Mick Jagger / Keith Richards / 6:06
Musicians
Mick Jagger: vocals
Keith Richards: acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar, slide guitar
Brian Jones: (?): slide guitar (?), electric dulcimer (?)
Bill Wyman: bass
Charlie Watts: drums
Nicky Hopkins: piano
Recorded
Olympic Sound Studios, London: March 1968
Technical Team
Producer: Jimmy Miller
Sound engineers: Glyn Johns, Eddie Kramer
Assistant sound engineer: Phill Brown
This is another song that smacks of the influence of the Bob Dylan of Blonde on Blonde. When the narrator is not lying on the floor, trying to do his jigsaw puzzle before it rains anymore, he describes seeing through his window a tramp who is tryin’ to waste his time, the bishop’s daughter looking a trifle jealous, a gangster who looks so frightening with his luger in his hand. Scenes of everyday life, one might almost say.
However, Mick Jagger, who was responsible for these excellent lyrics, also assumes the role of chronicler of the social realities of the United Kingdom, with the twenty thousand grandmas waving their hankies in the air, all burning up their pensions and shouting “it’s not fair,” the regiment of soldiers standing looking on as the queen is bravely shouting “what the hell is going on?” before blessing the grandmas. And because he is the singer of the Rolling Stones, he also includes a reference to a rock ’n’ roll band: a singer who is angry at being thrown to the lions, a bass player who looks nervous about the girls outside, guitar players who look damaged because they have been outcasts all their lives. The images follow one another with all the dazzling rapidity of the writers of the Beat generation.
Keith Richards would later describe “Jigsaw Puzzle” as being a little long. Nevertheless, it is a very well-made country blues, admittedly perhaps somewhat repetitive in form, but possessing a contagious vitality and sung by an inspired-sounding Mick Jagger. Charlie launches the intro with some very good drumming: a highly effective swing with an extraordinary snare drum sound, no doubt the influence of Jimmy Miller. Bill follows with an excellent bass line probably played on his Dallas Tuxedo. Keith plays acoustic, electric rhythm, and slide guitars (both electric parts on his Les Paul). Nicky Hopkins once again demonstrates the value of his contribution to the Stones sound. At 1:50 an instrument enters that is difficult to define. It is not a Mellotron, more like a slide guitar, or possibly an electric dulcimer played with a bottleneck, drenched in reverb and with a delay. Might this be Brian’s work? It is difficult to be certain.