Well, I was only joking, but it seems rude not to.. Anticipate me listening to the whole of "Jamming with Edward"...

I haven't heard it since I was a teenage Stones fan, but it's a bit of a mess, as I recall.

I noticed that each track that isn't a cover is credited, writingwise, as "Cooder/Hopkins/Watts"

Bearing in mind Jagger (and Richard) 's propensity to claim any and all writing credits, I guess Mick's involvement is minor.

I haven't heard it in 30 years, but I recall it being a nice showcase for Ry Cooder & Nicky Hopkins. But not worth it as a "Stones" album. More like a jam session after a long night rehearsing.

Exile on Main Street is the real deal recorded around the same time with the full complement of session stars with the Stones sitting on top.

Mark, you know how passionate people sometimes get about announcing that they're completely over rock music - that it's dead and has been for years, that it's a sham, that it's hollow and lifeless and they'd sooner eat chalk than pretend it's good any more? Jamming With Edward is part of the reason those people get so frothy about the whole deal

what, in a "but hey this has saved me" or an "and this album is why?" way?

the latter, man - damn thing is like a template for rocknroll HOF performances

I have an irresistible urge to listen to the third LP of All Things Must Pass.

been thar,

Long ago, found it for 10p in a jumble sale, it being one of the first 50 lps I owned.

Eventually, I got the reissued 2cd set, but it was still the third lp tracks I liked best.

Right, have now finished my listening to it...

It's an odd one, for sure. Why would they issue this? It's not like Ry Cooder and Nicky Hopkins were "ooh a nice souvenir" as they played quite often with the Stones around then, and no doubt have tapes aplenty. Maybe as a testimonial? But then, I can't imagine the royalties and the publishing for the tracks here would amount to much.

The album itself, funnily enough, has it's closest cousin as that "George Harrison Apple Jam" LP3 of "All things must pass" as mentioned above. Particularly the short track, "The loveliest night of the year" as opposed to "It's Johnny's Birthday (aka Congratulations)"

It's not totally horrible. As background music, it's acceptable. As a listening experience, it's more notable for it's repetition and length. Which is allowed in a) Krautrock and b) Trance, but not in 'the blues'. I'm no blues fan by any means, so those that may be can evaluate this if they want to. I may play this another time, I may not.

Oh, and Mick does sing, making up a few lines as the music goes. And why no "Jagger" credit? Probably cause he cribbed from the blues directly. I noted "Woke up this mornin, all my shrimps were dead" Which I always thought were the most unintentionally funny lyrics ever (courtesy of Robert Johnson".

I remember loads of shops had this album at the time, and was quite interested in the 'comic' being that young then. I guess if they'd given it away as an extra album with "Goats Head Soup" or whatever album was it's contemporary, Watts/Cooder/Hopkins would have got a better testimonial, moneywise. But then, Jagger/Richard aren't as daft as all that!

My guess is that it had to do with contractual obligations to release X number of lps in Y amount of time in order to reap rewards of said contract. No extra recording or rehearsing necessary, let's just pile a bunch of this into this bag here and...voila, another coupla million. As you say, the Gold Dust twins were not as daft as all that.