Exile On Main Street - THE ROLLING STONES****

Rocks Off/Rip This Joint/Shake Your Hips/Casino Boogie/Tumbling Dice/Sweet Virginia/Torn & Frayed/Sweet Black Angel/Loving Cup/Happy/Turd On The Run/Ventilator Blues/I Just Want To See His Face/Let It Loose/All Down The Line/Stop Breaking Down/Shine A Light/Soul Survivor

Exile On Main Street was the sole double studio album released by The Rolling Stones. With fewer pop touches than normal it is described as a hybrid of rock, blues, gospel and country all mixed up together. Includes the UK and US top ten hit Tumbling Dice. (US:1 UK:1)

“Exile doesn't exactly typify the band at a songwriting peak, because the songs are more centred around the stripped blues chant form - there's none of their more lyrical songs here. This stuff's more rooted in performance, how all that energy really sounds, than on any kind of strict aesthetic.”

“The Stones might have loved dirty blues from the beginning, but until Exile it was always mixed up with pop touches and sweet bits in the melodies. On the other hand this is gritty, raw, real and uncompromising. It's a still a hybrid of rock, blues, gospel and country all mixed up together, but this is not a commercial record by any measure.”

“It is here that the band seem to have the greatest mastery over the numerous influences. They do soulful numbers well, they do raunchy hard-edged rock well, the ballads are beautiful and heartfelt. If you don't love this album at first, persist with it.”

“Never before or since did the Stones manage to create such a consistent and compelling mood that lasts from the first song to the last. It is a very stark album, both musically and lyrically. The songs are grooves over which Mick and Keith simply testify as to what's rattling around their heads - encounters with women, thoughts on life as a rock and roller, spiritual, moral and political questions, from the sublime to the base. In its own way, this is a confessional album.”

“The Stones’ Exile On Main Street is a tricky album to grasp upon introduction. Through the years it has been hailed as the band’s defining record by countless critics and fans alike. Despite its critical mass, there still lives a relatively large group that believes this double sided monster is highly overrated.”

“It fuses every aspect of American roots rock and roll: gospel, blues, jazz, folk, and soul, and without a doubt it's their most innovative album.”