Classic Rock Musings, Rants & Raves

Today, I received an eye-catching e-mail from the Rolling Stones. Well, not the actual band members, but the corporation that runs their web site, sells their swag and uses their name. Normally, I delete these e-mails because they’re nothing more than sales letters, enticing fans with tons of useless trinkets covered in red tongues and other Stones graphics. This e-mail was a little different. Sort of…

It began by stating that on June 9, 1978 — 30 years ago — the Rolling Stones released Some Girls. To me, that’s a fascinating bit of information for any number of reasons. For one, I bought the record the day it came out, which means I’m 30 years older, and that’s never good news. I also bought 10 tickets (the limit) for the Stones show at Anaheim Stadium in 1978. While I made plenty of money on the tickets, the show itself was less than spectacular. But that didn’t take anything away from Some Girls.

At the time, bands like the Rolling Stones were coming up for a second breath while punk and disco battled it out on the frontline. That didn’t stop Some Girls from claiming the top of the U.S. album chart. That may be because Some Girls, hailed by many as a great Stones record, embraced elements of punk and disco to stay in vogue. The record’s first single “Miss You” had all the makings of a hip shaking disco inferno at Studio 54, but its driving beat and Sugar Blue’s harmonica work gave it legs to run beyond the dance clubs. It remains a staple of the Stones’ live show.

Meanwhile, “Respectable,” “When The Whip Comes Down” and “Shattered” faithfully spewed the snot of late 70s punks, perhaps reminding the youngsters of the day that the bad ass Rolling Stones still had a chip in their cheek and could get right down and dirty about it if they had to. Keith Richards’ legal troubles in Canada at the time certainly added fuel to the fire, enhancing the Stones’ reckless image to new and dangerous heights. But the country-western flavorings of “Far Away Eyes” showed they still clung to their roots despite efforts to stay on top of the trends. It’s pretty much been that way with the Rolling Stones ever since.

Unfortunately, the same careless attitude turned their appearance on Saturday Night Live, along with a full-blown stadium tour, into a wrestling match of raggedness and retardation. Mick Jagger’s singing was more akin to a lifeless croke than the voice of a rock god. Keith Richards and Ron Wood built a wall of guitars that could come tumbling down any minute. Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts kept the flames hot in the engine room, but left little else to the imagination.

Thirty years later, none of that really matters. Some Girls stands head and shoulders above most of the group’s other titles. Looking over footage from the 1978 tour (see below), the performances aren’t as bad as I remember. And if you act fast, you can rush over to the the Stones web site and pick up a Some Girls Frilly Tank Top for your girlfriend. They’re only $125 a pop. Just make sure you have enough jam…

Fort Worth 1978 - “When The Whip Comes Down”

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