The Rolling Stones, Gimme Shelter - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- #therollingstones #gimmeshelter #valenciatheaterseating
Just a shot away… just a kiss away… which one will we choose? This straightforward song addresses a complex real-world problem in a simple manner, which gives each of us the ability to give some shelter to those around us. And it made me ask myself - “Am I a Rolling Stones fan?”
Here’s the link to the original song by The Rolling Stones:
• Gimme Shelter (Remaste...
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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
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Credits: Music written and performed by The Rolling Stones
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Love the channel, love the song, love the review! Thank you!
Agree on all three points! Brava!
The 'creaking' sound is produced by a güiro, a percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines along the notches to produce a ratchet sound. It can be made from wood, gourd, metal, plastic or fiberglass. The guiro is believed to have originated in Puerto Rico with the Taíno people (the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean), so it features mostly in Puerto Rican music.
Over here (Portugal) it is known as reco-reco, an onomatopaic word to sound like the sound the object creates. We have a lot of that popular/ folk instrument, mostly made of wood. The ornaments people do in it makes each object a unique piece.
My music teacher in elementary school had one, and I got to play it several times in his classes.
When I heard this song, I knew instantly what that instrument was.
ditto@@toddmcclellan979
Was thinking a’washboard’ type of percussion instrument from bluegrass
Some have likened the guiro part to the death rattle at the end of life ominously carried throughout the song.
Merry Clayton's unhinged vocals on this are one of my favorite musical moments ever.
If you haven't already heard it, Clayton's churchy backup on Carole King's Way Over Yonder is exceptional.
Yes Mary Clayton's voice expresses the ultimate peak of emotion. Whenever I hear this song beginning to play I anticipate her vocals, like a little boy waiting to get through the candy store door. IMHO, there are few other vocals that match this one in intensity and 'feeling' in the rock world or any other world really.
Yes, imperfectly perfect! It feels like she momentarily hesitates when her voice cracked, so she is just behind the beat, which makes it sound incredible
The Stones and Pink Floyd both managed to stand back and let female vocalists grab us by the heart - thinking of Great Gig in the Sky, of course. Two historic performances.
That moment sends chills down my spine, Mary captures the moment and elevates this awesome song to the next level.
Simplicity is the point with The Stones. Anyone can strum along, anyone can sing the melody and they're not hard work to listen to. Their talent is subtly woven into every one of their songs which has ensured their enduring popularity. And still awesome to see live.😊
The first time I’ve ever heard someone call the opening of this song cheerful 😅
Cheerful. It's absolutely true, and I am sure many listeners feel that, but at the same time, melancholy
You and me both. I always found it haunting and foreboding.
Haunting I think is the word she should have used?
@@encoreunefois1XTotally agree with you. Cheerful?? That’s what she thinks? Interesting.
The beauty of Gimme Shelter is "The Groove". It chugs, it drives forward, its relentless, it's infestious... it's Rolling Stones and it's great imo :)
Charlie Watts drumming is a big part of the groove. It really demonstrates his reputation of tasteful drumming. It drives such a groove without being flashy.
30:00 "To look at this song and recognize who is calling to whom? Gimme shelter. Who is asking to give me shelter? A storm is threatening my very life today. If I don't get some shelter - I'm going to fade away. I'm going to get lost in this... in this hell... in this war. I'm going to... the fire is going to sweep through... It's in our streets. It's going to destroy me as well... unless somebody gives me shelter. Who is this calling to..? And it's calling to all of us... anyone who has some kind of shelter to offer - for whatever kind of conflict there is... that they can aid those within it. And I guess this is the um... message that I find in this song that appeals to me."
Amy - You nailed the message of the song so eloquently. Loved the way you absorbed so many things from this song - and spoke about them wonderfully. Thanks for sharing your take on the song with us. It was a joy to watch.
Favorite part of the song (about at 19:09 in this video) is when that woman's voice cracks as she is belting out all that soul and if you listen closely you can hear someone in the studio exclaim, "Wooo!"
I think she is the ONLY Person i know of, after hearing this for the first time, that did not talk for 5 Minutes about how amazing Merry Clayton's vocal solo was..!!!
She hardly mentioned it. I thought her jaw would drop while she listened to that
I find she's more about the instruments than the singing. That's why I also like to watch vocal coaches reacting to my favourite artists.
That guitar sound you noticed is actually a harmonica
Yes. Plugged in to a guitar amp i think
Played by Mick Jagger.
Thanks for explaining It.
18 years to dyscover this, thank you
The rocking chair sound is a Guiro, Latin American rhythm instrument.
The harmonica sounding guitar is actually a harmonica miked and ran through an electric guitar amplifier, which gives it the classic distorted blues harmonica sound.
It's a bluesy harmonica you're hearing. This came out during Vietnam and the song offers an alternative to war (Love) is just a kiss away.
Sadly, this song is just as relevant today as it was in 1969.
Merry Clayton's vocals are so raw and emotional that it just grabs you right by the soul.
Maybe even more relevant if Trump wins and puts in his 50 thousand storm troopers we will be doomed
Merry.
@briangriffin5524 Thanks, I didn't even notice! My phone just autocorrects to my name! 😂
The most quietly scary song ever. The Stones looked into the abyss, and the abyss stared back.
Brutal in its calm skin it hides behind
Song is like a wake up call. Evil and violence walks this earth and is always closer than most people are willing to realize. Great dive into this beautiful piece. Thanks Virgin rock.
And it's still as if not more violent and evil today as ever. Jim
@@bert0522 why is humanity afflicted with such perpetual horrors ?
Such a poor interpretation by the reviewer. From start to finish, it's an ethereal, heavy, driving, and ghostly song about the kiss of death. Jagger's not singing about "love, sister," as some sort of romantic passion. That "love," is the love of killing people. The "love" of death and destruction. "It's just a kiss away." The grind of a imperial war machine.
War, the ultimate rape of humanity. This song is one step away from Sympathy for the Devil. Penultimate horror.
The cracking of Mary Clayton's voice is accompanied by a Wooohhh from Mick Jagger who couldn't contain himself in the recording booth when he heard that. It's a really good touch and witness of how organic this piece of music was
She was worried she blew the take when her voice cracked. Jagger’s shout was his excitement at what he had just heard. Obviously, he loved it and she didn’t do another take.
That is Mary singing "yeaah" . Where did people get Mick involved with her lines.
@@dougellis8904 You can hear a "Woooo!" in the background.
It is a harmonica and Jagger was playing it. They might have run the signal through a guitar Amp. That was often done at the time. All the guitars were played by Keith Richards. The two to this day are the greatest rock partnership of all time. For a fan like me the words of Keith are a bedrock of truth: "There's the sun, there's the moon, and there's the Rolling Stones."
Also in the sonic mix is Nicky Hopkins' piano and some unusual percussion.
@@marrrtinNicky just nails this groove. He always does. Nicky is the glue that holds the thing together
Sorry greatest rock partnership was John and Paul
@@stevenseul361NO!!! SAME LEVEL!!!
@@szeleddieWhy are you yelling calm down. I Disagree Stones had 8 number one songs and 12 number one albums. Beatles had 20 number one songs and 11 number one albums out of 12 recorded albums. Paul and John are the best working musical collaborators and you could throw in Elton John and Bernie Taupin. You're a Stones fan and that's great but please acknowledge that others were as good or even better than them.
This song you really need a couple of listens to fully appreciate it. It came about when everything seemed on the brink of collapse for the band, as it often was for them, frankly. This is possibly really what motivates the song. Strangely enough, they managed to hold their career together, strokes of fortune coupled with hard work. The production is undoubtedly what saves it; I'd say it contributes a solid 60% to its musical success. That, along with the session singer's performance. Some of the musicianship especially the guitar is very "loose" and jumbled, and rambling, Until it locks together, giving a powerful feeling of relief. This is another factor that people can maybe pick up,
I've always loved the swampy atmosphere of the begiinning of the song. And when I realized it was an anti-war song I connected the swampy atmosphere to the fighting in the swamps of Vietnam. And told from the point of view of the frightened Vietnamese non-combants. Especially Mary Clayton's screams of horror. A mesmerizing classic.
Mick is playing harmonica when he's not singing the guitars and harmonica weave together along with the voices the piano bass and drums do their own weave countering to create a mesmerizing sound and rhythm. One of my favorites by my favorite band. Your takes and reactions take me back to when this brand new . I was 17. I will always tune into your show 👍
I love the way you eloquently describe what the music portrays in your mind.
Did anyone else think 'I can't wait until she hears War Pigs?'
The best part is that she will listen to War Pigs without that stupid, ubiquitous George Orwell remake vid that causes reactors to read the lyrics wrong.
Or masters of war by Dylan
Machine Gun by Jimi Hendrix would be really interesting.
Yes she definitely needs to hear War Pigs and Machine Gun.
This is a favorite of a lot of people who are Stones fans. It's probably the best song a person can pick to describe what the Stones are about, very rooted in American blues and a touch of gospel singing in this particular one.
I had tears in my eyes watching you unwrap this powerful song.
It’s just a kiss away.
it has a harmonica feel because it is a harmonica played electric blues style cupped close to a microphone. And Jagger is a somewhat underrated student of the blues harp masters.
I love your transition for classical music teacher to a rock and roller !!🤗👍💕
_Gimme Shelter_ is one of those songs you simply have to play a few times before it gets under your skin. But when it does...
Probably my favorite backing vocal ever. When her voice cracks...
Unbelievable passion.
The singer was deep into pregnancy and in pain
yes we get it. thanks for stating the obvious
@@47imagine stop being an ignorant and smug arse, you comment does you no favours
@@martin.baldock9719 Not 'in pain' but it was late at night and she was certainly uncomfortable.
Miss, that was NOT a guitar. It was indeed a HARMONICA.
What a fantastic review! Your words and insights did bring me a stronger perspective of this song! Not that I missed out on the meaning of the song. But your depth of insight is lifting the song even higher! Thank you!
Wonderful reaction. I think you'd like, "Can't You Hear Me Knocking." My favourite Stones song.
To those that came of age during the Vietnam War, and especially those that faced the prospect of something almost unimaginable today (Military Draft Conscription), there is a connection to the overall “feel” of this song that just can’t be easily explained, it’s one of those “you had to be there” scenarios. There’s a reason the phrase “Oh, Children” is used in this song . . . teenagers and children on both sides were forcibly thrown into warfare and violence that had absolutely nothing to do with them.
The sense of tension and foreboding in the opening part of the song still brings back powerful emotions after almost 60 years.
In other words . . . they NAILED it.
no no, not NAILED it; N A I L E D it 🤓
The Rolling Stones have a way of burrowing in under your skin. Strange genius there. "Can't Always Get What You Want" next please...
Another great reaction!
Mick is speaking for everyman/everywoman when he asks 'gimme shelter'. As Maslow has theorised, shelter is the absolute most basic human need. And the shelter that could be called for may be physical, from bullets, or mental - note that there is so much bad news in the media currently that some people are trying to avoid hearing about it, others becoming very depressed by it. As you said at the beginning, it does not start with anger, but rather gradually increases in tension and desperation. Another great analysis Amy, teaching me to appreciate these songs in more depth.
I have a new appreciation for this song now.
Merry Clayton background vocals are amazing. I recommend watching the documentary 20 Feet from Stardom for all the amazing vocalists. Props to Lisa Fisher who continued the tradition for many tours.
"Let it Bleed" is an all-time classic album.. You get what you need here!!
'
'Sitting on one's front porch watching the world go by' was what I was thinking, with the vocal sounds being the ghosts of war approaching.
Amy there is actually a harmonica playing along with the guitar.
That high, sort of screeching, voice is not Jagger in falsetto mode, but gospel & soul singer Merry Clayton. Gives a great sonic boost halfway to the end, into the song!
Thinking about "just a shot away", on November 22nd, sixty years ago, a shot rang out in Dallas and the world changed. At that time, people tend to think about the war in Vietnam as the major conflict. But let's not forget that it was the height of the Cold War. At almost any time back then, the world was maybe two hours away from being a lifeless planet. Flight time for the missiles across the North Pole was around twenty or thirty minutes.
That moment where Merry Clayton's voice cracked because she's pushing it too hard, followed with Mick's approving "woo!" Pure magic.
I'm so glad you returned to the Stones, particularly since this is probably my favorite song of theirs, although tough competition. I am glad you had the lyrics handy since Jagger is known for not fully articulating the words. Don't feel out of place not liking Jagger's voice, many do not. He doesn't necessarily have a great singing voice, but he has a great Rolling Stones voice since it is so characteristic of their sound. He is probably the most famous front man in rock history, due in part to his on stage persona and energy, which is still present to this day for a man in his 80s.
Even though the melodic structure is repetitive, the variety of musical textures, slight variations, and dynamics from the various instruments keeps it interesting. They exemplify the essence of the rock sound the most amongst the top iconic bands, which by nature has a repetitive structures. As with most Stones songs I am a huge fan of Keith Richards guitar. The guitar that sounds like a harmonica, is in fact actually a harmonica.😉 Great commentary and message by you Amy, particularly at the end.
A fabulously mesmerizing, hypnotic, song.
Good analysis and wider description of your response.
One thing to remember is the British musicians of 1960s were born during or immediately after WW2. Some lost parents (eg Roger Waters of Pink Floyd), some were relocated away from bombs (Keith Richards but Dartford ended up a target area too), some had parents going out during blitz (Paul McCartney's mother was a midwife who responded to calls by going to a woman's home and my other started nursing training in Liverpool when war broke out so she also rode her bike to work through the bombs). Bill Wyman, bassist of Rolling Stones was a few years older - he's same age as my wife's much older half-brother, born 1936, so was fully aware of the war and watched the bombers fly overhead and dodged bullets when a plane straffed their road in SE London, also the V-bomb drones with huge payloads, and he did 3 years of National Service. They all grew up in a bankrupt country that was threatened with starvation in the cold winter that followed the war. They played in bomb sites and collected bomb fragments. Many houses were not rebuilt till into 1960s. My grandparents house in the Sussex country took a hit and was destroyed (they survived and Dad oversaw the rebuilding when he returned from Burma). They all picked up on the pervading dread. UK remained under severe food rationing till the early 1950s and it only ended in 1954 when Wyman would have been 18 and Jagger was about 12. This song picks up on all our childhoods, our parents' dread, and subsequent conflicts in Kenya (Britain's demonic involvement that led to Mau Mau), Malaya, Korea, many small wars, and, when the record came out, Vietnam, Northern Ireland as a different type of war. I went to a boarding school in early and mid 1960s, many fellow pupils were from newly independent African countries - my dormitory leader who was in the next bed had his father assassinated in the Biafra war in Nigeria
My favourite song off my favourite Stones album.
That guitar sound that has a harmonica-ish sound is Mick Jagger on harmonica. I don't know what they used to get the distortion on it.
They used a harp mic plugged into a guitar amp (often a Fender). Several bluesmen & bands popularised that technique in the early days of electric music to create that raw bluesy sound. There are more sophisticated tools nowadays - harp amps, directional mics and such.
This distinct sound you mention is indeed a harmonica, played in that characteristically bluesy, distorted, way, by Mick Jagger.
"i dont remember who's singing" "mick jagger" i love that!!!!
Knowing Jagger he would be more offended by someone not knowing it was him singing then he would be by their not liking the way he sings.
Oh honey, that's a blues harp! Keith Richards, the guitarist here, arranged and assembled this entire song. It is a masterpiece. Mick wrote the incredible lyrics. Mary Clayton brought the gospel vocals. Perfect!
It's Merry.
Vlad perhaps you might consider “Rock Lobster” by B52s. Very fun Rock and roll song. Very popular to this day.
Easily my all time favorite Rolling Stones song and I like many others as well. However, it always felt to me more like they were just tapping into some universal force of nature with this one, as if it almost erupted spontaneously. It's a three-part structure of foreboding, desperation, and finally hope, all built upon a simple repetitive blues/boogie-woogie riff. It's the soulful spontaneity of Richard's guitar and vocals by Jagger and Clayton that make it work so well.
I get it. And I appreciate you delving into music that's far removed from classical. Hopefully the more you listen to rock you will digest more of the groove and let that consume you.
It’s a harmonica, jagger is a real good harp player
What can i say ? You are doing my record collection with such an intelligence . you are the best
tion
The effect on the guitar that is very noticeable at the beginning of the song is a tremelo. The tremelo effect along with the interplay of the different guitars and the creaking sound of the Guiro (A Latin percussion instrument) further emphasizes the syncopated rhythm, (There is also a jerky, staccato rythm guitar phrase at the end of each verse). All of this combined produces music that might seem peaceful on the surface but the tension builds in a similar way to the theme song in the movie "The Exorcist." There is something slightly unsettling about it, almost like a children's nursery rhyme in a horror film. In contrast to the guitars, the vocals by the backup singers repeat a simple haunting melody. As the song reaches it's crescendo the female vocalist screams out "war" and "r*pe!"
Although the song is beautiful, I have always found it to be disturbingI "Sympathy For The Devil " might be taken as a clever attempt by the Devil at subtle persuasion as he takes credit for wars and assassinations while demanding sympathy and respect and in the end blames humans. But this song isn't gently instructive or reassuring at all, it is a warning! This song was part of the set during the Stone's Altamont concert in 1969 where someone pulled a knife and was shot by Hell's Angels who were hired as security. This event along with: the Tet offensive in Vietnam, the Tate murders by Manson, the assassination of Robert Kennedy and MLK marked the end of the so called "Summer of Love" period of the Hippie movement and began a darker phase.
Let it Bleed is the Stone's best album in my opinion, this dark song contrasts well with the warmer songs "Love In Vain" and "You Can't Always Get What you Want" which are also excellent. I would like to see the "'You Can't Always Get What You Want"reviewed soon while "Gimme Shelter" is still fresh in the mind.
Wow ...write a book already😂
I was 16 when this album came out this song in particular had a great effect on me. The reverb on the guitar.....saw them live in Chicago that year along with Chuck Berry. Great memories
Is Mick playing harmonica of course. He's a master on that.
I can't wait for Amy to realize that it was a harmonica, all along ... and it sounded like Mick's vocals, because it was his mouth, and those famous lips! :) *
* Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals, harmonica
Keith Richards - backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
Bill Wyman - bass
Charlie Watts - drums
Additional personnel
Merry Clayton - lead and backing vocals
Nicky Hopkins - piano
Jimmy Miller - güiro, maracas
* (Courtesy of Wikipedia)
This song is in my First Aid Kit for difficult moments. It's a mantra, a thing of empathy and intensity underlined by the once-in-a-lifetime delivery by Merry Clayton. And yes that's an harmonica - and yes it matches Jaggers's voice, as he's playing it. You nailed it at the end, it's not just about a War zone specifically, it's about the conflict in our everyday lives, the psychological violence, the hopelessness, the constant fight for the legal tender (as Jackson Browne says). God where would I be without the weekly therapy brought by this tune. Eternal. Thanks for the great review.
“Menacing” is the way I’ve described Stones songs like this one, “Sympathy,” “Bitch,” “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,” etc.
It’s a scary song, at least to me, but melodic
**** They voice you are talking about is Merry Clayton, (one of the all time great background singers of the age). She also sang on Neil Young's self titled album on (The Old Laughing Lady).
I’ve always interpreted the beginning vocals as either an air-raid siren or a tornado siren. So, not a comfortable beginning at all! 😄 It’s funny how differently we can interpret things.
Just wanted to say I love your videos. I'm old so I love classic rock and the Stones have been my favorite band since I first really started paying attention to music when I was about fourteen. Keep up the good work and please, please never change.
I've heard it a 1000 times, but I'm always startled by it, every time, from start to finish.
I love this song, and I love the Sisters of Mercy cover even more for some reason.
Great cover by a band most people don't know exists.
Not as good as their cover of Jolene...
Thanks to movies in general and Martin Scorsese in particular, this song is coded in my brain as what impending danger sounds like. 😄 I'm not old enough to have heard it prior to use in other media, so I'll always wonder about the chicken/egg of it all. (What emotions would it have triggered on its own, divorced of any cinematic associations?)
Good question! I think it may have been adopted by the anti Vietnam war protesters? But they didn't even have boom boxes back then!!!
I always think of the ominous tone of the song as a foreshadowing of Altamont seeing how that happened about six months after this was released.
When the bass drops and Micks voice kicks in it takes you back to the 60s. True rock and roll. You can just picture American G.I.'s sitting there in a bunker smoking, listening to this on a radio.
And it's about war in the streets.
Mary Clayton 7 months pregnant and halfway across the world called in late one night to record her legendary backing track.. haunting. moving.. unforgettable
It’s Merry Clayton, and she was 4 months pregnant.
and allegedly because of this she had a miscarriage... quite a tragic story actually
Some of the story is recounted in the documentary, Twenty Feet From Stardom. Well worth a look.
Yeah hard to fathom how incredible that performance is for being pregnant and woken up in the middle of the night to sing a background track. Love the fact Jaggers Whoa when she wails away stayed in the track. Good video of her talking about it here: ruclips.net/video/ChONufP0FEs/видео.html
I have heard tell the story more than once and she has never said she called it in. She was in the studio.
Excellent, timely.
She's a Rainbow is a gorgeous song from the Stones. Wild Horses, Moonlight Mile, You Can't Always Get What You Want all sound just lovely as well. It's Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It) is a funny song but weirdly deep in my opinion. Their catalog is huge, but most fans and casual admirers would agree with me about the ones I've mentioned I reckon. Much love. Your comments have pointed out to me the extreme relevance of Gimme Shelter in 2023. Thank you.
Those are all good but my favorite Stones ballad is Memory Motel.
Great list, I would like to ad ,,Anybody 've seen my babe" ?!
Maybe you try to listen band "The Stooges"? Especially Gimme Danger.
Far and away my all time favorite Stones song. Thank you for analyzing it.
To me....the beginning sounds haunting...knowing something is coming that may not be good.
That first understated piano chord is the first hint at something ominous, like a peel of distant but quickly approaching thunder
p,s, Merry Clayton was very, very pregnant and called into the studio at night during a thunderstorm, and as she explains you can hear the nature of her mood. Tragically not long after she miscarried.
Check out the song Italian Leather Sofa by CAKE. You can listen while sitting on your Italian leather sofa
I hope you're watching the official music video with lyrics. Not sure how many hundreds of times I've heard this on the radio since whenever it was released....but until I saw the video with lyrics ...colrfully scratched out....I never knew what he was even singing about. But it's now my favorite Rolling Sones tune
It doesb't just sound like a harmonica, it is a harmonica. There is also a good live version with Lady Gaga guesting
Or the r and r hall of fame performance with Tina Turner.
I like Lisa Fischer better on this than Lady Gaga.
@@nellgwenn Check out the r and r hall of fame performance with Tina Turner.
You must react to "You Can't Always get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones. You'll love the classic french horns in it.
Amy - that "creaking sound" at the beginning. Are you talking about:
The güiro is a percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines along the notches to produce a ratchet sound.
Jagger was playing a "blues harp," which helps explain why it has the same phrasing as his voice.
Many, like John Lennon, distinguish between a harmonica (which "has a button" to allow for a chromatic scale of 12 notes) and a blues harp (a diatonic instrument, using a so-called natural scale of 7 notes).
These blues harps are usually available in a few basic keys and the notes are much easier to pitch bend into specifically microtonal blue notes, those found between between the standard notes on a piano.
As for the "relatively calm" nature of this song, I think you are not considering that this was released on commercial radio in 1969 - so in comparison to "Baby Love" or "Cherish," this song WAS pretty intense.
The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. Love/Hate is similar to Genius/Insanity and Heads/Tails - two sides of the same coin.
As for being a fan of the Rolling Stones, "the band," I HIGHLY recommend you withhold your final judgment. Unlike most bands (excepting Beatles, Led Zep, Floyd, etc.), the Stones have a very WIDE RANGE of styles, even though they are most basically a R&B based band.
You still need to hear some Brian Jones (their founder and first lead guitarist who died in 1969 and was replaced by Mick Taylor until 1973 and was replaced by Ron Wood) era Stones where they explore different sounds like Lady Jane and Ruby Tuesday.
That's what I think, anyway.
"Just a shot away… just a kiss away… which one will we choose?" Interestingly the Sisters of Mercy sing a cover of
Gimme Shelter with those lines swapped around to great effect.
One of my fav songs ever. Merry Clayton? Raw power!
You need to do “The Rain Song” by Led Zeppelin very soon! Please & Thank You!!
It's also the way Mick says or sings the words that make his vocal style unique
Most rock music isn't directed at the brain, it's directed at the gut. To really love it, you have to feel it inside and let it build.
It’s still constructive to consult the brain to analyze how the music so effectively created a gut reaction.
Absolutely. that lets you appreciate it but it doesn't make you feel it.@@thundernels
100% true. The cerebral element in rock lyrics is often underappreciated, though. But yes, the power of a good rock song is first felt in the gut. Generally, I get the feel of a piece of music before paying attention to the finer details (after a few listens). Professional musicians are bound to have a different approach, which makes their opinions interesting and opens my ears to aspects I might have missed.
It is a harmonica you are hearing. You will be amused ed to know blues people call harmonicas “harps” . To get the sound it is probably from an old crystal microphone like a JT-32. Into an amplifier for sure.
This is actually two songs combined in that you have the beginning of the song talk about an impending storm coming. Keith Richards said this: “I had been sitting by the window of my friend Robert Fraser’s apartment on Mount Street in London with an acoustic guitar when suddenly the sky went completely black and an incredible monsoon came down. It was just people running about looking for shelter" But then it turns to represent the Vietnam War with Mick Jagger saying this: "“Well, it’s a very rough, very violent era. The Vietnam War. Violence on the screens, pillage and burning." Storms are natural and something humans have no control over while wars are unnatural and something humans control. Same for things like rape and murder, all human driven not natural disasters. Finally the song talks about love which is again something humans have some control over. All the terrible things are so close to us: storms, war, rape and murder. So close to us. And so is love. Some things we have control over and some things we don't.
Great post. "...just a shot away" versus "...just a kiss away" perfectly illustrates how easily life can veer this way or that way depending on the choices made either by others or ourselves. For many people, the middle road is nothing but a tightrope. Rock lyrics often contain wisdom that isn't always recognised.
Could be an an åntį wår song as well. Specially now days.
If you're not yet a Stones fan, listen to Tumbling Dice and Loving Cup.
Probably their greatest tune. At least top 5 for sure. It has a sort of foreboding that really connects.
Gimme Shelter is a timeless classic. The opening guitar riff is genius in its simplicity and very haunting. The backing vocals are another touch of genius as well . The best Stones compositions never date. You have covereed ' Angie ' - may I suggest ' Moonlight Mile' , ' Sister Morphine ' , ' Time waits for no-one ' , ' Beast of Burden ' and even perhaps the extended ' Miss You ' or ' Finger Print File '
I suggest "Mother's Little Helper" 😂😄
First the opening guitar riffs are not happy, it is ominous and dark. Gimme Shelter is apocalyptic. It describes many things going on at the time such as Viet Nam etc. It is still relevant today because of all the shit happening in the world constantly. Just because we have never had a war in this country we've had Viet Nam spill into our homes every night through tv. This is one of the greatest songs ever recorded in my opinion. It will always be relevant because the world is always in turmoil. That's why we need shelter. I don't think she really gets it especially the Love sister is just a kiss away is showing all the turmoil could be avoided with love.
This is my favorite Stones song. If you listen specifically to Mary Clayton’s singing, you’ll hear her voice crack the third time she sings, “rape, murder” due to the intensity of her singing. It fit the song so well that they kept it in. If you listen closely enough, you can hear Mick going “wooo!” when it happened. On a sadder note, apparently strain she put on herself by singing on this song the way she did caused her to have a miscarriage the following day.
That specific moment is one of my favorite moments in the history of music. It's so damn good.
The cover version she released on her own album a year later is definitely worth a listen. (As is her cover of Neil Young's "Southern Man".)
well, thats the most original ad i've ever seen! (of course, youre not getting paid, which makes it even more original!) 😁 ps great song and reaction as always
I hope you always have the lyrics in front of you when you do the Stones. If not, you'll be lost
Probably my favorite Stones song (along with Can't You Hear Me Knockin).
As someone who has lived through a conflict even in war people seek normalcy.
I have to say you totally miss the TWO guitars playing off each other let alone how the whole band interacting with their instruments. You also read way too much without actually hearing the whole song. Love what your doing but you have a long way to go in understanding Rock.
Some did escape, dodged the draft and headed to Canada.
The 'interesting guitar sound' is actually the sound of Mick Jagger's sublime electrified harmonica.