MAD POLL, LOST YER WAY – ILM Artist Poll #16 – The Rolling Stones RESULTS THREAD

Definitely my favorite of their psychedelic songs.

Hah, I also voted this one quite high. See what I mean?

They were great songwriters, hooks galore whether in blooze or flower/psych mode.

38. Midnight Rambler – 264 points (10 votes, 1x #1)

http://leglessscotsman.blogit.fi/files/2009/11/1969detroitbill.jpg
http://www.youtu.be/IM-XXW6FJbw

You cannot gainsay the Midnight Rambler

that poor disembodied head, caught in bill wyman's crotchal area

so great.

everyone needs to watch that youtube roger linked as well, the Marquee Club version KILLS so hard.

Not a great song, but one the Stones have done some fantastic mind-blowing performances of.

I first heard "Child Of The Moon" on Yung Wu's (Feelies side project) Shore Leave (1987). Even better is Band Of Susan's version on Love Agenda (1989). It wasn't until I picked up the London Years discs in the 90s that I finally heard the original. That may be why I wished the Stones version had a bit more oomf to it.

"Midnight Rambler" might . . . ramble some, but how can you say it's not a great song??

Midnight Rambler not a good song? Pshaw, it's a great song...

possibly the Stones' 38th-finest hour

yeah, there's such an embarrassment of riches that MR inevitably winds up being 2nd tier....is it just me (don't choose that) or is this one of the more poll-arizing polls thus far? I guess the catalogue is varied enough to have different stones for different folks

Hah! It's an ok song, but surely the #1 vote was for the live potential of the song, not the song itself. If not speak up #1 Rambler fan.

I can say it's not a great song because I don't see the lyrics as anything special, and there's nothing else left to distinguish it from any other 16-bar blues. That's not a problem for me, mind you, when they play the hell out of it.

keef's guitar playing on midnight rambler is scary.

^ this. The little figures he plays in the minute or so before "You heard about the Boston..." are so quietly terrifying.

I guess the catalogue is varied enough to have different stones for different folks

I've always felt like this would be an important element of the really good polls, and it has been present in e.g. Bowie, but the Stones is the first where I can feel like fans of one era might hate other eras.

Did you hear about the Midnight Rambler?
He'll leave his footprints up and down your hall
Did you hear about the Midnight Rambler?
Did you see me make my midnight call

And if you catch the Midnight Rambler
I'll steal your mistress from under your nose
Well, go easy with your cold fandango
I'll stick my knife right down your throat
Baby, and it hurts!

It's more chilling and effective than say, The Doors' "The End." Less pretentious maybe?

always found that song deeply silly

x-post re: Doors A McDonald's hamburger is preferable to a piece of shit. What's your point?

I think I have a problem with any time Mick Jagger attempts being dark/threatening. dude is a clown, you can't do the rooster in yellow hotpants and then expect me to take you seriously as the prince of darkness or whatever.

I love all of those evil Mick showcases on Let It Bleed (Live With Me, Let It Bleed, Midnight Rambler, Monkey Man) which only make You Got the Silver that much more powerful.

the reason it works in Sympathy for the Devil is that he's still campy as hell

xp

I dig "Midnight Rambler" in the context of the album but I agree that it's one of Mick's sillier poses. I tend to get caught up in the ramp-it-up ending.

I think I have a problem with any time Mick Jagger attempts being dark/threatening. dude is a clown, you can't do the rooster in yellow hotpants and then expect me to take you seriously as the prince of darkness or whatever.

He's like Ned Flanders as the Devil: it's always the one you least suspect.

dig

I'll stick my knife right down your throat BABY AND IT HURTS boom clack

the Stones is the first where I can feel like fans of one era might hate other eras.

― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, April 4, 2012

i think this only goes one way though, yes?

37. Play With Fire – 269 points (13 votes)

http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/MBrbTqt3fxU/hqdefault.jpg
http://www.youtu.be/u5vn6OqnD_Q

I dunno, I'm getting the vibe that some people aren't all that into the eighties stuff.

lol Ismael whatever gave you that idea

love it, love the guitar, love the lyric, didn't vote for it though

Love Play With Fire. LOVE

also did not vote for it

Hey another of mine placed! This song owns!

makes a nice pair with midnight rambler imo. what's always grabbed me about "play with fire" is the undercurrent of menace.

Not really a fan of Rambler -- thought about putting it on my most-hated list but realized how OTT that would be. I don't know why it turns me off. (xp -- Shakey may have it nailed)

I've always felt like this would be an important element of the really good polls, and it has been present in e.g. Bowie, but the Stones is the first where I can feel like fans of one era might hate other eras.

Yeah, I do kind of dislike Stones stuff from the last 20-25 years, but more the idea of it existing at all rather than anything specific. As I mentioned on the voting thread, I was surprised at how much I liked A Bigger Bang. Just a totally irrational take from someone who gravitated from songs to noise, drones and the avant-garde over the last couple of decades. I think I drank a little of the critical "hey you dinosaurs, quit existing and turn into oil already" kool-aid. Unfair in this case, probably.

setting aside concerns of rich old bastards making insane amounts of money off of subpar tours/albums, i think it's kind of awesome just to see a rock'n'roll band play together for FIFTY FUCKING YEARS, just because it's such uncharted territory. and hey all their pld blues heroes keep playing guitar with arthritic fingers until the day they drop dead, why not the Stones too?

pld=old

stones from Tattoo You forward much less embarrassing than U2 from Pop forward imo

xxposts mick is complicated imo. the moment in Gimme Shelter (the motion picture) when Things Get Real always breaks my heart a little. all at once he's just a skinny theater kid who didn't realize until just now that the audience wasn't in on the joke, had never been in on the joke, didn't know it was all a show at all...

Totally, some dude. The Paul Simon catalogue was such an eye opener because he's still fresh and has been going even longer. He's got a rich lyrical seam to keep mining though, whereas the Stones have it a bit more difficult I feel.

CHILD OF THE MOON!!! yes, so glad this made the cut! my #1 for reasons i can't fully explain, it just sticks with me. love the deathly drone, the melodic hook, the weirdly inverted & cryptic flower child sentiment. such a great song, and unique in their catalog (though i guess 2000 light years from home is similar, love that too).

all at once he's just a skinny theater kid who didn't realize until just now that the audience wasn't in on the joke, had never been in on the joke, didn't know it was all a show at all...

agree that this is totally depressing moment

stones from Tattoo You forward much less embarrassing than U2 from Pop forward imo

would agree, but the failure to be embarrassing isn't always a victory. U2 have had more worthy tunes in the post-pop era than the stones since tattoo you, jmo.

That's a great summary roger xp. Keith is in a way the personification of evil in that very same bit, where Mick's shouting at him to shut up but he just keeps jamming, enjoying the show.

xxpost god yeah, that moment in Gimme Shelter...it's all over his face, so fucking sad

I liked what Mick said to Wenner about how journalists were falling over themselves to parse a meaning from that moment and for him it was someone died, and that's more than enough.

Love Play With Fire. LOVE

...also did not vote for it

― Peppermint Patty Hearst (VegemiteGrrl)

yeah, same here. one of the dumber omissions from my list.

also love "midnight rambler" and didn't vote for that either. don't regret it though.

i have to admit that i've been soured on "Play With Fire" partly by the absolutely horrible interpolation of it on a Lil Wayne song a few years ago

IMHO, it was poorly used in The Darjeeling Limited too.