Katie Darby Recommends

I love to talk about music, which I guess is obvious; but there’s a part of me that loves to argue about it, too. I love to know the ins and outs of a record; I love the debate the virtues and vices of producers and lineup changes. I’m going to try out a series of articles here called “VS”, which will be targeted towards debating music of some sort– best guitar riff of all time, etc.

My dad taught me how to be a music fan. From a very young age, I knew not just artists and their songs, but the mechanics of listening– I knew how to flip a record by the time I was two or three. And since I was two or three, I’ve envied his record collection. I’ve actually never seen a better one– he’s got every record you need. Perhaps that’s what defines his collection: these are necessary records. So when we went back to Dallas for Christmas this year, you can imagine how emotional I got when he gave me a box full of them to take back with us.

There’s a ton of variety; I’ve got old Beatles records, Faces records, Neil Young records, Poco records, all of the Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris records; Zepplin; Michael Jackson; the Who; ridiculously good records. But probably my favorite of everything he sent was a large part of his Rolling Stones collection, which, of course, has re-ignited and stoked the flames of my husband and my never-ending argument about which record is better– Sticky Fingers or Exile on Main Street.

The best part of the argument (and, of course, the problem with it) is that it can’t be won; no one will ever change my mind. I could listen to Sticky Fingers every day for the rest of my life, and as much as I like and respect Exile, it’s just not the same. And my husband prefers the smoother sounds of Exile; the more righteous horns, and the band that seems to know each other (and itself) a little bit better. For me, the argument always comes down to one thing–

“Sway” might be the best rock ‘n roll song ever written.

I can’t say with certainty that it’s absolutely the best, just that it might be, and that I can’t necessarily think of anything better. Except maybe “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’”, which is, of course, ALSO on Sticky Fingers. (This argument has sometimes devolved into me just saying, “Swayswaysway” over and over while Andy says, “Rocksoffrocksoffrocksoff.”) As if “Sway” weren’t amazing enough, the credits read like a who’s-who of rock: Pete Townshend, Ronnie Lane, and Billy Nicholls all contribute backing vocals.

Of course the controversy of “Sway” (in our debate) is that Keith isn’t playing the guitar parts– the killer slide solo is actually Mick Taylor. And while the song is credited to Jagger/Richards, Taylor says he co-wrote that (and “Moonlight Mile”) with Jagger when Keith wasn’t even present. So my husband says, “No way, can’t be the best; Keith wasn’t even the lead guitarist.” But it winds up, I care very little about band line-up when it comes right down to it. There’s something raw– something primal– about every single track on Sticky Fingers. There are parts of it that are filthy; parts that are under-produced or a little bit messy. And that’s the reason I love it. I feel like it’s the perfect metaphor for rock music, all the way from the Warhol album art (the zipper, of course, actually comes down on the LP), to the last track being the nearly euphoric “Moonlight Mile.” The record is perfectly executed– and not many records could have space for both “Bitch” and “Wild Horses.”

The best argument for the supremacy and necessity of Keith Richards, though, is “Happy.” He sings lead vocals on the song, and it’s one of my favorite parts of Exile. And in fact, I love every song on Exile– which is the beauty of the argument. These are both nearly perfect rock records, if not actually perfect. Bobby Keys is my favorite saxophone player of all time, and I’ll concede that in many parts of this record, he’s playing his best work. “Tumbling Dice” is one of my all-time favorite Stones singles, and it’s hard for me to deny that the record has higher highs than Sticky Fingers (except for “Sway”). But I also find it has lower lows; there’s not a single song I skip on Sticky Fingers, though sometimes I’m not in the mood for tracks on Exile. And because it’s a double record, there are more moments that drag for me (though not many, because, come on, it’s the Stones).

When it comes down to it, both records are flawless; both are essential parts of not just any rock collection, but any record collection. It’s become increasingly clear to me that listening to it on vinyl matters: the horns seem to be mixed just a little more perfectly, and it really does change the atmosphere of it. The act of actually putting the needle in the groove is sacred, and both records seem closer to “real”– there doesn’t seem to be any divide between the act of recording them and the act of listening to them. That, I can’t explain. There’s a haunted quality, though, to both of them.

So change my mind. Someone make an argument for Exile. Or just talk more about the records, because I’m always hungry to re-ignite this argument.