Rolling Stones “Let It Bleed” 1969. I’m spinning the Stones 8th studio LP today, December 18th, because it’s not only Keith Richards’ birthday (b. 1943) but it’s also Stones’ session and touring saxophonist Bobby Keys birthday (b. 1943, d. 2014). Let It Bleed was Keys’ first Stones album (he’d play on several more); he also was the partner-in-crime for many of Richards’ escapades during their American tour in 1969 just prior to Let It Bleed’s release on December 5th, 1969 (I recently read Richards’ autobiography Life from 2009 and, wow, it’s amazing they both lived to see 70 years of age).

Let It Bleed was a pivotal recording and a massive hit, going to #1 in the UK and #3 in the US. It not only is included on many best-of lists (records, songs like “Gimme Shelter” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”) but is also viewed by many popular culture historians as the record that marked the end of the 60′s – not only in its release timing but also turning a view of the world from the happy, hippie flower power energy that infused youth culture to one of darkness, violence and destruction (helped along, of course, by the disastrous Stones concert at Altamont the day after Let It Bleed’s release).

Our version of Let It Bleed is an early US edition. The cover of Robert Johnson’s “Love in Vain” (the only cover song on the LP) is credited to Woody Payne in the liner notes and according to Wiki marks it as an early pressing (Woody Payne was a pseudonym of Johnson’s). The whole album is seeped in American blues and honky tonk and my favorite tracks are “Gimmie Shelter” (how it’s spelled on the cover and the inner sleeve of our copy), “Let It Bleed” and “Midnight Rambler.” I do like “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” but I kind of over-listened to it in the 80′s when it was included on The Big Chill soundtrack.