE EARTH: The band's 1st attempt at an epic song. The
topic is the average hard-working American. A great song, but Mick and Keith spend too
much time trying to convince us that they're part of this collective, and not just rich
rock stars singing about it.
A great record that changed rock and roll, all the while adding more turmoil to the late
60's political scene all over the world.
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By Anthony Peterson
July 21, 2000
Rating:
Great return to form. The best stuff on here is the stuff you don't hear on the radio (at
least here in Minnesota). Only flaw, 'Sympathy for the Devil' is an obvious ploy inflate
the "satanic" image of the late 60's. Not a song to be taken seriously, (Mick
has said as much, as did Marrianne Faithful) it's Mick showing off on how much reading he
had been doing. I will give it this, played live (Get Yer Ya Ya's Out) it's
excellent. If they had replaced this with 'Jumpin' Jack Flash', I would give Beggar's a
10.
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By christophoros
March 19, 2000
Rating:
This album starts off with "Sympathy For The Devil". Whatever this song is
about, it' s absolutely magnificent and magic. You can hear that after the rich people on
"Their Satanic Majesties Request" they again play underdogs like you and me, and
especially again the disadvantaged black. As a consequence of this, the style is acoustic
blues. The other hardrocker here, "Street Fighting Man", is as good as the
furious opener. Humoristic lyrics like on "Jigsaw Puzzle" or "Factory
Girl" are rare on blues records, but the Rolling Stones have always had a talent for
them. "No Expectations" definitely is one of the most beautiful Stones songs
ever, it' s full of desire, the singing as well as the playing. "Salt Of The
Earth" is a terrific final to the last and one of the best complete albums with Brian
Jones. If you find yourself not liking this album (like I did, as I have to say), just
think about what an unbelievably great comeback to the roots it was.
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By Chris
October 2, 1999
Rating:
Beggar's Banquet was the album that started the Stones' reputation as the self-titled
'greatest rock and roll band in the world' a year later. With evidence like this, who was
going to argue? Beggar's Banquet was the first modern Stones record that portrayed all the
sex, angst, humor and decadence that would soak much of Let it Bleed the following year.
The fact that on here, however, they were able to capture all of this and not plug in an
instrument bar one song is truly remarkable and to this day, never duplicated. Beggar's
Banquet, simply put, is the greatest acoustic rock record ever made. The opening song,
'Sympathy for the Devil' encloses all the aforementioned qualities. In the song, Mick's
'Jagger as Lucifer' performance is perhaps the best of his career. Jagger gets inside his
lyrics and transforms himself into a character worthy of an Academy Award. The music
itself, adding layers of sound as the song progresses, is anchored by Nicky Hopkins'
brilliant piano and Keith's wicked solo. Following this fierce introduction the band takes
a left turn and literally slides into the delta-blues styled 'No Expectations', a sweet
song that captures one of Brian Jones' last awesome contributions to the band. His
beautiful slide playing adds tremendous texture to a wonderful gem of a song. In fact, his
playing becomes as much a part of the song (and almost as important) as the lyrics.
Magnificent! The Stones, and Keith especially, have always been fans of country music as
the songs 'Dear Doctor' and 'Factory Girl' attest here. In both of these songs Jagger's
approach is humorous. The former is about a man whose fiancée has run off with his cousin
on his wedding day so Jagger turns to his factory girl 'who's got stains all down her
dress' for respite. In both songs, most notably 'Factory Girl', Keith's picking is
inventive and flawless. Due to it's social commentary, Banquet was a very controversial
record at the time of it's release. 'Street Fighting Man' just may be the best revolution
song ever....During the time of it's release it was banned from many radio stations.
This, along with Decca's recall of the 45 due to it's controversial record
sleeve, prevented it from becoming a bigger hit than it was. Jagger contends
here that 'the time is right for fighting in the streets' and 'I'll shout and scream, I'll
kill the king, and rail at all his servants' only to take a step backwards and refrain by
asking the question, 'But what can a poor boy do except to sing for a rock and roll band?'
Jagger is admitting that a revolution is needed and something must be done, however,
the reality of the situation is that doing something will not make any difference at
all. Keith's ferocious acoustic guitar backs up Jagger's lyrics with convincing
swagger. Never has there been more angst strummed on an acoustic as Keith does here.
The one song that goes electric is 'Stray Cat Blues'. Don't let the title fool you. This
song is malicious and mean and rocks like little else they had done prior to Beggar's
Banquet. Other songs include the bluesy 'Parachute Woman', the Dylanesque
masterpiece 'Jig-Saw Puzzle', the acoustic bliss of 'Prodigal Son', and the gospel-tinged
'Salt of the Earth' which is obviously the foundation for 'You Can't Always Get What You
Want' still a year away. Beggar's Banquet and it's acoustic country blues was the
beginning of the Stones' 'golden era' and with ample reason. Rarely has rock and roll
sounded as nasty and mean without plugging in.
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By David Shannon
September 27, 1999
Rating:
One of the best albums of all time. The album starts off with one of the greatest rock
songs of all time, Sympathy For The Devil. How can one not like this song? The music
builds to such a fitting climax and it has the most intelligent lyrics ever found in a
rock and roll song.
All the songs are incredible. Stray Cat Blues, Parachute Woman, Street Fighting Man and
Jigsaw Puzzle are simply amazing. Factory Girl and Salt of the Earth really close the
show. Factory Girl is one of the most adoring songs Mick has ever sung and Salt of the
Earth always puts a smile on my face.
I have not really added a new perspective on the album but I just wanted to share my
comments.
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By Steve Cronen
July 13, 1999
Rating:
Words cannot describe the greatness of Beggar's Banquet, the greatest album ever put out
by the Rolling Stones. It ranks up there with the Beatles' "Revolver," the Who's
"Who's Next," Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde," and the Monkees'
"Headquarters." I wrote an entire essay on Beggar's Banquet. If you'd like to
read it, drop me a line and I'll email you a copy. This is the main course of Stones
albums, really. It's a half-and-half deal: Half rock and half acoustic. Put 'em together
and you have your main meal. Exile is like the appetizers and side dishes, and TSMR is
like dessert. That's just my opinion, though. Anyway, some of the greatest songs ever
grace this album. "Sympathy for the Devil" is one of the greatest songs ever
written. I wish I had written it! Same thing with "No Expectations," which is
kind of a personal song for me. "Dear Doctor" is hilarious. Why does no one like
"Parachute Woman"? It rocks out! Brian's distant guitar (yes, Brian. Keith plays
acoustic guitar) wails away as Mick whips out the harmonica and makes the song more
dangerous-sounding that it already is. "Jigsaw Puzzle" took a little more time
for me to appreciate, but I've found it to be one of the best on here. Brian again shines
on slide guitar. "Street Fighting Man" is the undisputed revolution song of 1968
(except for "Revolution," maybe). "Prodigal Son" is awesome acoustic
blues, but the mood is broken with my favorite Stones song of all time, "Stray Cat
Blues." Brian and Keith don't just duet on guitars, they DUEL each other. Listen on
headphones to the solo; it rocks out! The beginning is what makes the song for me, though.
That distant bass guitr... the chopping guitar that comes in as Mick whimpers and coos...
Charlie starting in as Mick growls "I hear the click-clack of your feet on the
stairs." PERFECTION! "Factory Girl" is so sweet, it always makes me smile.
"Salt of the Earth," Brian Jones's swan song, is absolutely beautiful. It also
holds some personal things with me. To see it on the Rock and Roll Circus almost makes
If you're just starting out as a Stones fan, get this one first!!!
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By El Ducko
July 11, 1999
Rating:
This is a great album. Only problem is its mainly acoustic. Sympathy for the Devil is
definitely the best track off the album, and one of the best rock songs ever written.
Keith does some great lead fills, and the piano adds a nice touch. Street Fighting Man
comes in a close second, with a nice interplay between Kieth and Charlie in the intro. It
rocks hard, as most of the tracks on this album do not. Stray Cat Blues is a very good,
raunchy song, with nice guitar work. Dear Doctor is a great country/folk Barroom song, as
is Factory Girl. No Expectations is Ok too, as is Prodigal Son. Only songs that I really
didn't like were Jigsaw Puzzle and Parachute Woman. Brian does some nice slide on Jigsaw
Puzzle , though. Salt of the Earth closes out the album nicely. Overall the album is
excellent.
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By D. Bowers
June 4, 1999
Rating:
Not many albums in my opinion deserve a 10.0 plus. It would have to be something very
profound and life moving to get such a rating. And what do you know I would have to say
this album deserves it. The Stones only came close a few times in reaching the majestic
power this album has. On second thought there are very few albums ever recorded by anyone
which reach the level of creativity of Beggar's Banquet. I could sit here all day and tell
you how awesome this album is. I think I will sum it up with just one word,
"incredible." If you do not own this album you are missing something truly
amazing. This recording is one of those amazing moments in the history of the universe!!!
I think you get the point.
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By Jim Wilgus
May 5, 1999
Rating:
This is still my favorite album of all time.I have over 10,000 albums (vinyl) in my
collection and none brings me back to a time/emotion as completely as Beggars Banquet.I
used a varied assortment of chemicals back then,from pot to opium to acid and smack,yet
this lp still rings with the same clarity.I'm still chilled when I here Mick's confused
state on Jigsaw Puzzle,the country feel of Dear Doctor makes me yearn for a fresh
prescription to this day(even though I've been clean/sober these past 15 years) This album
is recommended listening for every person who's not familiar with it(if there are any
who've clicked onto this page) Do yourself a favour though,don't just listen to the
hits,hear it all the way through(preferably on vinyl if you can obtain a copy) hear this
masterpiece in its uncut perfectly sequenced glory.You'll be happy you've chequed in.
BEGGAR'S BANQUET
By Jon Mertz
Jan 31, 1999
Rating:
Beggar's Banquet, recorded and released during the most tumultuous year of the 1960's
--1968 -- still stands today as one of the best and most influential rock albums of all
time. A more polar opposite to 1967's Their Satanic Majesties Request can scarcely be
imagined; gone are the Arabic flourishes, meandering self-indulgence and bad acid, and
although exotic instruments like sitar, tamboura and mellotron are still present, they are
buried so far in the mix that they are barely audible. During the sessions in
London’s Olympic Studios which produced this masterwork, Brian Jones roused himself
from mental agony and pharmacological collapse to do his last meaningful work with the
band he had founded six years earlier. Although Jones was on his way out - of the band and
of this mortal coil - the Stones, at this juncture of their career, managed to recreate
themselves and rock & roll simultaneously.Neither entity would ever be the same again.
The album begins auspiciously enough with "Sympathy For The Devil". (As a
personal aside, I first heard this song when I was in grade school -- I was in a
"bad" section of town, hanging out with the "bad" kids, being where I
KNEW I wasn’t supposed to be, when I heard it. It sounded like something I
wasn’t supposed to be listening to.From the subject matter to the jungle rhythms and
"who whooos" and ESPECIALLY Keith’s guitar solo, this song was forbidden
fruit, original sin, grounds for damnation. The sound immediately established was lush,
with layers of sound being added as the song progressed. The band had experimented with a
dozen different arrangements of the song (the sessions were filmed by Jean Luc Godard for
his film One Plus One) before arriving at the album track, which relies heavily on Nicky
Hopkins’ piano and Rocky Dijon’s percussion. No instrumental attributions were
included with the album, so it wasn’t generally known (until Godard’s movie was
released) that the song’s prominent bassline was provided by Keith Richards.
Musically and lyrically, the song was an incredible leap forward, beyond anything the band
had recorded up to that point. It was (and remains) a masterpiece in itself, starting
calmly and politely and building to a shrieking climax. Along the way, Richards’
guitar solo set a standard for filth and ferocity which has rarely been eclipsed. But
besides the musical excellence of the track, Jagger’s lyrics (inspired by a Russian
novel, The Master and Margarita, which Marianne Faithful had given him) showed a new level
of maturity -- not just copying Bob Dylan, who is a huge influence on the album, but
perhaps surpassing him. And in choosing such a universally controversial yet irresistible
subject, and singing about him in the first person, Mick added a new layer to his already
archetypically complex public persona. The next track, No Expectations, shows that Brian
was still fully capable of instrumental brilliance. His delta-tinged slide guitar, played
over a soft bed of strumming acoustics and Hopkins’ tinkling piano, provides the
perfect tone to accompany the simple and beautiful lyrics. Although not strictly speaking
a blues song, it captures the genre’s detached, end-of-the-line fatalism, both in
tone and delivery. The resulting song is a timeless gem, as sad and beautiful as life
itself. With the cagey timing of a vaudevillian, the Stones follow this transcendent
moment with a great joke. Obviously enamored with C & W music but perhaps unable to
pull off a straight-forward attempt at it, Mick instead puts his considerable tongue
firmly in his cheek and adopts a goofy Appalachian accent to bray out the lyrics to this
tale of marital trepidation. When he slips into a campy falsetto to deliver the dear john
letter, the results are hilarious. Again, the song is carried by acoustic instruments; at
once signifying a return to the roots of their own influences as well as a step forward.
Beggar’s Banquet placed the Stones squarely on top of the latest trend while
returning to their own beginnings. Their beginnings, of course, were as a blues band. The
next song, Parachute Woman, proves that the Stones had absorbed so much of the music of
black American blues musicians at this point that the blues now came out of their pores.
Richards again achieves a guitar tone of unparalleled distortion and menace, which plays
underneath the basic track. Acoustic guitars & harp drenched in reverb ride atop
Charlie Watts’ spare drums as Jagger drawls out indecipherable yet unmistakably
lascivious lyrics. The sound is pure Howlin’ Wolf - it raises the hair at the base of
the neck. Brian returns with stinging slide guitar on Jigsaw Puzzle. The lyrics are
Jagger’s most overtly Dylanesqe. Again, acoustic guitars drive the track and the band
relies heavily on Nicky Hopkins. Again, Keith plays a bassline Bill Wyman would have found
difficult to reproduce. Structured similarly to Sympathy, the song begins quietly and
builds, fading out with the band still rocking. Side 2 opens with Street Fighting Man.
Like Sympathy with its evocation of recent assassinations, it shows Mick to have his
finger on the pulse of society, yet its chorus ("What can a poor boy do? ‘Cept
to sing for a rock & roll band? ‘Cause in sleepy London town there’s just no
place for a street fightin’ man.") seems to defuse the riot even as it incites
it. Recorded using a bizarre amalgam of lo-fi and hi-fi techniques, it was issued as a
single and immediately withdrawn -- their label feared that the b & w photo of a
recent riot on the cover was too incendiary. This single (with picture sleeve) is
considered by record collectors to be the most valuable 45 in existence. Mint copies fetch
in excess of $10,000. Prodigal Son, a blues parable originally recorded by the Rev. Robert
Wilkins, is one of the highlights of this remarkable album. It is the absolute antithesis
to Sympathy For The Devil, a brilliant extension of Jagger’s explorations of
opposites in the latter song. (Another personal aside - this song was THE song which
opened up the Blues for me. It was like a shard of pottery which led to the discovery of
an entire civilization--I heard it, said "Oh--THAT must be the Blues!",
connected with it, and never looked back. Thank you, Mick & Keith.) Mick’s
convincing vocals and Keith’s absolutely brilliant guitar prove once again that they
are no longer aspiring to play the blues, they flat out ARE. The Stones put away the
acoustics for Stray Cat Blues. Keith starts out with an ominous, biting guitar as the band
crashes into the fray, Nicky Hopkins’ piano chords forming the framework for Richards
to lay out more bent razor-blade riffs. Enough of Jagger’s lyrics are audible here to
know exactly what he’s muttering about, but the song would be pornographic WITHOUT
any words. After building to an absolute frenzy it unexpectedly shifts gears, shifting
emphasis back to Rocky Dijon’s percussion. In this new mode they once again build
back up to a steamroller pace. This song has absolutely everything a rock & roll song
should - sex, swagger, sneers, snot. despite being called a "blues", its
structure is fairly complex and unusual. But it is as elemental and crude as rock &
roll gets. It is another defining moment for the band.
Factory Girl provides another moment of relative levity, and strips the sound of all
electric instruments. Acoustic guitar, mandolin and fiddle grace this ode to a working
class girl. Mick is campy and not quite believable in his proclaimed affection for the
girl with "stains all down her dress" -a line which rings with a new resonance
today! -- but the energy with which Keith attacks his acoustic guitar carries the song
ably. Salt of the Earth repeats the album’s predominant formula - acoustic guitars,
heavy reliance on Nicky Hopkins, and a structure which builds like a tent show evangelist,
from calm declamation to frantic crescendo. Although it ends with the fullest, most
orchestral sound the band had ever recorded, it starts out in a very spare manner. The
first verse is sung by Keith Richards, who has displayed throughout the course of this
amazing album a major growth spike in his development as a Rock God. His lead guitar
playing has become ferocious and deranged, yet his acoustic playing shows that he has
seriously been studying his craft, learning (then)arcane alternative guitar tunings and
finger-picking patterns; his able handling of bass chores is a surprise; and his modest
vocal turn here will eventually spawn a successful solo career. His partner in crime takes
over halfway through the verse. Mick, too, has shown on this album that the tumult of 1968
has served to sharpen his vision. His performance is masterful, as is his writing ; the
personae he has given voice to and absorbed have pushed his already complex image to new
limits. The band as a whole has entered a new era, one which will in time be recognized as
their Golden Age. Sadly, the founding member of the band -- Brian, his doom already
tangible as it hangs above him -- has made his final great contribution.
Keno's mini review, song list, lyrics and more info on BEGGAR'S BANQUET
To listen to some sound clips from BEGGARS BANQUET or to buy the CD, click here: Beggars Banquet