Mr Mod Asks

What's your least-favorite of the acknowledged "great" albums by The Rolling Stones?

Easy. "Beggars Banquet"

I'm with you, Andyr, and I like the ease with which you answered that question. Think about that idea I've floated in the past, you know, the band we should start.

1. I think people outgrow bands all the time, in ways that can be summed up as "It's not you, it's me" versus "It's not me, it's you." In the latter category, I simply lost interest in R.E.M. the first time I ever heard NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI. In the former, I was out record store shopping with my wife and RTH's own Pudman a few weeks ago and we found a copy of last year's Loud Family album in the racks, and all three of us basically said "You know, I really just have no interest at all in hearing that." The irony being that I met not only RTH's own Pudman, but also my wife, on the Loud Family mailing list many moons ago.

2. I think I would like Radiohead if they were a strictly instrumental post-rock band without a singer.

3. I once overheard my mother (whose main musical interests were Ray Price, Marty Robbins and Ernest Tubb) singing Dylan's "Rainy Day Women #12 and 35" while doing the dishes. Similarly, my brother and I came in late from a movie once when we were teenagers to find our mom sitting on the couch watching the Woodstock movie on cable. We assumed she was sitting up for us, but she said, "No, I'm waiting to see Hendrix do the National Anthem." Go figure.

3. "I Say Nothing" -- Voice of the Beehive

4. Is SOME GIRLS considered one of the greats? If so, that one. If you're limiting it to the AFTERMATH through EXILE period...probably LET IT BLEED.

Good answers, Great One. As for your last answer, I'll accept Some Girls; it's not for me to determine where the cutoff of "great albums" is, and there's no reason there can't be some less-than-great ones in-between the greats.

I grow out of bands all the time. When you think about it, most bands do not maintain the interest of fans for whole lifespans (either the fans' or the bands').

Least favorite classic Stones album: Sticky Fingers.

I think Aftermath is pretty weak. Imagine if Let It Bleed had replaced Country Honk with Honky Tonk Women! Dropping Love In Vain would have improved it too, but You Got the Silver has to stay.

1. As I reached college I used to wonder whether I'd ever grow out of Sweet, a childhood favorite. I did not.

2. Yes minus Jon Anderson.

3. I was suprised if not shocked to learn that my dad owned Who's Next. I came home with it one day and he said 'Why'd you buy that one? I could have lent you mine.'

4. Monk's 'Epistrophy'

5. Sticky Fingers

When you were younger, did you ever stop to wonder whether you would tire of or outgrow a particular album or artist? Which album or artist was it? Did you?

This is an interesting question. I don't think I've ever fully "grown out of" liking any band or artist that I once loved, but as I hear more music, naturally I listen to old favorites less. Nevertheless, the band that comes to mind in this category is The Cure. I still get excited when I hear one of their songs (like a weird version of "The Forest" that I heard last night on Sirius' 1st wave channel) and I'll pull out one of their records every now and then, but I find that I pull them out less as the years go by.

Is there a piece of music that represents, for you, a particular, personal state of mind? No need to share the particular, personal state of mind, but please share the musical representation of one of your unique states of mind.

I can give many answers here, but Shuggie Otis' Inspiration Information always puts me in a tranquil, peaceful state and is thus a great chill-out album.

What's your least-favorite of the acknowledged "great" albums by The Rolling Stones?

I gotta go with Let it Bleed here. Aside from obvious highlights like "You Can't Get What You Want" and "Gimme Shelter", I never thought it was all that great. And Big Steve is right. It would've been a lot better had "Honky Tonk Women" replaced "Country Honk".

1. tough one. happy mondays minus "bez"? nahhh...how about we remove woody from the stones and just let keith cut the guitar parts?

2. my father had a collection of hank williams songs.

3. Astrud Gilberto's "Dindi".

4. Let it Bleed.

When you were younger, did you ever stop to wonder whether you would tire of or outgrow a particular album or artist? Which album or artist was it? Did you?

Never wondered if I'd outgrow anybody at the time, but crtainly did, lots of times. Much of the growth was out of idiotic cock-rock (believe it or not), and (also believe it or not) some retardo-prog. Specific bands that fell by the wayside: Nugent, Travers, ELP. Some teen-rock faves from youngsterhoood that are still every bit as great today -- and, no, I don't mean with the assistance of my Geezotron 2000 Nostalgo-meter: Van Fuckin' Halen, the Zeez (duh), AC/DC.

What band would be improved by the removal of one musician, with no replacement?

Hmm. The E St. Band needs to dump that lard-ass sax player, maybe.

What's the most shocking album that you discovered a family member owned?

My dad's copy of some George Crumb album really freaked me out as a youngster. I seriously worried at the time that my Dad might be going mad. Who else would lsten to this stuff?

Is there a piece of music that represents, for you, a particular, personal state of mind? No need to share the particular, personal state of mind, but please share the musical representation of one of your unique states of mind.

"Ready To Go," Supagroup.

What's your least-favorite of the acknowledged "great" albums by The Rolling Stones?

Assuming there are any dullards who think "Between the Buttons" is a classic, I'll choose that one. TURD! If I'm wrong about its status in the Stones canon, I'll third the choice of "Beggar's Banquet."

"Let It Bleed" is my least favorite of the Stones great albums. Fantastic at moments, but spotty.

Assuming there are any dullards who think "Between the Buttons" is a classic, I'll choose that one. TURD! If I'm wrong about its status in the Stones canon, I'll third the choice of "Beggar's Banquet."

I don't know if I'd go so far as to call either a "classic", but I do really like both Aftermath and Between the Buttons. I don't think the latter should be weighed in this discussion since, if anything, it's underrated in the Stones canon. In fact, I prefer that era to the much more lauded late '60s/early '70s one (which I like a lot as well, so don't get me wrong). As I get older, the mid '60s stuff appeals to me much more than their late '60s (starting from Let It Bleed) to late '70s stuff does, with the exceptions of Exile on Main Street and Some Girls, of course.

I will also defend Beggars Banquet here. I'm definitely on Team "Let It Bleed is the dog of the Jimmy Miller" years.

Oh and the same goes for The Who. I'd rather listen to any album up to The Who Sell Out than anything from Tommy onwards these days, despite my teenage love for Who's Next.

i think part of the problem with Let it Bleed is that it has a song i never need to hear again on it: "you can't always get what you want'. my GOD...of all the stones songs, i think fm radio has really fucked my enjoyment of that song forever and ever.

Otto said

"What's the most shocking album that you discovered a family member owned?

My dad's copy of some George Crumb album really freaked me out as a youngster. I seriously worried at the time that my Dad might be going mad. Who else would lsten to this stuff?"

I had Crumb as a teacher in college for a 20th Century music appreciation class. Kind of a nice, soft spoken, unpretentious guy that actually looks generally like that other famous Crumb, Robert, sans the porkpie hat. Anyway, Crumb did a lt of different stuff, some of it sort od impressionistic and not particularly unlistenable. Can you remember the name of the piece that so set you off.?

Well, I was only, like, 10 or something. It could've been anything.

Here's where I play along...

When you were younger, did you ever stop to wonder whether you would tire of or outgrow a particular album or artist? Which album or artist was it? Did you?

The first time I tripped I remember wondering, along with so many other things I'd come to know and love, whether I'd still love the first Clash album in the morning - and years thereafter. As it turned out, I loved it as much as ever the next day, but years later I don't love it with all the easy enthusiasm I once did. I still love it "objectively," but I only listen to my few favorite songs to get pumped up. "Garageland" is the one song that still retains all its beauty for me; "Complete Control" has lost none of its power and glory.

What band would be improved by the removal of one musician, with no replacement?

I could say it already happened for The Replacements on Pleased to Meet Me, but I don't like them enough even without Bob Stinson. Simon and Garfunkel minus Garfunkel worked out better, but I'm going to dream a little dream and say CSNY minus Crosby.

What's the most shocking album that you discovered a family member owned?

Mmmmm. Most of my family members have been consistent in their tastes, but late in his life my city slicker, Italian-American, Sinatra/Bennett-loving grandfather, who'd left behind his late-night city ways for breeding thoroughbred horses his last 20 years, got into Willie Nelson. It was the first entry of country music in my family.

Is there a piece of music that represents, for you, a particular, personal state of mind? No need to share the particular, personal state of mind, but please share the musical representation of one of your unique states of mind.

I've said it before, that one side of Fripp and Eno's No Pussyfooting, the one that also appears as part of Evening Star and that live bootleg I dig, hits on a certain state of mind I know well.

What's your least-favorite of the acknowledged "great" albums by The Rolling Stones?

Definitely, Beggars' Banquet. I'll write about it in depth sometime soon. Sticky Fingers and Aftermath don't count as "great" for me, although Some Girls does in that late-career magical season way.

Probably Ancient Voices of Children. It was on Nonesuch back when that meant cheap, and in the 70s it was the one modern record owned by many, many people.

When you were younger, did you ever stop to wonder whether you would tire of or outgrow a particular album or artist? Which album or artist was it? Did you?

Dunno if I stopped to wonder, but I sure thought The Doors were ginchy. After tripping for two years really hard I kinda figured that Jim was even more clueless han me. So I kinda can hardly stand The Doors anymore.

What band would be improved by the removal of one musician, with no replacement?

Why you guys be hatin' on Bob Stinson? For me, the Mats were all about Paul anyway, but I liked Bob. Maybe if Led Zeppelin had got rid of Bob Plant I wouldn't have utterly hated them as much as I do, but then again, at least they quit using The Yardbirds pretty early on in the game. Come to think of it, there's a band that certainly didn't miss Top Topham's replacement. So I think I'll have to pick Eric Clapton.

What's the most shocking album that you discovered a family member owned?

I'm the one that has most of the music. My mom bought an Uncle Tupelo album, though. I think she thinks it's one guy and his name is Tupelo. She says she likes it, but I have my doubts.

Is there a piece of music that represents, for you, a particular, personal state of mind? No need to share the particular, personal state of mind, but please share the musical representation of one of your unique states of mind.

If it's something I like, then it's the greatest thing I've ever heard while I'm listening to it. I can be a little more objective later.

What's your least-favorite of the acknowledged "great" albums by The Rolling Stones?

Oh, man...no dissing the Greatest Group on Earth - only bad comes of it! The "Big Four" of The Stones is Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. Beggars Banquet bitch slaps hippy psych back into it's trippy little spot under the basement stairs. It's truly unique among Stones albums, and almost mankind's greatest achievement (which, it turns out is Exile on Main St.). So for me, I am left with a choice of two - and I have to go with Sticky Fingers because it's kinda mellow and Can't You Hear Me Knocking has that long jam that should have faded in about four seconds. Some call it Mick Taylor's finest moment, but his finest moments came on the 72 and 73 tours, where his playing on You Can't Always Get What You Want and Love In Vain are just mind bogglingly fantastic.

My own Big Four drops Sticky Fingers and manages to get Some Girls in the number three slot. What a boffo album, and it competes with the punks of the time, like Stiff Little Fingers and The Buzzcocks quite nicely.

Besides, Beggars Banquet has Sympathy For The Devil on it. The rest of it could be Beatles novelty numbers like Octopus' Garden, When I'm 64 and Bungalow Bill and it would still be one of the greatest things to ever happen. Keith's guitar solo is just sulime.

Great stuff, 2000 Man. Keep the chatter coming, Townspeople!

1. It's a funny question. I guess when Paul Weller outgrew The Jam it occurred to me that I might too. (I didn't get into them until after they'd broken up, though; does that count?) Anyway, I still like them but I like them in the way I look at old pictures of myself and wish I could get that thin.

2. Is that fiddler in Dashboard Confessional permanent? If so, her - though that might not qualify since I think she's just irrelevant, not holding anyone back.
I agree with whoever above that my favorite Stones period is probably the brief Keith-only phase, if I've got my history strait (but see below).

3. I came home from college in the mid-'80s and inflicted (or so I thought) MTV on my family. Next time I came home, my dad had bought ZZ Top's Eliminator record. Hrrundi will tell you that no one - not me, not him, not Charlie - could make up an odder match of man and record.

4. This is the question that's been tripping me up for the past 24 hours. What's a "unique" state of mind? I don't know that I have one; I'm not sure many people have one, and it would seem that the creator of the piece of music in question would at least possibly be in the same state of mind, thus destroying the uniqueness.

I mean, if you're talking about "unique among RTH denizens," I guess I'd pick "Strawberry Letter #23" (Brothers Johnson version). I mean, that's an ethic I actually try to live. Or does my reading of The Carpenters' "Christmas Song" as an anthem of heartbreak and creepy stalking get at what you're getting at?

5. I don't know enough Stones albums well enough to make such distinctions. I'm sure I've heard all the contenders, but I couldn't say.

I can't think of any. But I've certainly grown out my share of band t-shirts.

I don't like the slicker Replacements much. I need Bob Stinson's anarchy on the vinyl even if it was somewhat infuriating to watch. It's pretty obvious those Wings albums wouldn't miss Linda a whole lot, nor would I mind a Plastic Winston Band backing Lennon. I suppose that doesn't count. Did John Fogerty really need his brother in CCR? I am for less residents in the E Street Band, but I still think I'd not like the result. Led Zep would still need a melody of sorts above it all, despite my desire for herbicide. Couldn't Jefferson Airplane have decided on ONE vocalist?

It was pretty cool finding Ian Gilliam singing on that Jesus Christ Superstar album amid all the Doris Day and Four Lads albums my mom had.

Days by the Kinks gives me a certain mood every time.

Some Girls. Man, as a high school kid, I was so disappointed in that album when it came out, I passed up smoking pot with this hot, stacked girl because I KNEW she would be playing it. Actually, that may have saved me an embarassing doctor's visit in retrospect. Thanks Glimmer Twins.

Mockcarr said:

Some Girls. Man, as a high school kid, I was so disappointed in that album when it came out, I passed up smoking pot with this hot, stacked girl because I KNEW she would be playing it. Actually, that may have saved me an embarassing doctor's visit in retrospect. Thanks Glimmer Twins.

I say:

Mockcarr, we hardly knew ye!

When you were younger, did you ever stop to wonder whether you would tire of or outgrow a particular album or artist? Which album or artist was it? Did you?

Joni Mitchell, Blue. In early University, my mum gave me this and I loved this album, loved this album, brought it with me to Vancouver - played it a lot, people I was living with borrowed it and played it to death - grew to never want to hear this album again. Now I can tolerate it, but I would never put it on myself. It gives me a migraine - although I just put on Court & Spark the other day, and it's still pretty stand-up.

What band would be improved by the removal of one musician, with no replacement?

Joey Molland from Badfinger. Ah ha ha ha ha ha haaaaa. Sigh. No really - whoever said removing Crosby, I second that emotion.

What's the most shocking album that you discovered a family member owned?

Grandma owning Like A Prayer. A half-naked body among the Harry Connick Jr's, Andrews Sisters and Frank Sinatra's of their world. My friend stayed over the grandparent's house with me after we saw The Beastie Boys in Detroit one night and in the morning, Grandma sang along to Madonna while we ate breakfast and watched MTV "on american cable" (kind of a big deal), and both my friend and I turned around to stare at which point Grandma replied, "Well, I wouldn't know anything if it weren't for the kids!" My friend thought I had the coolest Grandma ever. She is the sweetest lady. She thought being a feminist was the same thing as being a lesbian until we explained it all to her. Apparently someone at one of her VFW meetings called her "nothing but a feminist," under their breath and it wasn't meant as a compliment. Gasp! Grannies, God love 'em.

Is there a piece of music that represents, for you, a particular, personal state of mind? No need to share the particular, personal state of mind, but please share the musical representation of one of your unique states of mind.

Timeless Melody by The La's, or Pearl by Chapterhouse.

What's your least-favorite of the acknowledged "great" albums by The Rolling Stones?

ummm... hmm, between the buttons. like that album, but least favourite.

When you were younger, did you ever stop to wonder whether you would tire of or outgrow a particular album or artist? Which album or artist was it? Did you?

I never considered that such a thing could occur. When I saw Kiss at 13, my awareness that I was already to mature for them didn't get in the way of my enjoyment. Still doesn't. I did notice when in my twenties that no one over forty had adventurous listening habits, and hoped that I wouldn't have to tone down when I hit some marker or other. (I think I'm still ok. But then, so did those squares.)

What band would be improved by the removal of one musician, with no replacement?

Didn't they replace everyone in Bread with no one? If I can't tell, then there's your answer.

What's the most shocking album that you discovered a family member owned?

Well, in my family, everyone has kept to their appropriate genres for the most part. But it fascinated my that my parents heard Billie Holiday sing "Strange Fruit" in some jazz club in Philly in '58 or '59, when she was kind of a mess and couldn't finish her set.

Is there a piece of music that represents, for you, a particular, personal state of mind? No need to share the particular, personal state of mind, but please share the musical representation of one of your unique states of mind.

Leos Janacek's "On an Overgrown Path." Bowie-Eno's "Moss Garden."

What's your least-favorite of the acknowledged "great" albums by The Rolling Stones?

They all have stuff that disappoints, and great songs, so it's a toss up for me. If someone would do me the courtesy of thinkig Satanic Majesties were "great," I'd have an easier time.

--When you were younger, did you ever stop to wonder whether you would tire of or outgrow a particular album or artist? Which album or artist was it? Did you?

I never thought of that when younger..but back in the day I got into "prog" and ELP was my first concert at the Spectrum. I haven't listened to them or that genre of music in years.

--What band would be improved by the removal of one musician, with no replacement?

I'll jump on the bandwagon and say Crosby from CSNY. Can't stand that guy.

--What's the most shocking album that you discovered a family member owned?

Like the General, I have a "My god! My parents went to see the Who perform Tommy at the old Electric Factory!" moment. It was my Dad's younger brother's doing but still!

--Is there a piece of music that represents, for you, a particular, personal state of mind? No need to share the particular, personal state of mind, but please share the musical representation of one of your unique states of mind.

There are a few. The Eno Instrumentals box set, the song "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty to name but two (very different extremes).

--What's your least-favorite of the acknowledged "great" albums by The Rolling Stones?

I'm not enough of a Stones junkie to make a call here.