The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed Review

In a series of grand achievements, Let It Bleed may be the finest jewel of all in The Rolling Stones’ crown. Accept the rebel within but grow up with it. This is what Mick Jagger and company managed on Let It Bleed, an incredible reaction to the response their music had gauged. There is no escaping the long-lasting legacy of this Vietnam War-fitted opener, Gimme Shelter has now found itself rallied around as an all-time great. For those indoor dwellers who find much love in playing Vietnam shooters, this song will elicit all the right tones of Rising Storm 2, though it does much more than produce fodder for video games. Let It Bleed feels like a reassessment of who The Rolling Stones were – and their move was one they never looked back on until Hackney Diamonds.  

Let It Bleed is, at the same time as being defined by one song, a deeply rich and varied piece of work. It is difficult, but possible, to forget the tender, slowed charms and twangs of Love in Vain – a perfect follow-up to the frenetic course Jagger and company take on their adrenalin-pumping opener. A classic from the American Songbook which hears Jagger go toe-to-toe with those influenced by Robert Johnson. He has the whoops and interjections Bob Dylan had in his heyday, Let It Bleed releasing right at the peak of those trusted moves from the man who brought listeners Nashville Skyline this same year. Fiddle-playing fascinations on Country Honk feel more like a reaction to the turmoil surrounding Brian Jones than anything else – The Stones diving deep into what their sound had been influenced by.  

Their blues-based elements, filtered throughout on percussion-heavy and punk-oriented Live With Me, as well as jutting perfection on the title track, bring a sense of heartbreak and grief. A flair for brass and a pocket of influence for the sounds of the future would bless The Stones here, something felt at the end of the record with the intimacies of You Can’t Always Get What You Want. Strip it back a few more layers and you can find Jagger plucking away on his lonesome, processing Jones and the future of The Rolling Stones. Let It Bleed marked a fiery fresh start, whether they liked it or not. Midnight Rambler gives them the free-flowing fun of throwing down those country blues. Flutters of this new life can be heard throughout Let It Bleed, turning fun fluff like Monkey Man into essential, exceptional pieces. 

Lightning in a bottle timing for The Rolling Stones saw the UK rock band become the voice of the student population taking to Let It Bleed as they rallied in the streets. Such a focus and glory to these tracks, from the choir for You Can’t Always Get What You Want to the striking, tender acoustics – it is clear to hear why this still holds such gravitas. Slick guitar work from Keith Richards was a monumental step up for a man who would soon cement himself as an all-time great. He has plenty of shifts here which can pinpoint his perfection of the style, Monkey Man and Gimme Shelter boom through with such grand atonement for the in-house horrors of the group and their split from Jones, the grief to follow. Great works are often a reaction, be it a turn against the times which made the band, the people who tried to stop them or a nod to the world around them. Let It Bleed is a rare record which has all three, and secures its legacy with ease.