In this very special piece from the Uncut archives (January 2002 issue, Take 56), an all-star cast, including Johnny Marr, Ryan Adams, Frank Black, Chris Hillman, Michael Gira and more, pick the Stones' 40 greatest tracks. ____________________ Joe Strummer remembers it, too: that time in the S...
40 WINTER
Goat’s Head Soup album track, 1973
RYAN ADAMS: It’s on the most under-appreciated Stones album of their middle-period, Goat’s Head Soup. How do you follow an album like Exile On Main Street? But they did it – and it’s a nasty, dirty fucked-up record. “Winter” is reminiscent of “Midnight Mile” but better. The record seems very Keith-dominated as well and that’s where I find their power. It’s them doing what they do, but stepping out of their own skin.
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39 STRAY CAT BLUES
Beggars Banquet album track, 1968
BOB GELDOF: It’s an absolutely filthy song, you don’t know how they got away with it. The sleaze is spread all over it like butter melting on toast.
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38 HOT STUFF
Black And Blue album track and B-side of “Fool To Cry”, 1976
TIM BURGESS: I love the sentiments of this song, which is basically putting down a girl or a guy who think they’re hot stuff, the kind of people who walk across the road saying, “Look how amazing I am.” Mick almost seems to be saying, “Yeah but you’re not as amazing as me.” This has a great funky vibe to it, and once again the video is just ridiculous. For all their devil blues imagery in the past, it’s often forgotten that they had
a good sense of humour.