Editing Let It Bleed (section)

==Musical style==
As with ''Beggars Banquet'' the previous year, the album marks a return to the group's more [[blues]]-based approach that was prominent in the pre-''[[Aftermath (Rolling Stones album)|Aftermath]]'' period of their career. The main inspiration during this string of albums was [[Roots rock|American roots music]] and ''Let It Bleed'' is no exception, drawing heavily from [[Gospel music|gospel]] (evident in "Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want"), [[Hank Williams]] and [[Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)|Jimmie Rodgers]] ("Country Honk"),<ref name="McPherson">{{cite web |url=http://www.timeisonourside.com/SOCountryHonk.html |title=Country Honk |last=McPherson |first=Ian |website=www.timeisonourside.com |access-date=25 October 2016}}</ref> [[Chicago blues]] ("Midnight Rambler"),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timeisonourside.com/SOMidnight.html |title=Midnight Rambler |last=McPherson |first=Ian |website=www.timeisonourside.com |access-date=25 October 2016}}</ref> as well as [[country blues]] ("You Got the Silver", "[[Love in Vain]]") and [[country rock]] ("[[Let It Bleed (song)|Let It Bleed]]").<ref name=lpBleed>{{cite web |url=http://www.timeisonourside.com/lpBleed.html |title=Let It Bleed |last=McPherson |first=Ian |website=www.timeisonourside.com |access-date=25 October 2016}}</ref>

Don Heckman, writing in ''The New York Times'', felt that ''Let It Bleed'' was a "heavy" and "passionately erotic" album of [[hard rock]] and blues, influenced by [[African-American music]].<ref name="Heckman2">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1969/12/28/archives/pop-no-the-rolling-stones-are-not-fascists-micks-not-fascist.html |title=Pop: No, The Rolling Stones are Not Fascists; Mick's Not Fascist |last=Heckman |first=Don |date=28 December 1969 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=D24 |access-date=21 June 2013}} {{subscription required}}</ref> [[Richie Unterberger]], writing for [[AllMusic]], said it "extends the rock and blues feel of ''Beggars Banquet'' into slightly harder-rocking, more demonically sexual territory".<ref name="allmusic2">{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=let-it-bleed-mw0000191519 |pure_url=yes}} |title=Let It Bleed |last=Unterberger |first=Richie |authorlink=Richie Unterberger |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=17 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/628q51XQN?url=http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/Rihanna/chart-history/658897?f=793&g=Singles |archive-date=2 October 2011 }}</ref> ''Mojo'' magazine's James McNair felt the record had an emphasis on "earthy" country blues.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mojo4music.com/21197/the-rolling-stones/ |title=The Rolling Stones Top 10 Albums" > "2. Let It Bleed |publisher=[[Mojo (magazine)|mojo4music.com]] |access-date=11 September 2015}}</ref>

Through their experimentation during the mid-1960s, the band had developed an eclectic approach to arrangements. [[Slide guitar]] playing is prominent (played entirely by Richards, except "Country Honk", which was performed by Taylor), and is featured on all songs except "Gimme Shelter", "Live with Me" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want", giving the album an authentic blues feel throughout. In addition, an array of session musicians embellish the songs with various instruments. Alongside the piano performances ([[Ian Stewart (musician)|Ian Stewart]], [[Nicky Hopkins]]), the record included fiddle ([[Byron Berline]]),<ref name="McPherson"/> mandolin ([[Ry Cooder]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timeisonourside.com/SOLoveInVain.html |title=Love In Vain |last=McPherson |first=Ian |website=www.timeisonourside.com|access-date=25 October 2016}}</ref> piano, organ and French horn ([[Al Kooper]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timeisonourside.com/SOYouCantAlways.html |title=You Can't Always Get What You Want |last=McPherson |first=Ian |website=www.timeisonourside.com |access-date=25 October 2016}}</ref> as well as vibraphone (Wyman)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeisonourside.com/SOMonkey.html|title=Monkey Man |last=McPherson|first=Ian|website=www.timeisonourside.com|access-date=25 October 2016}}</ref> and autoharp (Wyman and Jones).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeisonourside.com/SOLetItBleed.html|title=Let It Bleed |last=McPherson |first=Ian|website=www.timeisonourside.com|access-date=25 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeisonourside.com/SOYouGotTheSilver.html |title=You Got the Silver |last=McPherson |first=Ian |website=www.timeisonourside.com |access-date=25 October 2016}}</ref> Of more importance, however, was the debut of both renowned saxophonist [[Bobby Keys]] on "Live with Me", a musician who was integral at giving the group's arrangements a soul/jazz background, and Taylor, who took on lead guitar duties with technically proficient playing, giving the band a harder rock sound during the late 1960s and early 1970s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timeisonourside.com/SOLiveWith.html |title=Live with Me |last=McPherson |first=Ian |website=www.timeisonourside.com |access-date=25 October 2016}}</ref>

=== Lyrics ===
[[Jann Wenner]], in a 1995 ''Rolling Stone'' interview with Jagger, describes the album's songs as "disturbing" and the scenery as "ugly". When asked if the Vietnam War played a role in the album's worldview, Jagger said: "I think so. Even though I was living in America only part time, I was influenced. All those images were on television. Plus, the spill out onto campuses".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mick-jagger-remembers-92946/|title=Mick Jagger Remembers|date=14 December 1995|first=Jann|last=Wenner|authorlink=Jann Wenner|work=rollingstone.com}}</ref>