THE ROLLING STONES

rock'n'roll n. 1. a type of popular dance music originating in the 1950s, characterised by a heavy beat and simple melodies, often with a blues element. 2. a synonym for reckless, wild and irresponsible anti-authoritarian behaviour. 3. The Rolling Stones.

If the Beatles are undisputedly the greatest band the world has ever given us, then it is customary to assume their contemporaries, the Rolling Stones, are number two in the list and I see no reason to dispute this. The songwriting team of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards was as strong as they come (ignoring an aforementioned double-act from south Liverpool) with a keen sense of melody. On the other hand, whilst the Beatles were sincere artists and committed pursuers of hippie idealism the Stones consolidated and perfected the evil act of pure rock'n'roll. Mick Jagger is, amongst other things, perhaps the most distinctive and best rock vocalist and a peerless frontman (probably the best Britain ever produced). Keith Richards has lived his life inside rock'n'roll (and, amazingly, is still alive) whilst also condensing the blues basis of rock'n'roll into the genre's definitive guitar riffs. As a genre, rock'n'roll doesn't require great artistic ambitions or intellectual pretension - it is more an essence that can be captured by the artist. Due to its very nature it evades strict definition but no other band has ever captured and reproduced the essence better than the Rolling Stones. In short, they are the wilful living embodiment of rock'n'roll.

All great artists should redefine existing boundaries and thus continue the eternal development that art, itself, requires. With regards to music, clearly no modern-era band has done so more than the Beatles. Similarly, Bob Dylan should also be regarded with such reverence for introducing the very concept of literary lyricism into rock'n'roll. However, when looking at sheer influence, the Rolling Stones take their rightful place on the podium as the third representative of rock'n'roll's triumvirate. Rock music simply would not have been the same entity if the Stones had not existed. The re-appropriation of black American music, "borrowing" from rock'n'roll pioneers like Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis, by middle-class British white kids was as important as any single development in rock'n'roll's history. The canny marketing by the record industry's schemers, mainly Andrew Loog Oldham, in exaggerating the aggression and perceived threat of the fifties performers created an early mystique and image that generated sufficient hype and record sales. Finally, and most importantly from an atemporal point of view, the Stones wrote great songs and lots of them. Even if their musical self-development wasn't as quick or as marked as the Beatles by the time they reached their peak in the late-sixties/early-seventies they were as great a band as ever existed. Unfortunately for the sake of quality control the Stones have never called it a day and it looks likely they will still be doing lucrative tours until they drop dead from old age. Of course, the sheer ridiculousness of their post-seventies career has only added to their image although anti-establishmentism is now off the menu for Sir Mick Jagger and pals. In fact, it is fair to say they now are the establishment. The fact that neither Jagger or Richards died at their peak prevents them achieving Doors-style cult reverence but I'm sure neither Mick or Keith mind. They might never have been overly concerned about artistic integrity but that certainly doesn't make them any less than great artists. If you like rock music, you like the Rolling Stones. It is as simple as that.

Please welcome England's Newest Hit Makers, ladies and gentlemen, I give you: the Rolling Stones. It can be considered customary to refer to this album using the promotional proclamation on the front cover but for accuracy's sake I believe this album is simply eponymous. Unlike the Beatles, who had arrived on the scene a year earlier, the Rolling Stones were not advertised as original songwriters and indeed were little more than a beat-combo for the first couple of years. That said, there is no doubting they were a top of the range beat-combo and, although I'm no sixties historian, I imagine their approach was more innovative, or at least different, from their contemporaries. Certainly, even if they had released no further albums this album might still be historically important and it would certainly remain a very good early rock'n'roll album. I've always said the stress laid on original songwriting can sometimes obscure quality artists and material, and as long as the version itself is good and, hopefully, interesting then the original songwriter really shouldn't matter as much. Indeed, given composing and performing are two different elements it might be mostly down to the Beatles' brilliance that we now value the importance of in-house independence. I would imagine the exuberant energy and sometimes primal aggression of the musicianship on here was somewhat original and added to the initial popularity of the group. As far as I can tell, though, the main strength of this album and of the band in general lay on the shoulders of one Michael Jagger. Not only was he a dynamic and sexy performer on stage from the offset but I imagine before this album was released no-one sang like him. His drawled yet energetic vocals more than complement the music and sometimes carry a song on their own. When the song demands it he raises the stakes with shouted, jubilant vocals or adds a threatening sneer to his vocals to emphasise the perceived danger of the group. This album isn't actually rock'n'roll through and through, however, and some of the covers are actually drawn from elements of gospel and what would become motown. The risque "I Just Want to Make Love to You" is more famous for other renditions and probably deservedly so, and the same applies to "You Can Make it if You Try". That said, the piano-led groove of "Can I Get a Witness" perhaps displays early diversity on the Stones' part. In order to attempt to match the Beatles the management insisted the band write at least one original which turned out to be "Tell Me". It actually isn't a bad effort but the pace is too slow as the Dead Boys subsequently showed with their cover on We Have Come for Your Children. I seem to remember it being used in Scorcese's Mean Streets, as well, marking the first evidence of his Stones' obsession. The best song on the album, unsurprisingly, is a cover and a rock'n'roll song to boot - namely, their stab at Chuck Berry's "Carol". And by God it is a classic. The pace is unrelenting and exhilarating throughout, Jones and Richard's guitars exceed perhaps even Berry's own playing and Jagger's performance is simply exceptional. That song alone shows exactly the strengths that made the Stones so popular so early in their career. There are a few other numbers on here that the Stones might like to claim they made their own. The opening "Not Fade Away" certainly fits the bill, as does the subsequent "Route 66". Blues standard "I'm a King Bee" presents a more dubious case but the finale of Rufus Thomas' "Walkin' the Dog" is probably open to debate. It is certainly better than Aerosmith's later cover (also ending their debut album) and perhaps even Rufus' original. You might argue that the lack of original songwriting mars this album but I'd retort that the innovation of interpretation makes up for it and, besides, this album is still, in this day and age, a great rock'n'roll listening experience. Indeed, the fact that the Stones' debut album was actually better than the Beatles' effort comes down to the main difference between the groups - the Stones were excellent performers and simply a great rock'n'roll band.

This version of the Stones' second album was released only in the States. I have been led to believe by unscrupulous fellows that in Britain the Stones released an EP to succeed their debut, which was followed soon after by The Rolling Stones No. 2. The American record label took the EP, 5 x 5, and turned it into 12 x 5 (as in 12 songs by 5 men) by adding a combination of singles and tracks that would go on to feature on the second British album. It is a bit of a pisser that I have to begin every review up to Their Satanic Majesties Request by clarifying the different Anglo-American releases but I imagine the best course of action is to ensure that you stick to the American releases to avoid overlapping tracks. Anyhow, I believe the British album has not been given a CD release so you won't have to try too hard to avoid it. As for this album, it is clear the Stones are not rockin' and rollin' as much as they did on their debut. Instead this album focuses more on purely pop-orientated material and less pinched from black American music in general. There's another Chuck Berry cover, album opener "Around and Around", which isn't really as exhilarating as "Carol"; although still a best track on here. The album closes with another rock'n'roll cover, "Susie Q", which is generally agreed to be too short, and the Super Audio remaster can't quite save it from the original muddy mix. Nevertheless it is an excellent end to the album with a pulsating riff and exhilarating beat. Indeed, the best songs on the album are generally the covers. No more is this true than regarding the two most famous tracks on this release - "Time is on My Side" and "It's All Over Now". The former is not actually exactly the same version as the single release and is perhaps a little inferior, Jagger's taunting over the guitar solo is more restrained, but it is, regardless, a stand-out song on the album. "It's All Over Now" is perhaps one of the most surprising omissions from the subsequent Hot Rocks compilation as it is clearly the best song on here and one of the Stones' best early singles. It is also noticeable that Jagger sounds most sincere when singing the most openly misogynistic songs. The originals on here I can take or leave. The best of the lot is probably the rock'n'roll "Empty Heart" which is perhaps a little sloppy melody-wise but it is played with enough gusto to compensate and the band obviously enjoyed adding their backing vocals. The song is actually credited to the mysterious Nanker Phelge who was, of course, a pseudonym for entire band compositions. Quite why they had to invent a pseudonym, rather than just credit songs to "The Rolling Stones", is beyond me. "He" also wrote the instrumental "2120 South Michigan Avenue" which is quite like the instrumental on the debut in that it relies on a prominent organ (played by Jones?). "Good Times, Bad Times" does not really show great songwriting ability, and the same can be said of "Grown Up Wrong" which obviously aims to imitate the whiny blues veterans of yore. Other than "Empty Heart" I guess the best original is probably "Congradulations" although it seems far too much like a generic sixties pop song for my liking. The Stones are better than that - much better. The pop angle is also explored with the bizarre cover of "Under the Boardwalks". Not that there is anything wrong with it per se, Jagger even manages the falsetto in the chorus relatively well, but it ain't the sort of song I'd expect the Stones to be covering. It is also the key track in the pop-dominated, and much weaker, second side of the album. If it wasn't for "Susie Q" there wouldn't be much worth beyond "It's All Over Now" at the end of the first half. Still, there's no bad tracks as such and it is still a pretty solid album. I'm sure there were plenty of the same calibre floating round at the time, though, and it is only a few tracks ("It's All Over Now" in particular) that show the Stones to be that special.

Reviewing albums such as this one in the futuristic world of 2003 presents something of a problem. Anyone listening to this album with the slightest familiarity with rock and pop could not, with a straight face, tell me this album originates from anywhere else than the early- to mid-sixties. There were albums in '65 that were pushing back the boundaries, Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited primarily, and this release certainly was to some extent (just today I read an article claiming "Down the Road Apiece" was crucial in re-introducing the blues to the American market) but, as opposed to something like The Stooges' Raw Power or the Velvet Underground's third album, there is no way this album could be released today and not sound dated. On the other hand, for its time, this was a fantastic release. As opposed to slight pop songs mixed in with wads of filler this album is chock-filled with youthful rock'n'roll exuberance and faithful yet contemporary blues and r'n'b classics. At its time this album was far more impressive than, say, Hail to the Thief is now. However, that does not prevent one questioning the relevance of owning albums like this these days and even I have to admit this is far from an essential addition to one's record collection. Still, if you are a fan of the Stones then this is a perfect showcase of their youthful energy (before they got properly dark and dirty) and spritely rock'n'roll at a time when it was still fresh and exciting. Furthermore, of course, most of these songs are really good (if dated somewhat) and the absence of filler is a real anomaly of the era in which it was released. Before purchasing, "Heart of Stone", as featured on Hot Rocks, was the only track I was already familiar with and it is unsurprisingly a best track on here. As a bitter ballad it was also one of the very first successes for the Jagger/Richards songwriting combo, I believe. Despite the fact most of the band's strength still relies on their performing ability the signs are coming through that Mick and Keith were honing their songwriting skills sufficiently, evidently based on their blues heroes (cf. "What a Shame") rather than the wishy-washy Phil Spector-inspired pop of the time. Indeed, the Stones' pervasity in retaining faithfulness to the blues is admirable when surely selling-out to the pop market would have brought even greater success. As it happens, it was this stubborn attitude of retaining the aggressive masculinity of the blues that ended up inspiring far more great rock'n'roll bands than the Beatles (despite their obvious merits) ever did. Of course, I've probably said this enough times on this page already, but the other great strength of the Stones was the fact that they were not afraid of a good melody and therefore many of the aggressive rock'n'roll songs are also eminently sing-along-able ("Down the Road Apiece", "Off the Hook", "Surprise, Surprise"). It is not actually the rock'n'roll that impresses most, though, with the traditional blues of the superb "Down Home Girl" and the Willie Dixon classic "Little Red Rooster" being perfect showcases of the Stones' early ability. It is not difficult to speculate that Brian Jones was a strong influence in bringing these traditional blues to the table as when Mick and Keith gradually started taking sole charge the style of the band did start to change (for the better, I might add). The motown influences of the first two albums (particularly the disappointing poppy material on the latter half of 12x5) are dying their death but this album does begin with a wonderfully energetic run-through of the classic "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love". Indeed, in terms of just the material, the only disappointment is the whack version of "Pain in My Heart" with duff production and a spectacular mis-reading from Jagger. Forget what I say in the next review about Otis Redding possibly being the better artist - as far as I'm concerned, at this point in time, he was clearly the better artist; there's no real argument. Still, there is no reason to suggest that this album is much less important in the field of rock'n'roll than one of Otis' in the field of soul. It might sound a bit dated these days but there is no real doubt, listening to it now and perhaps even more so at the time, that these boys were destined for something very special indeed.

I think it is time for me to set the record straight on the Rolling Stones' pre-Beggars Banquet catalogue. Contrary to popular critical belief, their best mid-sixties album is not Aftermath but, in fact, this one. As the Aftermath review makes clear, the fact that it is their first LP to consist of entirely self-penned material does not immediately necessitate that it is the best album of their career up to that point. Although this album is not all self-penned (just over half) the choice of covers is fairly astute in that they emphasise the Stones' strength (particularly Jagger's vocals) and aid the flow of the album as a whole. The other common lie regarding Aftermath is that it contains the best group of singles of any of the early albums. Without wishing to trample the former's good name too much (after all, it is still a really good album) the three singles on here are easily up to the same standard. "Play With Fire" is a moody and sinister number, with Jones providing the harpsichord (and quite like "Lady Jane" in that respect). "The Last Time" rests on a magnificent hypnotic Richards riff but with a strong enough melody and catchy enough chorus to dismiss accusations regarding singular dimensions. Finally, as the jewel in the crown, we get perhaps the Stones' greatest single song and what is commonly regarded as the greatest rock'n'roll song of all time - "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". Description is pointless, as is history (Keith apparently composed it in his sleep), all that is necessary is for me to remind you that any album with THAT song on must be given serious respect. As it is, this album is not quite strong enough, particularly in a holistic sense, to deserve a distinctly higher rank than Aftermath (every album of theirs up until Between the Buttons suffers from filler) but if you can imagine strong and weak senses of the same rating then this is very definitely at the top of the heap. As for the other self-penned efforts, the live rendition of "I'm all Alright" seems to consist in Jagger screaming out "ALRIGHT" to a frenzied crowd. There's not much of a song to speak of but it succeeds merely as a raucous riot. The final "One More Try" is OK, as are the laidback blues of "The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" and "The Spider and the Fly" but I would not go around calling any of them great successes for the Jagger/Richards partnership. Other than the singles, the strength of the album really lies in the performances of the covers. Interestingly, this album probably marks the furthest point the Stones reached with their Otis Redding flirtation. They run through the excellent "That's How Strong My Love Is" (and although Jagger slurs admirably, they fail to match Otis' version), and I've been led to believe Redding himself covered "Mercy, Mercy" and "Cry to Me". The Stones/Otis connection is quite a pertinent one (Redding famously returned the favour by covering "Satisfaction") as I honestly believe Otis Redding was every bit the artist the Rolling Stones were. The albums released at this point in time by both artists were roughly the same quality-wise and both were mainly based around appropriate covers and excellent originals. Furthermore Redding was reaching his peak in the late sixties just as the Stones were. Unfortunately, of course, the unreliability of light aircraft means we'll never know exactly how close their respective careers could have been. In any case, opener "Mercy, Mercy" is undoubtedly the best cover on the album (or at least their best rendition of a cover) as it is practically overflowing with great hooks (I particularly like the "I went to see the gypsy..." bit). The cover of Sam Cooke's "Good Times" is particularly pleasant and their version of Marvin Gaye's "Hitch Hike" is at least as good as the original. Furthermore, the guitar riff at the start makes the Velvet Underground's "There She Goes Again" seem far less original. It is fairly clear at this stage, though, that the covers are definitely being overshadowed by their self-penned single releases and the move to an album like Aftermath was only a matter of time. Unfortunately, such a move didn't actually immediately improve their overall output. So please remember, this album is every bit as good as the supposed "masterpiece" that came out the following year.

Like many sixties albums Aftermath was given two different releases either side of the Atlantic. Apparently the American copywrite laws only allowed for a maximum of twelve tracks on an album and this was originally released in Britain with fourteen. Therefore, as well as cutting two from the listing, the inclusion of different songs was mixed up, most notably "Mothers Little Helper" beginning the British version instead of "Paint it Black". Thankfully the recent SACD remasters have given us, the consumer, the choice of either album. Unfortunately, my copy of this album was purchased a few years ago and is therefore the unremastered and standard American copy. This album is often recognised as the first of the Stones' classic albums, presumably due to the fact it is the first album to have been entirely self-penned. Such claims may well be true regarding the original British version but I'm afraid I see no such worth in this release. Of course it is a really good album and it does show obvious musical progression and artistic development. Unfortunately that is only the case for about half the album as the latter few numbers regress back to solid but standard r'n'b. On the other hand, there is still a handful of veritable Stones' classics on here. "Mothers Little Helper" is a decent enough song but the inclusion of "Paint it Black" on this version is a welcome one as it is surely one of the Stones' very best songs, either early in their career or overall. The dark lyrics must have been fairly unique at the time and pre-empt the demonic rumblings of heavy metal (Black Sabbath in particular) and even the disturbing psychology of Jim Morrison and the Doors. The sitar pattern for the verses shows obvious musical innovation, which in turn is a handy reminder of the importance of Brian Jones in the Stones' initial development, and the chorus is probably some of the heaviest music to have ever been put down on vinyl at the time. All in all, an obviously revolutionary song and a Stones classic to boot. Similarly, the caustically misogynistic "Under My Thumb" is another of their greatest hits with an interesting organ hook and another great Jagger performance. Although not on the Hot Rocks compilation the beautiful "Lady Jane" should also be counted as a Stones classic, again with Jones contributing immensely, this time with a delicate harpsichord line. As a ballad it shows a more tender side to the Stones and the fact that it really does recreate the feel of a medieval sonnet shows admirable artistic success. The aforementioned misogyny is actually fairly prevalent on here with both "Stupid Girl" and "Think" making clear Jagger's views on the intelligence of the fairer sex. Despite many of the latter r'n'b numbers failing to bear the torch for artistic progression there is at least one more song on here that shows obvious ambition and innovation. Bob Dylan might have beaten them to releasing ten minute songs but that didn't put them off including the eleven minute jam "Going Home". For such a long length it does surprisingly well to keep momentum and interest with Jagger's vocals revelling in the expanse and lack of structure of the song and Richards knowing when to play the guitar, rather than filling the song with needless noodling. It is also worth mentioning "I Am Waiting" which does well to contrast the Eastern-flavoured verse with a more energetic chorus. That said, if the Rolling Stones were looking to emulate the Beatles it is clear they still haven't yet caught up. Indeed, although the musical development may have exceeded their debut, two years ago, the overall quality is only a touch better. Furthermore, given that the Beatles released Revolver the same year it is clear the Stones still had a lot of work to do. Still, they stuck to their task and I'm happy to report it was more or less steady improvement from here on.

Despite the obvious promise shown on Aftermath the Stones didn't immediately morph into peerless hard rockers. Indeed, it wasn't until 1968's Beggars Banquet that the Stones really reached their stylistic peak. Instead post-Aftermath the band concentrated on pure British pop (this album and the American semi-compilation Flowers) and then an ill-advised (although still quite good) attempt to match the contemporary psychedelia that was prevalent at the time. That said, if this album is undoubtedly proof of one thing it would be that the Stones have now become very accomplished songwriters indeed. Whereas Aftermath still suffered from a handful of unambitious filler-ish r'n'b numbers on here the original songwriting shows far more ambition and diversity on behalf of the Stones, even if it still doesn't sound entirely original. The musical progression is still in evidence on here with harpsichords and flutes making their presence felt but the overall sound is much more piano-based than any previous or, indeed, future Stones release. We're not told who the mystery pianist is but my guess would be Jones again. Like Aftermath this album also has two different track listings for the UK and USA versions but this time it is just a different running order and a substitution of two songs. For what it is worth, the version I own, again, is the American version. The mood of the album, in general, is more laidback and gentle than most Stones releases and is also therefore in direct contrast to the dangerous image they had been previously marketed with. At best there is the ominously themed rocker "My Obsession" (for which Mick is going out with a woman who's much older than him - oh the irony!) and "All Sold Out" features some aggressive guitar soloing and vocals. Indeed, given the prominence of piano on here other than the aforementioned duo only "Connection" also features obvious use of electric guitars. It is also one of the best songs on the album with its punchy hook for the chorus. Surprisingly (and the Kinks might have wanted a word in their ear) a few songs on here aim at recapturing a sort of Victorian musical hall feel. "Cool, Calm & Collected", although featuring a sitar, is essentially a cabaret themed pop song and the final "Something Happened to Me Yesterday" also aims at mock-music hall campness, particularly Mick's imitation British announcer at the end. The latter number also features what I believe are Keith Richards first ever lead vocals and they actually sound surprisingly listenable, certainly more so than most of his later efforts. Like Aftermath there are two Greatest Hits on here and, again, both are deserving of such exalted status. "Ruby Tuesday" is a classic on the genre (well, sixties pop) with intelligent lyrics, a subtle arrangement and a nice melody. Album opener "Let's Spend the Night Together", in my book, is probably even better. Again it is entirely piano based but that only improves it and the accompanying "nah-nah-nah's" greatly add to the strength of the melody. Of course it was controversially received at the time due to its lyrical content and title but it is hardly more explicit than the cover of "I Just Want to Make Love to You" on their debut and it even avoids Mick's misogynistic tendencies which is surely something that should be taken more seriously by the moral majorities. Not that they ever let the facts get in the way of a good protest, mind. I believe "Miss Amanda Jones" was also a minor hit and again it is energetic pop of a high calibre; although the mixing is terribly muddy. "Yesterday's Papers" is another song with quiet production but that can't stop it being another pop classic. Other than the fact that this is essentially piano-based sixties pop the other factor worth stressing is that the songwriting exhibited on here is simply excellent. There are few songs, if any, that resemble filler and the sheer quantity of memorable hooks suggests the Stones were finally coming close to equalling the Beatles in terms of songwriting ability, even if they were still lagging behind in the artistic adventure stakes. Nevertheless, there is no reason to suggest this album is much worse than the quartet released during the Stones' recognised peak.

So it's the summer of love and all these bands like the Beatles and Pink Floyd are making psychedelic hippy albums. But the Stones are bigger than that, aren't they? They're a big tough-talking rock 'n' roll band, they don't deal in wussy hippy albums. Do they? Er... Yes, they do. Well for one album anyway. This is the infamous "joke" album of the sixties. The duffer amongst the Stones' otherwise excellent repertoire. Or so I've been led to believe. Of course, it's not true. The Stones were such a great band at this time that even a misguided attempt to ape the Beatles like this is still open to success. It's all very silly and utterly un-Stones but they could still write a good tune and there's plenty of them on this album. Unfortunately there's a bit of misplaced psychedelia now and then as well. The worst case of this is the basically instrumental "Sing This All Together (See What Happens)" which is eight minutes of deadly boring psychedelia. This certainly ain't "Interstellar Overdrive", that's for sure. I suppose those Gil Scot Heron style flutes are quite nice in a sort of "let's make this sound psychedelic" way. You get the feeling that, maybe Brian Jones apart, the Stones didn't really know what psychedelia was so they just did their best to imitate. "Uhhh, where's that joint?" Pathetic. The album cover is an obvious pastiche of Sgt. Pepper as well. But as a wise friend of mine noted, when the Stones actually be themselves rather than trying to be the Beatles the songs turn out rather good. "Citadel" uses a riff that obviously belongs on the subsequent Beggars Banquet album and the chorus from Bill Wyman's "In Another Land" is pure Stones. Apparently it is Bill Wyman's only composition ever. He even sings on the verses, although not very well. The chorus is what saves it, really. "2000 Man" is another pure Stones song and, although touched by psychedelia, is a pretty straight-forward song. Thankfully. It is certainly one of the best numbers on here, especially the choruses. The original "Sing This All Together" (other than the instrumental reprise which I've already mentioned) opens the album and perfectly sets the scene - a good song surrounded by rather spurious and unnecessary psychedelia. I guess this album does show the Stones at their most diverse, though. Still I don't really think the Stones' strength lies in their diversity. After all the next three albums are all repeats of the same formula. And all great as well. Unlike this one which is merely very good. Still there is classic material on here. None more so than the superb "She's a Rainbow". You all gotta know that song, surely. A pretty little piano minuet turning into a jaunty and irrepressibly catchy chorus. It is a rare case on this album when the psychedelia actually works. The song's structure isn't at all typical (unlike, say, "2000 Man") without verses of a sort, but it still stands up as a truly excellent song. "2000 Light Years from Home" is the other track every one remembers from this album (probably because of its inclusion on the second greatest hits compilation) and deservedly so. Actually beating Pink Floyd to their psychedelic space-rock on A Saucerful of Secrets with its unobtrusive vocals and stellar string arrangement. Again, an example of their psychedelia working to great effect. On the other hand "The Lantern" is a little slow, although not a bad song, whilst "The Gomper" soon descends into an uninteresting psychedelic collage. The use of sitar, again, is too much like an attempted Beatles rip-off. Speaking of which, the last track "On With the Show", although a bit like the end of "Something Happened to Me Yesterday" from Between the Buttons, seems very much like a rip-off of Sgt. Pepper with a sort of band within a band performance. The way Jagger actually sings the announcements, as it were, I quite like. It's actually not a bad ending to the album but it must have had Lennon and McCartney on the phone to their lawyers fairly sharpish. So a lot of good and sometimes clever material but did the world really need the Stones sticking their oar into sixties psychedelia? I think not.

Thankfully the Stones did not pursue a career in fake-sounding psychedelic rock and also decided whimsy British pop was not for them either. Instead, what was more their forte was aggressive hard rock, infused with elements of folk, blues and country and rounded off with more evidence of their exceptional songwriting skills. This album is generally regarded as the first of a quartet that is recognised as the Stones' stylistic and artistic peak. Not only has the rock'n'roll been upgraded to peerless hard rock but their songwriting peak has also been reached. Rather controversially, whilst there is no doubt this is another great album and one that undoubtedly shows signs of artistic maturity, I don't think it quite matches the next three albums for great songwriting. Nonetheless, that should not detract from the fact that this is still a classic Stones album. Again it includes two of their greatest hits but I have no fear whatsoever in proclaiming them two of the top ten songs they've ever written. The album sets out their intentions right from the word go with the classic "Sympathy for the Devil" opening proceedings. Given Brian Jones was still just about on board at this stage he again takes to the piano to provide the basis for one of the Stones most ambitious arrangements to date. The song builds up a head of steam with various percussive instruments joining the fun and the rest of the band singing "woo-woo's" in the background after the first chorus before the song climaxes in a great acidic guitar solo from Keith and jubilant whoops from Mick. It goes without saying that Jagger's vocals are a brilliant element of the song and the lyrics are also some of his best - essentially narrating the story of Satan himself and how he was responsible for all the wrong-doings in the world. That said, it is a real classic for mis-heard lyrics due to Mick's "characteristic" vocal style. Similarly "Street Fighting Man" opens the second side of the record and Mick's vocals are slurred beyond comprehension most of the time. Thankfully we are still allowed to make out some more of his best lyrics ("summer's here and the time is right for fighting in the streets" and the lyric quoted above) and Keith's chord progression is absolutely timeless. Furthermore, there are two more classics on here that don't even count as greatest hits as such. "Stray Cat Blues" is a dirty-sounding rocker, similar in feel to "Street Fighting Man", with a capital chord progression, brilliantly slurred vocals, viciously misogynistic lyrics, and a lead guitar part by Jones that actually sounds like a cat-fight as the song progresses. In direct contrast "No Expectations" is a delicate acoustic ballad with aching vocals by Mick, in a rare show of sincerity. If only the whole album was up to the quality of the aforementioned quartet we'd have one hell of a classic on our hands. As it is, the off-the-cuff numbers like the comical country of "Dear Doctor", the atmospheric blues number "Parachute Woman" and the folky pair of "Prodigal Son" and "Factory Girl", whilst all good songs and excellent proof of the Stones' underrated diversity, are not really classic material. Indeed, to my mind this album just sounds a bit too much like a rough around the edges proto-type of the subsequent masterpiece Let it Bleed. "No Expectations" has a similar feel to their cover of "Love in Vain"; the gradual build-up of "Jig-Saw Puzzle" means it comes off unfavourably in comparison to "Let it Bleed" and the mock-gospel of "Salt of the Earth" is a slightly inferior precursor for the majestic "You Can't Always Get What You Want". Obviously all these songs came first so win out in the originality stakes but I'm afraid if the actual quality of the latter numbers is superior then they must take the plaudits. That said, this remains an essential purchase for even the most non-committal of Stones fan. Regardless of my questioning of some of the lighter numbers this is still a key release in terms of artistic and stylistic progression and it is also perhaps the first Stones album that should be considered as an absolute whole, rather than something to pick Greatest Hits from. It also, and not unimportantly, features loads of great songs.

Finally, after five years of gradual progression and tonnes of great songs, the Rolling Stones release an album that I believe can accurately be called their artistic and stylistic peak. The following album may be a little more polished but it does not really expand upon that many of the ideas on here which, in turn, are a development from the previous offering. This is still a hard rocking interpretation of rock'n'roll but the stylistic diversity is absolutely immense and the artistic ideals reached for are pulled off with aplomb. If you ever want to hear the work of a great band at their peak then you need look no further than this masterpiece. Interestingly, Brian Jones (although still technically a member) has little or no involvement in the recording sessions meaning the majority of the arrangements are the work of Mick and Keith. There is definitely a sense of professionalism and attention to detail that was barely present on Beggars Banquet, never mind the earlier works, presumably as a result of using session musicians (including Ry Cooder and Nicky Hopkins) to fill out the arrangements, rather than relying on the erratic Jones. Of course, full and clever arrangements are all too often used to disguise a rudimentary melody, and often only succeed in exacerbating it, and I would not be calling this the Stones' artistic peak if it weren't for the fact the actual songwriting is absolutely exceptional. Clearly the Stones had been consistently brilliant songwriters since Aftermath but I don't think any collection of their original material exceeds this album. What makes this album really great, though, is the way they embellish the great songwriting with the similarly great arrangements. I think at the time of writing I regard the greatest ever Stones song as the number that opens this album: "Gimme Shelter". If you need look no further than this album for the Stones at their best, then you need look no further than this song for clear evidence. The arrangement is absolutely peerless, with an ominously smouldering build-up of guitar parts before the song crashes into life with Mick's threatening vocals. Crucial to the brilliance of the song, though, is the enlistment of Mary Clayton, who wails her way through the song superbly reinforcing Mick's vocals resulting in a kind of demonic duet. Few songs ever match the mood of the lyrics as well as the apocalyptic arrangement and the Stones have never, before or after, sounded as genuinely threatening (old hippies often associate it with the Altamont concert where a Stones fan was stabbed to death). Similarly, if you're looking for another great song with a great arrangement look no further than the closing song, "You Can't Always Get What You Want". It begins with a choir singing the first verse before the song starts in earnest as an affecting acoustic ballad. Additional instruments soon join the fray until the song plays itself out as a gospel-style rave-up. A truly magnificent song. The almost-as-superb title track also begins as an acoustic ballad before building up into a much fuller arrangement. Indeed the trick is even repeated a third time for the Keith Richards venture "You Got the Silver" but, this time, it is kept under three minutes in length. In the name of diversity we get a beautiful acoustic ballad in the style of "No Expectations" but this time it is a cover of a Robert Johnson tune, "Love in Vain". I don't think I've ever heard Jagger sing more sincerely (which is hardly his forte) and Ry Cooder's mandolin line achieves the impossible in making the song seem even more gorgeously forlorn. Of course the Stones aren't a girls band so they also throw on the hard rock interpretation of classic rock'n'roll: "Live With Me". The interplay between the rumbling bass and Keith's aggressive guitar riffing is crucial to the song, although the melody is no slouch, and a saxophone is added for good measure. Even though the lyrics are mainly nonsensical they are sung with such conviction it seems unfair to criticise. Indeed, there are few wittier, self-depreciative opening lines to a Stones song than "I've got nasty habits - I take tea at three". Being a nice middle-class boy Mick presumably knew that tea is always best served in the 4 - 4.30pm slot. Scorcese used a lot of Stones songs in his films but never more successfully than his use of "Monkey Man" during the paranoid chase scenes at the end of Goodfellas. Like "Gimme Shelter" the gradual build-up excellently increases tension but the real highlight of the song is the instrumental section in the middle with the piano and guitar flirting with each other. Indeed, the only real disappointment on the whole album is the fact they chose to include the jokey (and pretty shitty, all told) country version of "Honky Tonk Woman" instead of the real thing. Imagine what an album we'd have on our hands if that had been the case. That said, this is still hardly a bad effort. Despite a fear of overlabouring the point I simply have to restate my original judgement - this album is the Rolling Stones' finest hour. The second best band ever at their artistic and stylistic peak would hardly put out a bad album and, by God, this is a great album. An absolute masterpiece.

So did the world's greatest rock'n'roll band produce the world's greatest live rock'n'roll album? Well... no, not if I'm the judge, anyway. Don't get me wrong, this is still a great live album and surely the best of their career but when I listen to it I'm simply not blown away enough. Personally I think the best live shows are usually those that take place in small, intimate venues and therefore the power and energy of the band is condensed and contained with more impact. Stadium gigs, whilst no doubt special for the people there, are simply not exciting enough to match the intensity of club gigs. A good stadium rock concert tends to rely on professionalism and the songs themselves and that is exactly the case here. The material is taken almost solely from Beggars Banquet and Let it Bleed (with a couple of early Chuck Berry covers thrown in) and therefore there is no doubting that the Stones' greatest hits from the era are seriously great songs. Similarly, given this album pretty much marks Mick Taylor's bow, the professionalism of the band is at its peak with every note being played perfectly. Indeed, this album definitely marks the beginning of the Stones' rock behemoth stage as the casualness of the sixties gives way to the slick jamming of the seventies. This is, of course, more than a mere "give the fans the greatest hits" exercise and half the songs performed are altered noticeably from their original studio incarnations. Sometimes it actually improves them, although it is noticeable that none of their real greatest hits are improved at all from their perfect originals. Obviously if you go to a Stones concert you want to hear the likes of "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Street Fighting Man" (which open and close the set respectively) but they only come across as great songs in the form of not-so-great renditions. They do tinker with "Sympathy for the Devil", swapping the piano for an acoustic guitar, but if it was not for Taylor's superb guitar solo (although sounding suspiciously overdubbed) the version would escape any real commendation. Thus the real winners in the set are the album tracks that get the reworking treatment. The fast-paced rock'n'roll numbers, "Carol" and "Little Queenie", are slowed down and given the rock behemoth treatment. Thankfully, Taylor and Richard's interchanging guitar licks and Jagger's slur mean both versions match the originals, only in a completely different way. I'd even venture that "Carol" is the second best song on the album. First best I award to the gargantuan reworking of the grinding blues of "Midnight Rambler". A six minute song is stretched into nine to allow the band to descend into a crawling mid-section featuring a brilliant call-and-response exercise between Mick J and Keith. The song is only marred by an horrendously obnoxious female fan who demands that they "start singing" during the intro and instead of applauding at the end makes continuous demands for "Paint it Black" in her grating Nu Yoik accent. "Stray Cat Blues" is slowed down into a more traditional blues format and is elevated by Jagger's slurred, almost country-influenced, vocals. Similarly it is Jagger that is mostly responsible for "Honky Tonk Women" standing out as probably the best rendition of a single release. Let it Bleed gets further representation in the form of album tracks "Love in Vain" and "Live with Me". The former is not a whole lot different from the wistful original and the crowd are at least respectful enough to avoid souring the experience with misplaced whoops and cheers. I'm not a great admirer of the version of "Live with Me", however, as it does not seem in any way superior to the original and getting Taylor to play the bass line as a lead obscures the compact rhythm of the song. As far as live albums go I'm not entirely sure where to rank this one. Even though the songs are obviously superior to Live at Leeds the band just don't have the same power and presence as the Who. I guess that must be down to the respective rhythm sections as I'd take Jagger/Richards/Taylor over Daltrey and Townsend any day of any week you care to mention. As far as stadium rock concerts go I'd imagine this is one of the best recorded. Unfortunately, in my mind, professional renditions of great songs is no substitute for the unleashed power and glory of exhilarated bands in intimate surroundings.

I don't know about the rest of you but I sometimes get the impression that whereas sixties rock was very anarchic, carefree and unprofessional seventies rock was a much more serious beast - a slick, commercialised behemoth. Whilst Let it Bleed still had some of the roughness and off-the-cuff nature of sixties rock records this album is a far slicker and more polished product. Of course, this change is far more likely to be down to the fact that Brian Jones was dead and gone at this stage and the ultra-professional Mick Taylor was his sensible replacement. Therefore, what we have here is an undoubtedly seventies hard rock album with none of the original quirks that were present on the sixties Stones albums. I hardly think that counts as a criticism, though, and I think it must have been really exciting to have been a long-term Stones fan and see them progress to this point in real time. Many people even like to claim this album as the Stones' peak and, whilst I can see their point of view, I just think Let it Bleed has the better songs. That said, like most Stones' albums two Greatest Hits are included and like Beggars Banquet and Let it Bleed they are two of their greatest Greatest Hits. In fact, I don't even know why they are included on the Abkco-released Hot Rocks when this album was released on Virgin, but never mind. "Brown Sugar" is proof they can still knock out pure rock'n'roll even at the most sophisticated phase of their career. Like all of the Stones' classics it is so famous that I would be genuinely surprised if anyone with a passing familiarity with Western rock music hadn't heard it. Anyway, ignoring the racist lyrics for decency's sake, it begins with an immediately distinctive riff and for added rock'n'roll value a saxophone screams its way through a timely solo. "Wild Horses" is perhaps a touch less well-known but certainly no less great. It certainly makes a case for being considered the Stones' greatest ever ballad with an excellently emotional vocal performance from Mick. That said, I would recommend people to the Flying Burrito Brothers' version for an even more sincere reading. Actually Gram Parsons is a handy figure to introduce at this point as it was around this time that he and the Stones became quite matey. Not only did they "give" him "Wild Horses" but this album also marks perhaps their biggest concentrated flirtation with American country and western music. "Wild Horses" has traces of country but the biggest single culprit is the mock country rock of "Dead Flowers". Indeed it just shows the immense brilliance of the Stones in that these five middle-class quintessentially English lads can write and perform a country song that ranks as one of the classics of the genre. The lyrics are clever in that they combine the debauched lifestyle of the Stones with generic country cliches and Mick's vocals are equal parts parody of and homage to genuine country singers. The steel guitar lines are gorgeous but still not as gorgeous as the actual melody. The song is certainly brilliant proof that the Stones could beat the masters at their own game at whatever genre they chose. And if the Stones are the masters of rock'n'roll then they reinforce their position with the superb "Bitch". It isn't a million miles from "Live with Me" on Let it Bleed with its prominent bass riff, gritty riffing and brass accompaniment but Mick revels in the raunchiness of it and Taylor's presence ensures the extended guitar soloing is a pleasure to hear. Indeed, Taylor was an excellent choice as a replacement as he seamlessly joins Keith on guitar duties and their guitar interplay bears no signs of unfamiliarity. Indeed, it his guitar soloing that is most responsible for ensuring the seven minute "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" doesn't start to drag. Like the exceptional "Dead Flowers" there are other album tracks on here that might not be instantly famous but, nonetheless, are truly excellent songs. "Sway" features perhaps the loosest arrangement on the album with Mick drunkenly slurring the vocals and the production for strings and guitar soloing seems almost like an afterthought. Not that any of that is a criticism, it is a wonderful song, but it does give a rare hint at what was coming next in their career. Jagger's long-suffering celebrity girlfriend, Marianne Faithful (an ironic surname), gets a co-writing credit for the unsettling "Sister Morphine" with disturbing lyrics about drug-dependency and the arrangement is obviously more than appropriate, relying mainly on an acoustic guitar but with an eerie lead guitar for company. The album isn't all top-rate material, though. The closing atmospheric "Moonlight Mile" is exactly that - atmospheric - but perhaps a bit too structureless. The cover of "I Gotta Move" is apparently absolutely hilarious but I must admit I don't get the joke and therefore I don't much care for the song (another "Country Honk", if you ask me). On the other hand, I think the much-maligned "I Got the Blues" is a-OK. Sure it is perhaps a little generic and not much thought went into making it original but Mick J gives a decent account of himself and the organ solo is nice. Overall, I think the couple of average numbers on the album does dent its consistency and I just think it isn't as revolutionary as Let it Bleed. That said, the quality of most of the songs is hardly any lower and I'd be mad to say this was less than a 10* album. Definitely an essential purchase for anyone with a serious interest in rock'n'roll.

So if Sticky Fingers was the Stones at their most slick and professional where do they go from there? In practical terms to Keith's French villa and in musical terms to the most drunken, debauched, messy, over-the-top and inspired take on rock'n'roll imaginable. A cursory glance at the liner notes shows you enough shots of gin bottles being clutched and drunken expressions to allow the assumption that the local French off-licences did a roaring trade during the recording of this album. Thankfully, whilst every member of the band were drunk as skunks writing and recording this album (which were probably often the same process) producer Jimmy Miller was obviously sober enough to ensure the actual production is as clear as the previous releases and still perfectly captures the elegantly wasted ambience. It is also clear that the band did not put a great deal of time and effort into ensuring every song was just right for recording. I imagine most songs were knocked off in a matter of hours and certainly intelligent arrangements like that of "Gimme Shelter" or "You Can't Always Get What You Want" are momentarily confined to the band's past. To potentially make matters worse the Stones thought it would be a good idea to make this into their first double album and therefore include all manner of half-brained ideas and off-the-cuff knockabouts in the track listing. Indeed, whereas the last few albums all contained veritable Stones classics very little of the material on here has gone down in the Stones' Best Of cannon. At best "Tumbling Dice" was on the Virgin Greatest Hits compilation and album opener "Rocks Off" is relatively famous amongst rock aficionados. Having said all this you might be slightly surprised to read my next statement: This is perhaps the greatest rock'n'roll album of all-time. From a personal point of view it is probably contesting the position with Johnny Thunders' LAMF but there is no doubt that the general atmosphere of this album is everything rock'n'roll is supposed to represent. The off-the-cuff numbers are still inherently rock'n'roll and the more impressive tracks still show the Stones to be absolutely fantastic songwriters. If someone was to ask me to show them rock'n'roll in its purest form I need merely direct them to this album. Also, if the Stones are sometimes accused of being insincere then this album certainly shows them at their most honest and genuine. If this album gives one overwhelming impression regarding the Stones' attitude it is that this is the work of a band who truly love the music itself. It is not about showing off, trying to act aggressively or making money - it is simply a product of a love of rock'n'roll. For instance, two of their heroes get covered (Slim Harpo's "Shake Your Hips" and Robert Johnson's "Stop Breaking Down"), and many of the songs show an effort to dispense with excess baggage and concentrate on the very roots of genres: "Rip This Joint" could not conceivably be any more rock'n'roll, "Sweet Virginia" and "Sweet Black Angel" are acoustic American ballads that forgot the sixties ever happened whilst "Ventilator Blues" and "Casino Boogie" do exactly what their respective titles suggest. Despite the brilliance of the back-to-basics approach the best numbers on here are those which do sound most like quintessential Rolling Stones songs. Album opener "Rocks Off" features typically great rock'n'roll riffing from Keith whilst Mick's slur unsurprisingly sounds genuinely drunken. Of course the key to the song is the fantastic melody and hooks, but then, coming from the pens of the Rolling Stones, that was to be expected. The best song on the album is perhaps "Tumbling Dice" which again is the Stones' own brand of rock'n'roll but this time with excellent use of female backing singers as well as the brass ensemble that crops up on most numbers. In terms of melodies, nothing exceeds the opening verse of "Loving Cup", featuring just Jagger and a piano, which is positively the most affecting snippet of music I've ever heard. That said, the two main ballads on the album are also deeply impressive. "Let it Loose" is another gem of a song but the real star is "Shine a Light" with its gradual build up (certainly the most thought-out arrangement on the album) and brilliant vocal performance from Mick. Keith gets a rare chance to sing his own song, "Happy", and it is certainly one of his best compositions with the infamous opening line "I've never had a dollar past sunset, it always burned a hole in my pants" - and you just know he means it. Of course, given the circumstances in which this was written and recorded and the fact that it is a double album (although comparatively short by contemporary standards, a mere 67 minutes) some songs are inevitably going to have to be labelled filler. "Turd on the Run" does nothing for me (even as a Paul McCartney piss-take), "Ventilator Blues" isn't the most memorable tune in the world and they seemed to forget to write the verses for "Soul Survivor". That said, this fillerish material does not actually detract from the album as a whole that much as they more form the very essence of the experience. This is not, and was not meant to be, a compilation of twelve individual songs with the intention of releasing the best ones as singles. It is a deliberately unprofessional homage to music and, in particular, rock'n'roll and, as such, is perfect in its sloppy incarnation. To want to exclude certain numbers misses the whole point of the exercise. Of course, the mere philosophy of the album is not what makes it great. What makes this album great is the philosophy of it combined with a wealth of fantastic songs. I said at the start of this page that if you like rock music then you like the Stones - well, if you don't like this album then you simply don't like rock'n'roll.

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