#317 The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet

Was on a roll on the same night, put on the previous Stones album, another well regarded one. Tickin' off the classics!

Again, you lead off with a well known, epic song (Sympathy for the Devil) and then follow it up with a lot of saltier, humbler tracks. Here they're even more slide guitared, more dylanesque in the delivery, and a lot more heartbroken, reaching on into blue land. The epic Jigsaw Puzzle with its punchy basslines is a highlight, writhing on for 6 minutes, always wrapping back around to the same desperate vocal hook.

There's something less consistent about this one, something less charming about its rough edges, that makes me not quite like it as much, something hamfisted about songs like Salt of the Earth and Dear Doctor. It seems like a transition album, though I'll have to work my way back to be sure. Not quite raw enough to beat you up, not quite polished enough to move you. That said, there's enough standout tracks, acoustic richness and guitar fireworks to at least be good for 3.5/5