Belated
A day late, but that's an industry in itself. Fifty years ago yesterday The Rolling Stones played their first gig at London's Marquee Club. In celebration I have today ordered their book celebrating 50 years together as the naughty boys/guys of rock, and I am writing this brief posting to add to the multitude already out there.
I've seen the band live twice: the Hyde Park concert and on their Voodoo Lounge tour, both written about somewhere on this blog. I was listening yesterday to some of their early R&B covers and it did strike me that there was a genuine affinity for the music and considerable passion and expertise in its playing. There's an understatement.
Favourite all-time tracks? Nothing esoteric or surprising: Jumpin' Jack Flash and Honkey Tonk Women are pure-rock-classic-without-thinking-in-the-bag-certainties. I love the ballads and slower numbers: As Tears Go By, Lady Jane, Let's Spend The Night Together, Ruby Tuesday, She's A Rainbow, Wild Horses [with writing nod to Gram Parsons], Angie, Fool To Cry. The album Voodoo Lounge has an obvious appeal, and it was a later return to form, especially on the ballads again. Start Me Up holds a special place as I used to hold my young daughter and dance and sing with her as it played very, very loud. Especially early in the morning - what a way to start the day! Miss You is superb.
One of my first guitar licks was [You Can't Get No] Satisfaction - that's hyperbole of course, but when it's the first guitar line you learn, as simplistic as it is, that's a 'lick'! And what a fucking simple brilliant lick! I have always been able to hand-tap the equally simple but brilliant drum sequence to Get Off Of My Cloud. Try it if you think you can: one hand/one beat, two hands/one beat, one hand/one beat, two hands/two beats, one hand/one beat, drum roll/six alternating beats. That doesn't account for the nuances of stress per beat, and timing, but you either have it or you don't.....
The song that perhaps always registers the most is You Can't Always Get What You Want. That's sublime songwriting.
I'd like to echo that belated birthday 'wish'. I love The Stones and would have loved to have seen them live-especially in their earlier days. I have so many favourites, but particularly like Jumping' Jack Flash and Sympathy For The Devil-which has often prompted dancing round various rooms and will , I'm sure, for years to come!!!
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