#468 The Rolling Stones, 'Some Girls' (1978)

Previously #270

A strong return to form for a band that had seen some decline in popularity since the release of their 1972 album, ‘Exile On Main St.’ As bands often were back then, the Stones were incredibly prolific having released 3 albums in between the two (for a total of 5 albums in 6 years). Disco was on the rise and Mick Jagger, like a lot of musicians in 1970s New York, was spending a lot of time at Studio 54. The result was the smash hit single and evergreen radio staple, ‘Miss You.’ But this is not a disco record at all. The album also features ‘Beast Of Burden,’ ‘Shattered’ and ‘Respectable;’ a mix of rock, country rock and pop. As often is the case on Rolling Stones records, Keith Richards gets his moment to shine taking lead vocals on ‘Before They Make Me Run,’ a song in response to his arrest for heroin possession in Toronto a year earlier. Like so many of his songs, it was recorded during one of Mick Jagger’s absences from the studio. His arrest and potential prison sentence cast a cloud on the recording and endangered the future of the band.

This was the first record to feature Ronnie Wood as an official member, adding stability to a band that had been in flux since the death of Brian Jones almost a decade earlier. The band’s lineup would remain constant until 1993 when Bill Wyman left; arguably the “classic” lineup of The Rolling Stones.

Going by the last list, this is the first of many Rolling Stones albums to come. This record is a solid 5 star record and is a very satisfying 40 minute listen. 

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