(Single) We Love You / Dandelion

We Love You / Dandelion

Released

August 18, 1967 (UK)

September 2, 1967 (US)

Let’s remember the last single The Rolling Stones released. Let’s Spend the Night Together / Ruby Tuesday. Let’s Spend the Night Together was the recent sound of Rock and Roll, and Ruby Tuesday was a pop beauty.

So what is going on here.

I’ll tell you what’s going on here. We have just entered a short-lived period of The Rolling Stones that dives into psychedelic music.

It was also hard to talk about, because psychedelic is pretty hard to talk about. Most because I love it, and mostly because it mixes so well together that you can't talk about one thing without it being a description for the rest of the song.

We Love You

Some people mark the psychedelic age with Let’s Spend the Night Together, Flowers, or even as far back as Between the Buttons. I mark it here.

That piano hits hard. I could end it there, and give this a 10 / 10. But let’s just move forward.

I love this song. The piano is dark and so strong, stuck within a sandwich of beautiful vocals and a mellotron, with an icing of sound effects supposed to represent that one time they were thrown in jail for drug charges and an overall “too bad police, we’re always going to win” message. The song is musically strong and beautiful, and is a lot of fun to listen to.

That Dandelion snippet at the end is a nice addition. Something so small, yet so interesting and different.

Oh and John Lennon and Paul McCartney do backing vocals on this song. Need I say more?

10 / 10

Dandelion

If it’s not Brian Jones doing some exotic instrument that makes the song, it’s the harpsichord or piano played by Nicky Hopkins. On both sides of this single, his part is really prominent and, without it, the song would be nothing. That’s not to say Jones isn't doing anything, as he as an oboe part, which can almost classify as a solo.

I like this song, and I don’t have any problem with it. While I feel like it doesn't deserve a full 10 / 10, I can’t find any reason why it shouldn't.

And then it plays that dark piano from We Love You, like this record is supposed to go around in a circle. And I love it.

10 / 10

20 / 20

The Rolling Stones venture into psychedelic pop and leave victorious.

I love everything about this.