Fuck Guilty Pleasures: Is Exile The Best Stones' Album? Nope, It's Some Girls

Today marks the re-release of the Rolling Stones' 1978 album Some Girls, which has been remastered and expanded. Though it was a commercial success, having gone platinum six times, it was also considered something of a joke at the time. There were the lyrics, of course, but the main thing is that it was considered their "disco album."

Indeed, this was right at disco's peak, and at the height of its backlash, when riled-up rockers wore "disco sucks" tees and rock radio stations often organized burnings of Bees Gees and Village People vinyl. The genre blending might have seemed arty and cool in New York and Paris where it was recorded, but in middle America...not so much. "Miss You" saw multiple club versions and an extended 12" re-mix they even called their "Special Disco Version." It was a blatant attempt at infiltrating the dance floor, along the lines of Rod Stewart's "Do You Think I'm Sexy" and KISS's "I Was Made For Loving You."

"Miss You" as performed on 1978's "Some Girls: Live in Texas," which was shown in theaters last month

Somehow, however, The Stones managed to hold onto their credibility. Critics for the most part didn't have a problem with the band's attempts to blur the line between rock and club music. The lyrics were another story. In reference to "Miss You" and "Beast of Burden," Rolling Stone's Paul Nelson carped in his review, "why is this man lying when he's obviously pleased as punch with himself and is getting roomfuls of satisfaction?"

Despite the perceived disingenuousness of Jagger's lovelorn numbers and hedonist flair of Studio 54 that Some Girls seemed set on conjuring -- via risqué subject matter and four-on-the-floor rhythms -- the band's core rock sensibility remained in tact. Some recording studio embellishments, such as Richards' use of pedal effects, diluted their signature blues style a bit, but the songs remained dynamic and seductive. "Shattered" feels almost new wavey and even rap-inspired, pre-dating Blondie's "Rapture."

"Beast of Burden," and the cover of "Just My Imagination" meanwhile, are classic R&B with a twist, both featuring some nice guitar contributions from Ronnie Wood. There's still a little twang in there -- the hokey but fun "Far Away Eyes" -- and straight-up riff-rock as well, in the form of "When the Whip Comes Down" and "Respectable." And let's not forget Keith Richards' obligatory solo ditty, "Before They Make Me Run," about his heroin arrest the year before.