Αφήνοντας την κοσμική λεωφόρο που ανοιγόταν μπροστά τους με το Their Satanic Majesties Request, συναινώντας με τους “κριτικούς” της εποχής ότι επρόκειτο για …αποτυχημένο ψυχεδελικό πείραμα, οι Rolling Stones επιστρέφουν λάβροι στις ρίζες – blues, country, rock & roll – ηχογραφώντας ένα από τα σημαντικότερα άλμπουμ της καριέρας τους. Όχι τυχαία, το Beggars Banquet θα ήταν το τελευταίο με full συμμετοχή του Brian Jones, κατ’εξοχήν “περιπετειώδους” μέλους του γκρουπ. Ακούμε δυο κομμάτια απ’ το άλμπουμ – λιγότερο “εμβληματικά” από ένα Sympathy For The Devil η ένα Street Fighting Man, αλλά όχι γι’ αυτό λιγότερο αγαπημένα. Κάτω : το αυθεντικό σχέδιο εξωφύλλου που απορρίφθηκε από την Decca σαν προσβητικό. 📀 📀 📀 Leaving behind the cosmic avenue that opened up before them with Their Satanic Majesties Request, agreeing with the “critics” of the era that it had been a… failed psychedelic experiment, The Rolling Stones return fiercely to their roots — blues, country, rock & roll — recording one of the most important albums of their career. Not by chance, Beggars Banquet would be the last with the full participation of Brian Jones, the band’s most “adventurous” member. We’re listening to two tracks from the album — less “iconic” than a Sympathy for the Devil or a Street Fighting Man, but no less beloved for that. Down : the authentic cover design, rejected by Decca as offensive.

00:00 Salt Of The Earth 04:48 Stray Cat Blues

SALT OF THE EARTH
And now
There’s only left for us to say, really
But to sing you one last good nightly song
And to wish you all good night
Let’s drink to the hardworking people
Let’s think of the lowly of birth
Raise your glass to the good and the evil
Let’s drink to the salt of the earth
Say a prayer for the common foot soldier
Spare a thought for his backbreaking work
Spare a thought for his wife and his children
Who burn the fires, and it’s still ’til the earth
When I look into this faceless crowd
A swirling mass of gray, blue, black and white
They don’t look real to me
In fact, we all look so strange, yeah
Raise your glass to the hardworking people
Let’s drink to the uncounted heads
Let’s think of the wavering millions
Who need leading, but get gamblers instead
Spare a thought for the stay-at-home voter
His guilty eyes gaze at strange beauty shows
And a parade of the gray suited grafters
A choice of cancer or polio
And when I look into this faceless crowd
A swirling mass of grey and black and white
Do we all look real to you?
And do you look too strange? Yeah
Let’s drink to the hardworking people
Let’s think of the lowly of birth
Spare a thought for the rag taggy people
Let’s drink to the salt of the earth
Let’s drink to the hardworking people
Let’s drink to the salt of the earth
Let’s think of the two thousand million
Let’s think of the humble of birth
Let’s have a drink
To the salt of the earth

STRAY CAT BLUES
I hear the click-clack of your feet on the stairs
I know you’re no scare-eyed, honey
There’ll be a feast if you just come upstairs
But, it’s no hanging matter
It’s no capital crime
I can see that you’re 15 years old
No, I don’t want your I.D
And I can see that you’re so far from home
But, it’s no hanging matter
It’s no capital crime
Oh, yeah, you’re a strange stray cat
Oh, yeah, don’cha scratch like that
Oh, yeah, you’re a strange stray cat
I bet, bet your mama don’t know you scream like that
I bet your mother don’t know you can spit like that
You look so weird and you’re so far from home
But you don’t really miss your mother
Don’t look so scared, I’m no mad-brained bear
But, it’s no hanging matter
It’s no capital crime
Oh, yeah
Woo!
I bet your mama don’t know that you scatch like that
I bet she don’t know you can bite like that
You say you got a friend, that she’s wilder than you
Why don’t you bring her upstairs
If she’s so wild, then she can join in too
It’s no hanging matter
It’s no capital crime
Oh, yeah, you’re a strange stray cat
Oh, yeah, don’cha scratch like that
Oh, yeah, you’re a strange stray cat
I bet you mama don’t know you can bite like that
I’ll bet she never saw you scratch my back