The Rolling Stones slide into irrelevancy wasn't entirely their own fault, rather the product of changing times and the fact that they'd been around a heck of a long time. The Rolling Stones were still a top draw and any tour or new album release was still guaranteed to sell by the truckload. One factor in their slide away from the edge may be the fact they hadn't released a classic single for quite some time. 'Exile' didn't contain one and this album doesn't either. Well, 'Angie' was a big hit, but surely not comparable in terms of quality to a 'Jumping Jack Flash' or 'Paint It Black'? Well, you get the point. 'Goats Head Soup' by the way follows 'Exile On Main Street' by sounding both exactly like The Rolling Stones and also sounding like the first album they'd released to entirely break out of the Sixties. The sound of 'Goats Head Soup' is Rock N Roll of course, but a little mellower in places, less raw and more polished around the edges. 'Exile' was deliberately unpolished and some didn't like that effect. It's possible that 'Goats Head Soup' goes too far the other way - there is little here that will bite your ears off or stun and amaze you. But, 'Goats Head Soup' is a solid work and very easy to enjoy and listen to from beginning to end.
'Dancing With Mister D' is surely no classic Stones album opener akin to 'Brown Sugar' or 'Gimmie Shelter' but then again, does it have to be? It's got nice guitar parts and nice Piano parts here and there, adding to the overall sound. 'Dancing With Mister D' wasn't and still isn't relevant and doesn't speak to me at all as a song, but it does sound fairly decent and groovy. '100 Years Ago' and 'Coming Down Again' are strong songs once you've adjusted to this fairly mellow and not in your face... Rolling Stones album. But, as if to prove the point that The Stones were stuggling all of a sudden on the singles market, the soul flavoured 'Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)' just about qualifies as a good album track, but no way at all made a good single. It moves away from past Stones material in terms of sound, including brass parts and a full, clearly thought about arrangement - but doesn't contain a big giant hook akin to Stones singles of the past. 'Silver Train' moves the Stones into country rock boogie territory, and does so enjoyably - but this could be any number of bands other than The Rolling Stones. Had The Rolling Stones lost a little of their distinctive edge since the glory days of the late Sixties? Well, quite possibly, but upon the arrival of songs such as the blues Piano of 'Hide Your Love' and the mid-tempo quality ballad of 'Winter' - you realise that 'Goats Head Soup' is indeed pretty damn solid and that practically everything here, whilst not being classic material - is at the very least goodly enjoyable. And, that's something, that counts for a lot.
'Can You Hear The Music' is the first song here I don't enjoy, being a terribly formless five and a half minute slow plodding tuneless bore of a ballad. The closing 'Star Star' is pretty simple material both musically and lyrically - but it has a fun, pub rock boogie about it. Pub rock boogie? Says it all really, doesn't it - but forget that. 'Goats Head Soup' is a pretty darn enjoyable listen. Whether it's a work of art or not is another matter. I'd say no, but this time round at least, does it really matter?
Dancing With Mister D / 100 Years Ago / Coming Down Again / Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) / Angie / Silver Train / Hide Your Love / Winter / Can You Hear The Music / Star Star
'Dancing With Mister D' is surely no classic Stones album opener akin to 'Brown Sugar' or 'Gimmie Shelter' but then again, does it have to be? It's got nice guitar parts and nice Piano parts here and there, adding to the overall sound. 'Dancing With Mister D' wasn't and still isn't relevant and doesn't speak to me at all as a song, but it does sound fairly decent and groovy. '100 Years Ago' and 'Coming Down Again' are strong songs once you've adjusted to this fairly mellow and not in your face... Rolling Stones album. But, as if to prove the point that The Stones were stuggling all of a sudden on the singles market, the soul flavoured 'Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)' just about qualifies as a good album track, but no way at all made a good single. It moves away from past Stones material in terms of sound, including brass parts and a full, clearly thought about arrangement - but doesn't contain a big giant hook akin to Stones singles of the past. 'Silver Train' moves the Stones into country rock boogie territory, and does so enjoyably - but this could be any number of bands other than The Rolling Stones. Had The Rolling Stones lost a little of their distinctive edge since the glory days of the late Sixties? Well, quite possibly, but upon the arrival of songs such as the blues Piano of 'Hide Your Love' and the mid-tempo quality ballad of 'Winter' - you realise that 'Goats Head Soup' is indeed pretty damn solid and that practically everything here, whilst not being classic material - is at the very least goodly enjoyable. And, that's something, that counts for a lot.
'Can You Hear The Music' is the first song here I don't enjoy, being a terribly formless five and a half minute slow plodding tuneless bore of a ballad. The closing 'Star Star' is pretty simple material both musically and lyrically - but it has a fun, pub rock boogie about it. Pub rock boogie? Says it all really, doesn't it - but forget that. 'Goats Head Soup' is a pretty darn enjoyable listen. Whether it's a work of art or not is another matter. I'd say no, but this time round at least, does it really matter?
Dancing With Mister D / 100 Years Ago / Coming Down Again / Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) / Angie / Silver Train / Hide Your Love / Winter / Can You Hear The Music / Star Star