#96 - Let It Bleed

You can't always get what you want but if you try sometimes - you get a near-perfect album. That is at least my opinion of Let It Bleed, a 1969 album by The Rolling Stones. I happen to be a very big Stones fan and personally I think this is a better album than Exile on Main Street. Yeah, I said it - meet me in the alley with a turntable and pair of headphones if you want to do anything about it.

Couple of album highlights to make my case: The aforementioned "You Can't Always Get What You Want". Then "Gimme Shelter" and "Midnight Rambler". So that is 3 instantly classic Stones songs. Then the title song which simply rocks. Plus you get a great cover (second only to Clapton's) of the Robert Johnson beauty "Love In Vain". Add on the hidden gem of "You Got the Silver" which is a wonderful love song sung by - get this - Keith Richards. BTW he does a great job on this song in the Shine a Light concert film - a must see for Stones fans.

There is also a nice country take on "Honky Tonk Women". And other two songs are "Monkey Man" and "Live With Me", both good songs even if not hits.

So, while far less ambitious in scope than Exile, Let It Bleed was a #1 album for a reason and for me it is definitely a Desert Island Disc.