Vinyl of the Week - 1 NOVEMBER 2020

Beggars Banquet, Rolling Stones

This week it’s back to the Stones and one of my all time favourite albums to celebrate the launch of the Displayable website - Beggars Banquet. Released in 1968, this album was a return to form following their experimental venture into the world of psychedelic pop with Their Satanic Majesties Request. Beggars Banquet was a far more coherent album and had the blues & roots sound that defined their early work. This was the last album with Brian Jones, who plays on every track except one. It was also the first where the majority of the songwriting could be attributed to Mick and Keith (all bar “Prodigal Son”). The album was ready for release in July but Decca Records wouldn’t approve the cover art, saying it was in bad taste. It took almost six months to reach an agreement, the Stones compromising with the wedding-invitation style cover you see on the left. The original cover, on the right, depicting a filthy bathroom wall covered in graffiti, was first published for the reissue of the album on CD in the early 80’s. There were a handful of the original covers printed back in ‘68, distributed to people in the Stones inner circle, and today they are extremely rare. The opening track “Sympathy For The Devil” is one of their most recognised and universally acclaimed songs. Penned by Mick for the most part, Keith was responsible for the hypnotic, rock samba rhythm. Mick wrote the lyrics after reading a book by famous Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita, given to him by Marianne Faithful. He was inspired by the novel’s central premise, what if evil triumphed over good? These lyrics combined with the beat, the African drum percussion and the distinctive “woo-woo” backing chant made it an instant success. Of course, the critics hated it and many articles were written accusing the Stones of devil worship (which in turn made their fans want it even more). So with this classic tune in my head and on my turntable, I wish you all a Happy Halloween - DS