ALBUMS: Hot Rocks (1971); Between the Buttons, (1967) Get Your Ya Ya’s Out (1971); Metamorphosis (1975); Dancing with Edward (1974; Sticky Fingers, (1971); Exile on Main Street (1972); Undercover (1987); Tattoo You (1978); Love You Live (1977 ); Black and Blue (1976)
MVC Grade: Hot Rocks (5.0/$$$$$); Between the Buttons (4.0/$$$$); Get Your Ya Ya’s Out (4.5/$$$$); Metamorphosis (3.5/$$$); Dancing with Edward (3.0/$$$) Sticky Fingers (5.0/$$$$$, Exile on Main Street (5.0/$$$$$); Undercover (2.5/$$$); Tattoo You (4.0/$$$$) Black and Blue(4.5/$$$$) Love You Live (3.5/$$$).
What’s that sound all across America of people zipping up their pants, their coats, their purses. Listen:
zzzzzzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiiippppppppppppppp!
Oddly makes me feel secure knowing everything is zipped up.
Zip? And what better to zip with: A zipper.
I once bought a $120 pair of jeans marked down drastically because the thingymajigy used to pull up and mesh the zipper teeth, was missing. So I had to use my fingernails or bring a pair of pliers into the bathroom.
CAUTION: Use caution when you make sure you are clamping down on the zipper. A wrong placement and a tight squeeze can cause pain. Just be careful.
So a zipper is one of those words that when you say it out loud it sounds like the name of the thing that goes with the name. Come on you know what I’m talking about …. a word that makes a sound instead of a thought, I mean, not really that so much as it’s a pioneering use of the English language like Zonk! (or is that Zonk?)
What’s a Zonk and what does this have to about zippers? You mean Zonk is the sound a zipper makes? No Keith says, Zonk is like a Three Stooges smack to the head. Usually a smack that rattles you into dumboundedness.
I told Keith Richards that I already told him this was a Rolling Stones review for MyVinylcountdown.com. We need to be on good behavior.
OK, here we go:
Sometimes when the zipper method of merging works, the cars, as if driven by cooperative experts take turns merging, you first, me next, you next. (That’s called the zipper merge on American freeways.)
Well this is what the Rolling Stones did with Rock and Roll. They pulled all these disparate tangs into a big zip. If you don’t believe it, they actually show it on possibly their best album: Sticky Fingers. The original cover has an actual working zipper on the cover.
It’s a safe bet to name the Rolling Stones the best ever in rock evolution and revolution, pulling in the blues, some country, folk and poetic lyricism (Dylan influence).
The Stones did that as well with more of an emphasis on the blues. But that doesn’t mean they became the best blues players of all time.. The Stones became the best rock and roll band of all time because they could play, having internalized that strong mix of rural and urban blues, hooky chorus driven pop and early rock and roll, and let it rip. Or zip.
The Beatles pound-for- pound had better songs, better singing and playing, but the Stones were road ragged warriors. Paul and John had the words and questions. Mick and Keith had the exclamation points.
First you see the Stones and you look at these little punky kids (1960s) and the lead singer with the huge mouth, bodies flailing around and you wondered: Are they putting us on?
But the more your listen, the more you realize Jagger’s voice is perfect to carry this thing off, loud, ripped Chuck Berry and Bo DIddley chords, Watts and Wyman and Richards thrashing about.
And Jagger was singing (and writing along with Richards), songs like Satisfaction, Street Fighting Man, Gimme Shelter, Mother’s Little Helper,
Sorry but the Herman’s Hermit’s were not taking on revolution, the hypocrisy behind the pharmaceutical drug complex, or the advertisers brainwashing techniques.
Here some zippers:
Well this is what the Rolling Stones did with Rock and Roll. They pulled all these disparate things together.
If you don’t believe it, they actually show it on possibly their best album: Sticky Fingers. The Andy-Warhol designed cover has an actual working zipper on the cover. Merge.