Rolling Stones Album: Goats Head Soup
Release Date: April 28, 1973
Label: Rolling Stones
Popular Songs:
Songs You Need to Listen To:
Written By: Andy Trcka
August 31, 2019
Before reading this review of Goats Head Soup by the Rolling Stones, pause and listen to “Winter.” It is one of my favorite Stones tunes. “Winter” also tops my list of material I refer folks to who are looking to dive a little deeper into the Rolling Stones.
Two weather/seasonally related songs regularly float around in my head. “Snow is Gone” by Josh Ritter and “Winter” by Mick and Keith – these songs bookend the chilly season of winter. Both conjure fanciful scenes that never quite play out as imagined. For “Winter” I envision stepping indoors after finishing preparatory work for the season. Leaves are raked, gutters cleaned, small holes caulked, bushes trimmed. With this labor completed, wearing flannel or comfy sweater, I sip from a highball while watching snow delicately accumulate. My vision then transitions to the couch where Chels and I accommodate Mulligan as her houndish self sprawls over 2/3 of the seating area. All the while stew is simmering. The scene inspired by “Snow is Gone” is straight forward – picture the first day in March where the temperature SOARS into the 40’s…everyone is happy, the snow is gone!
In reality, winter doesn’t conform exactly to either of these scenarios. It often arrives early, or it clings for life and departs later than is appreciated. Sometimes it does something dastardly like drop snow in May – Yuck! Minnesota seasons are never scripted, especially winter. With “Winter” the Stones crafted a tune that inspires affection and encourages reflection about this difficult but lovely season. Strangely enough, it evokes these feelings despite being recorded in Jamaica. It was also the first song they recorded for the album, thus is a good starting point for our review. It really is a terrific song.
Mick Taylor joined the Stones five years before Goats Head Soup. The Taylor era gave us some of rock & roll’s and the Stones most memorable songs. Taylor’s years started with 1968’s “Street Fighting Man,” and reached its zenith with the masterpiece Exile on Main Street. “Zenith” is, of course, subjective; who’s to say Let It Bleed wasn’t the peak, or Sticky Fingers? So many great moments! Released amongst these classic albums was arguably rock’s finest live compilation, Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out. I can’t fathom the mood or expectations as they embarked on recording Goat’s Head Soup. Were they leery the brilliance was wearing out or were they expecting another masterpiece?
To illustrate the brilliance, let’s draw a parallel by thinking terms of sports. Winning a single championship is awesome. Cities, sometimes for decades, revel in the aftermath of a solitary championship. Occasionally teams repeat, even less frequently, three-peat (or beyond). Repeat champs typically define an era. Think of the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, Tiger Woods in the 2000s, UCLA in the 1960s/1970s. Every team follows their championship year with another effort – they report to camp and begin the long slog of training, stress, and effort to hopefully stay on top. Eventually every champion steps off the podium and doesn’t return…they finish with the rest of the pack.
In this setting, in the shadow of greatness, fans don’t sulk in disappointment. Instead of despair, they recall the enjoyable moments of the season(s) that just passed. The is the moment Goat Heads Soup occupies – it is the first non-monumental effort the Stones were a part of in a LONG time. It piggybacks off greatness but is not great itself. Just like the fan who didn’t abandon their team after a non-descript season, Stones fans didn’t turn their backs. While not monumental, this effort delivers a number of solid moments worthy of your attention.
Generally speaking, in these reviews I avoid addressing critiques, gripes, or vocal dissatisfactions folks might have with the Stones. But being a transitional album, beginning of a new era if you will, for Goats Head Soup I’m going to mention one often heard gripe…
Here it is – the Stones peaked in 1972 (or perhaps sometime prior) and were effectively dead thereafter. Obviously I disagree. The best I can do to dispel this sentiment is by drawing attention to noteworthy songs produced after 1972, of which Goats Head offers multiple. Already I’ve pointed you towards “Winter,” let’s examine some others!
Goats Head Soup features a number of songs that sound damn good LOUD. These are the kinda songs you crank while on a road trip. They also fit snugly into Stones setlists and to this day, frequently played. The synthesizer is a bigger component of this album than previous efforts and is perhaps most prominent in “Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker).” “Heartbreaker” starts with a pounding tempo provided by the synthesizer’s keys…it’s catchy! “Star Star” and “Silver Train” are other quick tempo’d treats. The harmonica in “Silver Train” floats through the song like a train whistle. All three of these songs sound great live but check out live offerings from the late 1970s or early 1980s to hear them at their fast-paced finest. I recommend Some Girls: Live In Texas ‘78. If you can track it down, the bootleg Lacerated at the Cocktail Party.
“Angie” is Goats Head Soup’s monster hit. I’m not wild about this song. Mick’s vocals just don’t move me in the same inspired manner as other songs where his voice serves an instrument like role (e.g. “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Emotional Rescue”). Apparently the record label wanted something like Brown Sugar but the Stones delivered this down-tempo ballad (source = Wikipedia). Nonetheless, the record executives couldn’t be too terribly disappointed as the song reached number 1 in the U.S. and Top 5 in the U.K. (source = Wikipedia). I’m not terribly disappointed either as it provides a moment to run to the restroom while listening to the album. Ok, that’s a cheap shot, it’s not lousy enough to inspire excrement. Given its chart-topping status, many people obviously enjoy “Angie.”
There is also a reflective air to this album as is demonstrated in “100 Years Ago,” “Can You Hear the Music” and “Coming Down Again.” In 1973 the Stones were still in tax-induced exile. This album was recorded and mixed in multiple locations, with the bulk of the material recorded in Jamaica (source = Rolling Stone Magazine). Given their tramp-like status (not to mention run-ins with law enforcement), it makes sense these songs are contemplative. But as mentioned earlier, I believe the reflective mood is inspired by transitioning times, lofty expectations fueled by previous brilliance and changing personnel (this is Mick Taylor’s last album with the Rolling Stones). I can’t help but think Richards and Jagger were pondering their legacy, both musically and personally when they penned tunes like “100 Years Ago.”
Went out walkin’ through the wood the other day
Can’t you see the furrows in my forehead?
What tender days we had no secrets hid away
Now it seems about a hundred years ago
Songwriters: Keith Richards / Mick Jagger
100 Years Ago lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
With tunes like “Angie,” “Hide Your Love” and “Coming Down Again” there are plenty of slow movers contrasting the rockers on this album. For example, Mick’s piano on “Hide your Love” gives us an enjoyable “Shake Your Hips” kinda feel that harkens Exile on Main Street. Goats Head Soup can be enjoyed in a number of settings: grill-outs, dinner get-togethers, commuting, etc. But given how some of these songs really rock, I think it is best enjoyed loudly. As mentioned earlier, a road trip is an ideal setting for Goats Head Soup.
In brief summary, this is an effort worthy of digesting as an album. But, if in a hurry, or just looking for some tunes to add to a playlist, I suggest investigating the following:
· Winter (truly great song)
· Slow Movers: Coming Down Again, 100 Years Ago
· Rockers (best enjoyed live): Silver Train (my favorite fast song on Goats Head), Heartbreaker, Star Star
Nothing good after ’72…argh! Just like a baseball player will have another at-bat following a home run, or a quarterback endeavors another 80 yards of toil following a touchdown drive, the Stones entered the studio after an almost surreal streak of awesomeness. What they created was an album that while not towering or classic, is certainly significant. Give it a listen!
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