Sticky Revolver

Sorry to be so slow on this one. I've been writing the papers that get me out of grad school.

Also, this matchup makes me nervous because it is a specific instance of a conversation that has probably happened a zillion times between all kinds of people: Beatles or Stones?

These are two really great bands and both albums are undeniably great, whether you like them or not.

I chose Goats Head Soup as my Stones album and after listening to Sticky Fingers once for this matchup I had to go back to see if I really like Goats Head Soup better, or if I was just being snobby. I do like Goats Head Soup better. It's a more coherent album, the sound is more interesting to me, and it has a weariness I love. Plus, the cover is (only slightly) more fun to stare at. That said, Sticky Fingers has some of the best individual Stones songs ever. Some of the best songs of anybody ever. Dead Flowers is probably my favorite, but that plus Moonlight Mile plus Wild Horses on one album=wow. I find Brown Sugar and Bitch a bit offensive, but life's a bit offensive, so... In the continuing Bruce-was-a-dork-musically-early-on series, I first heard You Gotta Move performed by CCM supergroup The Lost Dogs, then found out it was written by a "real" blues musician (s - Wikipedia says Fred McDowell and Reverend Gary Davis), then found out it was made famous by the Stones.

I have been saying for the past 15 years, "I should really get into the Beatles sometime," and listened to a few albums here and there, but never really managed to get into them. The first time I was aware of the Beatles was in eight grade when we sang Penny Lane in choir. It was kind of confusing to me. In my ears and in my eyes? Metaphor was just too much. But that song stuck in my head and now I really like it. And the other side of that single, Strawberry Fields Forever, might be my favorite Beatles song.

Revolver is interesting to me because it sounds like it's kind of the bridge album between:
1. the formal, stuffy, tight, string-quartet stuff before it, as heard in songs like Eleanor Rigby and the earliest "hey girl, you're groovy and I want to get with you" type stuff like Got to Get You into My Life and:
2. Maharishi hippie psych out acid trip stuff like Yellow Submarine and Love You Too andTomorrow Never Knows. Wow, Tomorrow Never Knows is a really wonderful song. I just turned it up. There's really a lot here. It's well-anchored by that tight, soft bass that repeats like a funk song. Love You Too is pretty great, too. Yeah, so I prefer later, more messed up, tape loop, psychedelic Beatles to the earlier stuff. Yes, their harmonies in the earlier stuff are amazing and they know how to write a good pop song, but it's too proper or something. It is interesting hearing the mix of all these things in one album, though.

The problem with both of these bands is that it's hard to listen to the music without thinking of the huge commodity they both have become. The Beatles have a bit more mystique for not existing any more instead of playing the Super Bowl half time show, but the fact that it's impossible to listen to Beatles music without either buying or stealing it speaks to their continuing market power. And I have these little snippets of interviews with them in my head where they give these snobby vague answers to the press. On the other hand, it's probably really annoying to be more popular than Jesus. And this should be about the music.

I started writing this convinced that I was going for the Stones, despite the fact that there are too many of their albums left here in the Death Match. Then I listened Tomorrow Never Knows four times in a row. Here's what I'm going to do: List the songs and give them each a yes or no, as in my first reaction (after already listening to everything several times and being fairly critical) is like or don't like:

Revolver:
Taxman - no
Eleanor Rigby - yes
I'm Only Sleeping - no
Love You to - yes
Here, There and Everywhere - no
Yellow Submarine - yes
She Said She Said - yes
Good Day Sunshine - no
For No One - yes
I Want To Tell You - no
Doctor Robert - no
Got to Get You Into My Life - yes
And Your Bird Can Sing - no
Tomorrow Never Knows - yes

Sticky Fingers:
Brown Sugar - no
Sway - yes
Wild Horses - yes
Can't You Hear Me Knockin' - no
You Gotta Move - yes
Bitch - no
I Got the Blues - yes
Sister Morphine - no
Dead Flowers - yes
Moonlight Mile - yes

Percentage of songs on album with a yes:

Revolver - 14 songs, 7 no, 7 yes = 50%
Sticky Fingers - 10 songs, 4 no, 6 yes = 60%

And the winner is: Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers

I realize there's not really anything objective going on here, but I think I was pretty honest in recording my initial thoughts. Now that I've decided, I think I really can stand behind Sticky Fingers, even if there are too many Stones albums left.

One last consolation prize for Revolver: Some of this sounds way ahead of its time. Not what I imagine 1966 to be like.

Also forgot to mention: Sticky Fingers was released on my birthday (three years before I was born)