I’ve loved this song since I was a teenager in the 70’s. Possibly the most beautiful song by the Stones and Jaggers vocals on this are just stunningly good. Sticky Fingers is one of the top albums of all time. To me it’s a top ten album and by far my favorite collection of music by the Stones.

This whole album is worth the listen,

Imagine us coming home with Sticky Fingers in our hands the day it was released and sparking up the good stuff! Man, they were always the instant party band, put any of the 60s or 70s albums on and watch the party get animated. Good times forever with these guys, the colonists someday on Mars will listen to the Stones... Try Monkey Man for yet another of their many classics. Enjoy! 🎵🎸🎤🎸🎶

The music is so beautiful. This one always gets me teary-eyed. It’s just ethereal. Lyrically this one captures Jagger’s headspace as he went on tour in late 1969. He was missing Marianne Faithful, whom had declined to go with him.

"Sister Morphine" is also an outstanding song, with an unforgettable slide guitar part by Ry Cooder.

Listen to Time Waits for No One. Mick Taylor's guitar work on that song is genius

Mick Taylor was a genius. If you like this one, you will like Winter from the Goat's Head Soup album.

This song was Jagger and other guitarist Mick Taylor, who contributed so much great music during this "peak" era. Mick Taylor was an amazing guitarist and musician overall. I wish the Stones gave him more songwriting credit because I know he contributed a lot to some of these great songs. The other unsung hero is producer, Jimmy Miller, who produced their music during this peak period. I think his fingerprints are all over this song as well. Sticky Fingers is my favorite album of all time. I'm glad that you are taking the time to hear some of these non hit tracks, because the music is so friggin great.

Great track and review. You should definitely consider doing the whole of the Exile On Main Street album

You would also like their song "Time Waits For No One" from the album It's Only Rock and Roll.

I've never seen a commenter review this song, which is my favorite Stones track. Your thoughts are very insightful. Thank you for showing this to a new audience

I'm glad that I liked both bands equally during the time of creation. I guess now in my 70th year I've grown to like the beatles a bit more. We were the fortunate ones. Van morrison cypress Avenue concert at the Hollywood bowl is most likely the greatest live performance ever

When this song came out in 71 the Beatles were finished . To compare best to compare year for year

The song, about the weariness of life on tour, is the perfect ending to the Sticky Fingers album.

This is such an incredible song by the Stones. Unfortunately not as well known to the masses as so many of their other songs. For any other band it would have been their greatest effort--for the Stones it is just one of almost an endless list of great songs.

Syed, you've done it again with another great reaction to the World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band! The music of my favorite Stones ballad, "Moonlight Mile" was written by Keith Richards, who called the solo demo recording of him playing acoustic guitar "Japanese Noodlings". For all his pedigree as a bluesman, the Stones ventures into pop music made Keith a very versatile songwriter. He was taken by the Japanese vibe of the melody and, as he often did, asked Mick to write some lyrics for it. Keith couldn't wait to record it. Keith's lifestyle meant that he stayed up for 2 or 3 nights in a row (or more!) before crashing into sleep for a day or two. The Stones nearly always recorded live in the studio with all 5 of them present, but when it was time to record this song, it was impossible to wake Keith up. "Sticky Fingers" was the first album that Jagger felt skilled enough to play guitar on, so he played acoustic guitar in place of Keith, faithful to the Japanese atmosphere of Keith's melody. Mick played it beautifully... and what great singing! The great Mick Taylor played the 2 electric guitars on this song, and Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman did their parts on drums and bass with impeccable taste. Around this time, rock magazines like "Creem" and "Rolling Stone" (named in tribute to the Stones) began referring to Charlie and Bill as the greatest rhythm section in rock. Syed, you've now heard 5 of the 10 songs on the quintessential Rolling Stones album, "Sticky Fingers", and over the next month, I urge you to hear the rest: • There's "Sway", my favorite Mick Taylor studio performance ever; his second solo on this song seems to fade UP, not out. • There's "Dead Flowers", a country rock song so great that many country music artists have covered it. • There's the dark "Sister Morphine", about a junkie's end of life, and... • "I Got the Blues", one of Keith's favorites, with stellar interplay between Richards and Taylor. The Stones not only lived the rock and roll lifestyle, they CREATED it. Consequently, they had "the Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Studio" built to accommodate recording at any hours of the night, and to record at Mick's or Keith's mansion. "Sticky Fingers" was their first album they used this recording studio on, and it was later used to record "Exile On Main Street" and the vocals for their last masterpiece album, "Some Girls". Because of the Stones' friendship with Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin used the Stones Mobile Recording Studio for their albums "Led Zeppelin 3" and "Led Zeppelin 4", "Houses of the Holy" and "Physical Graffiti". The Who recorded their greatest album, "Who's Next" using it, and Dire Straits" used it to record their great live album, "Alchemy ". Many other artists include Bob Marley and the Wailers and Fleetwood Mac. The studio is referred to in the Deep Purple song, "Smoke on the Water". Here's a link to an interesting 9 minute documentary video about this legendary studio, released recently by the Stones themselves: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/n8iHYLSEzbu8lY0.html

Love in Vain and Monkey Man. The first is a bluesy Robert Johnson cover the second is a extremely under appreciated gem

Always thought this was one of Mick’s best vocal performances, great deep cut man!

Another one that hits this way with the two Micks driving the song's feel is Winter from the Goat's Head Soup album. Jagger is a good guitar player himself. And on this one, he is playing an open G tuning. Great sound and very fun to play!

You are correct. They ate the best thing ever. Keep on doing what you do.

My Top 4 are as follows: 1. The Beatles 2. The Who 3. Rolling Stones 4. Led Zeppelin Each of those 4 bands has their own unique feel and flavor & all are extremely talented in so many different ways. I don't begrudge anyone having any of those 4 at the top of their list. I give the Beatles the edge out of them all for a whole host of reasons. They were the band that instantly leapt out from all the others when I was very young (which was while the Beatles were still together and in full swing in their career). Music was everywhere back then. On the radio. On the turntable in everyone's house. I was born in the '60s and surrounded by fantastic music of all sorts of styles and genres and the Beatles sounded timeless and classic, and just so completely in sync with each other. Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, and Radiohead are some of those other rare bands that are just so seamless in their interplay. The Stones had that bluesy, sexy swagger. The Who were punk before there was punk. Zeppelin was high octane blues. And The Beatles were just The Beatles. They fit in every box and in no box at all, and all at the same time. All that said, you've many great Stones songs still awaiting you. If the Who didn't have Keith Moon I could see the Stones having claimed my #2 spot. But Moon lived, and played, and tore a hole in the cosmos for such a short while and he planted the Who firmly at #2 for me. I'm lookin forward to watching as you continue through your journey through these bands.

Mick has that core rock voice - even a ballad is unmistakably rock and roll. 👍🏼

This songs just builds to a crescendo that just erupts with every once of emotion that few like Jagger can deliver to a song. His voice is often scoffed at by some-but very few can deliver as Mick can with high falsetto to deep baritones and perfect inflections.

Sister Morphine and Dead Flowers are gems

This song is sublime. Great ending song to a terrific album.

The lead guitarist is Mick Taylor. Extremely talented. Check out "Time Waits for No One". This is one of the very best Rolling Stones albums. Start listening to Exile on Main Street, perhaps their best.

This song is like one is traveling on a train through the countryside of Japan. You are so correct in your reactions.

The song was the product of an all-night session between Jagger and guitarist Mick Taylor. Taylor had taken a short guitar piece recorded by Jagger (entitled "Japanese Thing") and reworked it for the session. Jagger performs the song's prominent acoustic guitar riff. Jagger felt it easier to extemporize with Taylor, as Richards was not present. It was Taylor's idea to add a string arrangement by Paul Buckmaster to the song. Jim Price-the Rolling Stones' usual trumpeter-plays piano. Jagger explained the creation of the song: "I also came up with an Oriental-Indian riff on my acoustic guitar. At some point during the tour I played it for Mick Taylor, because I thought he would like it. At that point, I really hadn't intended on recording the song. Sometimes you don't want to record what you're writing. You think, 'This isn't worth recording, this is just my doodling.' Mick Taylor claims he was promised some songwriting credit, but found himself surprised that he did not when the song was released on Sticky Fingers. The first verse lyric "with a head full of snow" was a nod to the cocaine they were using at the time and the title Moonlight Mile is slang for a nighttime cocaine binge. This is one of my absolutely favorite Stones song and I love many of the tracks during the Mick Taylor period.

Sister Morphine has got to be the next Stones song!

One of if not my all time favorite Stones song, ahhhh, teenage memories back in the 70’s come flooding back 😵‍💫

Golden era of when Mick Taylor was in the band!!!

Probably the most beautiful and emotional song the stones ever recorded. The atmosphere that it creates is amazing. The stones are the best because the are so well rounded and incorporate so many different styles yet it is always the stone’s sound *please if u get a chance listen to some of the live tracks from the Brussels affair live album (the official release from the Goats Head Soup re-issue). You talk about them being at their peak and this is it, especially recommend the last track streets fighting man. It is raw power

So glad you liked this one, it's one of my favorites too. As far as Beatles/Stones, in high school (when these albums were made) I was Stones, all my friends were Beatles. And the music the Stones were putting out earlier, when The Beatles ruled radio were still incredible. At this point I think The Beatles were the best pop band ever and the Stones are best rock band ever. And I still listen to both bands all the time. For a different type Stones song, try 2000 Light Years From Home. It was way ahead of its time and is drop dead incredible.

This has been my favourite Stones track ever since it was first released back i n 71. Cheers

I'm a Stones/Beatles fan - with a slight nod to the Stones so I recommend listening to The Beatles 'She's Leaving Home' - that's a song that really tugs at the heart strings.

Havnt heard this one before but i like it!!!! ❤

Apples and oranges, i think. And i've been listening from their debuts.

Back in the 60's I was 15 years old when England invaded my brain I always liked the Stones best after Bob Dylan. I saw them in 1969 in San Francisco, Mick was running around and jumping all over the stage. The guy who played first at the concert was Stevie Wonder. Everyone was very young.

Their most underappreciated song...

One of my favorite stones songs. It gets under your skin

so glad you did something different from them rather than the main stream stuff. I hope you will try their song--All down the line. it's really rock and roll

I'm 75. When I first heard Moonlight Mile, it seemed very Japanese to me. I also find it very erotic, especially toward the end, where Mick seems to be grunting softly and rhythmically. This and Angie and Wild Horses are my favorite ballads by the Rolling Stones.

Big Shame that we don't hear Syed anymore , without doubt the best first listen channel , Syed is by far the most coherent discerning , both intellectually stimulating and charismatic guy out there....where have you gone ?

I always thought the line was “ I am just living to be dying by your side”. I still think it is.

I just heard this a few days ago on my Spotify play list, and remembered how beautiful this song iis...

That LP has more variety of any LP you will ever hear. Unless you listen to Beggars, Let It Bleed or Exile. You have done all be 5 of the songs I think. Nothing better ever!

I also thought the same thing Syed! This song literally brings me in Japan 🇯🇵😍

My favorite album. Perfect from start to end, & this is just the most gorgeous way to end the album.

Great review! They are touring and on the road..... life on the road could be hard for musicians when they have a loved one elsewhere. Under My Thumb & Monkey Man are two others y'all will appreciate. Take care and I thank you!

After this please make a reaction video about the song called "Winter", it's an amazing song and one of my favorite Stones songs, another great romantic songs by mick jagger and mick taylor (and a very very great solo guitar by MT), and just like moonlight mile, keef was absent in the recording of this song. I think you will love that song 😁✌

The orchestra is really good in this song

Mick Taylor and Jagger od guitars..

We were the BEATLES, they WERE the rolling stones.

I told my kids that if they’re are not lowering me into the ground to this song, I’m haunting their asses. Moonlight Mile may be the best song ever.

As Tom Petty stated "the Rolling Stones were a great rock 'n roll band, but the Beatles changed the world".

Thank you god for Mick Taylor

It's when the strings come in .....that lifts the track to the next level ...beautifully crafted song ...they are always changing nuances ....

One of the Stones greatest. Fantastic that the younger generation are discovering these tracks and getting right into it. Moonlight Mile was a song I travelled with 30 years ago, on train rides at night through Europe It’s just so good on Headphones!!!

I love your appreciation of the Stones, they have always been my stand out band, and you are really getting that. It is great to re-hear these songs I know and love so much through your ears and reactions. Thanks and keep going!

So glad you chose this song. Thanks and great job, man!

It's actually Chinese music that you're thinking of, which tends to use a 5-note scale equivalent to what Western music would call a major pentatonic scale. The vocal melody and instrumental lines in Moonlight Mile are based on that scale. Japanese music also uses several 5-note scales, but they're based on different types of intervals and have a very different sound than this. You can hear the Chinese type of pentatonic scale by playing just the black keys on a piano.

Head full of snow; coked up.

If you like this one, you should really check out "100 Years Ago" off of "Goats Head Soup".

I’m 51 and stones have been my favorite band since I was 18..I love the Beatles ,but I’ve argued too my friends for years the stones are better..I just got too see them with my 20 yr old daughter 6/11/24 in Philly it was so special .my first time seeing them live.which is funny in itself .ive had the stones tattooed on my shoulder for 25 years they mean that much to me

Nice to see a reaction to this one! Don't see many.

You are so smart. I love listening to you.

This song is great

While don't expect you'll ever prefer the Beatles to the Stones (a debate as old as the bands themselves), I don't think you've even sniffed the best of the Beatles catalog yet, so definitely hold off on any hard judgements.

I don't know how you do it... apparently this track started with a little guitar part by Mick Taylor called "Japanese Thing"!

I don't think there's any point in talking about whether the Rolling Stones or The Beatles are better. Both bands have had a very large part in the further development of blues, pop and rock culture. But both benefited from the roots of black American blues without which neither band would have existed. Of course I also have my favourites, The Stones caught me in the early 70s and I own about 40 vinyl LPs. For me, that doesn't diminish the influence of The Beatles and especially John Lennon, who I particularly appreciate. Anyway, best regards @all -and thanks for sharing this fucking great song- from hamburg (germany)

You caught the very Japanese influence in the opening of this song and throughout. Interestingly, it is about life on the road, which can be tough for a working rock band (or any band, for that matte, at least in those days). There has to be some incredible longing to get through the hassle of touring (bad food, crazed fans, plane travel, bus travel, rail travel, loneliness and isolation) and get back to what seems sane and normal for the musician, perhaps home, friends and family.

Mick Taylor should it got credit for this.

Lifelong stone fan Never heatd this great song

Time for some "Let it bleed" and experience the country side of the rolling stones

The very early working title for this song, when they only had that revolving guitar line was "The Japanese Thing". Let's don't forget Mick Taylor's influence in this beautiful song. Edit - love your channel, and insights. Are you a musician? I am a lifelong Stones fan, but I would never say they are better than the Beatles. Just very different. No one did what the Beatles were able to do. Their music is deceptively simple. It's like Mozart; where you think it is a very basic thing, but then you realize it has become part of your DNA.

Thanks for your great review.

The funny thing is , I think the Stones were a travelling band; the Beatles when the hit the studio off stage mode stayed there, in the studio. The Stones were always set to his the stage and you can hear it in the music. The Beatles revelled in static studio colosus. I still can't figure out who I liked more.

Beautiful song. Its only rock and roll next

I’ve never before heard this track! And yes, very “Japanesie” …love the instrumentation and arrangement. Like it allot.

It's funny, I've never thought of Japanese music in this song but I can definitely hear it now you mention it. Sticky Fingers and Let It Bleed are my two favourite Stones albums; I can't choose one over the other. And I must admit I agree with you re: Beatles vs Stones. I think the argument is kind of dumb (many discussions about rock music are) but I actually don't think Beatles music has aged as well as the Stones. There is a caveat to that though; I'm talking about the best of the Stones: Beggar's Banquet to Goat's Head Soup, with some bits and pieces from before and after thrown in perhaps. I listened to the White Album the other day and, for a classic album, it's extremely patchy and at times, it's just irritating. For me, the Beatles peaked with Rubber Soul and Revolver and even then, there are tracks like Run for Your Life and Yellow Submarine. In comparison, the Stones albums from '68 to at least '72 just sound more real, more contemporary somehow. Gimme Shelter sounds more powerful to me as time goes on. I imagine I'll get hate mail for this but anyway!

I agree that Stones > Beatles. Stones songs just move me in a different way

Mick Taylor was amazing. They really missed him once he had enough of being snubbed.

YES 💯💥

It's a stunning song and lp

i have watched your stones reactions and you have only touched the tip of the Stones catalog.. Mick and Kieth are the greatest song writing duo..IMO. Dont get me wrong,,the Beatles are good...but it will always be the stones for me

I'm pretty sure the guitar Mick is playing is in open G. According to Keith Richards he had just taught Mick that open G tuning around that time. Fun fact, according to Richards it was Jagger who came up with the riff to Brown Sugar that is also in Open G. On Moonlight Mile I imagine what happened was that Mick used his lack of knowledge with the guitar to his advantage. He used the Open G tuning to create a rather ridiculously simple (but exotic) "drone" sound, then built the song off that.

Once you get to Revolver, you'll change your mind about the Beatles. They really hit their stride.

This was my favorite album Beautiful work, there is a bit of Beatles influence here. use of violins for example, touch of Indian influence in the end. I loved this song.

You won my sub . Cuz the Stone is the best Rock band in the whole world . Far surpassed the Beatles many moons ago .

There is a [2002] film called 'Moonlight Mile'[Wow. Great cast]. I don't know what connection it has to this song since I've never seen it. Thanks for the background info. No Keith. Interesting. That tells me a lot actually.Apparently Mick Taylor co-wrote it. Something tells me he contributed more than he feels he got credit for.[the fact he left the band perhaps]'Like several songs from the period, the terrific "Moonlight Mile" came out of a late-night brainstorming session between Taylor and Jagger. And once again, Taylor says he was denied songwriting credit. Taylor built the song around a short guitar riff Richards had written. It was also his idea to add the strings that give the track its epic heft.'

Thanks Syed.

This is my favorite Stones sing, for all the reasons you mentioned. A VERY rough guitar take called, "A Japanese Thing" (or something akin to that) was delivered by Keith Richard's for this album. Keith was subsequently absent for the recording of the song. That rough was transformed into this piece predominantly by Mick J and Mick T's work! Mick T got zero song credit for his work on this. He subsequently left the band due to that (and/or the 'lifestyle/culture of band at time (he had a family) - if you will). By far, one of the more intuitive song analysis I've seen. Consider the context of the timing of Beatles vs the Stones when the were bot active/competing for chart space. There is zero comparison between the two bands talent and impact on culture.

As you get deeper into the Beatles history and catalog, you may find that the Beatles are the best band. I think they are. Having said that, the Rolling Stones are the band I love more than any other.

For fe from all the albums that I have heard. Sticky fingers is at number 2 on my list. With the only one I think is better is The Wall.

Thanks for reacting to that, Syed. That song is a masterpiece, even without Keith.

By 1968 with the release of Beggar’s Banquet the Stones were really making better albums than the Beatles. As much as I love the White Album and Abbey Road, Beggars Banquet and Let it Bleed just sound like pure confidence and swagger.

The best album the Stones ever made by far

The progression is very pentatonic, which gives it that "Japanese" feel, and Charlie is using mallets on his toms, which make the hits softer and rounder than had he been using naked sticks. All in all, and much like tge jam in "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'," this song doesn't happen without Mick Taylor's presence in the band.

Another great track from Sticky Fingers.

Great track, great album, Mick's singing is superb.