123. Benmont Tench on Rolling Stones 'Beggars Banquets'

Smooth talking rock’n’roll legend Benmont Tench, icon of the keys and founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, joins me for a sunny LA afternoon to talk about The Rolling Stones classic 1968 LP ‘Beggars Banquet’.

How did this album help pioneer a shift to a rootsy back to basics approach that would start a movement in rock’n’roll? How did the album reflect the political situation of the times? How does side A of the record form a mini concept album? Plus Benmont breaks down ‘Sympathy for the Devil’, ‘No Expectations’, ‘Jigsaw Puzzle’ and ‘Stray Cat Blues’, we decipher the lyrics to ‘Factory Girl’, Benmont explains why the Stones are where you go to learn rock’n’roll piano and he talks about playing keys with the Stones in the studio.

My Favorite Album is a podcast unpacking the great works of pop music. Each episode features a different songwriter or musician discussing their favorite album of all time - their history with it, the making of the album, individual songs and the album’s influence on their own music.

Jeremy Dylan is a filmmaker, journalist and photographer from Sydney, Australia who has worked in the music industry since 2007. He directed the the feature music documentary Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts (out now!) and the feature film Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins, in addition to many commercials and music videos.