Perfection is an interesting idea. Certain things in life can be "perfect", a 100% a multiple choice test, Kate Hudson's body... Music on the other hand is an art impossible to perfect. Music is about expressing our humanity, a distinctly imperfect thing. Exile on Main St. is far from the perfect, of course, but it succeeds in feeling more human than just about any LP ever pressed. This is the album for the down and out, for those with coke dust on their nose and *** on their shoes.
Exile kicks off with Rocks Off a gritty raw opener that sets the tone for the album. The song roars out of the gate, with Micks slurred half-stoned vocals giving the perfect sleazy vibe. Rocks off is followed by the barnburner, Rip this Joint. 'Joint keeps up what Rocks off started, delivering filthy guitar riffs and a Jagger vocal sounding straight punk. The breakneck pace lets for the rest of side one with the bluesy Shake Your Hips and the R&B Casino Boogie. Tumbling Dice, a classic blues song full of sex, gambling and cheating women closes side one.
Side two, the country side of the album, opens with Sweet Virginia, the Stones pulling off western music perfectly with down and out lyrics, subtle slide work, and a Jagger harmonica solo. The next two songs, Torn and Frayed, and Sweet Black Angel, are very much in the same vein, leaning heavily on country influences. Loving Cup is the real highlight of side two. Jagger sings, "Yes I am nitty, gritty, and my shirts all torn/ but I'd love to spill the beans with you til' dawn", somehow sounding sleazy and romantic all at once. Only Mick...
Side three takes off with "Happy", one of the strongest, and definitely the most upbeat songs on the album. Keef's vocals and guitar work are phenomenal, this song is really just pure fun. Turd on The Run practically begs for a woman's love. Ventilator Blues is powered by a mean riff written by Mick Taylor, but Jagger steals the song with his angry howling vocals. I Just Want To See His Face is a murky song that fails to produce anything memorable, but succeeds in setting a ominous tone. Let it Loose had been described as Jaggers finest vocal achievement. Debatable, but the heartbroken, gospel infused vocal is breathtaking.
All Down the Line finds the band returning to a more typical electric guitar driven sound. The songs gets a little repetitive, but some red hot guitar soloing saves it. Stop Breaking Down is very straightforward blues song. Shine a Light is another Jagger doing gospel song with a bombastic chorus. The hopeless sounding verses and the full of hope chorus work brilliantly together. Shine of Light would have worked perfectly as a closer but... Exile ends with Soul Survivor. Something about this tune doesn't quite work as a closer, but it's still an excellent song with stellar lyrics.
Exile on Mainstreet isn't perfect. Its an album about all the nitty gritty imperfections of sex, love, and drugs, but It may just be the most human album ever made.
