The Rolling Stones

Exile on Main St.

First released1972

Exile on Main St. was recorded between 1971 and 1972 primarily at the Rolling Stones' mobile recording studio set up in Keith Richards' villa in the South of France, Villa Nellcôte, due to the band members' tax exile status. The album was produced by the Rolling Stones themselves alongside engineer Jimmy Miller, who had worked with them on previous acclaimed albums. The unconventional recording environment and the band's difficult personal circumstances during this period contributed to the raw, dense sound that characterized the album. Technical innovations included the use of mobile recording equipment and extensive overdubbing and mixing that took place both at the villa and later at various London studios. Released in May 1972, Exile on Main St. is considered one of the greatest rock albums ever made, though it received mixed initial reviews, with its murky production and sprawling track list later being recognized as artistic strengths rather than flaws.