The Exiles

When the band fled England, Keith Richards set up shop in the south of France, in an exotic seaside villa. He also set up a recording studio downstairs, where he could lay down whatever sounds were coming out of his head whenever he felt like it, which is exactly what he did. Throughout parts of 1971 and 1972, Keith would gather whoever was in the house at the time of inspiration and commit the music to tape. Mick was still very busy with his new marriage, so he recorded much of the vocals later on.

The method of recording in Keith's house led to an album with a clear version of Keith's style, the double album Exile on Main Street. With nothing but time on his hands, and the equipment literally right in his basement, Keith created a dense, multilayered record of raw, sloppy American blues and rock and roll. The songs are mostly about the tough life of a band on the road, and all are almost perfect in different ways. When it was released on May 12, 1972, critics and audiences alike were blown away by the quality of the songs and could not believe that the Stones and producer Jimmy Miller had topped themselves yet again. Since its release, in fact, it has been named as one of the greatest rock albums of all time, right alongside such modern sound revolutions as the Beatles' Revolver and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds.

Hot on the heels of the album, they began yet another giant U.S. tour. This time, they were in control of everything. They now had their own private jet, and nothing but the finest in everything. The tour gave them a chance to make some serious money now that no one was keeping it from them. As expected, it was another gigantic success, with opening acts like Stevie Wonder challenging the Stones to new heights of performance. Ten years after their formation, the Rolling Stones were at the very top of their game.