The Rolling Fuckin' Stones

[liebzz]

Let the next discography journey begin!

This might be more difficult since their early albums had a lot of repeats and different versions of album between the US/UK so I miss something... but here we go!

[liebzz]

The Rolling Stones (UK) / England’s Newest Hit Makers (US) - consists of primarily covers with a few originals. They set the tone right away as maybe the best cover band ever. Oddly the two best covers are split between the two editions as Not Fade Away and Mona are both on fire. Sad to say at this point that the originals were the least satisfying of the tracks, but everything is quite solid. I’m a King Bee is solid blues.

[bada]

I always liked Little By Little.

[liebzz]

12 X 5 - more of the same covers with originals sprinkled in, but I think the originals are much improved and the covers just as solid. This will be a little confusing over the next few albums since they repeated a lot of songs among the albums, especially as Rolling Stones No. 2 (UK) is half this and half Now! - in any event, there’s a lot to like here and my immediate favorite is the instrumental original 2129 Michigan Avenue, but I also enjoyed the initial stab at Time is On My Side, Confessin the Blues (this was really great), It’s All Over Now, and Under the Boardwalk. What makes their covers so great is they are not quite note for note, but solid spins on these tracks. Grown Up Wrong is also a solid original.

[liebzz]

I always liked Little By Little.

Agreed. I should have noted it.

[liebzz]

The Rolling Stones No. 2 - as noted, this is sort of mishmash of US releases around the same time, so I will just treat them separately. Much of the same mix of covers and originals. What A Shame is excellent and my favorite original to date. Add to that the more familiar and guitar driven Time is On My Side, and a particularly good set of covers in Everybody Needs Somebody to Love, Down Home Girl, Down the Road Apiece and I Can’t Be Satisfied. The songs are a bit more stretched out on these songs and it just makes them better for it.

[knee tunes]

Deep cut top 10

Winter
I don't know why
Let it loose
Dance
Torn and frayed
I got the blues
Child of the Moon
Monkey man
Dancing with Mister D
The Singer not the song

[liebzz]

The Rolling Stones, Now! - this is basically the US version of No. 2 with the addition of five songs that were not on No. 2: Heart of Stone (a classic), Pain in My Heart, Oh Baby (We Got a Good Thing Going On), Little Red Rooster, and Surprise Surprse. The latter two of those songs are top notch Stones. Otherwise, my comments from No. 2 apply to the other songs. While there’s repeats due to the changes in versions between the US and UK all over these releases, they are all more than solid and show a young band so close to busting out - real shades of what is to come in the late 60s through the 70s.

[verb_to_trust]

Deep cut top 10

Winter
I don't know why
Let it loose
Dance
Torn and frayed
I got the blues
Child of the Moon
Monkey man
Dancing with Mister D
The Singer not the song

I was just listening to Monkey Man tonight and loving it.

[liebzz]

Out of Our Heads - I think this is the Stones as their poppiest and alternative to Beatles-esque so far. The UK version seems like mostly filler to house Heart of Stone in album format. The US version is much stronger by the inclusion of Satisfaction, The Last Time, The Spider and the Fly, One More Try, and Play With Fire which are all top notch. Of the tracks on both versions, the Under Assistant..., Mercy Mercy, and Cry to Me seemed to stick out the most as the best of the bunch. The first few albums felt more rooted in the blues with early rock influences while this album felt more the reverse of that. I preferred the former to the latter but by and large the Stones were so good that they got away with it.

[knee tunes]

Out of Our Heads - I think this is the Stones as their poppiest and alternative to Beatles-esque so far. The UK version seems like mostly filler to house Heart of Stone in album format. The US version is much stronger by the inclusion of Satisfaction, The Last Time, The Spider and the Fly, One More Try, and Play With Fire which are all top notch. Of the tracks on both versions, the Under Assistant..., Mercy Mercy, and Cry to Me seemed to stick out the most as the best of the bunch. The first few albums felt more rooted in the blues with early rock influences while this album felt more the reverse of that. I preferred the former to the latter but by and large the Stones were so good that they got away with it.

Nothing can be sadder than a glass of wine alone

Loneliness is just a waste of your time

But you don't ever
You don't ever have to walk alone, you see

C'mon baby
C'mon, and cry to me

[liebzz]

December’s Children - a few repeats from past albums and live versions apparently to fill out the sides of the album. You Better Move On and Look What You’ve Done I thought we’re both pretty good as was The Singer and Not the Song in the first half, and As Tears Go By (one of my favorite Stones ballads) highlights the second half along with Gotta Get Away.

Another solid outing where with the foresight of knowing this was one of the last before a few twists and turns in their sound. I think Aftermath is the swan song of the early Stones sound, but I’ll say most of this, even the filler, is worth hanging out with for a while. Rolling Stones No. 2 is think is my favorite from this era.

[liebzz]

Aftermath (US) - mostly I am getting to this right away because I may not get to the UK version in a couple of days. There are some absolute highs here, including Paint It Black, an unlikely but genius classic that gets to the heart of what makes them so great: catchiness mixed with a sense of danger and foreboding. This belongs in a horror movie or something the vibe it gives out. On the other bookend comes Going Home, which finds the band just riffing for 12 minutes and it’s vintage perfect Stones. In the middle, Stupid Girl is a fun song, Under My Thimb is classic, and I Am Waiting rounds out the more memorable tunes to me. Onward to the very different UK version...

Edit: just 4 different songs but in a different sequence. Mother’s Little Helper is added, which I have never been that keen on. The winner is Out if Time which is the best of the added songs from the US version, but similar to the comments above, they are consistently good.

[liebzz]

Between the Buttons - so I hear all about the Stones unfortunate run in with psychedelia between this one and the next album...and this one is fabulous! The US version has to have the edge because of the inclusion of Let’s Spend the Night Together and Ruby Tuesday (which ends up on the weaker half of songs on this album). My Obsession, Connection, All Sold Out, Complicated, and Miss Amanda Jones all belong on your Stones playlist. Really it’s the first album of theirs that feels like a complete album and not a collection of singles loosely strung together. They may have relied on the sheer strength of their ability the first few years but this is the first that feels like they thought about song sequence or some semblance of formatting for an album. I’m all for it.

Oh and who can talk about this album without talking about Cool, Calm, Collected, featuring the preeminent kazoo solo in rock history! (Aka, anyone have another song prominently featuring a kazoo solo?)

[surfndestroy]

Oh and who can talk about this album without talking about Cool, Calm, Collected, featuring the preeminent kazoo solo in rock history! (Aka, anyone have another song prominently featuring a kazoo solo?)

There's a really good kazoo solo in Honky Cat on Elton John's live album 'Here and There'.

[verb_to_trust]

Isn't there a Blind Melon song with a kazoo.

[liebzz]

Their Satanic Majesties Request - it’s easy, at first, to toss this aside as the Stones doing the Beatles doing psychedelia, and that’s partially true, especially through the first half of the album. Sing This All Together is a waste until it’s tied in at the end of the first half with the 8 minute (See What Happens) second iteration, which is what really brings the album into stronger territory. She’s a Rainbow is so much better in context here and the entirety of the second half is strong with The Lantern and 2000 Light Years From Home as my favorites. Not nearly them at their best, but there’s plenty of solid ground covered. It’s fascinating that they could have gone anywhere from here. That they basically follow this with a string of albums that would make them the greatest rock band ever in that period is something to look forward to.

[makeshift]

wore out so many copies of Hot Rocks as a kid. They have so many great/varied songs. I even like Emotional Rescue

[liebzz]

Yeah, my first Stones music, other than what was on the radio, was Hot Rocks. I listened to that hundreds of times but never went back to listen to the full albums for decades. A few years ago I thought I should listen to the 68-78 era albums and bought them and listened nonstop. It isn’t until right now that I am starting from the beginning and working my way through. They are incredible.

[surfndestroy]

Yeah, my first Stones music, other than what was on the radio, was Hot Rocks. I listened to that hundreds of times but never went back to listen to the full albums for decades. A few years ago I thought I should listen to the 68-78 era albums and bought them and listened nonstop. It isn’t until right now that I am starting from the beginning and working my way through. They are incredible.

I am really enjoying your reviews. I like when a user goes through an artist's full catalogue.