Mick Jagger sitting at the feet of Paul McCartney — where he belonged. 😉
The 40-year-old case of Brian Jones’ death is being pried open.
I’m somebody who thinks there’s nothing more to it than, “a coroner said Jones drowned while under the influence of alcohol and drugs,” but this gives me an excuse to say something about the Rolling Stones.
At some point in 1970, in my anguished early-mid adolescence, I realized I’d stopped caring, at a visceral level, about the Rolling Stones. It happened when I developed a deep, personal relationship with The Who. Later, I came to realize my waning interest in the Stones had also coincided with the disappearance of Brian Jones from the lineup.
Much of what I respond to in the Rolling Stones are the sounds and flourishes contributed by Brian Jones. Go back to my post at this link to hear an early example of what I’m talking about.
Some critics fault the Stones’ psychedelic period as being insincere and full of “us too” efforts, but these are some of my favorite recordings, thanks to Brian Jones. The delightful “Dandelion” wasn’t released until the Summer of Love in ’67, but it had been recorded in late ’66.
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2009/SEP/Dandelion.mp3]A favorite Stones psychedelic single is “She’s a Rainbow,” b/w “2000 Light Years From Home.” I’ve got to believe that Jones is all through both of these tracks.
I’m not an expert on Rolling Stones studio recordings, but the last notable release that sounds like it bears the distinctive Brian Jones brand is “Child of the Moon.”
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2009/SEP/ChildMoon.mp3]Jones was undoubtedly played out and had nothing further to contribute, but once he was gone the Stones did only one more standout — “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” — and then, for me, it was downhill from there. What they were lacking without Brian was a feeling of creativity and musical expression. Oh, I thought “Sticky Fingers” was a great record — especially with the original zipper sleeve gimmick — but it didn’t take me over like “Who’s Next” would. And I enjoy “Exile on Mainstreet,” but I’ve never played it as more than background music.
Not true. In the studio, George and Ringo were given second-class status by Paul and John, and eventually Paul’s insistence on being in charge definitely didn’t sit well with John. The Beatles broke up seven years after Ringo joined, and the Stones endured.
That’s right; he left before he died. I always got the feeling that the Stones had more issues with big egos than the Beatles ever did. True or not?
Brian Jones was great what a pity he died so young.
One of my favorites Rolling songs is “She’s a Rainbow,” 🙂
Jones had disconnected from the Stones quite a few months before he died.
I’ve heard that complaint a lot about the Stones, that they lost their grit after Jones died. As for me, I can pretty much say I lost interest in them after we moved to Massachusetts! It was always the Beatles for me, but the early Stones were incredible, no doubt about it. “Who’s Next” is a phenomenal album, and would certainly be included on my “Desert Island” collection (ever hear that show on NPR?) I did like “Miss You,” “Shattered” and “Emotional Rescue,” mostly because they had great dance beats, and the last one was kind of funny if you were a girl, I mean, the lyrics were really silly.
Some faves of the Stones: “Ruby Tuesday,” “19th Nervous Breakdown,” (what else for me?) “Paint it Black,” “Heart of Stone,” Get Off of My Cloud,” The Last Time,” “Mother’s Little Helper,” “She’s a Rainbow,” and “Sympathy for the Devil.” Oh, and of course, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Note the lack of the heavy guy stuff like “Brown Sugar,” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” but they came after Brian, too, didn’t they?