Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers CD

Digitally remastered by Bob Ludwig (Gateway Mastering Studios).

Sounding subdued, or at least more wary than most Stones albums, STICKY FINGERS' 1971 release betrayed the difficulties the band members were enduring. From Mick Jagger's breakup with the emotionally troubled Marianne Faithfull, to Keith Richards's concern about his newborn son Marlon, the band found themselves re-evaluating their lives, and this depth of emotion made its way into the album. Be it in the terrifyingly spare "Sister Morphine" and "Moonlight Mile," or the near-dangerous, electrified "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," the songs on STICKY FINGERS are anything but innocent.

The lineup on this album solidified with Mick Taylor in place as a second guitarist. Recorded partially in the legendary Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama, the Stones were flirting with the blues, but adding a Southern soul flavor. Much of STICKY FINGERS is this tasteful mixture of blues and soul. Added to the brew are the spicy horn arrangements of saxophonist Bobby Keys and trumpet player Jim Price. The use of horns in the Stones' repertoire seemed inevitable--when they kick in during "Brown Sugar" and "Bitch," it is as if Richards's guitar is rebirthed in brass. STICKY FINGERS proved that the endless summer of the 1960s was over, but that the Stones would rock just as hard in the following decade.

Recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Muscle Shoals, Alabama and Olympic Studios, London, England.

Engineers include: Glyn Johns, Andy Johns, Jimmy Johnson.

The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger (vocals, guitar, percussion); Mick Taylor (guitar); Keith Richards (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals); Bill Wyman (electric piano, bass instrument); Charlie Watts (drums).

Recording information: Olympic Studios, London, England; Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger (vocals); Keith Richards, Mick Taylor (guitar, background vocals); Bill Wyman (bass); Charlie Watts (drums).

Additional personnel: Ry Cooder (guitar); Paul Buckmaster (strings); Bobby Keys (saxophone); Jim Price (trumpet); Billy Preston (piano, organ); Ian Stewart, Jim Dickinson, Nicky Hopkins (piano); Rocky Dijon (congas); Jimmy Miller (percussion).

Additional personnel: Ry Cooder (slide guitar); Paul Buckmaster (strings); Bobby Keys (saxophone); Jim Price (trumpet); Billy Preston (organ); Nicky Hopkins, Ian Stewart, Jim Dickinson, Jack Nitzche (piano); Rocky Dijon (congas); Jimmy Miller (percussion).

Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.113) - Ranked #63 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "...The album has tough, straight-up rock..."
Rolling Stone (6/10/71, p.42) - "...driving, intense, wide-open rock..."
Q (6/00, p.80) - Ranked #12 in Q's "100 Greatest British Albums" - "...Re-asserted their rebel status....there's something dark and dangerous lurking at the heart of the music. It was also their most overt drug album....The Rolling Stones' best 'tunes' album."
Vibe (12/99, p.164) - Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century
Q (Magazine) (p.137) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "It's the Stones at their assured, showboating peak....[A] magic formula of heavy soul, junkie blues and macho rock..."
NME (Magazine) (7/9/94, p.43) - 9 - Excellent Plus - "...captures the Stones bluesy swagger in a...dark-land where few dare to tread...even the jaunty country take `Dead Flowers' has a derisive sneer beneath the hokum delivery..."
Record Collector (magazine) (p.84) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "Jagger and Richards delve even further back to the primitive blues that first inspired them and step up their investigations into another great American form, country."