The Rolling Stones reissue of their classic "Exile of Main Street", complete with 10 never-before released tracks, grabs my attention. Exile has been a favourite album of mine since my mid-teenage years. It is a touchstone for a slew of childhood memories. I bought my first copy, a vinyl original copy with the 12 postcards, somewhere on Young near Massy Hall, in a long-defunct record store. I think it was the summer of 1977. I bought a couple of other Rolling Stones LPs that day: Sticky Fingers and Beggar's Banquet. Looking back,that was quite the purchase.
I was crazy about the Stones when I was a teenager. While they are not always the coolest band to follow, they saved me through my teenage years of bad Elton John, Huey Lewis, and Billy Joel. And Styx and Cheap Trick, and Kiss.... The late seventies and 80s were uncouth musically, especially in the mainstream. I credit albums like this one for helping me live through this bleak time unscathed.
The album sounds as laid back and wasted as the guys who recorded it. This album exists in a time when Gram Parson's and Keith Richards were close. You can hear the result of this friendship clearly here and in Parson's solo albums.
In my list of top albums of all time, Exile on Main Street comes in as #2. Nothing can beat The Velvet Underground and Nico for the #1 spot though.
