Goat's Head Soup
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''Goats Head Soup'' is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
, released on 31 August 1973 by
Rolling Stones Records Rolling Stones Records was the record label formed by the Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman in 1970, after their recording contract with Decca Records expired. The label was initi ...
. Like its predecessor '' Exile on Main St.'', the band composed and recorded much of it outside of the United Kingdom due to their status as
tax exile A tax exile is a person who leaves a country to avoid the payment of income tax or other taxes. The term refers to an individual who already owes money to the tax authorities or wishes to avoid being liable in the future for taxation at what they ...
s. ''Goats Head Soup'' was recorded in Jamaica, the United States and the United Kingdom. The album contains 10 tracks, including the lead single "
Angie Angie may refer to: People * Angie (given name) * Ängie, a Swedish pop singer * Angie Vázquez, Mexican singer Arts and entertainment * ''Angie'' (Angela Bofill album), 1978 * ''Angie'' (Spill Tab album), 2025 * "Angie" (song), a 1973 single ...
" which went to number one as a single in the US and the top five in the UK. The album was the last to be produced by
Jimmy Miller Jimmy Miller (March 23, 1942 – October 22, 1994) was an American record producer and musician. While he produced albums for dozens of different bands and artists, he is known primarily for his work with several key musical acts of the 1960s ...
, who was a key architect of the Rolling Stones sound during their most acclaimed period which began with 1968's ''
Beggars Banquet ''Beggars Banquet'' is the seventh studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 6 December 1968 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom and London Records in the United States. It was the first Rolling Stones album pro ...
''. Bass guitarist
Bill Wyman William George Wyman ( né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who was the bass guitarist with the rock band the Rolling Stones from 1962 to 1993. Wyman was part of the band's first stable lineup and performed on their first 19 ...
appears on only three of the album's ten tracks, but the rest of the Rolling Stones—lead vocalist
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
, guitarists
Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
and
Mick Taylor Michael Kevin Taylor (born 17 January 1949) is an English guitarist, best known as a former member of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1967–1969) and the Rolling Stones (1969–1974). As a member of the Stones, h ...
, and drummer
Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a Graphic designer, graphic artist, Watts developed an interest i ...
—play on every track, with the exception of "
Winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...
", which does not feature Richards. Regular Rolling Stones collaborators, including saxophonist
Bobby Keys Robert Henry Keys (December 18, 1943 – December 2, 2014) was an American saxophonist who performed as a member of several horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Nilsson, Delaney ...
, organist
Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, backing Little Richa ...
, and pianists
Nicky Hopkins Nicholas Christian Hopkins (24 February 1944 – 6 September 1994) was an English pianist and organist. He performed on many popular and enduring British and American rock music recordings from the 1960s to the 1990s, including on songs recorde ...
and Ian Stewart, also feature. ''Goats Head Soup'' achieved number one chart positions in the UK, US and several other world markets. However, it received mixed reviews from critics and audiences and is generally seen as the beginning of the band's decline after a string of critically acclaimed albums. However, in recent times its reception has grown in stature. The band supported the album on a tour of Europe following its release. The album was remastered and released in 1994 and again in 2009 by
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...
and
Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum ...
respectively. It was remixed by
Giles Martin Giles Martin (born 9 October 1969) is an English record producer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist. His studio recordings, stage shows, TV and film works have been critically acclaimed and commercially successful around the world ...
for a 2020 reissue, including a deluxe edition with bonus tracks and unreleased outtakes. The re-issue returned the album to number one in the UK charts.


Recording

In November 1972 the band relocated to
Dynamic Sounds West Indies Records Limited (WIRL) was a recording studio in Kingston, Jamaica, established by future Prime Minister Edward Seaga in 1958. As he increasingly focused on his political career he sold the studio to Byron Lee in 1964, who renamed it Dyn ...
studio in
Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...
.
Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
said in 2002: "Jamaica was one of the few places that would let us all in! By that time about the only country that I was allowed to exist in was Switzerland, which was damn boring for me, at least for the first year, because I didn't like to ski ... Nine countries kicked me out, thank you very much, so it was a matter of how to keep this thing together ..." Of the recording process,
Marshall Chess Marshall Chess (born March 13, 1942) is an American record producer, the son of Leonard Chess who co-founded Chess Records. Chess Records Marshall worked for sixteen years with Chess Records; founded by his father Leonard and his uncle Phil. He ...
, the president of
Rolling Stones Records Rolling Stones Records was the record label formed by the Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman in 1970, after their recording contract with Decca Records expired. The label was initi ...
at the time, said in 2002, "We used to book studios for a month, 24 hours a day, so that the band could keep the same set-up and develop their songs in their free-form way, starting with a few lyrics and rhythms, jamming and rehearsing while we fixed the sound. It amazed me, as an old-time record guy, that the Stones might not have played together for six or eight months, but within an hour of jamming, the synergy that is their strength would come into play and they would lock it together as one ..." Jagger said of their approach to recording at the time, "Songwriting and playing is a mood. Like the last album we did ('' Exile on Main St.'') was basically recorded in short concentrated periods. Two weeks here, two weeks there – then another two weeks. And, similarly, all the writing was concentrated so that you get the feel of one particular period of time. Three months later it's all very different and we won't be writing the same kind of material as ''Goats Head Soup''." On the sessions and influence of the island, Richards said, "The album itself didn't take that long, but we recorded an awful lot of tracks. There were not only Jamaicans involved, but also percussion players who came from places like
Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...
, a travelling pool of guys who worked in the studios. It was interesting to be playing in this totally different atmosphere.
Mikey Chung Michael Chung (1950 – 28 December 2021) also known as Mao Chung, was a Jamaican musician who played keyboards, guitar and percussion instruments. He was also an arranger and record producer of Jamaican music, and worked with a wide array of ...
, the engineer at Dynamic, for example, was a Chinese man – you realise how much Jamaica is a multi-ethnic environment." The album title is believed to be a reference to the Jamaican dish mannish water. The first track recorded at Dynamic was "Winter", which
Mick Taylor Michael Kevin Taylor (born 17 January 1949) is an English guitarist, best known as a former member of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1967–1969) and the Rolling Stones (1969–1974). As a member of the Stones, h ...
said started with "just Mick (Jagger) strumming on a guitar in the studio, and everything falling together from there". The main theme of the lyrics of the song go back to a 1968 outtake "Blood Red Wine". The song is also the only song on the album that does not feature Richards as a performer, with the electric rhythm guitar being played by Jagger. Mick Taylor would later record longer versions of "Winter" with
Carla Olson Carla Olson (born July 3, 1952) is an American, Los Angeles-based songwriter, performer and record producer. Biography Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Olson moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1978 where she formed the Textones, whose deb ...
for her ''The Ring of Truth'' album and "Silver Train" for their ''Too Hot for Snakes'' album. The album's lead single, "
Angie Angie may refer to: People * Angie (given name) * Ängie, a Swedish pop singer * Angie Vázquez, Mexican singer Arts and entertainment * ''Angie'' (Angela Bofill album), 1978 * ''Angie'' (Spill Tab album), 2025 * "Angie" (song), a 1973 single ...
", was an unpopular choice as lead single with
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
which, according to Chess, "wanted another '
Brown Sugar Brown sugar is a sucrose sugar product with a distinctive brown color due to the presence of molasses. It is either an unrefined or partially refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals with some residual molasses content or produced by t ...
' rather than a ballad". Although the song was rumoured to be about
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
's first wife Angela, both Jagger and Richards have consistently denied this. In 1993, Richards, in the liner notes to the compilation album '' Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones'', said that the title was inspired by his baby daughter, Dandelion Angela. However, in his 2010 memoir ''
Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
'', Richards denied this, saying that he had chosen the name for the song before he knew the sex of his expected baby: "I just went, 'Angie, Angie.' It was not about any particular person; it was a name, like 'ohhh, Diana.' I didn't know Angela was going to be called Angela when I wrote 'Angie'. In those days you didn't know what sex the thing was going to be until it popped out. In fact, Anita named her Dandelion. She was only given the added name Angela because she was born in a Catholic hospital where they insisted that a 'proper' name be added." According to ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'', the lyrics written by Jagger were inspired by Jagger's breakup with
Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (29 December 1946 – 30 January 2025) was an English singer and actress who achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her UK top 10 single " As Tears Go By". She became one of the leading female art ...
. This was the last Rolling Stones album produced by
Jimmy Miller Jimmy Miller (March 23, 1942 – October 22, 1994) was an American record producer and musician. While he produced albums for dozens of different bands and artists, he is known primarily for his work with several key musical acts of the 1960s ...
, who had worked with the band since 1968's ''
Beggars Banquet ''Beggars Banquet'' is the seventh studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 6 December 1968 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom and London Records in the United States. It was the first Rolling Stones album pro ...
''. Miller had developed a debilitating drug habit during the course of his years spent with the Stones.
Bill Wyman William George Wyman ( né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who was the bass guitarist with the rock band the Rolling Stones from 1962 to 1993. Wyman was part of the band's first stable lineup and performed on their first 19 ...
plays bass on only three tracks on the album, with a majority of the bass duties being handled by Richards and Taylor instead. Aside from the official band members, other musicians appearing on ''Goats Head Soup'' include keyboard players
Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, backing Little Richa ...
,
Nicky Hopkins Nicholas Christian Hopkins (24 February 1944 – 6 September 1994) was an English pianist and organist. He performed on many popular and enduring British and American rock music recordings from the 1960s to the 1990s, including on songs recorde ...
and Ian Stewart. Recording was completed in January 1973 in Los Angeles and May 1973 at London's
Island Studios An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
. The song "Silver Train" was a leftover from 1970s recordings at Olympic Sound, but was re-recorded in Los Angeles at Village Recorders. ''Goats Head Soup'' was also the band's first album without any cover songs since ''
Their Satanic Majesties Request ''Their Satanic Majesties Request'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released in December 1967 by Decca Records in the UK and by London Records in the United States. It was the first Rolling Stones album rel ...
'' in 1967. The sessions for ''Goats Head Soup'' were abundant with outtakes. Two of these – "Tops" and "
Waiting on a Friend "Waiting on a Friend" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1981 album ''Tattoo You''. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and released as the album's second single, it reached on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billbo ...
" – would surface on ''
Tattoo You ''Tattoo You'' is the sixteenth U.K. and eighteenth U.S. studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 24 August 1981 by Rolling Stones Records. The album is mostly composed of studio outtakes recorded during the 1970 ...
'' in 1981, and feature Mick Taylor on guitar; "Through the Lonely Nights" became the B-side to the "
It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It) "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" is the lead single from English rock band the Rolling Stones' 1974 album ''It's Only Rock 'n Roll''. Writing is credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and the single reached the top ten in the UK charts ...
" single and was released on CD for the first time on the 2005 compilation ''
Rarities 1971–2003 ''Rarities 1971–2003'' is a compilation album by The Rolling Stones that was released in 2005 worldwide by Virgin Records – as well as by the coffee-chain Starbucks in North America – and features a selection of rare and obscure material ...
''. It is a soft rock ballad that features Richards on wah wah/Leslie speaker filtered guitar with Taylor playing a brief solo. In addition, "Short and Curlies" was started at the ''Goats Head Soup'' sessions and ended up appearing on the ''It's Only Rock n' Roll'' LP.


Release

At the time of release, Jagger said, "I really feel close to this album, and I really put all I had into it ... I guess it comes across that I'm more into songs. It wasn't as vague as 'Exile on Main St.''which kind of went on so long that I didn't like some of the things. There's more thought to this one. It was recorded all over the place over about two or three months. The tracks are much more varied than the last one. I didn't want it to be just a bunch of rock songs." The
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
, "
Angie Angie may refer to: People * Angie (given name) * Ängie, a Swedish pop singer * Angie Vázquez, Mexican singer Arts and entertainment * ''Angie'' (Angela Bofill album), 1978 * ''Angie'' (Spill Tab album), 2025 * "Angie" (song), a 1973 single ...
", was released on 20 August 1973 by
Rolling Stones Records Rolling Stones Records was the record label formed by the Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman in 1970, after their recording contract with Decca Records expired. The label was initi ...
, with "Silver Train" as the B-side. It reached number one in the United States and became a worldwide hit. ''Goats Head Soup'' was subsequently released on 31 August, with the catalogue number COC 59101, and also shot to the top of charts worldwide. The band attracted controversy with "Star Star", which was banned by the BBC in September due to its obscene lyrics. The song was originally titled "Starfucker" until
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
owner
Ahmet Ertegün Ahmet Ertegun ( ; , ; July 31, 1923 – December 14, 2006) was a Turkish-American businessman, songwriter, record executive and philanthropist. Ertegun was the co-founder and president of Atlantic Records. He discovered and championed many lead ...
(Atlantic was the distributor of
Rolling Stones Records Rolling Stones Records was the record label formed by the Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman in 1970, after their recording contract with Decca Records expired. The label was initi ...
) insisted on the change. The Rolling Stones' autumn
1973 European Tour The 1973 European Tour, titled as the 1973 PGA European Tour, was the second season of the European Tour, the main professional golf tour in Europe since its inaugural season in 1972. Changes for 1973 There were three changes from the previous ...
followed shortly after the album's release, in which four slots in the set list were given to the new material: "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)", "Star Star", "Dancing with Mr D" and "Angie". In addition, there were a few earlier performances of "Silver Train" and "100 Years Ago". "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" was also played on the 1975 U.S. tour. "Star Star" was featured regularly on the 1975, 1976 and 1978 tours, and "Angie" was played in 1975 and occasionally in 1976.


Album art

The album cover was designed by Ray Lawrence and photographed by
David Bailey David Royston Bailey (born 2 January 1938) is an English photographer and director, most widely known for his fashion photography and portraiture, and role in shaping the image of the Swinging Sixties. Bailey has also directed several televisio ...
, a friend of Jagger's who had worked with the Rolling Stones since 1964. The portrait of Jagger on the front cover was approximately life size in the original 12-inch LP format. Jagger was reluctant to be shot enveloped by a pink chiffon veil, which Bailey said was meant to look like "
Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...
in '' The African Queen''". The album's gatefold has Taylor, Wyman and Watts wrapped in a similar fabric, and Richards on the back. The album's original rejected cover art featured the entire band as
centaur A centaur ( ; ; ), occasionally hippocentaur, also called Ixionidae (), is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse that was said to live in the mountains of Thessaly. In one version o ...
s and an image of goat's head soup, a Jamaican dish made from a goat's body parts, such as the head, feet and testicles.


Critical reception


Contemporary reviews

Critical reaction to the album was varied at the time. In ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'', Bud Scoppa called it "one of the year's richest musical experiences". On the other hand,
Nick Kent Nick Kent (born 24 December 1951) is a British rock critic and musician, best known for his writing for the ''NME'' in the 1970s, and his books ''The Dark Stuff'' (1994) and ''Apathy for the Devil'' (2010). Early life Kent, the son of a forme ...
of the ''NME'' found the record lacking in originality, stating, "on ''Goat's Head Soup'' the Stones have really nothing to say, but somehow say it so well that the results transcend the redundancy of the project in the first place". He called the album "truly great", giving praise to "Dancing with Mr. D" especially, and recommended that listeners "listen to it carefully". The ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
''s Lynn Van Matre agreed, finding the record uninnovative compared to prior works. Although she found it "more carefully put together" than ''Exile on Main St.'', she felt ''Goats Head Soup'' came across as a collection of songs rather than a cohesive project. Nevertheless, Van Matre praised the music, particularly "Heartbreaker". Charlie Gillett of '' Let It Rock'' magazine concluded that with ''Goats Head Soup'', the Stones "finally ousted their rivals" as "The World's Greatest Rock Band", and deemed it "their first LP which is unquestionably the best rockin' groove of its time". ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' called ''Goats Head Soup'' "another fine album characterised as always by a series of fine, hard rockcuts from Mick Jagger and Keith Richard and superb guitar work from Mick Taylor". The reviewer particularly praised the ballads "
Winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...
", "Can You Hear the Music" and "Angie". Writing for '' Zoo World'', Arthur Levy considered the record on par with ''Sticky Fingers'' and ''Exile on Main St.'', adding that the three albums "are now the seeds of a new ''oeuvre''". By contrast,
Lester Bangs Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs (December 14, 1948 – April 30, 1982) was an American music journalist and critic. He wrote for ''Creem'' and ''Rolling Stone'' magazines and was also a performing musician. The music critic Jim DeRogatis called ...
derided the album in ''
Creem ''Creem'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American rock music magazine and entertainment company, founded in Detroit, whose initial print run lasted from 1969 to 1989. It was first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor ...
'', saying, "There is a sadness about the Stones now, because they amount to such an enormous 'So what?' The sadness comes when you measure not just one album, but the whole sense they're putting across now against what they once meant..." ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...
''s Jack Lloyd admitted that the LP would sell well, but overall found the album failed to live up to the band's previous works. Greg Shaw of ''
Phonograph Record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The g ...
'' said the record had "no redeeming qualities whatsoever" and found "nothing good" about it. A year later, when reviewing ''It's Only Rock 'n Roll'', Shaw considered ''Goats Head Soup'' to be the band's worst album up to that point, writing, " t's the albumin which the rock & roll was insincere and the 'sensitive' material seemed forced and out of character."


Retrospective reviews

In his retrospective review for
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
writes: "Sliding out of perhaps the greatest winning streak in rock history, the Stones slipped into decadence and rock star excess with ''Goats Head Soup'' ... This is where the Stones' image began to eclipse their accomplishments, as Mick ascended to jet-setting celebrity and Keith slowly sunk deeper into addiction, and it's possible hearing them moving in both directions on ''Goats Head Soup'', at times in the same song." Reviewing the 2009 reissue, Michael Hann of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' gave the album a highly favourable review, stating that those who dismiss it in comparison to its predecessors are "missing a treat". Hann wrote that the album foreshadowed the band's sound of the late 1970s and 1980s, and that "Angie" and "Coming Down Again" are among the best songs in their entire catalogue. In 2015, Michael Gallucci of ''
Ultimate Classic Rock Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wit ...
'' felt that despite the inclusion of good tracks such as "Dancing with Mr. D", "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" and "Star Star", the album represents the end of the Stones' "classic era". Reviewing the 2020 reissue, Gallucci commented that although the Stones did not "bottom out" until 1976's ''Black and Blue'', ''Goats Head Soup'' is where their decline began. Although he found that the new mix enhances the album, he stated: "It's still sludgy, it still drags at points and it still occasionally comes off as lazy coasting by a band that felt it didn't have to try anymore now that it was on top of the world." David Browne of ''Rolling Stone'' awards it 4 stars and writes that the original album failed to live up to its predecessor and "made it appear as if the Stones had gone overnight from the coolest, possibly greatest, rock and roll band to something less than that – just another big, commercial rock act". He felt that even throughout the new mixes, the band sounds "burnt out, regretful, melancholic, ndeven at times vulnerable". He concluded that with the reissue, ''Goats Head Soup'' "now feels historic". Jem Aswad of ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' similarly felt that the 1973 album ended their "near-peerless streak" that began with ''Beggars Banquet''. Although Aswad deems ''Goats Head Soup'' a "good album", he felt the reissue's outtakes were "forgettable" and the unreleased live album was worth it alone. Conversely, Alan Light of ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...
'' called ''Goats Head Soup'' a bad album, saying that it ended "one of the greatest runs in rock & roll history". He cited the ballads as its highlights and commented: "It marked the moment the band stopped simply being the Rolling Stones and started playing the part of 'The Stones'." Michael Elliott of ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' agreed, writing that ''Goats Head Soup'' ended "the greatest four-album run in rock 'n' roll". He states that the album is where "their ascension" began to wane and "the ''idea'' of the Rolling Stones became just as important as the band itself". Elliott nevertheless praised songs such as "Angie" and "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)", as well as the unreleased tracks, writing that "Criss Cross" would "easily" have been a highlight of the original record. Reflecting years later,
David Cavanagh David Cavanagh was an Irish writer and music journalist. He was editor of '' Select'' magazine in the 1990s and wrote ''My Magpie Eyes Are Hungry for the Prize'' (2000), which detailed the rise and fall of Creation Records. Cavanagh was born in D ...
of '' Uncut'' noted that reactions to the album – and "Angie" as its lead single – from fans and critics were "characterised by disappointment", reasoning this was especially due to the momentum the band had built from ''
Beggars Banquet ''Beggars Banquet'' is the seventh studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 6 December 1968 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom and London Records in the United States. It was the first Rolling Stones album pro ...
'' (1968) to ''Exile on Main St.'' (1972). He also added that the qualms revolved around "the downbeat pensiveness of an album that sometimes seems lost in a fug of regret", as well as other apparent anti-climactic features, such as its "more mainstream, keyboard-heavy production", "low quota of rockers" and " not so-obviously assertive Keith."


Reissues

In 1994 ''Goats Head Soup'' was remastered and reissued by
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...
, and again in 2009 by
Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum ...
. The 1994 remaster was initially released in a Collector's Edition CD, which replicated in miniature many elements of the original gatefold album packaging. The first pressing of the 2009 remaster contains a censored version of "Star Star" that was on the original US vinyl release, but not on the 1994 Virgin CD; later pressings contain the uncensored version. The album was reissued once more in 2011 by Universal Music Enterprises in a Japanese-only SHM-SACD version, which includes the uncensored version of "Star Star" with a previously unreleased fadeout. On 4 September 2020, the album was reissued by
Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
, with a new mix by
Giles Martin Giles Martin (born 9 October 1969) is an English record producer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist. His studio recordings, stage shows, TV and film works have been critically acclaimed and commercially successful around the world ...
. Deluxe editions of the album featured never-before-released outtakes such as "Criss Cross", released as a music video on 9 July 2020, "Scarlet", featuring
Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician and producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the Rock music, rock band Led Zeppelin. Page began his career as a studio session musician in Lo ...
, released as a music video on 8 August 2020, and "All the Rage". The album re-entered the UK albums chart at number one, 47 years after it first reached the top of the chart in September 1973.


Track listing


1973 original release


2020 Deluxe Edition


Personnel

* Track numbers noted in parentheses below are based on the CD track numbering. The Rolling Stones *
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
– lead vocals , backing vocals , electric rhythm guitar , harmonica , piano *
Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
– electric guitar & backing vocals , bass guitar , acoustic guitar , lead vocals *
Mick Taylor Michael Kevin Taylor (born 17 January 1949) is an English guitarist, best known as a former member of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1967–1969) and the Rolling Stones (1969–1974). As a member of the Stones, h ...
– electric guitar , backing vocals , bass guitar , acoustic guitar *
Bill Wyman William George Wyman ( né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who was the bass guitarist with the rock band the Rolling Stones from 1962 to 1993. Wyman was part of the band's first stable lineup and performed on their first 19 ...
– bass guitar *
Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a Graphic designer, graphic artist, Watts developed an interest i ...
– drums Additional personnel *
Nicky Hopkins Nicholas Christian Hopkins (24 February 1944 – 6 September 1994) was an English pianist and organist. He performed on many popular and enduring British and American rock music recordings from the 1960s to the 1990s, including on songs recorde ...
– piano *
Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, backing Little Richa ...
clavinet The Clavinet is an electric clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds with rubber pads, each matching one of the keys and respond ...
, piano * Ian Stewart – piano *
Bobby Keys Robert Henry Keys (December 18, 1943 – December 2, 2014) was an American saxophonist who performed as a member of several horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Nilsson, Delaney ...
– tenor saxophone , baritone saxophone *
Jim Horn James Ronald Horn (born November 20, 1940) is an American saxophonist, woodwind player, and session musician. Biography Horn was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for ...
– alto saxophone , flute *
Chuck Findley Charles B. Findley (born December 13, 1947, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania) is an American trumpet player known for his diverse work as a session musician. He also plays other brass instruments such as flugelhorn and trombone. His technical ab ...
– trumpet * Jim Price – horn arrangement *Nicky Harrison – string arrangement * Anthony "Rebop" Kwaku Baah – percussion *Pascal (Nicholas Pascal Raicevic) – percussion *
Jimmy Miller Jimmy Miller (March 23, 1942 – October 22, 1994) was an American record producer and musician. While he produced albums for dozens of different bands and artists, he is known primarily for his work with several key musical acts of the 1960s ...
– percussion Technical *
Chief engineer A chief engineer, commonly referred to as "Chief" or "ChEng", is the most senior licensed mariner (engine officer) of an engine department on a ship, typically a merchant ship, and holds overall leadership and the responsibility of that departmen ...
and Mixer
Andy Johns Jeremy Andrew Johns (20 May 1950 – 7 April 2013) was a British sound engineer and record producer who worked on several well-known rock albums, including the Rolling Stones' '' Exile on Main St.'' (1972), Television's '' Marquee Moon'' (1977), ...
*Assistant engineers – Carlton Lee, Howard Kilgour and Doug Bennett. *Photography and sleeve design by
David Bailey David Royston Bailey (born 2 January 1938) is an English photographer and director, most widely known for his fashion photography and portraiture, and role in shaping the image of the Swinging Sixties. Bailey has also directed several televisio ...


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


References


Sources

* * *


External links

*
''Goats Head Soup'' on RollingStones.com
{{Authority control 1973 albums Albums produced by Jimmy Miller Atlantic Records albums Rolling Stones Records albums The Rolling Stones albums Virgin Records albums Albums recorded at Olympic Sound Studios Albums recorded at the Village (studio)