Exile On Main St. Reissue

[Poindexter]

It's safe to say that as much money as Mick and Keith have, they still want as much more of it as they can get. And then there is the record company who came up with this idea in the first place.

Even if it sells a million copies at $29.95 a pop, thats still chump change. I don`t know who gets how much, but I`ll ring up my accountant and run it by him. I doubt anyone is high-fiving, chest-bumping nor yelling....CHA-CHING!

I thinks its more because they can.

Even LZ and many others have re-mastered, re-issued box-setted and resold. Different format, same `ole, same `ole.

From vinyl to 8-track to cassette to CD.

Maybe I`m tone deaf or dense but I can`t tell much difference. Maybe its my cheap sound system.

I probably won`t buy it.

[Aquamarine]

Well, the sound quality of the album is the same quality it's had ever since I bought it, and the songs have sounded great to me all these years. In fact, this is the one double album where I love every one of the songs--I can't even say that about Physical Grafitti, where there are one or two I only like.

[Zepaholic]

Well, the sound quality of the album is the same quality it's had ever since I bought it, and the songs have sounded great to me all these years. In fact, this is the one double album where I love every one of the songs--I can't even say that about Physical Grafitti, where there are one or two I only like.

Aqua, couldn't agree more. Exile and PG are my 2 favorite doubles of all time. I do, however, take exception to your PG comment. Shame on you...

[greenman]

I haven't been able to fine it on amazon yet, but I'm willing to bet the farm that Cocksucker blues and Ladies and Gentlemen will not be included in their entirety. That would be one of the biggest business blunders of all time, to include them in this set in their entirety, but then not making Ladies and Gentlemen available on DVD and blu ray is just that....a business blunder.

Arent there still legal issues with the Stones releasing live material from the 70-75 period?

As far as Exile's legend goes I'd say its a combination of it fitting best with there general image(although personally I like Let It Bleed more) and the year it was released. 72 ended up being a rather fallow patch for mega releases compaired to the years around it, no Beatles to steal there limelight as in the 60's, no Zep 4, no Darkside etc.

[Swede]

According to the article in the new Rolling Stone, some of the tracks for this Deluxe set were recorded in 1969. So, reading between the lines, they are taking songs that were more in the Let It Bleed and Sticky fingers period and using them to hype the Exile myth.

I'm not saying that I don't enjoy Exile, but to fully enjoy it I have to be in the right mood, in the right room with the right acoustics and play it at the right volume. Where as those four albums that came before Exile are a little more accessible on my enjoyment scale.

Another words, in order to enjoy Exile I have to try to like it. There's nothing wrong with the songs, it's just that the sound quality is so bad.

In a way it's fitting that they are doing this in the name of Exile On Main Street, because the project is a marketing gimmick anyway.

It could be they haven't got any more recordings of worth from '71 - '72, after all, they put out a double album. I don't think they need to hype the Exile myth as it's an album that always is mentioned as a milestone in rock history.

I have loved the album since the day I first heard it, but neither that album or Let It Bleed is my fav. For me it's the debut, The Rolling Stones and Out Of Our Heads (UK issues). Taste is very subjective.

[Aquamarine]

I agree that the first one was great too. It's perhaps also worth remembering that Exile didn't get a great response when it first came out.

Aqua, couldn't agree more. Exile and PG are my 2 favorite doubles of all time. I do, however, take exception to your PG comment. Shame on you...

[Gospel Zone]

Here's the description of the documentary from rollingstones.com:

As a complement to the release of Exile on Main Street, a documentary, "Stones in Exile," has just been completed for fans to view on US Network television and through BBC Worldwide internationally. The documentary features rare, never-before-seen archival film, photos and interviews as well as new conversations with the band and the artists they influence. Produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker John Battsek and directed by Stephen Kijak, who is known for award-winning work on Cinemania and Scott Walker: 30 Century Man, "Stones in Exile" offers an uncommon glimpse into the lives of the band as they created one of the greatest albums of all time.

That part about the artists they influence sounds like a drag. I really don't want here what Eddie Vedder, Bono or whoever the hell they are going to have on there, talking about any Stones album. Just stick with the people who were actually involved with the making of it.

Here's the description of the documentary from amazon.com:

a 30-minute documentary DVD with footage from Cocksucker Blues, Ladies and Gentlemen... the Rolling Stones and Stones in Exile

This thing has a $199.98 list price! I don't need the vinyl, just the CDs and DVD. The two CD set has a list price of $29.98. Amazon's current prices for these are $179.99 and $23.99 respectively, so I'd be paying $156.00 for that 30 minute DVD. I think they should call this thing Robbery On Main Street.

[Gospel Zone]

Maybe I`m tone deaf or dense but I can`t tell much difference. Maybe its my cheap sound system.

I probably won`t buy it.

I'm skeptical about many of the people buying vinyl these days. If they don't have a good sound system to back it up it's not worth it. I used to have the complete Rolling Stones catalog on Japanese vinyl and Exile sounded as if they tried to do something to make it sound better by taking off some of the treble, which just adds more to my argument that it sounds bad. Otherwise why would they mess with it?

There has also been a history of audio engineers offering to remix Exile.

But speaking of vinyl I've yet to come across anything that matched my original US Doors Morrison Hotel LP, whether it's Japanese vinyl or CD.

And The Stones Get Yer Ya Ya's Out vinyl has yet to be matched on CD or even sacd. The true test for me is Mick Taylor's guitar on "Street Fighting Man" and on the new deluxe CD they really botched it by bringing his guitar down in the mix on that song in particular.

[Aquamarine]

You don't have to ARGUE that it sounds bad, people either think it sounds bad to them or they don't.

Personally, I don't and never have--vinyl, cassette, or CD. But I'm no expert, I just listen to the thing.

[Poindexter]

I can't even say that about Physical Grafitti, where there are one or two I only like.

Agreed, I know thats blasphemy and I shall awaken to a house full of locust.

I do also notice the similarity of the album covers. A montage or collage, I`m not up on my art appreciation.

I'm skeptical about many of the people buying vinyl these days. If they don't have a good sound system to back it up it's not worth it.

I no longer own a turntable, victim of a house fire, nor do I wish to regress. Digital over analog is fine with me. More blasphemy.

I do own Exile on CD which is just fine with me. Whether it sounds good or bad is subjective.

Rocks Off-Rip This Joint, what a great 1-2 punch in the ear!

edited for syntax

[kaiser]

According to the article in the new Rolling Stone, some of the tracks for this Deluxe set were recorded in 1969. So, reading between the lines, they are taking songs that were more in the Let It Bleed and Sticky fingers period and using them to hype the Exile myth.

I'm not saying that I don't enjoy Exile, but to fully enjoy it I have to be in the right mood, in the right room with the right acoustics and play it at the right volume. Where as those four albums that came before Exile are a little more accessible on my enjoyment scale.

Another words, in order to enjoy Exile I have to try to like it. There's nothing wrong with the songs, it's just that the sound quality is so bad.

In a way it's fitting that they are doing this in the name of Exile On Main Street, because the project is a marketing gimmick anyway.

As far as the '69 tracks, the songs that appear starting on "Beggar's" and ending with "Exile" were written/demoed roughly all around the same time & were just spread out over albums, "Loving Cup" "Sweet Black Angel" could just have easily been on "Sticky Fingers" instead of "Exile" as they were written during the "Let It Bleed" sessions but weren't fully recorded to their liking until later. They had the same approach with "Some Girls". Most of "Emotional Rescue" & almost half of "Tattoo You" were written/demoed during the "Some Girls" album but the left over songs were were spread out over subsequent releases.

Why they're using the '69 tracks on "Exile" as opposed to a reissue of say "Let It Bleed" simply comes down to money though. Jagger/Richards recieve more money on their albums starting with "Sticky Fingers" to now than they do with "Let It Bleed" & what came before because Abcko & Allen Klein holds the rights to that material. It would make sense to add bonus material to an album that they would get more money on than one they wouldn't. Abcko will probably still get the lion share of monies on those '69 tracks being released but those bonus tracks are an incentive for fans to buy the re-issued album so Jagger/Richards will make their money, again, on songs like "Tumbling Dice", "Rocks Off", etc. That's also why they added new songs on the "Forty Licks" best of. They don't make as money as they'd like on songs like "Satisfaction" & "Paint It Black", which is why people by the compilation, so they add new songs like "Don't Stop", which is horrible a song & no one wants to hear, because royalty & publishing wise that's where they will make their money on that specific album. Bizzare lol. But that's how it works.

[kaiser]

Arent there still legal issues with the Stones releasing live material from the 70-75 period?

As far as Exile's legend goes I'd say its a combination of it fitting best with there general image(although personally I like Let It Bleed more) and the year it was released. 72 ended up being a rather fallow patch for mega releases compaired to the years around it, no Beatles to steal there limelight as in the 60's, no Zep 4, no Darkside etc.

I don't know about now but during that period mentioned they had issues with getting a live album of the '72 tour released. The '72 tour was both filmed & recorded on certain dates with the intention of a movie & double live album to follow. Allen Klein caught wind of this & his lawyers were dispatched because the Stones setlists on the '72 tour still relied on their pre Atlantic recordings so with that Klein made his demands on the proposed live album, whatever they were, and the Stones instead decided to scrap the double live album while "Ladies And Gentlemen" was given a limited release in the theaters. The Stones I guess were just having to many legal issues at the time financially, fears of arrest due to drugs, etc which can be seen in "Cocksucker Blues" which they themselves stopped from being put out & to this day can only be shown once a year by it's director Robert Frank in a non profit viewing.

[Gospel Zone]

As for the Physical Grafitti comparison, the main if not only reason it seems to have been brought up on this thread is because it's a double album. That's sort of a limited comparison.

[Gospel Zone]

You don't have to ARGUE that it sounds bad, people either think it sounds bad to them or they don't.

Personally, I don't and never have--vinyl, cassette, or CD. But I'm no expert, I just listen to the thing.

Remember I said; "I think the greatness of Exile On Main St is somewhat of a myth....."

I'm a big Stones fan and have a lot of knowledge on the subject and I would be embarrassed to sit around praising Exile On Main Street without question or challenge. I ride Harleys too, but much of their image is bull shit also. I can say the same thing about Jimi Hendrix being somewhat of a myth.....is it just me are do much of his posthumous studio releases sound like the same song but with different words?

[Poindexter]

I ride Harleys too.

[Aquamarine]

As for the Physical Grafitti comparison, the main if not only reason it seems to have been brought up on this thread is because it's a double album. That's sort of a limited comparison.

Of course it's a limited comparison, and the fact that it was a double album was the ONLY reason I brought it up. So what? I was saying that of all the doubles ever issued, Exile is the only one where I love every song. As this is a Zeppelin board, I brought in PG as an example of another double on which I only love most of the tracks. That was the extent of the comparison.

As member 70-something of the Rolling Stones fan club in 1964, and as someone who has seen all three guitarists live and owns all the albums, most on vinyl and on CD and many on cassette, I know a fair bit about the band too, and probably more than most. And I know all about the circumstances surrounding the recording of this album. But sound quality is still subjective. And if it sounds good to me, it sounds good to me, and I'm not about to apologize for loving it. There's a hell of a lot to be said for rough edges.

[kaiser]

All great albums have a myth & a certain romance to them, whether it's "Pet Sounds", "Sgt Peppers", "Blonde On Blonde", "Led Zeppelin 4", "Dark Side Of The Moon", "London Calling", etc, & "Exile" is as great if not better than all those albums. As a complete album, like those I just mentioned, "Exile" just holds up so well from beginning to end in a way that even "Let It Bleed" & "Sticky Fingers" don't, & I love those albums but "Exile" does have something extra about it. It just sounds very different. I've always loved the mix on the album as opposed to the polish of "Sticky Fingers", but that's just my personal taste. I have a cleaned up version of "All Down The Line" where all the vocals & instruments are distinctly seperated & it sounds great and more radio friendly but I'll take the mix from "Exile" anyday. I like the way all the sounds on the songs just bleed on top of each other. A friend of mine once said the songs are "Let It Bleed" & "Sticky Fingers" are better crafted songs & that the songs on "Exile" are more of a listening experience, where feel replaces craft. He may have a point. Songs like "Just Want To See His Face" & "Ventilator Blues" may be sort of toss away jams but they appeal to my ears much more than "Bitch" & "Sway" from the previous album, which again I love those songs but they could use more of whatever "Exile" has. Mick Jagger has also never understood the appeal of "Exile" as he tends to agree with what my friend has said, he doesn't feel the songs on "Exile" were quite as strong as what came before & that it's a bit of a mess. My feeling is that Jagger never understood what made The Stones great then & still doesn't today. His concern has always been with how much an album sells & if it gets played on the radio because commerce is his view of what success is as opposed to what's creatively special & distinct that really resonates with his core audience.

[#1fan]

It's safe to say that as much money as Mick and Keith have, they still want as much more of it as they can get. And then there is the record company who came up with this idea in the first place.

I heard every stone is a billion air, like 20 years ago. the richest band in history or something like that.

[Gospel Zone]

All great albums have a myth & a certain romance to them, whether it's "Pet Sounds", "Sgt Peppers", "Blonde On Blonde", "Led Zeppelin 4", "Dark Side Of The Moon", "London Calling", etc, & "Exile" is as great if not better than all those albums. As a complete album, like those I just mentioned, "Exile" just holds up so well from beginning to end in a way that even "Let It Bleed" & "Sticky Fingers" don't, & I love those albums but "Exile" does have something extra about it. It just sounds very different. I've always loved the mix on the album as opposed to the polish of "Sticky Fingers", but that's just my personal taste. I have a cleaned up version of "All Down The Line" where all the vocals & instruments are distinctly seperated & it sounds great and more radio friendly but I'll take the mix from "Exile" anyday. I like the way all the sounds on the songs just bleed on top of each other. A friend of mine once said the songs are "Let It Bleed" & "Sticky Fingers" are better crafted songs & that the songs on "Exile" are more of a listening experience, where feel replaces craft. He may have a point. Songs like "Just Want To See His Face" & "Ventilator Blues" may be sort of toss away jams but they appeal to my ears much more than "Bitch" & "Sway" from the previous album, which again I love those songs but they could use more of whatever "Exile" has. Mick Jagger has also never understood the appeal of "Exile" as he tends to agree with what my friend has said, he doesn't feel the songs on "Exile" were quite as strong as what came before & that it's a bit of a mess. My feeling is that Jagger never understood what made The Stones great then & still doesn't today. His concern has always been with how much an album sells & if it gets played on the radio because commerce is his view of what success is as opposed to what's creatively special & distinct that really resonates with his core audience.

I don't think Mick and maybe any of the other Stones has as much knowledge of their recorded history as many of their hard core fans, which is why anytime they try to put out a rarities package such as this that it ends up being half assed just like their Rarities 1971-2003 release in 2005. On that collection they had songs that were on other albums such as the STRIPPED version of "Wild Horses" and the live version of "Live With Me" from NO SECURITY when they could have had a live version of "Live With Me" from the VOODOO LOUNGE tour that was on the same CD single that the Rarities version of "Tumbling Dice" came from.

There is an 5 disc DVD collection called The Rolling Stones - Just For The Record where each disc is about a different decade in the Stones career. The seventies disc is very interesting and it will be interesting to see if the DVD in the Exile On Main Street collection is even as good.

Mick, once said he'd like to see a single LP version of Exile.

[Swede]

The sound of the original LP is not "great", but it's part of the original release and what made it what it is. Sometimes I really hate the typical "this is how we really wanted the album to sound like when we recorded it" remastering / re-mixing thing. The originality lies not only in the songs but also in the mixing and mastering of all those classic albums. I don't like when they mess with it.

[Gospel Zone]

The sound of the original LP is not "great", but it's part of the original release and what made it what it is. Sometimes I really hate the typical "this is how we really wanted the album to sound like when we recorded it" remastering / re-mixing thing. The originality lies not only in the songs but also in the mixing and mastering of all those classic albums. I don't like when they mess with it.

And in all the times that Exile has been remastered, it's yet to be improved on. The first time it came out on CD, in 1986, the volume level dropped during "Sweet Virginia".

I agree about keeping the mix as the original, but it would be interesting to hear what it would sound like mixed by Bob Clearmountain. I've got a promo CD single of "Love Is Strong" that was mixed by Bob Clearmountain. It's basically like the VOODOO LOUNGE version except it has this extra crisp shine to it like everything else I've ever heard mixed by Bob Clearmountain.

[Gospel Zone]

I have a cleaned up version of "All Down The Line" where all the vocals & instruments are distinctly seperated & it sounds great and more radio friendly but I'll take the mix from "Exile" anyday. I like the way all the sounds on the songs just bleed on top of each other.

I would not have a problem if they put Exile out in mono. That could be the answer to getting it to sound great. The main point I've tried to make is that it was poorly recorded from a technical standpoint. That is why it was a bear to mix in the first place. I'm pretty sure any audio engineer worth his salt would know what I'm talking about. You can't get blood from a stone, pun intended.

Another way to put it would be.... if you were an aspiring audio engineer and you had three audition tapes to present to a potential record company.... one that sounded like LET IT BLEED, one that sounded like STICKY FINGERS, and one that sounded like EXILE ON MAIN STREET.... my advice would me to go with one of the two former tapes and leave the latter one out of it.

There was a different take of "All Down The Line" on the B-side of "Happy" and the single version of "Tumbling Dice" was in mono. I wish those were going to be in the deluxe set.

[Mr E]

Good news folks, Ladies and Gentlemen...The Rolling stones is set to be released on DVD later this year. The new documentary Stones in Exile will also be released on DVD so you won't have to fork out for that expensive Exile On Main Street set if you don't want to.

Source

The Rolling Stones are to release not one but TWO new DVDs this year through Eagle Rock, it has been announced.

The first of the releases Stones In Exile is the story of the making of the classic album Exile On Main Street. This title is due to be released in June with substantial bonus material and follows the reissue of the album at the same time.

The second of the releases is "Ladies And Gentlemen...The Rolling Stones", the legendary Rolling Stones concert film from 1972. Fully restored from the original film, it will be released nationally in cinemas and then receive its first ever authorised DVD release. The title will also be released in high definition on Blu-ray in the Autumn of 2010.

Geoff Kempin of Eagle Rock commented, “We are delighted to add a band of such unparalleled calibre as the Rolling Stones to our catalogue and are delighted to be bring our customers a pair of such important and high quality titles.”

Stay tuned for more info about the DVDs in the coming months.

[Gospel Zone]

Good news folks, Ladies and Gentlemen...The Rolling stones is set to be released on DVD later this year. The new documentary Stones in Exile will also be released on DVD so you won't have to fork out for that expensive Exile On Main Street set if you don't want to.

Source

The Rolling Stones are to release not one but TWO new DVDs this year through Eagle Rock, it has been announced.

The first of the releases Stones In Exile is the story of the making of the classic album Exile On Main Street. This title is due to be released in June with substantial bonus material and follows the reissue of the album at the same time.

The second of the releases is "Ladies And Gentlemen...The Rolling Stones", the legendary Rolling Stones concert film from 1972. Fully restored from the original film, it will be released nationally in cinemas and then receive its first ever authorised DVD release. The title will also be released in high definition on Blu-ray in the Autumn of 2010.

Geoff Kempin of Eagle Rock commented, “We are delighted to add a band of such unparalleled calibre as the Rolling Stones to our catalogue and are delighted to be bring our customers a pair of such important and high quality titles.”

Stay tuned for more info about the DVDs in the coming months.

Thanks for the good news!

[Virginia]

I was just reading something a few days ago about this in Vanity Fair (with Michael Douglas on the cover). It was talking about the original recording, and how it was the first time a manor had been used to record an album (Nellcôte in Villefranche-sur-Mer). I wondered if that was indeed true (Headley Grange?) I no longer have the magazine and can't find the article (not a feature article, just a ~ paragraph mention in the album or music column) on the VF website. Both Exile and LZIV were recorded around the same time.