Sisters of Mercy did a great version. My introduction to the song. Years before I realised it was a Stones Song. Back in the days when you had to own the album to hear the music.
Oh and yes... strong support for a "More" reaction. It's been a good decade or so since I heard it so I searched it out and took a trip down memory lane. What a cool track! I miss the Sisters...
@FormulaProg I know, if only Paul hadn’t insisted on the unbearable “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” then at least it would’ve been on Let It Bleed’s level. Alas.
What the Wiki article didn't mention is that the incredible Bonnie Bramlett (of Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, an absolutely amazing band, whose "friends" also included Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, Bobby Keys, Carl Radle, Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, George Harrison), Bonnie had rehearsed the song the entire afternoon with Jagger and blew out her voice and wasn't able to record that evening. They called Clayton to fill in at the last minute. The crack in the voice is a signature Bonnie Bramlett touch. She was an Ike and Tina Turner Ikette earlier in her career and is known for being able to scream in key! Bonnie insisted that Merry Clayton get credit for the duet, although most people would have assumed it was Bonnie due to the signature sound. She generously felt it would help propel Clayton's career, which it did. If you want to hear more of Bonnie Bramlett, check out the Delaney and Bonnie songs Lay Down My Burden, Dirty Ole Man and The Love of My Man. She's breathtakingly crazy good!
I'm torn. Wishing I was like you hearing a lot of these classic, epic songs for the first time but so thankful I have had them in my life for 50-60 years. Good review! Have a great new year . . .
It’s about the Vietnam War. Some of the more brutal and heartbreaking images of the war and impact on the Vietnamese people were depicted on covers of major magazines, newspapers and TV which had never happened before. Protests of the war were in full swing in 1969 and the government under Nixon especially wanted to suppress protests and were afraid of what were termed “subversives.” We’ve been getting a very watered down coverage of wars in the mainstream media ever since the Vietnam days. Males were drafted then. Today it’s not good for recruiting to show real war images. It’s a great song, certainly one of their best! In a catalogue as large as theirs, it’s pointless to choose a favorite song. Merry Clayton took it to the moon with her incredible voice. No one can match her performance here. A lot of singers have tried!
This is one of those tracks that I get really surprised when I find that someone hasn't heard it. Showing my age, I guess. Other songs to check out are Sympathy for the Devil and Brown Sugar, if you haven't already done them.
Re: the rest of "Let It Bleed" is very good, 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' is the stand-out track, 'Country Honk' is a slower version of the single 'Honky Tonk Women', there's a country tinge to some of it. Mick Taylor plays on 2 songs, he becomes a full member on the next album.
Except it didn’t end the hippie era, except in the minds of some writers who declared it. There were still plenty of war protests, long hair, bell bottoms, protest songs, communal living, and peace and love still mattered to many people after 1969. Altamont was just considered the antithesis to Woodstock in the journalists’ views. Had the Stones’ management (or whoever made the horrible decision) not hired the Hell’s Angels to be security for the concert, that man would never have been murdered. The hippie movement didn’t end until at least 1974, when the Vietnam war was over. I lived it.
@@gregorystockton8139 No, I lived in DC. What’s your point? I’ve seen the Gimme Shelter film several times but don’t remember all the details. One concert gone wrong didn’t end a whole movement. It must’ve been a nightmare to be there though. I was at the Human Kindness Day concert with Stevie Wonder in DC in 1974 where a lot of violence took place because of poor police security. My friends and I were lucky to make it to our cars. Two were jumped and robbed. It didn’t end or begin a movement. It became a terrible day, which started well, one that everyone believed would be beautiful. It was tragic that “Human Kindness Day” became anything but. Women were raped while cops looked the other way and a man was blinded just walking through the Washington Monument Grounds by someone who stuck an ice pick in his eye. There were plenty of antiwar protests and hippies still around after 1969. For someone who lived in that time, I’m surprised you would believe it’s true Altamont ended the hippie movement. Did you decide to not be a hippie anymore yourself because there was violence at that concert?
For those that rather know: The Stones re-released a much higher definition medium of this called SACD. Some of it is stereo & a good portion of these have re-established the quadrophonic versions in multichannel. I was somewhat certain the stereo versions the better, boy was I wrong. They nailed the quad versions perfect. FYI, I played both, no comparison what so ever. Thanx
Hi JP. DP from UK. Yes, The Approaching Storm, that's a nice description. I agree, there's real tension in the song, but it's an absolute classic, like so many in this golden period for them. Unmistakable intro, and while Merry's gospel singing doesn't eclipse Mick, it certainly elevates the song. P.S. my song ref The Approaching Storm is by Chicago.
You'll just need to make a (free) account to watch. Unfortunately now some labels are going after the Patreon page, so its an extra barrier of protection without making people pay for anything
@ Thanks Justin. Will do. This is a monumental track and you described it perfectly. Happy New Year to you all down there and hoping you have a prosperous new year. All the best. Dave✅✅
Hasn't the storm scenario as described by you already been made in an existing film with this song as a soundtrack. It's a FTL for me believe it or not. We all get old & Seven Days - Ronnie Wood Diolch
Definitely my favorite Stones track, by a good bit. I'm not a big Stones fan, in fact I actively dislike more of their music than I like. But this banger is a bona fide balls-to-the-wall masterpiece. To my taste, this is one of their best albums, maybe their best, and You Can't Always Get What You Want, the closer on Let It Bleed, is another highlight. I can do without a lot more Stones, but this was great, and I heartily recommend You Can't Always Get What You Want to bookend it. Early Stones are much more to my liking, but all their albums are a big mixed bag for me, just too much skraggy swaggering whiskey rock - masterful artists, but only rarely any consciousness or higher heart.
Do you like their albums Aftermath (US or UK), Between the Buttons (US or UK), and Their Satanic Majesties Request? That period from 1966-67 produced a lot of unique music that went beyond swag-infused rock. They really explored non-Western forms, experimenting with baroque pop, music hall, electronics, Eastern classicism, and various recording techniques. They’ve also produced tons of music with consciousness and a higher heart throughout their career. For example, “Heartbreaker,” “Fingerprint File,” “Salt of the Earth,” “Factory Girl,” “Moonlight Mile,” “Let It Loose,” “Time Waits for No One,” “Jigsaw Puzzle,” “Street Fighting Man,” “Sweet Black Angel,” “Shine a Light,” and numerous others. Many of their songs are deeply introspective and deal with existential themes and personal disillusionment. Even something like “Brown Sugar” is a subversive reflection on the white race's taboo (and often hypocritical) attraction toward black people. There’s much more depth to their songs than most people think.
@fuchsiaswing8545 I agree about their early work, as I said. There are loads of great tunes there, I just said Shelter was my favorite. I've liked a smattering of later songs too, but I can't listen to any of those albums in their entirety. I'm sure I sold them short with my caricature, and I know they're not dumb and have depth to many of their concepts. I'm not sure I could easily peg just what it is about them that turns me off so often. It's just taste I'm sure. They just come from a place that's usually too far off my bingo zone and doesn't really reach me, after all the psychedelic and proggier experimentation was done, even when I can see the art and craft in it. Thanks for chiming in.
Brilliant channel JP and I love this classic track .. just my own puny opinion , if you have to chop up a track just to get it up on TH-cam then sadly I advise not doing it at all as there’s ZERO more disappointing than getting into the vibe and having an abrupt chop over and over again … but hey , that’s just my opinion 🤷♂️ 👍🏴
I never was a huge Stones fan, for my money Grand Funk Railroad's cover is far far better, in fact it's one of my favorite songs of all time. Hawkwind does a great cover with a fantastic video also.
This is one of the few Stones tracks that I can tolerate. Please don't do any more, Jagger and Richards are possibly the worst singer and guitarist of all time. 😁🙃
@@kevdarby9460 so we all have to just go along with the bizarre myth that the Stones were a great band eh, as opposed to a stumbling bunch of drunken hacks who could barely even get in tune with each other? I am humbled and educated by your infinite wisdom.
@@Morthoron1 There is no song without Keith’s guitar (excellent use of the tremolo effect), Charlie’s thudding drum fills, Bill’s brooding basslines, producer Jimmy Miller’s excellent use of percussion, or Mick’s distorted harmonica. These interconnected parts make the song, not just Merry’s vocals. Also, the intro and how the song builds are a hallmark of the Stones' sound during this era. That's the most memorable aspect of the song.
A true classic. Hasn't aged a single day.
The mention of 'burns like a red-coal carpet' is surely a reference to carpet bombing in Vietnam at the time.
That makes sense
Sisters of Mercy did a great version. My introduction to the song. Years before I realised it was a Stones Song. Back in the days when you had to own the album to hear the music.
Me too. The Sisters version was my intro to this great track. Both versions are wortny of a listen.
They did? Love them, but hadn’t heard this. That’s worth looking up. As an aside, hopefully one day, Justin will review More.
Oh and yes... strong support for a "More" reaction. It's been a good decade or so since I heard it so I searched it out and took a trip down memory lane. What a cool track! I miss the Sisters...
Let It Bleed is the best album of 1969. It’s a perfect record.
Not even close to abbey road.
@FormulaProg I know, if only Paul hadn’t insisted on the unbearable “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” then at least it would’ve been on Let It Bleed’s level. Alas.
What the Wiki article didn't mention is that the incredible Bonnie Bramlett (of Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, an absolutely amazing band, whose "friends" also included Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, Bobby Keys, Carl Radle, Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, George Harrison), Bonnie had rehearsed the song the entire afternoon with Jagger and blew out her voice and wasn't able to record that evening. They called Clayton to fill in at the last minute. The crack in the voice is a signature Bonnie Bramlett touch. She was an Ike and Tina Turner Ikette earlier in her career and is known for being able to scream in key! Bonnie insisted that Merry Clayton get credit for the duet, although most people would have assumed it was Bonnie due to the signature sound. She generously felt it would help propel Clayton's career, which it did. If you want to hear more of Bonnie Bramlett, check out the Delaney and Bonnie songs Lay Down My Burden, Dirty Ole Man and The Love of My Man. She's breathtakingly crazy good!
I always say this is probably the greatest song ever written.
Check the documentary 20 Feet from Stardom. It features Mary Clayton talking about that session, as well as many other great back vocalists
This and Jumpin Jack Flash are my favorite Stones songs. I really like Charlie Watts drumming on this one.
Fantastic. My favourite Stones song 😊
I'm torn. Wishing I was like you hearing a lot of these classic, epic songs for the first time but so thankful I have had them in my life for 50-60 years.
Good review!
Have a great new year . . .
It’s about the Vietnam War. Some of the more brutal and heartbreaking images of the war and impact on the Vietnamese people were depicted on covers of major magazines, newspapers and TV which had never happened before. Protests of the war were in full swing in 1969 and the government under Nixon especially wanted to suppress protests and were afraid of what were termed “subversives.”
We’ve been getting a very watered down coverage of wars in the mainstream media ever since the Vietnam days. Males were drafted then. Today it’s not good for recruiting to show real war images.
It’s a great song, certainly one of their best! In a catalogue as large as theirs, it’s pointless to choose a favorite song. Merry Clayton took it to the moon with her incredible voice. No one can match her performance here. A lot of singers have tried!
I always group this song with another classic of theirs, "Sympathy for the Devil" - same feeling of impending dread. As to the war, Vietnam.
This is also the title of a fantastic movie made about the band,s 1969 US tour.
"It's just a shot away!"
Were you thinking of fireworks when you chose to listen to this?
This is one of those tracks that I get really surprised when I find that someone hasn't heard it. Showing my age, I guess.
Other songs to check out are Sympathy for the Devil and Brown Sugar, if you haven't already done them.
On a similar theme, "Massive Attack - Safe from harm". Trust me, its worth your time.
One of my top 5 Stones numbers.
"NICHE" is pronounced 'NEESH'
Could be a regional thing? Like throwing your tomahto into the crick. 🤷♂️
Many lists rate this as their greatest song ever!
Re: the rest of "Let It Bleed" is very good, 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' is the stand-out track, 'Country Honk' is a slower version of the single 'Honky Tonk Women', there's a country tinge to some of it. Mick Taylor plays on 2 songs, he becomes a full member on the next album.
Oh, and definitely continue with the album, it's my favorite Stone's album, and an absolute gem.
This song foreshadowed the Altamont concert, that ended the hippie era.
Except it didn’t end the hippie era, except in the minds of some writers who declared it. There were still plenty of war protests, long hair, bell bottoms, protest songs, communal living, and peace and love still mattered to many people after 1969. Altamont was just considered the antithesis to Woodstock in the journalists’ views.
Had the Stones’ management (or whoever made the horrible decision) not hired the Hell’s Angels to be security for the concert, that man would never have been murdered.
The hippie movement didn’t end until at least 1974, when the Vietnam war was over. I lived it.
@justintime42000 I was at Altamont, we're you?
@@gregorystockton8139 No, I lived in DC. What’s your point? I’ve seen the Gimme Shelter film several times but don’t remember all the details. One concert gone wrong didn’t end a whole movement.
It must’ve been a nightmare to be there though. I was at the Human Kindness Day concert with Stevie Wonder in DC in 1974 where a lot of violence took place because of poor police security. My friends and I were lucky to make it to our cars. Two were jumped and robbed. It didn’t end or begin a movement. It became a terrible day, which started well, one that everyone believed would be beautiful. It was tragic that “Human Kindness Day” became anything but. Women were raped while cops looked the other way and a man was blinded just walking through the Washington Monument Grounds by someone who stuck an ice pick in his eye.
There were plenty of antiwar protests and hippies still around after 1969. For someone who lived in that time, I’m surprised you would believe it’s true Altamont ended the hippie movement. Did you decide to not be a hippie anymore yourself because there was violence at that concert?
For those that rather know: The Stones re-released a much higher definition medium of this called SACD. Some of it is stereo & a good portion of these have re-established the quadrophonic versions in multichannel. I was somewhat certain the stereo versions the better, boy was I wrong. They nailed the quad versions perfect. FYI, I played both, no comparison what so ever. Thanx
P.S. Great example of The Rolling Stones use of Bach's circular tuning of the intruments
Didn’t Rolling Stone magazine rank this song close to the top of their list of the best songs of all F***ing time??
Too bad blocked, great song. One of their best along with Sympathy for the Devil.
Hi JP. DP from UK. Yes, The Approaching Storm, that's a nice description. I agree, there's real tension in the song, but it's an absolute classic, like so many in this golden period for them. Unmistakable intro, and while Merry's gospel singing doesn't eclipse Mick, it certainly elevates the song.
P.S. my song ref The Approaching Storm is by Chicago.
Tragically, Merry miscarried the baby the following day.
Awe, for real?
@-davidolivares yes
A great track, there's an excellent cover of this by, 'The Sisters of Mercy' well worth reacting to.
One of their perfect songs and nothing to do with the weather.
The Stones at their best. Hope you do the whole album.
Have you done The Band ft Staples doing "The Weight" from The Last Waltz? If not, that is a must-see
probably their best
In pretty sure it was a harmonica played through a guitar amp with distortion applied
Bong hit for The Rolling Stoners! Terrible about Merry Clayton, though.
Was going to watch the full reaction via the link but it’s showing as locked. Is that right?
You'll just need to make a (free) account to watch. Unfortunately now some labels are going after the Patreon page, so its an extra barrier of protection without making people pay for anything
@ Thanks Justin. Will do. This is a monumental track and you described it perfectly. Happy New Year to you all down there and hoping you have a prosperous new year. All the best. Dave✅✅
Check out the Sisters of Mercy cover.
So no free reaction on Patreon? Hmm, ok.
Hasn't the storm scenario as described by you already been made in an existing film with this song as a soundtrack. It's a FTL for me believe it or not.
We all get old &
Seven Days - Ronnie Wood
Diolch
Lot of good stuff on Let it Bleed. Follow it through.
Definitely my favorite Stones track, by a good bit. I'm not a big Stones fan, in fact I actively dislike more of their music than I like. But this banger is a bona fide balls-to-the-wall masterpiece. To my taste, this is one of their best albums, maybe their best, and You Can't Always Get What You Want, the closer on Let It Bleed, is another highlight. I can do without a lot more Stones, but this was great, and I heartily recommend You Can't Always Get What You Want to bookend it. Early Stones are much more to my liking, but all their albums are a big mixed bag for me, just too much skraggy swaggering whiskey rock - masterful artists, but only rarely any consciousness or higher heart.
Do you like their albums Aftermath (US or UK), Between the Buttons (US or UK), and Their Satanic Majesties Request? That period from 1966-67 produced a lot of unique music that went beyond swag-infused rock. They really explored non-Western forms, experimenting with baroque pop, music hall, electronics, Eastern classicism, and various recording techniques. They’ve also produced tons of music with consciousness and a higher heart throughout their career. For example, “Heartbreaker,” “Fingerprint File,” “Salt of the Earth,” “Factory Girl,” “Moonlight Mile,” “Let It Loose,” “Time Waits for No One,” “Jigsaw Puzzle,” “Street Fighting Man,” “Sweet Black Angel,” “Shine a Light,” and numerous others. Many of their songs are deeply introspective and deal with existential themes and personal disillusionment. Even something like “Brown Sugar” is a subversive reflection on the white race's taboo (and often hypocritical) attraction toward black people. There’s much more depth to their songs than most people think.
@fuchsiaswing8545 I agree about their early work, as I said. There are loads of great tunes there, I just said Shelter was my favorite. I've liked a smattering of later songs too, but I can't listen to any of those albums in their entirety. I'm sure I sold them short with my caricature, and I know they're not dumb and have depth to many of their concepts. I'm not sure I could easily peg just what it is about them that turns me off so often. It's just taste I'm sure. They just come from a place that's usually too far off my bingo zone and doesn't really reach me, after all the psychedelic and proggier experimentation was done, even when I can see the art and craft in it. Thanks for chiming in.
Brilliant channel JP and I love this classic track .. just my own puny opinion , if you have to chop up a track just to get it up on TH-cam then sadly I advise not doing it at all as there’s ZERO more disappointing than getting into the vibe and having an abrupt chop over and over again … but hey , that’s just my opinion 🤷♂️
👍🏴
I never was a huge Stones fan, for my money Grand Funk Railroad's cover is far far better, in fact it's one of my favorite songs of all time. Hawkwind does a great cover with a fantastic video also.
You need to compare the cover of version Grand Funk they do it with heavy bass both good
Not my fave stones song.
I never liked the vocals on this and the lyrics are too repetitive. I could never understand why it's so popular. To each his own.
This is one of the few Stones tracks that I can tolerate. Please don't do any more, Jagger and Richards are possibly the worst singer and guitarist of all time. 😁🙃
'better to be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt'...
@@kevdarby9460don’t have a horse in this race but I know a classic put down when I see it .. 😅👌
👍🏴
@@kevdarby9460 so we all have to just go along with the bizarre myth that the Stones were a great band eh, as opposed to a stumbling bunch of drunken hacks who could barely even get in tune with each other? I am humbled and educated by your infinite wisdom.
This is pure jealousy in the form of a comment
@@ArmandoMPR *pure hatred. The Stones always sucked.
Merry Clayton steals the whole damn song.
She does not.
@@fuchsiaswing8545 She does too. Pregnant and all, her incredible vocal is the most memorable part of the song.
@@Morthoron1 There is no song without Keith’s guitar (excellent use of the tremolo effect), Charlie’s thudding drum fills, Bill’s brooding basslines, producer Jimmy Miller’s excellent use of percussion, or Mick’s distorted harmonica. These interconnected parts make the song, not just Merry’s vocals. Also, the intro and how the song builds are a hallmark of the Stones' sound during this era. That's the most memorable aspect of the song.