As anyone who has read this blog for more than about 20 minutes knows, I like to ride bikes. In cycling we have this phrase: "casually deliberate". 
It's an air that pros just have. Whether it's hanging out and chatting on their bikes or draping their arms over the handlebars in the middle of riding a 100 mile race over cobble stones, they can just look, well, casually deliberate. Take a look at that guy on the right. That's Fabian Cancellara aka "Spartacus" who can just mow people down on the open road. He's amazing. Look at the way he's got his arms draped over the handlebars and he's probably going about 25 mph and its casual.
However, I've come to believe that the idea of "casually deliberate" really isn't limited to the sport of cycling. Think of tennis pros or football players. It's casual when a football player ambles back over to the sideline and sticks his mouthpiece in his helmet. I'd probably put my damn eye out with the thing if I tried it.
It goes further still – casually deliberate goes into just about anything where anyone is a "pro". And this is where I'll tie in the title of this post with the rest of this drivel. I downloaded "Exile on Main Street". the other day. It's the first time I've listened to the entire album. I've always loved the Stones and the mighty LedZep. In fact, I think it's fair to say that I've been more of a Zepplin fan but I've got to tell you that after listening to the whole "Exile" album that it gives some strange context to "Tumblin Dice" that makes it just, well, pro.
In fact, I think it's fair to say that the opening riff is pretty much the culmination of 20 years of music and summed up blues-inspired rock in about 10 seconds. There's something so deliberatley casual about that lead-in that you know it ain't going to get any better than that. I've read a bit of background and it isn't clear but I would bet that Richards, doubtless under the influence of some controlled substance, was litening to the lyrics, walked up to an amp, plugged in and that's what came out. It doesn't get any more pro than that. He just knew what to play. He does seem to have struggled with the rest of the song somewhat but they all knew that the hook was so powerful it couldn't be wasted. Eddie VanHalen, the guitar god of my generation couldn't have played that riff. VH is more metal than the blues-drenched axeman of the 60's and 70's. It's just pro and nobody else could have done it. A once in a lifetime intersection of person, place and environment. Tumblin' Dice is the best song of the 70's.
May 25, 2012 at 11:29 am
I like you you've described that intro as casually deliberate, but I'd say it wasn't even the best song on the album… Sweet Virginia will always get my vote
May 29, 2012 at 8:58 pm
Hey Andy. I assume you've been wondering why you"ve gotten only one comment up til now. Well, the crowd here is relatively ornery such that when they disagree they tend to disagree loud and often. Thus I am forced to conclude that you are hearing very little on this topic because everyone is either too young to remember the 70s or else they simply agree with you. Knowing the former is not the case, the latter must therefore be true. Congratulations!!!
May 29, 2012 at 9:08 pm
…and for those who can't remember the 70s because they WERE part of the 70s, this list of 70s songs should serve to refresh your collective memories: http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_songs70s.html
May 30, 2012 at 6:03 am
I agree Rich. I also have no doubt that the new login requirement keeps folks from commenting. I'd like to have more posters – more dialog is better but if this is the price to keep people from doing lousy things then so be it.
May 30, 2012 at 8:34 am
Sigh, where to begin? Best song? I can think of a bunch I think better, but I also think it's a matter of taste and a matter of genre:
-Warren Zevon: "Lawyers, Guns & Money", or "Werewolves of London"
-Golden Earing: "Radar Love"
-The Doors: "LA Woman"
-Gordon Lightfoot: "Sundown" or "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"
-Led Zep: Anything from Zeppelin IV
-The Clash: "London Calling"
And if you want to listen to someone who can absolutely shred a stratocaster, you need to listen to some Dick Dale. Dude puts everyone except Hendrix to shame.
May 30, 2012 at 9:49 am
With the possible exception of anything from LZ4, none of those really summarize the decade. It's a tough decade to summarize tho b/c even the bluesy bands like the Stones tried to get in on the disco thing…
May 30, 2012 at 10:07 am
I appreciate disco now. Back then, not so much. I knew disco was dying when Kiss put out a disco song. Remember "I was made for lovin' you"…the WORST. Speaking of Bluesy bands, ZZ Top…the 70's was when they had a heavy blues sound to their music, which I thought much better than their 80"s stuff.
June 10, 2012 at 12:55 am
The Trees has my vote