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Rating: An apparently out-of-tune piano and the not entirely dissipated intoxication of a hangover from an improbable brass group serve as the opening to what I personally define as the highest quality work of the Rolling Stones. The festive chorus, also materialized with the active collaboration or friendly incursion of close relatives from Liverpool, paves the way for excellently crafted tracks, despite the looming, hard-to-avoid shadow of the slew of albums proliferating in the most fruitful year in rock history.
Metallic voices, well-saturated and decidedly sulfurous, conclude the merry cycle of vocal fusions, leading to a bubbling triumph of sounds with a potentially psychotropic flavor. The call of the devil probably had a troubled birth and certainly not a few attacks from the fruitful censorial inquisition, but the dirty sound that indelibly characterizes the orchestral qualities of the "bad boys" gives the work just the right factor needed to ascend to Olympus without climbing treacherous rocks.
The baroque start with the acidic and metallically muffled voice of "Another Land" wisely breaks with the slightly off-key impromptu invasion of the classic muddy Stones riff. This is repeated multiple times, concluding with an unexpected and very heavy snore followed by the resumption of the aforementioned festive chorus, this time infused with violent brushstrokes of psychedelic grime.
Were it not for the evident uncertainties, unfortunately easy to catch in Watts' percussion commentary, "She's a Rainbow" would be an authentic masterpiece, but judging the overall beauty of the track, I prefer to overlook the venial sin of good Charlie and stamp it with the most precious of seals. The clean, almost fairy-tale sound of Nick Hopkins' piano gracefully accompanies one of the most beautiful compositions by the Stones like a veil of silk. The dirty sound that appears from the very first vocal assaults of Jagger and company is easier to clean compared to those that dominate their vast repertoire. This gives a sense of devastating sweetness, relaxing, perhaps disturbed by the fortuitously placed radio announcement at the beginning, but ingeniously subtle, fresh. The final clattering of the strings concludes this work in a way that would leave a sense of uncertainty to those who give a more detailed listen, but this is strictly subjective and in my opinion, extraordinary.
It simply deserved more. That's all.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Citadel (02:53)
(Jagger/Richards)
Men are armed shout who goes there
We have journeyed far from here
Armed with bibles make us swear
Candy and Taffy, hope we both are well
Please come see me in the citadel
Flags are flying, dollar bills
Round the heights of concrete hills
You can see the pinnacles
Candy and taffy, hope we both are well
Please come see me in the citadel
In the streets are many walls
Hear the peasants come and crawl
You can hear their lovers call
Candy and Taffy, hope we both are well
Please come see me in the citadel
Screaming people fly so fast
In their shiny metal cars
Throug the woods of steel and glass
Candy and Taffy, hope we both are well
Please come see me in the citadel
03 In Another Land (03:15)
(B.Wyman)
In another land where the breeze and the
Trees and flowers were blue
I stood and held your hand.
And the grass grew high and the feathers floated by
I stood and held your hand.
And nobody else's hand will ever do
Nobody else will do
Then I awoke
Was this some kind of joke
Much to my surprise
I opened my eyes.
We walked across the sand and the sea and
The sky and the castles were blue.
I stood and held your hand.
And the spray flew high and the feathers floated by
I stood and held your hand.
And nobody else's hand will ever do
Nobody else will do
Then I awoke
Was this some kind of joke
Much to my surprise
When I opened my eyes.
We heard the trumpets blow and the sky
Turned red when I accidently said
That I didn't know how I came to be here
Not fast asleep in bed.
I stood and held your hand.
And nobody else's hand will ever do
Nobody else's hand
Then I awoke
Was this some kind of joke
I opened my eyes.
Much to my surprise.
06 She's a Rainbow (05:18)
She comes in colours ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Everywhere
She comes in colours
She comes in colours ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours
Have you seen her dressed in blue?
See the sky in front of you
And her face is like a sail
Speck of white, so fair and pale
Have you seen a lady fairer?
She comes in colours ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours
Have you seen her all in gold?
Like a queen in days of old
She shoots colours all around
Like a sunset going down
Have you seen a lady fairer?
She comes in colours ev'rywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours
She's like a rainbow
Coming, colours in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colours
07 The Lantern (04:25)
(Jagger/Richards)
We, on our present life,
Knew that the stars were right.
That if you are the first to go,
You'll leave a sign to let me know,
Tell me so.
Please, carry the Lantern lights.
You crossed the sea of night,
Free from the spell of fright
Your cloak it is a spirit shroud.
You'll wake me in my sleeping hours,
Like a cloud.
So, please, carry the Lantern high.
Me, in my sorry plight,
You waiting ev'ry night.
My face it turns a deathly pale,
You're talking to me, through your veil,
I hear you wail.
So, please carry the Lantern light.
The servants sleep,
The door's are barred.
You hear the stopping of my heart-we never part.
So, please carry the Lantern high.
08 Gomper (05:09)
(Jagger, Richards)
By the lake with lilly flowers
Wallow away the evening hours
To and fro she's gently gliding
On the glassy lake she's riding
She swims to the side
The sun sees her dried
The birds hover high
I'd stifle a cry
The birds hover high
She moans with a sigh
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