The Rolling Stones
Exile on Main St.
60s 70s still inspired by their 'sticky fingers' recording sessions in muscle shoals alabama 'exile on main street' found the rolling stones sounding more like a southern fried jukejoint band than ever before that 'exile on main street' was recorded in a basement is no surprise either much of it sounds as if it was recorded live at a gospel revival with a final mix that gives nohierarchy to specific instruments the result is a swampy most exhilarating chunk of rock and roll euphoria 'exile on main street' sharpens the country blues and gospel tendencies the stones began exploring in the late '60s on albums like beggar's banquet here armed with an assortment of backing musicians and vocalists the band virtually inhabits the spirit of each style distilling the whole to a ragged soulful perfectionfrom the escalating horndriven vamps of 'rocks off' through the back porch singalong 'sweet virginia' to the mean blues stomp of 'ventilator blues' and the churchlike strains of 'shine a light' 'exile on main street's doublealbum length plays like a weary boozedup sermon on the very meaning of rock music this is the closest the band ever came to religion and it still has the power to convert