Seems Like A Freeze-Out

It seems to be December, and here we are with a full issue about the Rolling Stones, talking about such seemingly dated minutae as their summer tour and Exile on Main Street. What’s this?

Well, I said one day last July, there’s only so much Rolling Stones energy, ever, and I can’t see competing with Life. Indeed. I never could see competing with life.

Can you?

There’s more to it (there always is). The Rolling Stones, our peculiar form of rock-plasma, run heavily on everyone’s conscience even when they aren’t around. The Rolling Stones matter just as much now as they did in July and if nothing else, this issue is a reminder of that fact. It is, I think unfortunately, the central fact of rock’n’roll now. There’s one group, and only one, like ’em or not, that matters all the time.