In the early seventies, The Rolling Stones had moved to France, fleeing the oppressive British tax system, and it was there, on French soil, that they began preparing their new album, which would be the tenth of their career. However, their time in France would not be a bed of roses for the group. To begin with, the drug addictions of some of its members, mainly Jagger and Richards, the disastrous location chosen for the album's recording a mansion near Cannes where Keith Richards and his family usually resided, which had a murky past as a Gestapo headquarters during World War II in addition to the chaotic recording sessions, all led to controversial and marathon weeks of total chaos and unprecedented mayhem. During those sessions, everything became frenetic, from the inadequate electrical installation for the powerful and sophisticated studio equipment, to the constant coming and going of countless friends and acquaintances of the band (including drug dealers), not to mention the large recording crew. On top of all this, there were the frequent recording interruptions due to the frequent absences of some of the band members who left for personal matters. This disarray resulted in tremendous chaos that somehow ended up being incorporated into the final sound of the album, which received a barrage of criticism from the specialized press upon its release. This hostile reception would eventually become the band's masterpiece, considered one of the greatest contributions to rock music.
On this album, the band explored diverse musical territories like never before, including jazz, soul, gospel, country, blues, and rockabilly, with numerous instrumental jam sessions. Among the highlights were a series of brilliant songs such as the commercially successful "Tumbling Dice", the rocker "Rip This Joint", the country anthem "Torn and Frayed", the gritty "Ventilator Blues", the rock and roll number "Shake Your Hips", and the incredibly addictive and very Stones-esque "All Down the Line" and "Rocks Off". For many, this was the last great work of The Rolling Stones, even though their dozen subsequent releases were many excellent albums, but none possessed the variety, the frenetic energy, and the somewhat unbridled genius born from the haphazard recording of this legendary "Exile on Main St".
