Rolling Stones' Goats Head Soup - is it underrated because it came after Exile?

The live set on the reissue is awesomely noisy and the most house-disrupting thing I've played during COVID since the Hendrix poll.

https://i.imgur.com/9GROGxM.png

"Star Star" must be the dullest "controversial" song ever... the band sounds embarrassed to be recording it.

Without prejudice to the thread title/topic - the dropoff from Exile to this album is pretty extraordinary, IMO

Dropoff from this one to "Black And Blue" moreso. That one's just a plain lazy album, IMO.

b&b has some choice cuts, "hey negrita," "memory motel," and "fool to cry" are as good as anything they've done, but it does feel tossed-off compared to the previous two.

Though It’s Only Rock’n’Roll actually comes after GHS doesn’t it? And that’s even worse to my ears.

Tying to imagine “scarlet” played by Zep and it’s damn near impossible

Bonham just wouldn’t be able to handle that Charlie beat lol

It takes more than having Jimmy Page on your sing for it to sound like Zep. Ask David Coverdale.

Song. Obviously.

I'm not a big Stones fan, especially their later era, but I once had a memorable night at a party (w33d) where I really vibed on Black and Blue. Now I feel like maybe I should try to reevaluate Goat's Head and Only R&R.

B and B has Memory Motel on it right? Untouchable

Yep. B&B is my favorite b/w Exile and Some Girls, but, egads, "Hot Stuff" and "Hey Negrita."

Though It’s Only Rock’n’Roll actually comes after GHS doesn’t it? And that’s even worse to my ears.

― 29 facepalms, Wednesday, September 16, 2020 5:24 PM (twenty minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

you're right, i always forget about that one, which is a true step down.

Yeah, Memory Motel was the track that really hit me at that party. Had somehow never heard it until 1990-something. (many xp)

honestly, i prefer the loose emotionalism of b&b to the sludgy hedonism of goat's head.

egads, "Hot Stuff" and "Hey Negrita."

I love both of these, gtfo.

B&B is so well engineered. It sounds great, especially the Virgin remaster.

There's almost a whole good album divided between It's Only Rock 'n' Roll and Black & Blue. I'd probably sequence it like this:

Side A
"It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)"
"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
"Time Waits for No One"
"Fingerprint File"

Side B
"Dance Little Sister"
"Hand of Fate"
"Fool to Cry"
"Crazy Mama"

“hot stuff” is sweet, great opener

I do love those Rolling Stones and their music

For the life of me, I'll never understand what people like about the drippy "Fool to Cry" ("Crazy Mama" and "Memory Motel" are decent, though).

"Crazy Mama" is an example of why I love Jagger on electric rhythm guitar.

I love this album even thought it's considered the end of a magical run from 68-72. Listening to it, I was thinking about similar albums by other artists. Thinking of a poll, but right now just compiling a list (mostly dinosaur acts):

The Rolling Stones - Goats Head Soup
Led Zeppelin - Presence
Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
The Beatles - Let It Be
CCR - Pendulum

Would Erotica fit in here? A Prince album?

Is this on some level the battle of the New Jersey's? Idk.

There are probably Pavement and Stereolab albums that fit in here too.

Lovely story about my favourite song from the album

https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2496164/angelina-jolie-reveals-the-story-behind-the-tattoo-she-got-for-her-late-mother

Is this on some level the battle of the New Jersey's? Idk.

More like overlooked follow-ups suffering in the shadows of Iconic Releases.

See Also:

Fleetwood Mac: Mirage
Clash: Combat Rock
Tom Petty: Long After Dark

Deep Purple: Who Do We Think We Are

I thought CCR's "Pendulum" was still rightfully considered part of their great run of albums (despite "Rude Awakening #2"). Mardi Gras really signaled the end, a great double-sided single buried amidst dull and uninspired music.

More like overlooked follow-ups suffering in the shadows of Iconic Releases.

Yes, but, I'm sure there is some Bon Jovi fan somewhere saying that's what New Jersey is.

Otoh, I'm not sure anyone is voting for New Jersey when you put it together in a poll with Presence.

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is part of the classic BS run imho and so is its follow up Sabotage. It’s Technical Ecstasy where things really go off the rails

Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants? Trust by Elvis Costello? Caribou/Rock of the Westies/Blue Moves?

Maybe some guidelines are needed about the length of the preceding run of successes, and what makes the album under discussion a disappointment, etc.

I was thinking that the run of success should be at least three "classic" records, otherwise there would be so many possibilities here. Classic is, obv, in the eye of a beholder, but I am thinking of a pretty high standard where there is a sense (fans and/or critics, then or now) that the band overall can do no wrong. The disappointing album then is considered a mistaken change of direction or a misstep that doesn't meet the previous high standard. Not that the band couldn't produce another classic album later, but that there is a sense that the disappointing album is a distinct break in the classic run and the band entered a new phase.

The Rolling Stones - Goats Head Soup
Led Zeppelin - Presence
Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
The Beatles - Let It Be
CCR - Pendulum

Would Erotica fit in here? A Prince album?

Is this on some level the battle of the New Jersey's? Idk.

― reassessing life after bookmarking a Will Smith thread (PBKR),

nobody thought GHS signaled a commercial decline, especially since GHS outsold EOMS and produced a #1 single.

Well, commercial success doesn't equal quality - there is a reason ppl refer to their classic run as 68-72 and not 68-73 - but that is the discussion: albums considered a break from a classic run that (maybe) are themselves classic but in a different way.

But I guess you are addressing my question re battle of the NJs.

“Winter” is a boring clunker. Sounds like some high school poetry …“just learned these two chords on guitar and now I’m going to write a song”
Mr D and Heartbreaker are fire tho

But I guess you are addressing my question re battle of the NJs.

― reassessing life after bookmarking a Will Smith thread (PBKR

yeah

xp Mr. D, Heartbreaker, 100 Years Ago are all top tier Stones for me. I think Winter is great, but it and stuff like Coming Down Again points out that the album gets by on vibe more than the previous four albums. But what a vibe! It's like they took the strung out, indistinct elements of Sticky Fingers and Exile and made a whole album of it.

Is it just me or is there way more keyboards on this album than the previous ones?

and those keyboards dominate the next two albums.

other than the singles, I never heard this record until like 2014 or something… I think "starfucker" was notorious for the time, but now you could probly "be rilly rilly into the Stones" but never have heard the song… and "can you hear music," with hints of the Jajouka/Brian Jones record, is maybe the closest they ever came to mystical proggish shit; also MJ at least was noticing Bowie and T Rex at this time, which certainly influenced the presentation/packaging…

Mr. D is their Alice Cooper move.

yep, good point

This was the first Stones record I ever owned, and for that alone it would have a special place in my heart. It's got a few bangers on it besides "Heartbreaker," though: "Hide Your Love," "100 Years Ago," "Dancing with Mr. D."

"Angie" is good but overplayed.

Joni Mitchell - For The Roses

Rock of the Westies

Foot Loose and Fancy Free?

Blue Sky Mining

Border Lord

Rock of the Westies seems like a classic NJ album: still managed to debut at #1 like its predecessor; one smash #1 single; a follow-up that stiffed, his first to miss the top ten in three years.