Rolling Stones album “Goats Head Soup” hits the spot
After releasing four almost perfect albums, 1968’s “Beggars Banquet,” 1969’s “Let It Bleed,” 1971’s “Sticky Fingers” and 1972’s “Exile on Main Street,’ the Rolling Stones were due to slip off the pedestal.
A drop was almost inevitable with “Goats Head Soup.”
Many of the initial reviews of the album, which was released in 1973, were less than complimentary but the critics were a bit rough when it came to the initial analysis of what is an underrated project.
The Stones were not yet at the height of their powers. Mick Jagger was caught up with celebrity and Keith Richards was descending courtesy of his escalating issues with drugs. But the group once again lived up its own tag as “The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band” by releasing an album that’s not great but very good.
The initial single, the beautiful ballad “Angie” is terrific. The brass-driven “Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) with a funky keyboard line has almost slipped through the cracks of Rolling Stone history. The powerful song, which touches on abusive police, might not crack the Stones’ top 100. However, the infectious tune is a reminder that the 150th best Stones song would be most recording artists’ finest tune.
The Stones are that great and “Goat’s Head Soup” is rock solid. The moody “Dancin’ With Mr. D” is a powerful opener. “Coming Down Again” is a lovely ballad, sung by Richards, which is a lost gem.
The band was looking for a change in locale and selected Kingston, Jamaica. Jagger and Richards noted over the years that the relaxing environment inspired the band. The material was cut quickly. Bassist Bill Wyman only played on three tracks. Richards and fellow guitarist Mick Taylor handled most of the bass on the album, which was a commercial success. “Goats Head Soup” topped the charts in the US and the UK.
“Goats Head Soup” stands alongside 1974’s “It’s Only Rock and Roll” 1980’s “Emotional Rescue” and 1997’s “Bridges to Babylon” as criminally underrated albums.
The Stones’ body of work is staggering. There is no band that has been as consistent as the Stones were for 33 years, from 1964 to 1997. It’s hard to believe that folks should be reminded that the Stones, of all bands, needs a light shined upon their music, but “Goats Head Soup” deserves another spin.