Rank these albums: Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main Street

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Simple enough question. I have never gotten a consensus on this when asked in other locations. Could ILM be different?! (probably not)

Anyway, here's how mine would go:

1. Exile on Main Street
2. Let It Bleed
3. Sticky Fingers
4. Beggars Banquet

Clearly all classics though. Let it Bleed and Sticky Fingers might switch places on any given day, but the first and last are set in place.

― reynard the fox (Pearl Hooch), Saturday, 8 July 2006 21:27 (nineteen years ago)

It is tough for me to put an album with Jigsaw Puzzle and No Expectations in last place on any list. That said, I agree with the above.

― that liz kid (that liz kid), Saturday, 8 July 2006 21:36 (nineteen years ago)

1. Exile On Main Street
2. Sticky Fingers.
3. Let It Bleed
4. Beggars Banquet

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 8 July 2006 22:08 (nineteen years ago)

exile
beggars
let it bleed
sticky fingers

― j blount (papa la bas), Saturday, 8 July 2006 22:21 (nineteen years ago)

let it bleed
beggars banquet
exile
sticky fingers

― Grand (grand), Saturday, 8 July 2006 22:38 (nineteen years ago)

1. Sticky
2. Exile
3. Let it Bleed
4. Beggars

― def zep (calstars), Saturday, 8 July 2006 22:49 (nineteen years ago)

Personal preference:

1. Beggars Banquet
2. Let It Bleed
3. Exile On Main St.
4. Sticky Fingers

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Saturday, 8 July 2006 23:02 (nineteen years ago)

The real question is whether this thread will end at 4! = 24 posts + 1 for my interference.

― Shoes say, yeah, no hands clap your good bra. (goodbra), Saturday, 8 July 2006 23:35 (nineteen years ago)

Beggar's Banquet
Exile
Let It Bleed
Sticky Fingers

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 8 July 2006 23:41 (nineteen years ago)

Sticky Fingers
Let It Bleed
Exile on Main Street
Beggar's Banquet

― KeefW (kmw), Sunday, 9 July 2006 00:19 (nineteen years ago)

Let It Bleed
Exile on Main Street
Beggar's Banquet
Sticky Fingers

― M. V. (M.V.), Sunday, 9 July 2006 00:39 (nineteen years ago)

Let It Bleed
Exile on Main St.
Sticky Fingers
Beggar's Banquet

― Matt Golden (goldmatt), Sunday, 9 July 2006 01:39 (nineteen years ago)

1. Sticky Fingers
1. Exile on Main Street
1. Let It Bleed
1. Beggars Banquet

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Sunday, 9 July 2006 02:05 (nineteen years ago)

LIB/BB/EOMS/SF

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Sunday, 9 July 2006 02:20 (nineteen years ago)

exile
beggars
bleed
fingers

― nicky lo-fi (nicky lo-fi), Sunday, 9 July 2006 06:16 (nineteen years ago)

Let It Bleed
Sticky Fingers
Beggars Banquet
Exile On Main St.

― BeeOK (boo radley), Sunday, 9 July 2006 07:19 (nineteen years ago)

Sticky Fingers
Sticky Fingers
Let It Bleed
Other Two

― cosmo vitelli (cosmo vitelli), Sunday, 9 July 2006 08:02 (nineteen years ago)

Let it Bleed
Beggars Banquet
Sticky Fingers
Exile On Main St.

― babysquid (babysquid), Sunday, 9 July 2006 08:36 (nineteen years ago)

exile
beggars
sticky
bleed

― emekars (emekars), Sunday, 9 July 2006 10:19 (nineteen years ago)

1. Exile on Main Street
2. Let It Bleed
3. Sticky Fingers
4. Beggars Banquet

― maarten maes (dice collective), Sunday, 9 July 2006 10:35 (nineteen years ago)

EoMS

LIB

― J Arthur Rank (Quin Tillian), Sunday, 9 July 2006 14:02 (nineteen years ago)

1. Exile On Main Street
2. Sticky Fingers.
3. Let It Bleed
4. Beggars Banquet

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Sunday, 9 July 2006 14:32 (nineteen years ago)

1. Exile on Main Street
2. Beggar's Banquet
3. Sticky Fingers
4. Let It Bleed

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Sunday, 9 July 2006 14:36 (nineteen years ago)

Because this is the mother of all hot streaks in the history of rock and roll, ILM has hired the accounting firm of Price Waterhouse to tally the aggregate scores.

Scoring: 4 points for a first place, 3 for 2nd, etc.

1. Exile On Main Street 61
2. Let It Bleed (53)
3. Beggar's Banquet (44)
4. Sticky Fingers (42)

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Sunday, 9 July 2006 14:51 (nineteen years ago)

1. sticky fingers
2. beggars banquet
3. exile on main st.
4. let it bleed

― methanie tanner (methanie tanner), Sunday, 9 July 2006 17:44 (nineteen years ago)

1. exile
2. let it bleed
3. sticky fingers
4. beggars

― timmy tannin (pompous), Sunday, 9 July 2006 17:50 (nineteen years ago)

Number of first place votes so far:

Exile - 10
Let It Bleed - 6
Sticky Fingers - 5
Beggars Banquet - 2

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 9 July 2006 17:54 (nineteen years ago)

Exile
Beggars Banquet
Let it Bleed
Sticky Fingers

― p@reene (Pareene), Sunday, 9 July 2006 18:35 (nineteen years ago)

let sticky fingers bleed at the beggar's banquet on main street

(my knowledge of the stones' catalog does seem to run together like that)

― cate flamingo (cate flamingo), Monday, 10 July 2006 06:26 (nineteen years ago)

bleed
beggars
exile
sticky

or maybe

bleed
exile
beggars
sticky

― andyjack (andyjack), Monday, 10 July 2006 10:30 (nineteen years ago)

1. Exile
2. Let it Bleed
3. Beggars

4. Sticky Fingers

Sticky Fingers is great and all, but there are a lot of Stones albums I like better. Including Aftermath and Between the Buttons. (And Some Girls and Now!)

― totph (Totph), Monday, 10 July 2006 12:48 (nineteen years ago)

They are all brilliant and there is no need to rank them against each other.

― Anthony Lombardi (CCPO), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:06 (nineteen years ago)

1. Sticky Fingers
1. Exile on Main Street
3. Let It Bleed
4. Begger's Banquet

― Burr (Burr), Wednesday, 12 July 2006 03:10 (nineteen years ago)

1. Sticky fingers
2. Let it bleed
3. Beggar's banquet
4. Exile on main street

― Freek Claassen (Freek999), Wednesday, 12 July 2006 20:23 (nineteen years ago)

1. Exile
2. Sticky
3. Beggar's
4. Let It Bleed

2 & 3 can alternate depending on my mood; 1 & 4 are set in stone

(sorry)

― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 12 July 2006 20:39 (nineteen years ago)

Just curious -- are these kind of threads fun for people? I don't really get it. Please ignore me if this is an unwelcome intrusion.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 12 July 2006 20:41 (nineteen years ago)

the emperor has no clothes!

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 12 July 2006 20:47 (nineteen years ago)

Exactly. I call bullshit.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 12 July 2006 22:11 (nineteen years ago)

I think this one's interesting. I'm a little surprised at how poorly Beggars Banquet is doing - would have expected the average to come out as:

Exile
Beggars
Let It Bleed
Sticky Fingers

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 12 July 2006 22:15 (nineteen years ago)

Let It Bleed
Sticky Fingers
Exile
Beggars Banquet

― jim wentworth (wench), Thursday, 13 July 2006 01:00 (nineteen years ago)

It's funny, I adore adore adore LIB, BB, and Exile, and I have never liked Sticky Fingers aside from a couple of songs. I know it's part of their classic quartet and all, but I just cannot get into it.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 13 July 2006 01:30 (nineteen years ago)

Exile
Beggars Banquet
Sticky Fingers
Let It Bleed

― I will commence to drop a knowledge bomb. (Rock Hardy), Thursday, 13 July 2006 01:45 (nineteen years ago)

"Sway" and "Moonlight Mile," Matos.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 13 July 2006 10:21 (nineteen years ago)

E
B
L
S

― js (honestengine), Thursday, 13 July 2006 13:22 (nineteen years ago)

"Sway" and "Moonlight Mile," Matos.

haha thanks for pinpointing the source of my problem, Alfred. (I like "Sway," actually; "Moonlight Mile" I am chronically incapable of paying attention to--zzzzzzzzz.)

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 13 July 2006 13:37 (nineteen years ago)

It's all good. I have the same problem with "Wild Horses" (maybe the Sundays spoiled it for me).

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 13 July 2006 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

1. Let it Bleed
2. Sticky Fingers
3. Beggars Banquet
4. Exile

― darin (darin), Thursday, 13 July 2006 23:21 (nineteen years ago)

eleven years pass...

Sticky Fingers > Let It Bleed > Goats Head Soup > Exile On Main Street > Beggars Banquet

― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Saturday, 12 May 2018 14:05 (seven years ago)

wait a minute

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 12 May 2018 14:10 (seven years ago)

six years pass...

Listening to Beggars Banquet and so much texture here is added by Brian Jones. All the various Indian instruments give the album a vibe they never really had again. It made me wonder what the next four* albums would be like if he had continued with the band?

It probably would be amazing, but then no Mick Taylor? Or maybe he joins if you like.

Help me imagine this in my mind please.

I love Goats Head Soup, so I am including it here. The real break was after.

― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Wednesday, 5 June 2024 23:33 (one year ago)

― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Wednesday, 5 June 2024 23:38 (one year ago)

I agree that one reason why Beggars Banquet is the best of these records is the psychedelic hangover - the tamboura, Mellotron, even Dave Mason on reeds.

The problem with your hypothetical is that it needs a Brian Jones with a completely different personality and psychological profile - one who could stand up to Jagger and Richards, defend his own interests, and even influence or contribute to the songwriting. In which case, the issue is not "what would Brian Jones play on 'Honky Tonk Women?'", but do the Stones even write the song with a healthy Jones in the band? There was just no way they were going to keep him in the band to play some exotic instrument on every third track, and in fact a physically and mentally healthy Jones might well have left the group before he was thrown out, when he saw that his musical interests were diverging from theirs.

― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 6 June 2024 02:57 (one year ago)

I agree with your overall point that the hypothetical seems difficult to envision. Yet Jones doesn't have a writing credit on Beggars Banquet and few if any on earlier albums. I am not an expert on Rolling Stones credits so maybe he didn't receive credit when he should have, but the core songwriting was and continued to be Jagger/Richards and Brian seemed to be able to function for a while in that dynamic.

― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Thursday, 6 June 2024 11:27 (one year ago)

https://althistory.fandom.com/wiki/Brian_Jones_(Differently)

― Deflatormouse, Thursday, 6 June 2024 16:08 (one year ago)

Jagger on "No Expectations":

"That's Brian playing [the slide guitar]. We were sitting around in a circle on the floor, singing and playing, recording with open mikes. That was the last time I remember Brian really being totally involved in something that was really worth doing".

― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 6 June 2024 16:15 (one year ago)

the weirder songs post-beggers don't really need brian though do they? the spacey solo section of can't you hear me knockin would be ruined with a less competent sax player i reckon (i like brian's humorous lounge wheeze on you know my name look up the number, but it's not what knockin' needs). would he have added some really superfluous unusual instrument to moonlight mile or just wanna see his face or monkey man or god forbid, gimme shelter?

the marginalization and death of brian jones is synecdoche for the evaporation of psychedelic music itself. a cast aside sitar, lsd replaced with cocaine and heroin, childish nursery rhymes evolving into adult tales of anomie and reconciliation.

― mig (guess that dreams always end), Thursday, 6 June 2024 16:53 (one year ago)

monkey man

Bill Wyman's vibraphone bit seems like a late-Jonesism.

― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 6 June 2024 17:14 (one year ago)

right he is kind of dilettanteish on all these instruments

i think his approach fits really well with these 1960's mixes which are very unbalanced and can have a single, ridiculously overprominent instrumental color. like where a tambourine is mixed like it's a lead instrument, but you can't hear a kick drum to save your life

and then later the fashion is for these very balanced mixes where you can hear everything

and i think in that case, Brian's role would have been more of like, somebody who fosters collaboration with expanded ensembles as Madonna or Miles Davis etc

― Deflatormouse, Thursday, 6 June 2024 18:05 (one year ago)

or Bowie... in the sense that he might have been more focused on generating that kind of collusion between the Stones and other players

― Deflatormouse, Thursday, 6 June 2024 18:07 (one year ago)

He could play the blues as well you know.

― Poets Win Prizes (Tom D.), Thursday, 6 June 2024 18:09 (one year ago)

I mean, far be it from me to stick up for the repulsive creep but...

― Poets Win Prizes (Tom D.), Thursday, 6 June 2024 18:10 (one year ago)

Yeah, that slide on No Expectations is pretty sweet.

― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Thursday, 6 June 2024 18:58 (one year ago)

But to Tom's point, I was reading his Wikipedia page not knowing much about him and, yikes.

― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Thursday, 6 June 2024 19:00 (one year ago)

He was a shit among shits. They were fucking each other's girlfriends, being twenty-year-olds with money and a scandal-happy press.

― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 6 June 2024 19:15 (one year ago)

He was more than just a shit though, he was vile, toxic and a danger to women.

― Poets Win Prizes (Tom D.), Thursday, 6 June 2024 19:41 (one year ago)

Yeah, that part.

― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Thursday, 6 June 2024 19:52 (one year ago)

yeah

― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 6 June 2024 19:53 (one year ago)

Had nobody really thought to play a Celeste or Marimba on a rock/rnb track before Brian Jones, I’m a little skeptical of his bullshit

― brimstead, Thursday, 6 June 2024 19:58 (one year ago)

yeah of course, there's celesta on Buddy Holly's Everyday and marimba on All Summer Long by the Beach Boys to name 2.

yeah, "vile, toxic and a danger to women" is otm

― Deflatormouse, Thursday, 6 June 2024 20:46 (one year ago)

the Brian Jones stuff is doing something else though, it's "exoticism" & more of a fashion.

― Deflatormouse, Thursday, 6 June 2024 20:50 (one year ago)

well, the BB's too

― Deflatormouse, Thursday, 6 June 2024 20:52 (one year ago)

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