A journo at (where else?) Rolling Stone magazine once declared the high water mark of the Rolling Stones was the albums they made at the end of the 60s and beginning of the 70s: Beggar’s Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street. (Goat’s Head Soup is generally held to be the start of the decline, although some fans believe their late 70s output up to and including Tattoo You is their best).
For me, Exile is a solid album but ranks below the three that proceeded it. I always felt too many of the songs on it sounded the same. Martin Scorsese points out listening to the album sounds like you’re there, listening to it being recorded – that isn’t necessarily a compliment.
Nonetheless the story of it’s making is interesting and there’s some incredible footage from the time. You’ve got to give it to the Stones, they knew how to make a record in style – hiring a house in the South of France and working and playing all through the day and night. Being so close to Marseilles was bad for Keith Richards’ drug habit but he was in top form, as was Charlie and the two Micks – Bill Wyman seems less involved but that may be due to other things. Anita Pallenberg was there, Mick Jagger married Bianca, the police busted them for drugs, various musos popped in, they finished off in LA, the resulting album wasn’t a massive hit but has come to be regarded as a classic…
It’s not the epic saga of say making Rumours but it’s still entertaining, and Stones fans will love it.
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