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"Tattoo You" is one of the most unique albums ever recorded by the Rolling Stones. It features a great collection of straight rock songs which appeared on the vinyl album's first side, followed by an introspective "suite" of songs about unfaithfulness and betrayal. The songs are arranged in the perfect order, and the introspective songs seem to tell the story of a relationship's progress. But amazingly, most of "Tattoo You" was assembled from unrelated studio outtakes that were left over from the previous decade!

The jumble of songs meant the album ended up with a tremendous variety of styles. "Black Limousine" is a straight blues number, complete with a sassy harmonica solo by Mick Jagger. The song "Slave" features a funky jam session with a wailing chorus of "Do it, do it, do it, do it..." (as Mick riffs about not wanting to run errands). While that song runs on for over six minutes, "Hang Fire" is over in just 2:20 - a scorching taunt that contains one of my all-time favorite lyrics. ("You know that having money is a full-time job. I don't need the aggravation, I'm a lazy slob.") Keith Richards even does the vocals on a rambly song called "Little T&A" (though the chorus of the song is actually "She's my little rock and roll.")

But what makes this album stand out is the remarkable suite of thoughtful songs on the album's second side. The five-song set culminates with the easy ballad "Waiting on a Friend," which became a popular single. It's the album's final track, in which Mick sings wisely that "making love and breaking hearts is a game for youth." But the four songs that precede it give an example of Mick doing just that. "Tops" wanders through all the pick-up lines that involve promises of success, and "Heaven" offers a dazzled, echoey montage about "kissing and running away." The chilly aftermath appears in the album's second to last track, in which Mick warns that "I ain't never coming back," and then re-creates the voice of a crying female as the chorus sings out the song's title: "Ain't No Use in Crying."

Some saw the album as the Stones' first acknowledgment of middle age. The album's most famous track is probably "Start Me Up," in which Mick croons that "You made a dead man come alive." And at least one critic noted the more "mature" tone of the songs showing some regret over the one night stand. It's preceded by a song of genuine self doubt, as Mick agonizes to his lover that he's "Worried About You" and "I just can't seem to find my way." Ultimately the theme seeps into all the tracks, uniting both its bluesy numbers and its wild rock anthems into one great album.

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