NPR Music streaming songs from Rolling Stones expanded reissued album

Starting today, NPR Music is advance streaming songs from an expanded reissue of one of the most revered albums by rock n' roll legends The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street. NPR Music asked a variety of musicians to select their favorite tracks from Exile on Main Street, and offer personal commentary about each one. Their picks are available for free, on-demand listening now through May 18:
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In addition to the preview, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards reflect on making the album and its re-release during NPR News' Morning Edition on May 17 and 18, and Stones producer Don Was joins All Songs Considered on May 17 to discusses his work on the new bonus material.

The NPR Music preview features classic tracks from Exile on Main Street and first listens to four previously unreleased tracks on the reissue. Each song from the original track list is accompanied by reflections from musicians influenced by the seminal 1972 work, including NPR Music “Monitor Mix” blogger and former Sleater-Kinney member Carrie Brownstein on “Happy,” Spoon frontman Britt Daniel on “Sweet Black Angel," singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo on "Shine A Light’" and alternative rocker Liz Phair – whose breakthrough album, Exile in Guyville, re-imagined Exile on Main Street from another perspective – on "Rocks Off."

Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards also share their own thoughts about Exile on Main Street on Monday, May 17 and Tuesday, May 18 on Morning Edition. In separate interviews with host Renee Montagne, both rock icons offer personal glimpses into the album's creation, discuss its place in their canon and what it was like revisiting their old work.

“When I started looking at this unreleased material, some of them, like the track ‘Plundered My Soul’ – that was totally together. There were no mistakes,” says Jagger. “So I was quite impressed by how together the band was on the outtakes. Cause outtakes are often unfinished and slovenly. That’s why you haven't used them. But a lot of this stuff was finished and controlled.”

The interviews will also be available online for later listening at NPR.org.

Also, on Monday, May 17, current Rolling Stones producer Don Was stops by All Songs Considered with host Bob Boilen to spin some of the unreleased songs and discuss his contributions to the material. Far more than just dusted off recordings, for some of the bonus tracks Was included brand-new vocals, guitar overdubs and background singers.

More commentary and information on the momentous reissue are available at NPR Music. The site celebrates great music in every genre and is an industry leader in music discovery. The free, multimedia website at www.npr.org/music offers 300 new features monthly and an extensive archive, in collaboration with NPR's newsmagazines, 12 public radio member stations and the passionate NPR community. NPR Music creates and distributes inventive music coverage across multiple platforms – from web, to radio, to podcast, to mobile, to social media, to live events – with first listens to new albums, live performances, concerts at the Tiny Desk, interviews, reviews and blogs.