Let It Bleed (50th Anniversary Limited Deluxe Edition)

fantastic takes me back to my youth , car journeys are more fun .

Let It Bleed was a turning point for The Rolling Stones. Their original musical leader, Brian Jones, made his last, albeit minor, contributions to an album and his replacement, Mick Taylor, contributed for the first time on just two of the tracks. Keith Richards had stepped up his game on Beggars Banquet but he redoubled his efforts for the follow up. He is the only Stone to play on all nine songs, solidifying his reputation as one of the most versatile and imaginative Rock guitarists of his generation in the process and Let It Bleed as his finest work.On the whole, it follows the template of its predecessor but Let It Bleed is far more than a transitional album or a Beggars Banquet part two. During 1969, The Beatles were in their bubble, busy obsessing over themselves, whereas The Stones captured the zeitgeist on an album full of dread and the threat of violence, not to mention all the sex and the drugs. Released with just one month of the decade to go, the day before Meredith Hunter was murdered at Altamont and just as the Manson Family were arrested, it sounded like a funeral bell for the sixties.The opening song, Gimme Shelter, a heady concoction of sex and death, starts creepily with Keith's carefully picked guitar lines but, soon, the rhythm section grooves up a storm and Mick Jagger and Merry Clayton duet, irresistibly drawn together in the face of hellfire and brimstone coming their way. Gimme Shelter is the most electrifying opening track of any album in Rock, taut, muscular, disciplined. It casts a long doomy shadow across the whole album which never quite reaches its incredibly high standard.At the other end of the spectrum, You Can't Always Get What You Want throws the kitchen sink at an attempt to muster some joy and hope, French horn, haughty London Bach choir and all. The exhilarating melody and wonderful arrangement, owing a lot to Jack Nizsche, are subverted by downcast lyrics concerning drugs and prostitution. The sixties party may be over but it's impossible not to feel the spirits lift as the celestial choir carries the long coda towards the album's conclusion.In between, Love In Vain proves The Stones retain a genuine sensitivity for the blues even without Brian and a busking, hillbilly version of Honky Tonk Women is wild and untamed. Live With Me points to the future, as it features both Bobby Keys' saxophone and Mick Taylor's fluid guitar for the first time. Keith provides the remarkable bass riff driving its tongue-in-cheek debauchery to even greater levels of bravado. The title track re-envisions the notion of free love as pornography and wraps it in jolly musical finery. There is nothing ambiguous about Midnight Rambler. Though Mick's Ned Kelly murderous/rapist growls are somewhat unconvincing, Keith's guitar carries more than enough menace. You Got The Silver seems out of place, like a buttercup on a dishevelled grave. A sweet, almost innocent love song, Glyn Johns accidentally erased Mick's vocal, leaving a solo Keith to deliver it with impressive confidence and feel. Monkey Man is a showcase for Nicky Hopkins on piano, Jimmy Miller's production skills and Mick's squeals. Overall, Let It Bleed's peaks are more than favourably comparable with the albums it is sandwiched between but, as a whole, it doesn't quite maintain their consistency.Fifty years on, Rob Ludwig has done his usual fantastic job remastering the stereo. It's so good, it feels like a remix. Keith's bending of strings sounds magical and Charlie's kit appears more complete. Monkey Man is the biggest winner, its bells and whistles becoming quite spellbinding.Let It Bleed is an iconic Rock album, one of The Stones best, which is now available as an excellent Rob Ludwig remaster and a bizarre 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe package. This single disc version is the only one you need.

Excellent sounds from the stones.

This took me back a good number of years it has lost none of its original excitement

I already had this on vinyl & rate it joint best Stones album, with Sticky Fingers. The latter’s 50th anniversary deluxe release was a lovely double CD with CD2 having interesting alternate versions and some live tracks. This, however, is simply a remaster of the original album, albeit with great sound quality: nothing extra added, however, to make it special (apart from having a decent enough booklet about the album’s history/ development). Overall, then, well worth getting if you don’t already have this on CD but don’t expect anything ‘deluxe’ about it, other than the aforementioned leaflet.

Meant to be played on vinyl!

Great album from the late sixties

Between 1968 and 1972 the Stones were at the peak of their powers. During this time they released what were not only their four greatest albums (which are also 4 of the greatest blues-rock albums of all time) but also, sandwiched in between the warts-and-all live album "Get ya ya yas out". Oh yes, and two fine non-album singles in "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Honky Tonk Women".Critics usually pick Sticky Fingers as the Stones' best album - and I have to agree it is superb and quite possibly their most coherent effort.But I would rank these studio albums as follows:1 Let it Bleed2 Sticky Fingers3 Beggars Banquet4 Exile on Main StreetWhy Bleed? Like Beggars and Fingers there are absolutely no below par songs: the album simply shines throughout it's 9 tracks."Gimme Shelter" has one of the best slow-build-up starts of any Rock song. Ever. When the backibg singer's voice cracks on "rape, murder" Mick chears his delight, a moment in time that encapsulates what rock music embodies.Jagger's attention to lyrical detail is laser-sharp on "You Can't Always Get What You Want". And those aged 50 and above may well enjoy the thought that erstwhile actor turned washing-up liquid voice-over artist Nanette Newman provided backing vocals.Personally, I've always preferred the live version of "Midnight Rambler" on "Ya Yas" but the studio version found here has great merit.Then there's the title track, which was strong enough to merit a singles release; as was, frankly, "Live With Me". And, to literally put the icing on the cake, a cover baked by Delia Smith. You can get what you need.Buy the 4 albums referenced here, plus the compilations "London Years" and "Honk" and you have a majestic collection from a band that can more than match those other iconic 60's bands, The Who, Beatles and Kinks.