Rolling Stones – “Let It Bleed” (1969)
 

The theme for the day is probably the LP in the collection I paid the most for, but since I don’t have the habit of paying excessive prices for my records we’re not talking astronomical sums. If you have children at home who want to have nutrition on the table it's hard to justify purchases of LPs that cost a week's food... But only the opening track Gimmie Shelter is worth the 40 USD I had to pay.

I came across the album when it had just arrived in the store, but I hesitated. As it was still in the store a few weeks later, I saw it as a sign that I must buy it. You've got to find signs in the reality when you need them. My copy is an early pressing from -69 in a very good condition, it has the poster and flyer for the Stones fanclub left, both absolutely flawless. The content in the form of the music is also good, this is a classic with some of Stones' most famous songs.

The poster from inside the cover

Let It Bleed was the last album where Brian Jones played, he died a few months before it was released and you hear him on two songs. The album is also the first in which his replacement Mick Taylor plays, he’s also on two songs.

The album opens up, as mentioned, with Gimmie Shelter which in my world is Stone's best creation and one of the best songs the 60s managed to produce. Although I've heard it a lot, and it often pops up in different contexts, I don’t get tired of it. A pretty dark song with a restrained energy. Mick Jagger's vocals are topped by Merry Clayton's amazing vocal performance and she gives the song an extra dimension, without her the song had probably not been the same. Apparently Clayton had a miscarriage when she came home from the studio, which some claim was due to the effort required of the high notes she sang.

The back side of the cover

But there are more goodies on the album. The B-side opens up with the dark and hypnotic Midnight Rambler and it ends with another classic in the form of You Can’t Always Get What You Want, a song I’ve never been overfond of. The title track, side A’s last number, must also be defined as a classic. It has been speculated that Let It Bleed was aimed at the Beatles song/album Let It Be, but the answer to this knows probably just Jagger & Co. themselves.

In addition to the more well known songs there are also some other nice tracks on the album, and some less good. On You Got The Silver Keith Richards sings for the first time an entire song himself, and it’s good song, sounds a lot like Dylan. Country Honk is a version of Honky Tonk Woman and is less good. They also do a cover, Love In Vain by Robert Johnson, a pretty good, calm, number. Monkey Man I think is quite OK while Live With Me is not a favorite, kind of boring. And so I think I've mentioned all the songs. I've never been a big fan of Rolling Stones but can’t help thinking that Let It Bleed is a really good album. A somewhat dark record from a somewhat dark time (most people think of the Vietnam war when you say that). The colourful cover (also a classic) almost gives the impression of a bubble gum pop album, which is a contrast to the music.

Can be mentioned that it’s the last Stones album that was released in a mono version, although in a very small number. If you find that version in a good condition you don’t pay 40 USD, you probably have to ad a zero to that number.

Yeah, if someone wonders, Gimmie Shelter is spelled that way on the album. Nowadays it’s called Gimme Shelter in most contexts.

 

 

Tracklist

Side A

1. Gimmie Shelter 4:30
2. Love In Vain 4:19
3. Country Honk 3:07
4. Live With Me 3:33
5. Let It Bleed 3:33

Side B

1. Midnight Rambler 6:52
2. You Got The Silver 2:50
3. Monkey Man 4:11
4. You Can’t Always  Get What You Want 7:28