1971. Keith Holyoake is Prime Minister. Richard Nixon, US President. The Beatles have disbanded. Brian Jones is dead and been replaced by Mick Taylor as the Stones release their 11th studio album. Sticky Fingers will be rated one of their best.
The newly released, repackaged version is a revelation. A tour de force of blistering rock like Brown Sugar, Bitch, and Can't You Hear Me Knocking, counterbalanced by ballads like Wild Horses and their truly mesmerising rendition of Mississippi Fred McDowell's You Gotta Move. But wait, there's more.
Andy Warhol's provocative zipper and crotch shot on the cover garnered almost as much attention as the music. Included is a second disc, which is a treasure trove in its own right. Brown Sugar with Eric Clapton alongside Keith Richards and Mick Taylor, an acoustic version of Wild Horses, and alternate versions of Can't you hear me Knocking, Bitch and Dead Flowers. Extra gems include a rousing set of live Stones songs, Stray Cat Blues, Love in Vain, Midnight Rambler and Honky Tonk Women.
Special mention must be made of Taylor's coming of age at these sessions and also the "unofficial" members of the Stones. Bobby Keyes on sax, Jim Price trumpet, Ian Stewart and Nicky Hopkins on piano, and magic touches on some tracks by Billy Preston on organ. Sticky Fingers, especially with the extra material included, made 1971 a remarkable year.
The Rolling Stones
Sticky Fingers (Re-issue)
Rating: 5/5
