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Since the early 1960s, led by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, The Rolling Stones<\/a> have released more than 30 studio albums and over 120 singles, which makes them one of the most enduring and prolific Rock and Roll bands of all time.<\/p>\n Fans have an enormous body of work to explore and it is not easy to choose the greatest songs, which means there are many hidden gems in their discography. There are 3 underrated tracks, Keith Richards once described as \u201cdamn good.\u201d<\/p>\n The 3 Rolling Stones songs Keith Richards said were \u201cdamn good\u201d The first one mentioned by Keith Richards is \u201cCountry Honk\u201d which is the original version of what would become later on \u201cHonky Tonk Women\u201d. The track was written by Keith and Mick when they were spending time in Brazil in the late 60s. \u201cWe were headed for the Mato Grosso (Brazilian state). We lived for a few days on a ranch, where Mick and I wrote \u2018Country Honk.\u2019 (We were) sitting on a veranda like cowboys, boots on the rail, thinking ourselves in Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the country version of what became the single \u2018Honky Tonk Women\u2019 when we got back to civilization. We decided to put \u2018Country Honk\u2019 out as well, on \u2018Let It Bleed\u2019, a few months later in late \u201969. It was written on an acoustic guitar, and I remember the place because every time you flushed the john these black blind frogs came jumping out. (It was) an interesting image,\u201d Keith Richards said in his autobiography \u201cLife\u201d.<\/p>\n Interestingly Richards later said that quite often a good Country song can also become a very good Rock and Roll track. \u201cIt was a process, writing \u2018Country Honk\u2019 and saying: \u2018This sounds like Jimmie Rodgers or Hank Williams. (But) how he would have played now (these days)?\u201d<\/p>\n Keith Richards continued:<\/p>\n \u2018So then (we) project it forward but at the same time is a damn old good Country song and a damn old good Country song is quite often a damn good Rock and Roll song,\u201d Keith Richards said on his Youtube<\/a> channel (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).<\/p>\n \u201cCountry Honk\u201d was featured on the band\u2019s eighth studio album, \u201cLet It Bleed\u201d, released in 1969, a few months after \u201cHonky Tonk Women\u201d had come out as a single and became a number one hit in several countries. It is one of the few songs from that era that did not feature bassist Bill Wyman, as there is no bass on the track. Besides Mick Jagger<\/a> and Keith Richards, Mick Taylor played steel slide guitar, Charlie Watts<\/a> handled the drums and guest musician Byron Berline played fiddle.<\/p>\n \u201cLove In Vain\u201d<\/p>\n Also from \u201cLet It Bleed\u201d, the song \u201cLove In Vain\u201d was also mentioned by Keith as a \u201cdamn good\u201d one and also a track that showed how talented Mick Taylor was. \u201cWe did the most brilliant stuff together, some of the most brilliant stuff the Stones ever did. Everything was there in his playing\u2014the melodic touch, a beautiful sustain and a way of reading a song. He had a lovely sound, some very soulful stuff. He\u2019d get where I was going even before I did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was in awe sometimes listening to Mick Taylor, especially on that slide\u2014try it on \u2018Love in Vain\u2019. Sometimes just jamming, warming up with him, I\u2019d go, whoa. I guess that\u2019s where the emotion came out. I loved the guy, I loved to work with him, but he was very shy and very distant. I\u2019d get close to him when we were working out stuff and playing. When he let his hair down he was extremely funny,\u201d Keith Richards said in his book \u201cLife\u201d.<\/p>\n The song is a version of \u201cLove in Vain Blues\u201d, written by the legendary Robert Johnson and released in 1939. At the time, Mick Taylor had only recently joined the band, coming from John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, a position previously occupied in that group by Eric Clapton<\/a> and Peter Green<\/a>. \u201cLet It Bleed\u201d was his first album with the Stones, and as Keith once said, it brought \u201cbeautiful possibilities\u201d to the band\u2019s sound. \u201cTaylor opened up some beautiful possibilities. Especially in recording because I would just lay down 3 or 4 different rhythm guitars. Mick was very much a solo player. Incredible melodic and sensitivity about his playing. Most of those early Stone records, you know, the big ones.\u201d<\/p>\n Keith Richards continued:<\/p>\n
\n\u201cCountry Honk\u201d<\/p>\n