The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time 1955 to 2005: Number 396

Number 396

Rolling Stones

"Start Me Up"

(1981)

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395

.........Genre: Rock..........

397

art by walkidiotwalk

Just when you thought the Rolling Stones were just about to hang up their socks and ready themselves for retirement [and yes i am talking about 1981, let alone 2009] they released this album, that, well, really wasn't a Rolling Stones album. What they did with that album and the new sound they found for "Tattoo You" was nothing short of amazing. Just when these guys should be chucking in the towel and eyeing up their pension they re-invent themselves while all the time changing the sound of rock [again]. Sure, rock lovers appreciate and adore with what Rolling Stones did in the early 70s and late 60's but you have to admire the change they made in 1981 when New Wave and Post Punk were ruling the world, they defied trend to claim back what was once theirs. and not only that, but with utter class.

Mick Jagger raises his finger

Like Emotional Rescue before it, Tattoo You was comprised primarily of leftovers, but unlike its predecessor, it never sounds that way. Instead, Tattoo You captures the Stones at their best as a professional stadium-rock band. Divided into a rock & roll side and a ballad side, the album delivers its share of thrills on the tight, dynamic first side. "Start Me Up" became the record's definitive Stonesy rocker, but the frenzied doo wop of "Hang Fire," the reggae jam of "Slave," the sleazy Chuck Berry rockers "Little T&A" and "Neighbours," and the hard blues of "Black Limousine" are all terrific. The ballad side suffers in comparison, especially since "Heaven" and "No Use in Crying" are faceless. But "Worried About You" and "Tops" are effortless, excellent ballads, and "Waiting on a Friend," with its Sonny Rollins sax solo, is an absolute masterpiece, with a moving lyric that captures Jagger in a shockingly reflective and affecting state of mind. "Waiting on a Friend" and the vigorous rock & roll of the first side make Tattoo You an essential latter-day Stones album, ranking just a few notches below Some Girls. ~ [Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide]

Kaff, not to kind there, lets move on ...

Tattoo You 1981

Tattoo You is primarily composed of outtakes, some dating back a decade, with new vocals and overdubs. Along with two new songs, the Rolling Stones put together this collection in order to have a new album to promote for their worldwide American Tour 1981/European Tour 1982 beginning that September: "Tops" and "Waiting on a Friend" were cut in late 1972 during the Goats Head Soup sessions (and featuring Mick Taylor, not Ronnie Wood, on guitar; Taylor later demanded and received a share of the album's royalties). "Slave" and "Worried About You" were recorded in 1975 during the Black and Blue sessions in Rotterdam. They feature Billy Preston on keyboards and Ollie Brown on percussion. Wayne Perkins plays the lead guitar on "Worried About You". "Hang Fire, "Start Me Up", and "Black Limousine" were originally recorded during the 1977 Pathe Marconi recording sessions for Some Girls. "Start Me Up" was originally recorded as a reggae number in 1975 (during the Black and Blue sessions) and called "Never Stop", but was left unreleased at the time; the balance of it was recorded during these 1977 sessions. "Black Limousine" was brought out and worked on again during the Emotional Rescue sessions in 1979. "Little T&A" and "No Use in Crying" came from the Emotional Rescue sessions.

Smells like ..... oh!

"Start Me Up" was released in August 1981, just a week before Tattoo You, to a very strong response, reaching the top 10 in both the U.S. and the U.K. Widely considered one of their most infectious songs, it was enough to carry Tattoo You to #1 for nine weeks in the US, while reaching #2 in the UK with solid sales. It has been certified four times platinum in the US alone. The critical reaction was positive, many feeling that Tattoo You was an improvement over Emotional Rescue and a high-quality release. "Waiting On A Friend" and "Hang Fire" became popular Top 20 US hits as well. Although they would continue to remain popular well into the 2000s, as an indication of the band's longevity in the music industry (being on the eve of their 20th anniversary), "Start Me Up" would prove to be The Rolling Stones' last single to reach as high as #2 in the US, while Tattoo You remains to date their last American #1 album. The album title was originally planned to be simply "Tattoo". Jagger claims to this day that even he has no clue how the "You" became attached to the title. The title caused friction between Jagger and Richards, who suspected Jagger had changed the title without seeking his input. ~ [Source: Wikipedia]

For more Rolling Stones see Number 689 & #767

For Chuck Berry see Number 783

What does RS think of RS [?] .. like we don't know

For too many years it's seemed almost impossible for the Rolling Stones to make an album that hasn't involved – at least partially – the problem of being the Rolling Stones. This difficulty dogged them throughout the Seventies–it's part of the responsibility of having lasted so long, I guess–and they responded to both it and their audience's need for constant redefinition with snideness (who wants to be told that "It's Only Rock 'n Roll"?), subterfuge and, often, a nearly total lack of grace. Sheltered from everyday concerns (the concerns that sing the blues), the Stones hid behind cynical denunciations of meaning, a pose that transformed everything – money, girls and ultimately the music–into so much disposable scenery. Musically, it meant grafting unwarranted au courant attitudes onto the dependable drive of the rhythm section. Lyrically, it signified glorying in distance and turning stances, slogans and promises into false currency.

Hey! We still look young!

Tattoo You doesn't address the subject of maturity, or deny its onset, in a burst of satyriasis. Instead, maturity serves as the backdrop for rockers with real momentum and love songs with real objects, beginning with "Start Me Up," the catchiest Stones single in ages. "You make a grown man cry," Mick Jagger sings amid a clatter of handclaps and Charlie Watts' precision swing, almost as if he hadn't spent half his life trying to hold back the clock. Like all of Tattoo You, it begs the listener's trust. And, for the first time in years, the Rolling Stones deserve it. Deserve it in spades. ~ [Source: Rolling Stone - 1981] ~amen RS

Rolling Stone magazine deemed their '396th Song of all Time' was "Thirteen" by Big Star. Big Star has not appeared in The Definitive 1000.

Other songs with reference to Rolling Stones #414, #434, #447, #569, #574, #635, #688, #696, #719, #739, #761, #885, #893, #980

Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (I thought we had all the Rolling Stones songs in the top 500?) and the Album ranked at 211

This song has a Definitive 1000 rating of 78.7 out of 108