Exile on Main St. Review: Dirty, Ramshackle Brilliance
9.5/10 — The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St. (1972)
Pros
- Swaggering, loose groove
- Great songs like 'Tumbling Dice'
- Immersive atmosphere
Cons
- Muddy mix
- A few forgettable tracks
Recorded in a villa in the south of France while the band lived as tax exiles, Exile on Main St. mixes blues, country, gospel and rock. The murky production was initially criticised, but it has become the band’s most revered album.
What works
‘Tumbling Dice’, ‘Rocks Off’ and ‘Sweet Virginia’ sit alongside gospel-tinged ‘Shine a Light’, and the whole album has an immersive, ramshackle atmosphere. Keith Richards’s riffs and the raw groove are at their best.
Where it falters
The sound is muddy, with Jagger’s vocals often buried, and the album’s length means a few tracks pass by.
Verdict
A glorious, gritty mess that gets better every listen.
