Exile on Main St. (Pussy Galore album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Exile on Main St.

| type = Studio album

| longtype = of cover songs

| artist = Pussy Galore

| cover = Pussy Galore - Exile on Main St.jpg

| alt =

| caption = One of unofficial CD re-releases

| released = {{Start date|1986|12}}

| recorded = August 24–{{Start date|1986|8|26}}

| venue =

| studio = Pussy Galore Mobile Unit

| genre = Noise rock, punk blues

| length = 59:55

| label = Shove

| producer = Pussy Galore

| prev_title = Groovy Hate Fuck

| prev_year = 1986

| next_title = 1 Yr Live

| next_year = 1986

}}

Exile on Main St. is an album by American noise rock band Pussy Galore, released in December 1986 by Shove Records.{{cite magazine |first1=Glenn |last1=Kenny |first2=Ira |last2=Robbins |url=http://trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=pussy_galore |title=Pussy Galore |magazine=Trouser Press |year=2007 |access-date=July 6, 2015}} It is a track-by-track cover album re-interpreting the Rolling Stones' 1972 album Exile on Main St. Its only official release format was the cassette tape, in a limited run of only 550 hand-numbered copies.{{cite book |first=Andrew |last=Earles |chapter=Pussy Galore: Dial M for Motherfucker |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D_eKBAAAQBAJ&q=%22Exile+on+Main+St%22+%22Pussy+Galore%22+cassette&pg=PA248 |title=Gimme Indie Rock |date=15 September 2014 |publisher=Voyageur Press |location=Minneapolis |page=248 |isbn=978-0-7603-4648-8 |accessdate=December 28, 2016 |via=Google Books }}{{cite magazine |first=Chuck |last=Eddy |date=December 2009 |title=Essentials: A Noisy, Filthy, Sarcastic Grunt, Pigf--k Set the Stage for Flannel's Fury |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H2nB11C0SoQC&q=%22Exile+on+Main+St%22+%22Pussy+Galore%22&pg=PA78 |magazine=Spin |accessdate=December 28, 2016 |via=Google Books }}

Background

While Pussy Galore's version is an intentionally deconstructionist approach to remaking the original album, most of the songs on the album remain recognizable and reconcilable to their original versions. One notable exception is Pussy Galore's performance of "Shine A Light", which, while itself an actual recording of that song, was purposefully distorted essentially beyond recognition. On a bootleg which circulates among fans, titled "Exile On Main Street (Unmixed Version)" or simply "Exile Unmixed", many performances that were purposefully obscured on the official release are clearly audible and it seems that the group did make somewhat of a sincere attempt to learn all eighteen songs from the original LP.

In addition to the general chaos, purposeful distortion, and incomprehensible mixing and editing, the record also contains bits of dialog from the band members arguing and yelling at one another, as well as some original Rolling Stones versions of tracks from "Exile..." bleeding through the mix at points. One notable appearance comes from what appears to be a copy of The Velvet Underground's song "Heroin", though it sounds as if it is skipping on a damaged vinyl record.

Reception

{{Album ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |first=John |last=Duffy |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000887138|pure_url=yes}}|title=Exile on Main Street |website=Allmusic |accessdate=July 6, 2015}}

}}

NME ranked the album number 253 in "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in October 2013.{{cite magazine | url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/nme_500_greatest_albums_2013.htm | title=NME: The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time |magazine=NME |date=October 2013 | accessdate=July 6, 2015}} David Browne called the album "the symbolic passing of the irreverent torch."{{cite book |first=David |last=Browne |year=2009 |title=Goodbye 20th Century: A Biography of Sonic Youth |page=159 |publisher=Da Capo Press |isbn=978-0-306-81515-7 }}

Track listing

{{track listing

| headline = Side one

| all_writing = Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, except where noted

| title1 = Rocks Off

| length1 = 4:21

| title2 = Rip This Joint

| length2 = 1:38

| title3 = Hip Shake

| writer3 = Slim Harpo

| length3 = 3:37

| title4 = Casino Boogie

| length4 = 2:41

| title5 = Tumbling Dice

| length5 = 4:16

| title6 = Sweet Virginia

| length6 = 2:44

| title7 = Torn and Frayed

| length7 = 3:08

| title8 = Sweet Black Angel

| length8 = 2:46

| title9 = Loving Cup

| length9 = 3:16

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Side two

| title1 = Happy

| length1 = 2:27

| title2 = Turd on the Run

| length2 = 2:05

| title3 = Ventilator Blues

| writer3 = Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor

| length3 = 3:57

| title4 = I Just Want to See His Face

| length4 = 3:56

| title5 = Let It Loose

| length5 = 3:59

| title6 = All Down the Line

| length6 = 3:22

| title7 = Stop Breaking Down

| writer7 = Robert Johnson

| length7 = 2:39

| title8 = Shine a Light

| length8 = 5:24

| title9 = Soul Survivor

| length9 = 3:38

}}

Personnel

Adapted from the Exile on Main St liner notes.{{cite AV media notes |title=Exile on Main St |title-link=Exile on Main St (Pussy Galore album) |others=Pussy Galore |year=1986 |type=booklet |publisher=Shove Records |location=New York City}}

Pussy Galore