January 7: The Rolling Stones, "Let It Bleed"

Artist: The Rolling Stones
Album: Let It Bleed
Year: 1969
Label: ABKCO


Let It Bleed is a record that I was introduced to at a very early age. Not only is it one of the coolest album covers, but it was (and by all popular accounts, remains) my fathers' favorite Stones record.

The album has it all: the driving guitar of "Gimme Shelter," the funky "Let It Bleed," and the now anthemic "You Can't Always Get What You Want." The Stones also pay tribute to the original bluesmen, as they present a stripped down, soulful rendition of Robert Johnson's, "Love In Vain."

The production on the record is excellent and it manages to constrain the band within the studio walls, while at the same time clearly giving them as much latitude as they needed to make a phenomenal recording. The energy from the record leaps out of the speakers and enlivens every listener. There is not a weak moment to be found anywhere on the album and the songs perfectly compliment and contrast one another simultaneously.

The Rolling Stones, a band that seems to find new life in each passing decade, have made a handful of records that will continue to stand the test of time. Standing high atop these masterpieces of musical perfection is Let It Bleed.



Standout tracks: "Midnight Rambler," "Gimme Shelter," and "Let It Bleed."