When it comes to classic rock, you can’t get much more iconic than The Rolling Stones. Sure, I’m fairly familiar with their music, but I had never actually sat down and listened to a full album of theirs before this. That’s why my dad picked their 1972 record, Exile on Main St., for me this Dad-Rock Tuesday.
Right from the beginning of the record, I could tell that I was going to be enjoying myself for a large portion of the next hour and six minutes. Exile kicks off on a very exciting note, with energetic jaunts Rocks Off and Rip This Joint. Fast tempos and horns abound, and even though The Stones calm down a bit from there on, slow tracks like Sweet Virginia have that same energy and enthusiasm, which makes pretty much everything fun to listen to.
The one downfall of Exile on Main St. is its length. At over an hour long, it tends to wear and becomes fairly repetitive, especially around the middle. It’s not that I can think of any particularly awful songs, but everything started to blend together after a while. It also seems just a tad self-indulgent to put out an album with eighteen songs. Exile on Main St. was the 10th studio album released by The Stones, so I guess they had earned a little leeway by then. To a first time listener, though, the record’s length is kind of obnoxious.
Ultimately, I can look past the length and song count on this album. The Stones put together something really solid, and it’s clear that they actually earned their status as one of the greatest rock bands of all time.
Swole Ear 
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