History Music / BeggarsBanquet

** Among the graffiti on the album cover are "Music/BobDylan's Dream" (a song from ''Music/TheFreewheelinBobDylan'') and "Music from Big Brown" (a reference to Music/TheBand's ''Music from Big Pink'').

''Beggars Banquet'' is the seventh studio album (ninth American album) by Music/TheRollingStones, released in December 1968. It is considered a return to their old rebellious and subversive roots, compared to their previous albums, the psychedelic ''Music/BetweenTheButtons'' and ''Music/TheirSatanicMajestiesRequest'', both from 1967. ''Beggars Banquet'' is best remembered for the hit singles "Sympathy for the Devil", "Stray Cat Blues", and "Street Fighting Man", and is ranked among the band's best albums.

* RichesToRags: "Beggars Banquet"

** "Sympathy for the Devil" informs us that Satan was present when Useful/JesusChrist was being seduced by him, the Russian Revolution, the Blitzkrieg and centuries of bloodshed between kings and queens in name of their religion.

* DisgustingPublicToilet: Shown on the cover.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/therollingstones_beggarsbanquet12_3wfw.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The original 1968 "invitation" cover, chosen as a replacement for the rejected "toilet" cover.]]
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beggars_banquet_1057.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:The "toilet" cover originally intended for the album, rejected by Decca and used on post-1986 reissues.]]

* BigRockEnding: After the last verse, "Salt of the Earth" slows down for acoustic guitar strumming, then a drum fill signals the band start up again, joined by the background singers repeating "Let's take a drink for the salt of the earth" over and over, then the tempo speeds up and they jam all the way to the fade, with the piano (played by Nicky Hopkins) dominating.

Fought for ten decades for the gods they made''

[[caption-width-right:320:The original 1968 "invitation" cover, chosen as a replacement for the rejected "toilet" cover.]]

[[caption-width-right:320:The original cover, rejected by Decca and used on post-1986 reissues of the album.]][[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/11ced8ab076a9808026f2358b2f3d140.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:The replacement cover, used on the original issue of the album.]]

* ContemptibleCover: The original cover, depicting the album credits as BathroomStallGraffiti, was rejected by Decca Records. This caused the album's release to be delayed by several months while they came up with a new design. They eventually settled on a [[MinimalisticCoverArt spare white cover]] resembling a formal invitation card.

The band delayed the record's release considerably due to the [[ExecutiveMeddling ongoing conflict between the band and the record companies]], who despised the cover shown on the right. While the original cover has been reinstated on reissues, this conflict speaks to the band's rapidly shifting role from a group of talented musicians to a mouthpiece for a generation. From the introductory track, which is the TropeNamer to SympathyForTheDevil and ManOfWealthAndTaste, to the largely SelfDeprecating indictment of [[SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll debauchery of their lifestyle]], the songs both implicate society and defend the people largely undercut by privilege. Fitting for an album heavily influenced by the violence and politics of the 1960s, the cover and the album's themes are now viewed as a celebration of [[ArmyOfThievesAndWhores cultural rebels and impoverished people]] disenfranchised by society. However, some view this situation as though TheManIsStickingItToTheMan, since the Rolling Stones do not accurately represent the poor and downtrodden.

** In the interim, another [[Main/{{Understatement}} fairly well-known English pop group]], Music/TheBeatles, happened to release a [[Music/TheWhiteAlbum double album with an all-white cover of their own]]. This led to the Stones being accused of ripping off said album cover come the release of ''Banquet'', while they themselves never had anything to do with it.

** In the interim, another [[Music/{{Understatement}} fairly well-known English pop group]], Music/TheBeatles, happened to release a [[Music/TheWhiteAlbum double album with an all-white cover of their own]]. This led to the Stones being accused of ripping off said album cover come the release of ''Banquet'', while they themselves never had anything to do with it.

* GenreShift: "Sympahty for the Devil", while now among the Stones' proverbial anthems, is quite different from their usual fare (then and now) of angsty blues songs. Namely for the fact that the lyrics are fairly literary filled with historical allusions. Indeed Mick Jagger noted that it was more suited to Bob Dylan's style than the Stones. The song itself drew on the influences of ''Literature/TheMasterAndMargarita'' (recommended by Music/MarianneFaithfull) and the poetry of Charles Baudelaire. Jagger states that while it's a Ballad, the unusual Samba rhythms and African beats stopped it from departing too much from their style:

* RedOctober: Lucifer in "Sympathy for the Devil" was present during the UsefulNotes/TheRussianRevolution:

''Beggars Banquet'' is the seventh studio album (ninth American album) by Music/TheRollingStones, released in December 1968. It was considered a return to their old rebellious and subversive roots, compared to their previous albums, the psychedelic ''Music/BetweenTheButtons'' and ''Music/TheirSatanicMajestiesRequest'', both from 1967. ''Beggars Banquet'' is best remembered for the hit singles "Sympathy for the Devil", "Stray Cat Blues", and "Street Fighting Man", and is ranked among the band's best albums.

* RecordProducer: Music/JimmyMiller.

Music/BrianJones, who halfheartedly showed up to the recording sessions, was playing a far lesser role in the band by thus point and had his judgment marred considerably through drug abuse. While Jones contributed a few minor instrumentals, most notably the slide guitar on "No Expectations" and sitar on "Street Fighting Man", Music/MickJagger and Music/KeithRichards largely conceived of an album which would return to a {{Blues}}-inspired, [[CountryMusic Country]] sound heavily associated with the working conditions of the poor. Achieving unity in structure even with diverse subjects such as [[{{Jailbait}} underage groupies]], [[PoliceBrutality chaotic riots]], and [[NotChristianRock religious symbolism]], the Stones sought to reconcile these complex ideas to represent the political restlessness of the era through [[ThreeChordsAndTheTruth a more simplistic sound]].

Music/BrianJones, who halfheartedly showed up to the band's recording sessions, played a far lesser role in the band and had his judgment marred considerably through drug abuse. While Jones contributed a few minor instrumentals, most notably the slide guitar on "No Expectations" and sitar on "Street Fighting Man", Music/MickJagger and Music/KeithRichards largely conceived of an album which would return to a {{Blues}}-inspired, [[CountryMusic Country]] sound heavily associated with the working conditions of the poor. Achieving unity in structure even with diverse subjects such as [[{{Jailbait}} underage groupies]], [[PoliceBrutality chaotic riots]], and [[NotChristianRock religious symbolism]], the Stones sought to reconcile these complex ideas to represent the political restlessness of the era through [[ThreeChordsAndTheTruth a more simplistic sound]].

Music/BrianJones, who halfheartedly showed up to the band's recording sessions, played a far lesser role in the band and had his judgment marred considerably through drug abuse. While Jones contributed a few minor instrumentals, most notably the sitar on "Street Fighting Man", Music/MickJagger and Music/KeithRichards largely conceived of an album which would return to a {{Blues}}-inspired, [[CountryMusic Country]] sound heavily associated with the working conditions of the poor. Achieving unity in structure even with diverse subjects such as [[{{Jailbait}} underage groupies]], [[PoliceBrutality chaotic riots]], and [[NotChristianRock religious symbolism]], the Stones sought to reconcile these complex ideas to represent the political restlessness of the era through [[ThreeChordsAndTheTruth a more simplistic sound]].

* GenreShift: "Sympahty for the Devil", while now among the Stones' proverbial anthems, is quite different from their usual fare (then and now) of angsty blues songs. Namely for the fact that the lyrics are fairly literary filled with historical allusions. Indeed Mick Jagger noted that it was more suited to Bob Dylan's style than the Stones. The song itself drew on the influences of ''Literature/TheMasterAndMargarita'' (recommended by Creator/MarianneFaithfull) and the poetry of Charles Baudelaire. Jagger states that while it's a Ballad, the unusual Samba rhythms and African beats stopped it from departing too much from their style:

* HistoricalRapSheet: "Sympathy for the Devil" lists many atrocities that the titular Devil has been part of, such as being a German General during WorldWarTwo, being accomplice of the assassination of [[UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy John]] and [[UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy Robert Kennedy]], and the French and Russian Revolutions.

** Some of the graffiti on the album cover reads "Music/BobDylan's Dream" (a song from ''Music/TheFreewheelinBobDylan'') and "Music from Big Brown" (a reference to Music/TheBand's ''Music from Big Pink'').

** Some of the graffiti on the album cover reads "Music/BobDylan's Dream" (a song from ''Music/TheFreewheelinBobDylan'') and "Music from Big Brown" (a reference to Music/TheBand's ''Music from Big Brown Pink]]'').

** Some of the graffiti on the album cover reads "Music/BobDylan's Dream" (a song from ''Music/TheFreewheelinBobDylan'') and "Music From [[Music/TheBand Big Brown]]".

** The story collection ''Beggars Banquet'' by Creator/IanRankin took its title from this album.

** In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode ''[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E10BartGetsHitByACar Bart Gets By A Car]]'' Satan introduces himself to Bart with the words: "Please allow me to introduce myself", in reference to "Sympathy for the Devil".

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/beggars_banquet_1057.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:The original cover, rejected by Decca and used on post-1986 reissues of the album.]][[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/11ced8ab076a9808026f2358b2f3d140.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:The replacement cover, used on the original issue of the album.]]