Junk and Sale Bin Shop Finds 3 : Beggars Banquet and Black and Blue

To get these two, with the Vinyl in great condition for a total of $4 is a real find.  The copy I found is an original NZ release judging by the white cover (as opposed to the toilet seat cover), the thickness of the vinyl and the orange Decca label.  The cover shows 45 years wear but the record plays perfectly and sounds amazing.

I first heard Beggars Banquet when a school friend Jeremy Wilkins lent it to me in what was probably the 5th form (40 years ago!). At the time it did not grab me.  Now to me it really signifies the start proper of The Stones as a rock and album band as opposed to a singles band.  While they had put out other serious albums prior to this (Satanic Majesties and Aftermath) in particular - this is the first time they really pulled it off. Of course the next three albums really grew that reputation but this to me is where The Stones (as opposed to The Rolling Stones) started.  Hard to pick a highlight from this album - Jan would say Street Fighting Man, I would probably go for the now obvious Sympathy for The Devil - a less obvious highlight would be No Expectations.

Black and Blue is quite a different album. A band trying to work out where to go and how to replace Mick Taylor who while he did not look the part is THE  Stones Second Guitarist as it was with him that they recorded their best work.  Three separate guitarist were tried on the album (Wayne Perkins, Harvey Mandell and of course Ronnie Wood who could obviously look and act the part - even if he would never in my opinion make the creative input that Mick made).  While the guitarwork floundered a bit Nicky Hopkins and Billy Preston made this perhaps the only Stones keyboard driven album

Not a much loved Stones' album but there are always tracks worth listening to with Memory Motel and Fool to Cry standing out to me.