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The Untold Mystery of the “You” in the Rolling Stones’ Tattoo You

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The TATTOO YOU album title was originally planned to be simply named ‘TATTOO’. Mick claims to this day that even he has no clue how the “You” became later attached to the title. This caused some friction between Mick and Keith, with Richards suspecting that Jagger had changed the title without seeking his input.

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From allmusic:
Like Emotional Rescue before it, Tattoo You was comprised primarily of leftovers, but unlike its predecessor, it never sounds that way. Instead, Tattoo You captures the Stones at their best as a professional stadium-rock band. Divided into a rock & roll side and a ballad side, the album delivers its share of thrills on the tight, dynamic first side. “Start Me Up” became the record’s definitive Stonesy rocker, but the frenzied doo wop of “Hang Fire,” the reggae jam of “Slave,” the sleazy Chuck Berry rockers “Little T&A” and “Neighbours,” and the hard blues of “Black Limousine” are all terrific.

The ballad side suffers in comparison, especially since “Heaven” and “No Use in Crying” are faceless. But “Worried About You” and “Tops” are effortless, excellent ballads, and “Waiting on a Friend,” with its Sonny Rollins sax solo, is an absolute masterpiece, with a moving lyric that captures Jagger in a shockingly reflective and affecting state of mind. “Waiting on a Friend” and the vigorous rock & roll of the first side make Tattoo You an essential latter-day Stones album, ranking just a few notches below Some Girls.

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