Original released on LP Decca
LK 4955 (mono) / SKL 4955 (stereo)
(UK 1968, December 6)
The Stones forsook psychedelic experimentation to return to their blues roots on this celebrated album, which was immediately acclaimed as one of their landmark achievements. A strong acoustic Delta blues flavor colors much of the material, particularly "Salt of the Earth" and "No Expectations," which features some beautiful slide guitar work. Basic rock & roll was not forgotten, however: "Street Fighting Man," a reflection of the political turbulence of 1968, was one of their most innovative singles, and "Sympathy for the Devil," with its fire-dancing guitar licks, leering Jagger vocals, African rhythms, and explicitly satanic lyrics, was an image-defining epic. On "Stray Cat Blues," Jagger and crew began to explore the kind of decadent sexual sleaze that they would take to the point of self-parody by the mid-'70s. At the time, though, the approach was still fresh, and the lyrical bite of most of the material ensured "Beggars Banquet" place as one of the top blues-based rock records of all time. (Richie Unterberger in AllMusic)
The Rolling Stones have taken off, I think this is my favourite album of theirs. Whilst the Beatles began to disintegrate, the Stones got their business together. The song writing of Jagger and Richards took a giant leap forward on "Beggars Banquet", and the albums a clear beacon of what was to come from them. "Sympathy for the Devil" is one of my favourite tunes of all times. There's so much to it, I love the way it builds and builds. You've got the samba beat, the gospel piano turning into R&B, the funky bass kicking in, the Little Richard "Woo-Woos", the cutting guitar licks, and a fabulous crescendo with Jagger scatting, whooping and screaming. Brilliant. There's a lot to this album. "No Expectations" is a beautiful song (I would urge anyone to listen to Odetta's version) and the slide guitar on is Brian Jones' last meaningful contribution to the Stones before his death. "Jig-Saw Puzzle", like "Who's Been Sleeping Here" from "Between the Buttons" is very Dylanesque. "Street Fighting Man" has a dark power, a forerunner to "Gimme Shelter". "Prodigal Son" proves that they can do honest blues covers, and "Stray Cat Blues" starts off with a John Lee Hooker impression before descending into the sort of sleazy, heavy, blues that became their trademark. "Factory Girl" is a bizarre mix of country and Indian raga music that works really well and "Salt of the Earth" sounds alarmingly fresh. The production is great, this is an all time classic. (Hendrix Lockhart in AllMusic)
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