The Rolling Stones - "Let It Bleed" (1969)

Let It Bleed is the tenth studio album released by the Rolling Stones in America.  Due to some differences in some release differences in their home country of England, it is the eighth album that was released in England.  It was released in December of 1969.  This was the final album to feature band member, Brian Jones.  He was a founding member of the band and played a wide variety of instruments.  He died in July of 1969; his death was reported as "death by misadventure."  This was a tragic loss for all of the music industry, and has been the topic of many theories of conspiracy.  This album features some of The Rolling Stones' most famous songs, including "Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want." When discussing the success of The Rolling Stones, this is an album that is sure to be discussed.  

1) Gimme Shelter (10/10)

This is possibly the best Rolling Stones song ever.  When it was released, it also had great emotional appeal, due to the suffering everyone was feeling because of the Vietnam War.  One of the greatest parts of the song is when Merry Clayton sings in the background.  She is the standout female voice that sings the powerful lines including "War, Children, it's just a shot away."  Her exceptional performance along with the band's stellar job creates one of the best songs in rock and roll history.

2) Love In Vain (9/10)

What comes as a shock to most people is that this song is actually a cover of a blues song from 1937 by Robert Johnson.  It is surprising because it seems to fit the Stones' style perfectly.  There is a big difference in the arrangements for both versions however.  The Rolling Stones added a few new chords here and there and the song had a unique country tone to it.  The lyrics are very poignant and their new arrangement made that even more evident.

3)  Country Honk (7/10)

This is actually just a country version of the much more famous, "Honky Tonk Women."  The version on this album is the original version of the song.  They wrote and intended the song to sound the way it does on Let It Bleed.  However, a more modern version was created to become a single.  I personally prefer "Honky Tonk Women," but "Country Honk" has a very distinct ring to it.

4) Live With Me (8/10)

This song really shows off their influences and their own original characteristics.  The song has a definitive blues backbone, along with a number of other traits that only the Rolling Stones could successfully use.  A couple of minutes into the song, there is a wonderful saxophone solo.  Also, the lyrics seem like they may be a joke about the way Jagger was looked at by the public.  Lines like "I got nasty habits, I take tea at three," help to give me this impression.

5) Let It Bleed (9/10)

This is an amusing song that allows Mick Jagger to really show off his personality.  Its loud and rambunctious attitude is at a level only The Rolling Stones can reach, and it is awesome.  Everything just comes together in a way that is somewhat stupefying.  In order to understand what I am trying to say, you really have to just listen to it.  You can listen to it on YouTube by clicking here.

6) Midnight Rambler (9/10)

This is another song that is filled with the blues.  This is a result of the constant harmonica jamming in the background.  This song mostly shows off how talented Mick Jagger really is.  It has been said that this song is actually about The Boston Strangler, who murdered many women in the early 1960s.  If you read the lyrics, the resemblance between the "Midnight Rambler" and The Boston Strangler is very obvious.

7) You Got The Silver (7/10)

This is the first time that Keith Richards held the role of the lead vocalist on a song by the Stones.  Both Jagger and Richards recorded a version of the song, but the band eventually decided on Richards' version.  This is partly because it is Keith's own composition.  It is also the last song to ever feature Brian Jones, who plays the autoharp on this song.  This is a song with the intentions of just pure entertainment.

8) Monkey Man (8/10)

This song has an great guitar part played by Keith Richards.  It's not that it is such a complex part; the simplicity of it is what makes it so thrilling.  Mick Jagger also sings some very strange lyrics, including "Yes, I'm a sack of broken eggs, I always have an unmade bed, Don't you?"  Nevertheless, it is a fantastic addition to this outstanding album.

9) You Can't Always Get What You Want (11/10)

Words can't really describe how good this song is, but I'll do my best to give it proper justice.  It represents the 1960s generation in a really smart way.  The three major themes of the sixties were drugs, love, and politics.  The first part of the lyrics is about love, the second part is about politics, and the last is about drugs.  This is all on top of the band playing a song that has a groove to it that is hard to match.  They even featured a the London Bach Choir and an orchestra on the song.  Mick Jagger said "The orchestra was not just to cover everything up.  It was something extra.  The Stones were working on this song since they were working on their last album, Beggars Banquet.  And yes, "it goes to eleven!"

I hope you are all inspired to go and listen to Let It Bleed now.  I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed.  It was an album that helped define a generation, and end it.  It was the last Rolling Stones album of the 1960s.  Rolling Stone Magazine rated Let It Bleed as the 32nd best album of all time.  From the lethal guitar on "Monkey Man" to the ferocious blues on "Midnight Rambler" to the incredible symbolism on "Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want," this is the best album by The Rolling Stones.

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Christina Aguilera - "Lotus"

Lotus is Christina Aguilera's seventh studio album that was released last Friday, November 9th.  This album is a huge step up from her last album, Bionic.   It has a great mix of club/dance songs and piano focused songs that bring out the best in her powerful voice.  It is a CD that definitely brings her voice front and center, something that Bionic lacked.  Her previous album was a major flop in the music industry with very low sales figures.  Aguilera has put out her best album in years with this latest release.  The main theme throughout the album is that she is a fighter and refuses to be hurt by what all of her critics have to say.  All of the Aguilera fans will be very pleased to see what she has done with this album.

1) Lotus Intro (??/10)

This "song" sets the mood for the rest of the album.  It's not much of a song, as the entire thing is spoken word.  The words, however, use the lotus flower as a metaphor for Christina's "rebirth."  She is making it clear that she wants a clean slate and is ready to take on her career with a new attitude.  I can not give it a score, just because it isn't really a song.

2) Army of Me (7/10)

This song is about facing the pressure of being a celebrity.  Aguilera is already using her lyrics to build herself up and prove that she will not be affected by what anyone else has to say.  It has the sound that I would expect in a single off of this album.  I wouldn't be too surprised if this inspiring hit will see some time on the radio in the coming months.

3) Red Hot Kinda Love (8/10)

Now this song is interesting.  The first time I heard it, I absolutely hated it.  But after a few listens it began to become one of the standout songs off of this album.  It is a fun pop song filled with energy that is bound to make its way onto the playlists of clubs everywhere.  This song takes some warming up to, but it has that sound that will have people singing it all over the place.

4) Make The World Move (feat. CeeLo Green) [4/10]

The addition of her "Voice" co-star seemed really unnecessary.  His vocals never had an important part in the song.  He was basically a back-up singer for the track.  The song was backed by a band that featured a lot of trumpets and horns that didn't quite fit.  The mix of "old-fashioned" and modern music made for a sub-par song.

5) Your Body (8.5/10)

This is Aguilera's lead single off of Lotus.  It was released sometime in September and saw a good amount of time on the radio.  It shows off Aguilera's incredible vocal ability tremendously.  What makes this song so good is that it can do that and be a pop song that will be very successful.  This is a hit song for Aguilera and her producer.

6) Let There Be Love (7/10)

This song is headed straight for the radio.  It uses the familiar formula for hit songs, mostly because of the producer of this song, Max Martin.  He has also produced songs for Katy Perry, Usher, and Britney Spears.  Christina is likely to release this as a single also, as Martin has proved to be very successful in the past.  The song itself does not lack vitality and deserves to be a hit single.

7) Sing For Me (8/10)

This is the first ballad of the album.  It is reminiscent of arguably her best song to date, "Beautiful."  This is another song where she gains confidence by singing about how she is not affected by what other people have to say.  It is backed by some soft violins and a piano, with a solid "ballad drumbeat." For die hard Christina Aguilera fans, this is a precious jewel to save from this LP.

8) Blank Page (7/10)

Aguilera decided to follow up the album's first ballad with another intense piano ballad.  This is the first song with a lot of emotion that doesn't focus on her thoughts of herself.  These lyrics focus on a lost love.  Christina is able to show off the power in her voice.  Her voice is able to make the listener feel the emotions she is feeling, and that is very evident in this song.

9) Cease Fire (5/10)

This song is very bland and uninteresting.  From the extremely unnecessary use of auto-tune at times to all of the war analogies, this song is probably the album's low point.  Even the chorus isn't as electrifying as the rest of the songs.  I just feel like this song was released unfinished.  If it was a little more polished and the lyrics were put together a little better, it could be great.

10) Around The World (6/10)

This song also lacked the excitement the album reached in the beginning.  It reminds me a little bit of "Your Body," but without the thrills that it had to offer.  One good thing about this song is the drums, something about the drumbeat in this song stood out to me.  Aguilera also referenced her hit song from 2001 by whispering "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" in the background.  That might have been the best part of the song.

11) Circles (8/10)

This song was a complete change from the current mood of the album.  With the hook line being "Spin around in circles on my middle middle finger" it definitely took me by surprise.  Anyway, the song is one of the more fun tracks off of the entire record.  It was filled with attitude and was a great change from past three songs, which were not very great.

12) Best Of Me (8/10)

This is Aguilera remembering how she used to be so vulnerable.  With this song she is putting the past behind her and promises that nobody will ever get the "best of me" anymore.  This is a song of hope that she can stay strong in the future.  This is the third and final ballad of the album.  I think it is the best of the three.

13) Just A Fool (feat. Blake Shelton) [7/10]

This is a great song to end the record.  It is another duet with her fellow judge on "The Voice," but this one is much better than the first, with CeeLo.  The first verse is all Aguilera, and the second is with Blake Shelton.  Even so, he continues to sing along with Christina in the last part of the song.  There is a great powerful drum beat that is perfect for tapping your feet along with the music.  If there was one song that really proved that Christina Aguilera is one of the best singers of this generation, it would be this one.

Lotus is so much better than I thought it would be.  It is one thousand percent better than her last album, Bionic.  The addition of a long list of new producers make this an album that is filled with songs that are bound to make an impact on the charts.  There was a brief stage of about three songs where things got a little weak, but for the most part, this was a great album.  Christina is starting a new chapter, and all of her fans will be very excited when they hear this new record.

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