Tomorrow, the Rolling Stones are re-releasing their classic album, Exile On Main Street on the 38th anniversary of it's original release. They will be releasing 4 different formats of the remastered album, that will include 10 "new" tracks, as well as alternative versions of Loving Cup and Soul Survivor. I have the original vinyl from the 70's and always thought the mix and sound were kind of crappy. I later got (downloaded) a recent CD version and it sounded just as bad, I thought they would have cleaned up the muddy sound, but supposedly these new versions sound a lot better. If that's the case, it would be worth it buy the album again, but with the extra disc. This album is considered by many as the artistic high point of the band's career and I tend to agree. It's one of the few double albums that justifies 2 discs and every song has a sound and style of it's own. The new songs are actually tracks recorded during the EOMS sessions with newly recorded inserts and vocal additions added to the previously unreleased songs. I guess leftovers from 1972 must be better than totally new songs from 2010, so Stones fans will have something new to ponder. Here are the different incarnations of Exile On Main Street available May 18th.
- CD – Remaster of the original 18-track release.
- 2-LP – Original 18-track album on two 180-gram heavyweight audiophile vinyl LPs in gatefold sleeve.
- 2-CD Deluxe Edition – Original 18-track release and 10 special bonus tracks.
- 2-CD+DVD+2-LP Super Deluxe Package
As a sneak preview, the Stones released a 7" single on Record Store Day with one of the unreleased songs on Exile, Plundered My Soul bw/ All Down The Line. Not a bad song, nothing special, but I'm more excited that All Down The Line doesn't sound as trebly and tinny as the original release.(removed the song links...sorry!)
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"Exile" is proof of Mick, Keith, Jimmy Miller and whomever else worked on the mix-down at Sunset Studios November 1971 - Spring 1972. I always release The Furies w\my take on this album, so here goes: What Mick and Keith brought to LA from Villefranche was a bunch of stillborn noodles and doodles recorded in the sweltering basement of Nellcote. For once Mick over extended himself. His wife was nearing the final stage of pregnancy; it was her first child, and Bianca could never be described as a brood mare. Nerves were certainly taut there. Mrs. J. fled The Côte d'Azur for Paris, leaving Mick commuting between recording and impending (married) fatherhood. And now we must put this into context: Summer 1971 the band had left England for tax purposes. Amhet Ertegun was doing his best to steer their public (at least) image away from drugs, sex and rock n roll. Peter Rudge was just beginning to put together the North American Tour 1972. The band would be touring behind this album, so it had to be better than good. Keith was thwacked on heroin. It seems the atmosphere wasn't chaotic as much as miasmic. Nothing was getting done fast. And this went on for a good 3 months before warrants were issued for Keith and Anita for possession of hard drugs w\intent to sell. What started the ball rolling here was the local staff employed by Anita at Nellcote. The young girls would join Anita in using whatever was available and instead of paying for the drugs, Anita would knock it off the wages of these young ladies, who discovered they were working for nothing and getting high w\Anita. At least one of them had her parents contact the authorities who saw this an the perfect way to either bust this group of high profile drug users or get them out of the country tout suite.
Long story short, "Exile" proves to me how talented Mick and Keith were at pulling a rabbit out of a hat. They were able to fashion a double album of good (I say "good" and "good" I mean. Not great! "Goats Head Soup" & "December's Children" are my favourite Stones albums) music from the disaster area of the original tapes. They came through at a critical time. They could have seriously screwed up, but they didn't.
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