Let It Bleed appeared in the shadow of Brian Jones' death, shortly after he was kicked out the band he'd founded seven years previously. The '60s were ending, flower power had turned sour, and it's not surprising that Let It Bleed has a fin-de-siäcle feel to go with the sinister overtones of its title.
It's an undisputed work of genius, nevertheless, the first of a sequence of Stones albums universally regarded as their finest work. This 2009 re-mastered version reveals it in all its true glory.
Despite the tumult surrounding the band during its recording, Let It Bleed emerged as one of the Stones' best-loved and most acclaimed works. Regularly found at the top of fans' greatest and favourite Stones albums lists, Let It Bleed features some of The Rolling Stones' most memorable tracks, starting with 'Gimme Shelter' and ending with 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'.
Let It Bleed reached Number One in the UK and Number Three in the US, was the first Stones album to include guitarist Mick Taylor in the line-up, and the second, after Beggars Banquet, to be produced by Jimmy Miller.
The Rolling Stones are named the most successful band of all time in the Guinness Book of Records