Stones – Part 1

When it comes to music it seems the Rolling Stones can do- and have done- it all: rock, funk, reggae, punk, chamber music, Motown, Baroque ballads, honky-tonk- there is simply no denying the Stones are versatile artists. A decade or so ago I watched the Rolling Stones rock documentary Gimme Shelter for the first time and the live concert footage from the Stones’ ‘69 U.S. tour really blew me away. These guys were great- playing perhaps at their zenith- and finally ready to snatch the title of world’s greatest rock band away from the Beatles (the Fab Four were only months away from breaking up).

Most classic rock fans know how the Stones’ ‘69 tour of America ended: with a free December concert at Altamont in Northern California where 300,000 people showed up and experienced the anti-Woodstock and all those ‘60s dreams of peace, love, and freedom died amidst bad vibes, violence, and a homicide (watch the documentary). But the Stones by 1969 had already ditched the flower children scene and were fast on their way to becoming a rock stadium juggernaut, soldiering on through the ‘70s, the ‘80s, the ‘90s- and these Brits are still going strong today (with a few lineup changes along the way).

To me Mick Jagger remains the definition of what it means to be a solid rock front man and yet there is more to Mick than just chicken strutting and clapping on stage. No matter how rich and famous he’s become- and no matter how many beautiful women he’s bedded- Jagger still has the ability to express vulnerability in his songs and you still believe him when he sings the blues or cries out about the pain of rejection- or the one who got away. Now that’s talent. Sure, there were times through six decades when the Stones may have been faking it- and the well was running dry- but then they always seem to bounce back and find a way to roll on. Here are some of my favorite Rolling Stones songs. Enjoy!

The Stones at Altamont

01. The Rolling Stones – “Just Your Fool” (2016)
02. The Rolling Stones – “Sweet Virginia” (1972)
03. The Rolling Stones – “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (1969)
04. The Rolling Stones – “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” (1978)
05. The Rolling Stones – “Lady Jane” (1966)
06. The Rolling Stones – “Tumbling Dice” (1972)
07. The Rolling Stones – “Slipping Away” (1989)
08. The Rolling Stones – “As Tears Go By” (1965)
09. The Rolling Stones – “Beast of Burden” (1978)
10. The Rolling Stones – “Mixed Emotions” (1989)

The Stones in Cuba!

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...