Exile on main Street - A lesson for 'Lo-fi'-ers
We have been talking a lot about indie these days. And I say it without any element of sarcasm. I really like the bands and their dedication to music (ah!the mainstream). But it really intrigues me when indie (like a Siamese twin) is attached with lo-fi or vice-versa(some smart-ass 'indie freaks' are ever-ready with this statement).
You really want to feel what lo-fi really is? Then don't delve into indie. Instead, you need to get hold of an album called 'Exile on main Street' (a double album on single CD priced @ Rs.299 is worth every rupee). That album sounds lo-fi not because the people who made it wanted it to sound like that (yes there are lots of bands who try to inject that artificial lo-fi element into their music. To name one-Blur-one of the classiest bands of the 90s-have tried this. Try "Bugman" from 13. You will know what I mean). It sounds lo-fi because that is what real lo-fi sound sounds like. And it is the real lo-fi because The Rolling Stones were forced to record the album in the basement of a villa in south of France, devoid of any contact with the real world.
P.S: If anyone really decides to buy the album (however, my sincere request-give "Ventilator Blues" a chance), there is a word of caution. It is not an album with any radio-friendly songs. In fact it is very dirty (album which should be played song to song in a place like Mondy's. Only if). Listen to it in entirety. The results would be something beyond pleasure.
posted by whitelight @ 11:42 AM
12 Comments:
Hmm..Ventilator blues is one of my fav songs on the album. Does it have a bad rep?
what do you say?
"my sincere request-give "Ventilator Blues" a chance"
?
now I get it.
just like you, my fav track on the album is none other than "Ventilator Blues" (All down the line is very, very close).
i might be wrong, but I have not met many people in and around my age group who have given a real hard listen to the stones (it really surprises me because i feel these people have a neat choice of music). they talk about satisfaction, angie or maybe wild horses. but the real gems by the stones are the songs which even today do not get mainstream airplay. VB falls into that group.
and that is why i said (if anyone reads this)that gems like these need to given their due.
yeah, i guess the thing with any band that has such an extensive catalogue is that there will exist many 'hidden gems' that don't get airplay/have a video with sailors.
it is not about 'gems' being lost somewhere under the rubble. throw away every thing. just take beggars banquet & exile and all people recall- Sympathy For The Devil, Happy or Tumbling Dice(i even doubt that) and these two albums combined have 28 songs!!!
let alone 'hidden gems', even the treasure box has not been opened. this country has not discovered The Stones yet. and this is a fact. real sad one.
yeah, i guess you're right.
did you go for the concert when they came a few yrs back?
i went for the one in bangalore. was bloody awesome.
came down all the way from delhi. all alone. and all i could find there - people who could say they went to a stones concert (wearing those Obituary/Pantera tees). that is it. they just had no clue what was happening. only thing which saved the day was the presence of people in their 40s.
and if you think i say this because i have a thing for the stones. let talk about Bowie (it will make you sad too). does anyone even have a clue that there is something called Diamond Dogs or Ziggy Stardust? i guess not.
it would, to some, sound snobbish but i have these two on vinyl.
the bombay concert that is.
the funniest thing was that the ticks were not sold out ( thankfully it sold-out finally)till one hour before the show. i met a few French guys who could not believe the fact that they could see a stones concert for 750 bucks ($15 or something!!!). i reached there 3 hours in advance and heard the rehersals too (from the outside). the venue was the classic Brebourne stadium in churchgate (i think it was selected only for the stones) rather than the usual ragged BKC grounds.
i guess the bangalore one did not sell out. and the world is paying $100 on an average to see these guys.
I am a tad agoraphobic, so I didn't turn back and look at how many ppl were there behind me.
I was..when was this..probably 16/15 then. Had gone with my mom (chaperone) and my sis; bought the 2nd denomination tix (think 900. 1200 was the highest maybe), and landed up at 530. We were one of the first there (landed up when the ticket said gates open), as a result of which were on the barrier. Best value for the ticket price, but one very long wait.
It was fairly full though (i think), but the fringes of the 1200 weren't, so I guess probably not. Charu Sharma (the TV guy) was resting on the 1200 barrier chatting away and blocking my view (I was fairly tiny then). But a good section knew the lyrics and (well, quite muted) sang along at times.
Yeah, loads of foreigners there saying 'wow, we're seeing the Stones for just XXXX'. It started raining halfway thro' the set, and we were soaked by the end of it. Was funny, after the concert when we we're back at the hotel heading towards the restaurant, a guy (foreign) was waiting at the elevator, and he was soaked too. I looked at him and he at me. We both gave each other a broad grin. That was a small yet memorable moment. As Jason Lee said in Almost Famous 'that was the fucking buzz'. Hehe.
Yeah, to most, the only Bowie song is Heroes. But, you can't underestimate everyone (unless they're wearing a Linkin Park tee). Many are very knowledgable. There was a rumour that the man was going to tour India during the A Reality Tour, though his heart quashed that.
So, we get the Rasmus instead. Yippee.
ah! yes, you can't underestimate everyone.
by the way, it was said that Dylan too was to tour India. don't know what happened. yeah! i guess the organizers (or whoever decides) thought the Rasmus were the apt replacement.
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