Still Rolling strong....

There is simply no point in trying to describe 'The greatest rock and roll band in the world... ever...' - you either know them and love them and, therefore, want their records or you're probably a sea-slug living in an underwater cave, totally unaware of the concept of 'music'.  A little extreme perhaps?  But joking apart, if I was forced to name my most favourite band from the literally thousands in my Vinyl and CD collections, then it would have to be the mighty Stones.

Starting in the early 60's when both Beatles and Stones emerged on the UK music scene, they quickly polarised opnion and fan bases; OK, so in our house they did!  My younger and obviously less musical sister preferred the mop tops while I was very much a proto-rocker; the Stones quickly becoming my idols.  I should perhaps apologise and say that my sister has a very good degree in History from Oxford and later received an OBE, can sing far better than me and more recently at a family party that I did the music for, admitted that 'The Stones are better than the Beatles' - at least as far as dad-dancing is concerned!!

Apart from all that I have followed them ever since their very early days, have all their studio records and have often seen them live.  Favourite albums?  I couldn't really say except that my favourite 'period' is probably 'Aftermath' to 'Its Only Rock and Roll', with Sticky Fingers, Let It Bleed, Beggars Banquet, Goats Head Soup and Exiles being the top 5.  But I guess that just shows my age because albums like 'Tattoo You', 'Black and Blue'... OK and most of the rest, are also part of the real 'soundtrack of my life'.

I cannot ever see any other band ever having such longevity and status as 'The World's Greatest';  they are and always will be 'Unique'; maybe it's the age in which they arose and which cannot possibly come again or even be mimicked, maybe it's just shear talent, who knows (or even cares).  Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those 'the 60's were the only period when good music was produced'/'You don't know you're born' dinosaurs; there have been and still are great artists and bands around but, like always, most are not these are not 'Top of the Pops' material!!

Whoops, I am in danger of ranting on just like the 60's dinosaur brigade.... sorry, but that's what trying to talk about The Stones does to you - I truly need an 'Emotional Rescue' (ho ho).