🎧Drop the Needle, Landscapes of Yesteryear Pt. 105: The Stones' Instincts Dwelling in 'Let It Bleed'

This is "Foxtrot," a coffee shop where music lovers from the neighborhood naturally gather.
With Kazuhiko, the master who loves UK rock, budding copperplate print artist Ami, and Yukihiro, a music magazine writer and friend since middle school, stop by from time to time to engage in quiet yet passionate music discussions over records and coffee.

The Rolling Stones, 'Let It Bleed' (1969)

The album that served as a 'bridge' to the later Stones

Ami“Master, this record cover is cute. There’s a cake and records stacked up... Is this really the Stones?”
Kazuhiko“That’s right. The rugged Stones, with a ‘cake cover’ of all things. It was designed by Robert Brownjohn. It was a pretty pop approach for the time.”
Yukihiro“But the content is anything but pop; the Stones’ ‘earthiness and rowdiness’ are captured directly in the sound. Only the appearance is sweet.”
Ami“Oh, so there’s that kind of gap. Just looking at the jacket, I thought it would be a lighter album.”
Kazuhiko“This '”Let It Bleed’ was made during a period when Brian Jones was becoming dysfunctional, and Mick Taylor joined midway through. It was a moment when the band was right in the middle of a ‘turning point.’”
Yukihiro“’69 was a year that shook the entire rock world. Woodstock, the Vietnam War, the Altamont incident... Society was unstable, and that atmosphere is soaked into the album.”
Ami“Do you mean the Stones are turning the atmosphere of the era into sound?”
Kazuhiko“Exactly. It’s like the sound is coated in the ‘dust of the era.’ It’s truly the worldview of ‘”Let It Bleed.’”
Yukihiro“The Stones are a band that converts social chaos and emotions directly into rock. This is one record that symbolizes that.”
Ami“Art can sometimes have social relevance... it’s close to that, isn’t it?”
Yukihiro“That feeling is spot on. That’s why its value hasn’t diminished even after more than 50 years.”

‘Gimme Shelter,’ ‘You Can’t Always Get...’: The tension and salvation released by these masterpieces

Ami“The intro to the first track, 'Gimme Shelter,' was so unsettling, like a storm was coming.”
Yukihiro“That was truly a ‘premonition of the end of the world.’ Keith’s trembling chords, Merry Clayton’s screams. That alone captures all of ‘1969.’”
Kazuhiko“Merry Clayton was called in late at night and recorded it in one take. In that moment when her voice cracks, history is being made.”
Ami“So that crack wasn’t a ‘mistake,’ but an ‘inevitability.’”
Yukihiro“Not letting them sing perfectly is what makes it the Stones. Those raw moments are what rock is all about.”
Kazuhiko“That ‘rawness’ that symbolizes the entirety of ‘Let It Bleed.’ It’s irresistible.”
Ami“‘Love in Vain’ suddenly gets much bluesier, doesn’t it?”
Yukihiro“It’s a Robert Johnson cover, but it’s become completely a ‘Stones blues.’ It’s not an imitation; it’s a sound they’ve made their own blood.”
Kazuhiko“It feels like a step forward from their early, rough-hewn style toward a tighter, more mature blues. This is also unique to a ‘transitional period.’”
Ami“The final track, ‘You Can't Always Get What You Want,’ has a completely different vibe. I was surprised it started with a choir.”
Kazuhiko“The London Bach Choir. It’s an unusual introduction for the Stones.”
Yukihiro“But the lyrics are cynical. ‘You can't always get what you want.’ Behind the bright melody, there’s a real bitterness to life.”

Ami“So brightness and sadness coexist.”
Kazuhiko“That’s exactly why it’s a song that gently accepts the weight of ‘Let It Bleed’ as a whole and leaves a little hope at the end.”
Yukihiro“Against the backdrop of the chaos of 1969, you can see the Stones stepping onto a new stage. ‘
Let It Bleed’ is a work that stands at that ‘crossroads.’”Ami
“The Stones are so deep... Master, please tell me about another album sometime!”Kazuhiko
“Of course. I’ll bring another interesting one next time.”

■ Characters

• Kazuhiko: 52 years old. Master of the coffee shop 'Foxtrot.' Knowledgeable about UK rock and a record collector.

• Ami: 26 years old. Waitress and budding copperplate printmaker. An art school graduate who dreams of holding a solo exhibition. She started becoming interested in music through the Master's influence.

• Yukihiro: 52 years old. A music magazine writer and Kazuhiko's best friend since junior high school. He drops by the cafe occasionally to drink black coffee.

*The name of the cafe 'Foxtrot' is derived from the Genesis album of the same name.