The Monkees - Good Times (2016)

The Monkees

Good Times!

The Monkees’ Good Times! The first album of newly recorded material since 1996’s Justus. That’s right, The Monkees name is alive again for the fourth time (original run, Pool It!, Justus, Good Times!). And even Michael Nesmith joins us!

                Don’t forget that we’ve been getting a lot of unreleased material for the last 15 years, in Rhino’s deluxe edition releases (the last new album being the Summer 1967: The Complete U.S. Concert Recordings album in 2001, and the last re-issue being The Monkees in 2014). For some reason, no one asked for a Monkees resurgence, but here we are.

Their Satanic Majesties Request

Well, its time. I've been ready for this moment. The moment we dive into the peak of Psychedelic Stones.

The moment I've probably over-hyped myself for.

An album with mixed views by both consumer and producer. This is Their Satanic Majesties Request.

Sing This All Together

A charming song for the most part. The part where they, of course, sing the song all together, is very charming, and it my favorite part. You get a few backwards guitars in the middle breakdown, but just a few.

8.5 / 10

Citadel

Citadel’s a bit hectic, both composition wise and lyric wise, but I do like how the guitar sounds. It sounds like they weren't sure what to do.

7 / 10

In Another Land

In Another Land works better as an album track. As I've said, I love the harpsichord on this song, and it progresses well. I forget if the single version was in mono or stereo, but the stereo mix really helps it with that psychedelic sound, with both sets of vocals on each side. The backing vocals do the same, but one side is much stronger and you can hardly notice the other.

Oh, and for the album version, we get snoring. Wyman snoring. He does a lot on this song even if he doesn't realize it.

8.75

2000 Man

I think this song could pass off as a great Stones song. In the beginning it’s a sweet song that could fit in anywhere, but afterwards it becomes a hard hitting song with the works; loud drums, guitar fills, etc. A little fine tuning could have made this song much better.

9.5 / 10

Sing This All Together (See What Happens) (Including Cosmic Christmas)

The idea of a long song on a psychedelic album scared me. Especially when it was under the Rolling Stones name, since I have not been too much of a fan of their longer songs. They just seem to extend things longer than they should.

Think of this song as a more musical Revolution 9. Take ideas and mash it together. Create a colorful mix of instruments. Of course, colorful isn't always good.

The bits of vocals (yelling and such) almost seem forced, which I’m sure they were judging by the way this album was created. I’m not going to say there’s nothing good about this, but throwing everything all together creates a mess. Sometimes, something fun pops up in this song, like the rhythm changing and moving around, but everything else is just trying to fill in space.

Like most psychedelic art-y songs like this, you’d probably never say “you know, I’m feeling good, today’s a good day to put on Sing This All Together (See What Happens).”

Is it even fair to rate this song? 5.5 / 10

She’s a Rainbow

Maybe the last song was to make this song seem even better.

Because I would suggest this album to everyone just because of this song. This wonderful song.

The sweet, sweet piano is accompanied by a strong acoustic and drums, and when it’s alone it’s followed by violins and a mellotron. Both lead and backing vocals are delightful, as well as everything in the middle. Like that orchestration.

I’m at a loss for words about this song. She’s a Rainbow is the most lovely of all Rolling Stones songs.

20 / 10

The Lantern

Such a simple song in comparison, but it’s a goodie. I've said before that it’s the Stones sound clashing with the psychedelic sound. Being made an album track, as well as being put after She’s a Rainbow, let me enjoy this song a bit more.

7.75 / 10

Gomper

The Urban Dictionary describes a Gomper as an unattractive person and as “the very worst song the Rolling Stones ever recorded.”

The song combines a small amount of Indian music that became increasingly popular in the late 1960’s, as Harrison expressing his enjoyment in it through his songs. Maybe it’s that exposure that helped me appreciate the song. Of course, a song like this requires a specific taste, so it’s not hard to imagine why people wouldn't enjoy it. Also, Brian played an electric dulcimer.

It’s just not fair to rate it close to the other songs.

8 / 10

2000 Light Years from Home

I was a bit wary with the beginning of this song, but then it burst open to reveal a great song. Two of the best bits of this song revolve around, of course, the Mellotron providing strings and the drumming of Watts. The vocals also add a nice touch to what’s probably the best effort put into a psychedelic rock song by the Stones

10 / 10

On with the Show

I thought The Beatles put Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at the beginning of their album (even the reprise wasn't at the end.)

Oh wait. I’m still at the Stones.

I guess I can dissect this one. Every instrument compliments itself, from the fills on the guitar to the fantastic drumming by Watts, to the mellotron. The bass even plays a nice melody. Jagger’s effect-vocals are a bit out of place, but they go away.

The album ends with the scene of a honky-tonk piano in a fancy setting with conversations. But I guess the song did what it wanted to do. It’s almost simple in it’s presentation, and I think that’s what makes it nice.

8.75 / 10

The album is good. Far from the best, but it’s a great detour from their normal music.

It does what it wants, and is able to present itself well despite having no producer to guide the Stones to productivity, as well as how horrible the sessions were.

This album is well worth the listen. While only two songs made the Stones live setlist (both songs had short lived life on those setlists, as well), the album is interesting and definitely works.

Also buy it for She’s a Rainbow.

*Partial-Review* Aftermath (US)

Aftermath (US)

Released
June 20, 1966

Paint It Black

(Jagger / Richards (and Bill Wyman uncredited!)

So for the US version of Aftermath, we get a bit shorter, stereo version of the previous single Paint it Black, released a month earlier. One thing I noticed about the stereo mix is that I hear the bass near the end a lot better, with it being beautiful.

10 / 10

The exclusion of Out of Time, Take It or Leave It, What to Do, and Mother’s Little Helper

So here’s the original scores for these songs:

·         Out of Time – 8.25

·         Take It or Leave It – 8.5

·         What to Do – 7.5

·         Mother’s Little Helper – 10 / 10

In my opinion, there were more filler that could’ve been taken out that wouldn’t be missed as much. I also understand the removal of Mother’s Little Helper; they would release that as an American single later, and they did get Paint It Black on this. Other than that, the exclusions made sense if they were going to replace them with something. But they just removed 10 minutes worth of music for whatever reason. So the total album gets the score by way of songs’ scores of 90.95 / 110, but I’ll add a little bonus for putting Goin’ Home at the end of the album because it’s nicer there, so the final score is

91.25 / 110

Or a slightly larger score than the UK version of Aftermath, and I’ll just say both albums are technically the same, but I’d go with the UK version just for the extra amount of songs and the better Paint It Black B-side.

*Review* ELO - The Electric Light Orchestra (No Answer)

*I'm not a professional music connoisseur, and as such everything here is opinion-based and usually made during my first listen to a song / album.*

I’m going to take a break from the regular reviews of The Rolling Stones to take a look at the one art rock band that I personally think tops them all, Electric Light Orchestra. Of course, not all of their stuff is art rock. It’s Symphonic Rock, hard rock, but a lot of their early stuff (post-The Idle Race, although a lot of their stuff was Psychedelic which is a form of art rock at times.) has that beautiful artsy sound.

And Luckily, ELO doesn't have differences (that I can see immediately) between US and UK albums besides their unfortunate name mistakes.

The Electric Light Orchestra (No Answer)

Released
December 1971

10538 Overture

This is a pretty big hit for ELO in the UK, and coming from the first song of their first album no less. No love in the US it seems though. The song uses some beautifully placed Cello love, but keeps the same structure throughout, and repeats most of it’s phrases with changes within the lines of different brass parts. Most people would be so confused to hear such a hard-and-heavy hit that relies of string and brass instruments. My one and only problem is that it perhaps goes on too long, since the song is mostly the same until the end.

8.75 /10

Look At Me Now

This has a strange demo feel, like McCartney’s first album; and by that I mean the vocals seem to have been recorded first, alone, and then the instrumentation was thoughtfully placed around it. Quite a bit of contrast from the hard rock hit from before, but that’s about it.

7/10

Nellie Takes Her Bow

You can really tell the difference between a Lynne composition and a Wood composition so far. Lynne seems to be more about making everything neat, and Roy just does what he thinks I guess. A slower song like Look At Me Now, but that’s exactly what Lynne wants you to think. About 2:20 into the song, we start to change, and that’s the beauty of some of these lesser known ELO song; they’re very much like full orchestra pieces having several movements. The change isn't drastic though, as it’s still slow, but it does take on a violin solo. Also, Lynne adds some sort of vocal effect that I really don’t know if I like or not. I feel like a bit more could have been put into this song, but as is it’s pretty nice with nice backing vocals to accompany everything else. (Also, I thought it was bow, as in violin bow. I mean, try putting the pieces together, it’s EL Orchestra)

7.75 / 10

The Battle of Marston Moor (July 2nd, 1644)

Wikipedia has a nice word to describe this song: Baroque-and-Roll. A Roy composition that is very story-heavy, but at the same time uses the available orchestration to a great extent. He really was going for less of a song and more for a story, and like I said, art. It’s hard not to expect art pieces from a band like this. This is also the longest song on the album, clocking in at just over 6 minutes, and maybe it isn't worth it. Art’s fun and all, but the listeners have to be in it as well. I imagine Roy was very happy making this, because a lot of work goes into things like this, more so than Mick Jagger and his filler albums. It’s a weird piece that has some weird transitions between it’s movements, but it does have that nasty ending note. Nasty in a good way.

6.75 / 10

First Movement (Jumping Biz)

Very interesting. It’s hard to explain all of these pieces, but this is something different. It’s very upbeat, but not too much. It’s like an intro to a movie. I think I enjoy this piece, because it’s fun and short. A song like this wouldn't work long (see the song right before this, although that was more art than this song.)

7.75 / 10

Mr. Radio

No, it’s not Mr. Blue Sky yet. Go away. It can be easily compared to this song though. It’s a combination of Mr. Blue Sky and Telephone Line. It’s a nice, simple story as well, mixed in with some of the most beautiful composed orchestration on the album. But you know, behind the story, and the orchestra, it’s just a good song. Nothing more, nothing less. (Although guilty pleasure to the use of backwards violins at the end)

8/10

Manhattan Rumble (49th Street Massacre)

For a second I thought it was going to start the beginning of The Wall; those piano notes are either exactly the same or close to Outside the Wall. The feeling of the song definitely matches the 49th Street Massacre part, with it’s dark and demanding piano and beating drums and the cellos make their stand. Halfway through the song we get something a bit different, but still manages to keep a dark and creepy atmosphere. Oh, and there’s wind instruments, that’s a bit weird. This song is almost fun, and I actually smiled at around the 3 minute mark when the high-pitched background vocals started (probably for the song reason though). So far, this album really tries its best to be art.

6.75/10

Queen of the Hours

Lynne gets his third written song in a row, and it’s more of what I like. More music and less art, but it’s still pretty much art (but pretend it isn't so I can stop saying the word art for a bit.) Something I’m going to note here is that a lot of the song blend in together, and not in the way that one track overlaps into the other track, but they all start to sound the same (besides 10538 Overture.) That’s not the best thing to do. Nothing much to say about this song except that it has a nice length.

7.5/10

Whisper in the Night

Wood ends this album with something beautiful. We go back to the slow lyrical style of the album with this song, and it’s very lyrical. And one of my #1 guilty pleasures appear on this song, although only for a short amount of time, a slide guitar solo (a soft one). Other than that, though, it’s alright. Very soft, very beautiful, but very much the same as the rest of the album.

8/10

68.25 / 90

In Conclusion

I love ELO, I love Lynne, and as a violin player I love orchestration. I have a great appreciation for everything that was attempted here and their other albums (and Lynne’s producer work on everything from his albums to his fellow Wilburys’ albums.) I would not recommend this album to many people. This is an album for specific tastes, and people who just like ELO. I can forgive them for this being their first album, but both Lynne and Wood has had experience with albums (Wood has four with The Move and a single with Acid Gallery, and Lynne has possibly six with both The Move and The Idle Race.) There’s something here for sure, but is it music? Yes it’s music, of course it’s music. Just not the type of music that will ever be accepted like regular rock.

I'm not saying I'm glad they decided to rock more later, but I'm implying it. I love me some baroque, but maybe not a lot of baroque that wants you to know its baroque. Forced Baroque, perhaps?

*Review* December’s Children (And Everybody’s)

December’s Children (And Everybody’s)

Released
December 4, 1965

Before we start this one, I’m going to complain about the usage of the album art. It’s the same as the previous UK album Out of Our Heads. I have tons more complaints for this album, but let’s deal with them when they arise.

She Said “Yeah”

(Sonny Bono and Roddy Jackson)

Listen, I have no problem with using the UK tracks, but it’s really annoying that they had to do this in the first place. If everyone got the same album, we wouldn’t need to be reviewing the same songs without it being either a new single or a compilation album. A nice rocking sound from the UK Out of Our Heads.

9/10

Talkin’ About You

(Chuck Berry)

Didn’t like this cover in Out of Our Heads, still don’t really like it. It’s alright.

6/10

You Better Move On

(Arthur Alexander)

Jesus, are we actually reusing UK songs from 1964, technically recording in 1963? For an album almost reaching 1966? Who are we here? You know Stones, you are really lucky I really like this song. Really lucky. Like really, if you’re going to split up the albums to have different songs, why give the other country the songs later on? You’re ruining valuable song space.

9/10 (It used to be 10/10, and it still is, but because it’s on this album that’s what you get)

Look What You’ve Done

(McKinley Morganfield)

The Stones return to their blues rock, and it’s not bad. At this point Jagger is really confident in his voice, either that or new recording equipment makes this sound better than it should. But still, nothing special, and it’s very weird to have this sandwiched into the Stones’ rock age.

7.5/10

The Singer, Not The Song

(Jagger / Richards)

I’m alright with the re-using of this song, since it’s fresh and only a b-side in the UK. Plus, this song works even better as part of an album. So it’s a good song, but nothing great, unfortunately. Maybe it’ll grow on me. I don’t know.

7/10

Route 66

What’s up with them and using already-released live songs on official albums? I don’t like it. Especially when you can hardly hear anything anyway, I mean they had to know that the sound quality isn’t the best, and so when you throw it on a studio album it’s just weird. The performance isn’t as good as it should be, either. Not bad, but not great.

7/10

Get Off of My Cloud

(Jagger / Richards)

(Copied from the song’s single review) While not at the same fame as Satisfaction, it’s still very much up there. It was also written has a follow-up to the song. All lot of the follow-ups fail to live up to their predecessors, but I think this song does a fantastic job. Even under pressure, they managed to write a great song and perform it brilliantly as well.

9.5/10

I’m Free

(Jagger / Richards)

I feel like we’re blessed to have both Get off My Cloud and I’m Free in the same album.

(Copied from the Get Off My Cloud single) Really good song that really works well as the album’s closer. It has a nice feeling to it, and that is probably because it’s not a cover. I can’t really pick anything out of this per se, but the instruments seem to flow well together. The guitar solo isn’t anything to note, but it doesn’t have to be, I feel like a complicated solo would ruin this song.

9/10

As Tears Go By

(Jagger, Richards and Andrew Loog Oldham)

Oh my, this is beautiful. Listen to that orchestra. Listen to that sweet, soft guitar. McCartney’s got some explaining to do.

10/10

Gotta Get Away

(Jagger / RichardS)

Nothing especially complex, but it does get the job done. Instruments slide in nicely together.

8/10

Blue Turns to Grey

(Jagger / Richards)

I don’t know what to say about this song. I appreciate the use of a 12-string guitar on both rhythm and lead parts. It’s a nice song, with very good parts about it, but it feels too generic.

6/10

I’m Moving On

(Hank Snow)

There used two live songs on this. No, stop it. And it’s my least favorite performance from the Got Live If You Want It! EP. Gah.

4/10

92/120

Pretty disappointing album. I think people really enjoy this album, but there’s just nothing really to it for me. The B-side was very dominant here, with some of The Stones excellent work for the time like Get Off My Cloud and As Tears Go By. But, I guess, for an American album who didn’t get most of the songs because of UK exclusives, it’s better than nothing. It's almost impossible today to put in perspective that the Americans did not have the leisure of just going out and buying UK albums, so my opinions on songs I've already heard before might be skewed. Just stop using badly mixed live songs for official studio albums please.

*Partial Review* Out of Our Heads (UK)

Out of Our Heads (UK)

Released
September 24, 1965

I’m going to rate the songs that are different on the album, and then rate the album as a whole, but I’m not going to go over any of the songs on the previously released Out of Our Heads (US).

Additions:

She Said “Yeah”

Whoa, where did this intense track come from? It sounds nice (the ending sounds a bit weird when it just suddenly ends), but we’ll have to see if it can hold up to the track it replaced.

9/10

Gotta Get Away

(Jagger / Richards)

A nice little song, simple yet effective.

8/10

Talkin’ Bout You

(Chuck Berry)

It doesn’t sound as rocking as it should and I’m disappointed.

6/10

Oh, Baby (We Got a Good Thing Going)

(Barbara Lynn Ozen)

This sound sounds more rocking than the Chuck Berry cover, and it works better here than it did on The Rolling Stones, Now!. I don’t like using the word filler, but hey, this might be it. Not as much as Talkin’ Bout You, but still.

7.5/10

Heart of Stone

(Jagger / Richards)

This is a good song with solos that are good as well, as I’ve said back in the 1964 single with B-side What a Shame. I also want to give it something higher than 8.5, but I feel like 8.5 fits this.

8.5/10

I’m Free

(Jagger / Richards)

Really good song that really works well as the album’s closer. It has a nice feeling to it, and that is probably because it’s not a cover. I can’t really pick anything out of this per se, but the instruments seem to flow well together. The guitar solo isn’t anything to note, but it doesn’t have to be, I feel like a complicated solo would ruin this song.

9/10

Subtractions

The Last Time

Unfortunately this song didn’t make the cut. It’s a shame, because I actually like this song a bit.

I’m Alright

Good, this song didn’t belong. It’s alright (pun not intended), but I definitely won’t miss it.

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

Removing this song from the lineup quite possibly put a dent into the record itself. I feel like when the kids in UK caught word that the American’s got this song on their record, and they didn’t, they were angry. This was, and still is, a pretty popular song among radio and everything else.

Play With Fire

Another good song that was replaced. While not my favorite, it’s still a beautiful song.

The Spider and the Fly

I don’t necessarily care where this one goes. I’m very split about if I like this or not, but my feeling point to “I kinda don’t like it, but not enough to actually say I don’t like it.” But still, people do like this song, so removing this song didn’t help.

One More Try

I like I’m Free better for a couple reasons, one for the style of the song and another for how it doesn’t fade out.

95 / 120

Amazing. That really is just simply amazing. My score for the UK version is the same as the US version. To producer Andrew Loog Oldham (who produced both versions), bravo, you’ve managed to take out the important singles and still manage a 95. You deserve a lot of credit. Anyway, I personally thought the album was a tiny bit weaker than the US version if just for the exclusion of the popular singles. The reason for this is the UK music industry didn’t like to use popular singles on their albums, which is reasonable but at the same time could hurt an album if you don’t fit the album with right replacements. All in all, Mr. Oldham is fantastic and we should all appreciate him. 

*Kinda-Review* The Rolling Stones, Now!

The Rolling Stones, Now!

Released
February 13, 1965

The American version of The Rolling Stones No. 2. Instead of rating it’s songs again, I’m going to talk about its replacements. So if you really want to see a review of this, go see the UK album.

Everybody Needs Somebody to Love

So while not a replacement, this version of the song is two minutes shorter. Unfortunately, for some reason my version of The Rolling Stones No. 2 also has the three minute version, so I can’t really compare it.

Heart of Stone vs. Time Is on My Side

Oh, that’s a tough one. Both songs are fantastic, and both are kinda slow. I’ll say this; there’s no reason to hate the decision. Both songs were released in the United States as singles, so you’re not really getting any new songs either way. I think both songs pretty much match each other in terms of quality and music, so while I can’t say “good on you for changing that,” it definitely doesn’t hurt.

Mona (I Need You Baby) vs. Grown Up Wrong

Very weird decision, but I guess America did never actually get Mona from England’s Newest Hit Makers. However, Grown Up Wrong is a bit better and fits the Rolling Stones at this point in their career, because it was recorded at this point in their career. So bad choice here, but not too bad.

Oh Baby (We Got a Good Thing Goin') vs. Under the Boardwalk

A new song? Anything is better than Under the Boardwalk, and this sounds good.

Little Red Rooster vs. I Can’t Be Satisfied

I like I Can’t Be Satisfied a lot better. A lot better.

Surprise, Surprise vs. Suzie Q

Another new song. Honestly I didn’t even realize there were new songs on here until I started this review. I’m under a lot of stress right now with my carbon dioxide alarm going off for no reason every 5 minutes, so I’m not going to rate it. I appreciate the Stones using a longer song for the ending, and while Surprise, Surprise is a good song, Suzie Q wins by a small amount. Because I like the guitar better. Although Surprise, Surprise’s vocals are pretty good. I guess they’re evenly matched.

Overall, I guess I like the American version better. I just wished they could’ve found a way to keep Time is On My Side and still include Heart of Stone. But if I was rating this, it would definitely be a bit better than The Rolling Stones No. 2.

*Review* The Rolling Stones No. 2

The Rolling Stones No. 2

Released
January 15, 1965

Only two singles between this and 12 x 5, compared to the seven singles and two EPs between England’s Newest Hit Makers and 12 x 5.

This song made it high in the charts for a bit, but was pretty much battered down by Beatles for Sale and The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Brutal competition.

Everybody Needs Somebody to Love

(Solomon Burke, Bert Berns and Jerry Wexler)

I cringed a bit when the singing started, but it got better. Nothing special

4.5/10

Down Home Girl

(Jerry Leiber, Arthur Butler)

Jerry Leiber strikes again. While nothing particularly special, it’s an average song with a nice beat.

6.5/10

You Can’t Catch Me

(Chuck Berry)

Pretty close to being on par with the original, despite being a bit slower (you can’t hide that), so it’s a fantastic cover in that regard. (I still prefer Lennon’s version on Rock N’ Roll, but this is 1965 and that album hasn’t been released yet.)

8/10

Time is On My Side

(Norman Meade)

So now I have to make a decision; this version or the single version. Although I love organs, especially when used correctly, I think the guitar works much better here. And the organ is still there, just in the background, so it’s a win-win. So, while I don’t agree with the rating I’m going to give this, I don’t think it deserves anything lower.

10/10

What a Shame

(Jagger / Richards)

(Copied from the Heart of Stone / What a Shame single)

 The Rolling Stones seem to do better when they write a song then when they cover a blues song and try to fit in. This mix is a lot better than the single, and there’s a loud bass in my right ear with a nice, crisp guitar in the other.

8.5/10

Grown up Wrong

(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

I was about to be very angry with this decision, as this was included in 12 x 5 as well. But this is a UK album, and 12 x 5 is a US album. That’s the opposite of what usually happens; it’s the UK that gets a song then the US takes it in a future album. That’s just the sad separation that is region-specific records.

Also, I’m giving this song a slightly higher rating than what I had on 12 x 5. This album has been full of unreasonably high ratings, and I’m just feeling good today, and that’s why ratings are flawed.

6.5/10

Down the Road Apiece

(Don Raye)

A song that transitioned nicely from boogie to rock and roll, and The Rolling Stones play this song to perfection. Jagger has a different feeling to his voice that was needed on this song, and, of course, that rocking guitar mixed with a boogie piano is beautiful.

10/10

Under the Boardwalk

(Arthur Resnick and Kenny Young)

This song returns after being in 12 x 5, and it’s still as average as it was in 12 x 5. As I said before, no one would mind if this didn’t make it on the album.

7.5/10

I Can’t Be Satisfied

(Muddy Waters)

I’ve noticed how the quality of Jagger’s voice changes quite a bit on this album. On this song it sounds clear, but other songs retain their early-sounding, err, sound. But anyway, here’s a nice blues rock song.

8/10

Pain in My Heart

(Allen Toussaint)

See, what happened to the quality here. It’s much worse than I Can’t Be Satisfied. Whatever.

This was going to be a 6.75/10, but the lead guitar made me change my mind and add that extra .25.

7 / 10

Off The Hook

(Jagger / Richards)

As I said in the single Little Red Rooster / Off the Hook, this is a pretty drastic change. Each instrument is doing a nice job of sounding good, and that includes the voice of the one and only Mick Jagger.

7.5/10

Suzie Q

(Dale Hawkins, Stan Lewis and Eleanor Broadwater)

(Complete copy from the 12 x 5 album, since it’s still completely relevant)

This is hardly a cover. This is a imagination of the original. And I’ll tell you, what a great song to end an album. Short but sweet.

Although it doesn’t deserve a 9. A 4.5/5 sounds right, but a 9/10 doesn’t, even though they are the same thing. Ratings hurt. Also, I wish they didn’t end with a short song.

8.5/10.

92.5/120

So, great album with some flaws. Here’s my major disappointment; it was full of covers again. 12 x 5 did a good job giving us a great mix of covers and self-written songs. That and the album didn’t really open up too great. All in all, good album, not as good as 12 x 5, which is the complete opposite of what happened to The Beatles’ albums where the UK got the good albums and the US’ only contribution was Magical Mystery Tour.  The rest had horrible mixes and excluded good songs. But this is about the Rolling Stones; I can’t take the spotlight off them yet. Not until Rock and Roll Circus.

The Rolling Stones (Album)

The Rolling Stones

Released
April 16, 1964

Route 66

(Bobby Troup)

So here we start, at Route 66. Nice guitar work by whatever guitarist picked this up. Jagger’s voice works well in the Rock and Roll scene. All together it’s a nice cover.

3.5/5

I Just Want To Make Love To You

(Willie Dixon)

Some more good guitar work by either Brian or Keith (Wiki says Keith), although I can’t say the same for Jagger’s vocal work. It’s a decent cover, but nothing special.

3 / 5

Honest I Do

(Jimmy Reed)

These blues numbers are a lot better than I remember them being. Maybe it’s the remastering’s doing. Very short, which is weird considering Reed’s original goes for about three minutes. Maybe it was better short.

2.5/5

Mona

(Ellas McDaniel)

Also known as I Need You Baby, I think. Good shaker or maraca work by whoever, but mostly generic that I think blends in with other attempts at R&B.

2.5/5

Now I’ve Got A Witness

(Nanker Phelge)

Ian Stewart’s organ and whoever’s harmonica (could be Jagger, could be Jones) works really well together. That could be because I really like the sound of a good organ. The solo at the end also sounds nice.

4/5

Little By Little

(Nanker Phelge and Phil Spector)

A good rocking tune. I thought the song was going to be dominated by Jagger’s vocals, but once his harmonica solo ended it was a good mix of instruments and vocals. But honestly, in the end it’s nothing special.

3.5/5

I’m a King Bee

(Slim Harpo)

I can’t tell if that’s a bass or a rhythm guitar doing that slide up, but it sounds good. Jagger’s voice work is a bit under par on this song, unfortunately, but nothing too bad.

3/5

Carol

(Chuck Berry)

Guitar work is great, I just don’t think Jagger’s voice can replace Chuck Berry’s. I appreciate their choice to cover Carol instead of something that’s been covered more, like Roll Over Beethoven. It’s different, and that’s what you need to succeed.  In the end, it’s a really good cover, but I don’t feel comfortable giving it a 4, and that’s the main flaw of having 5 numbers to choose from.

3.75/5

Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)

(Mick Jagger and Keith Richards)

The only song on the album that isn’t a cover. I want to like this song, and I feel like if I listen to it some more I can appreciate it. But here’s my reason for not liking it as much as I want to. I appreciate it when The Rolling Stones do harmonies, they seem to go well with the voice of Jagger. But I didn't like how they harmonized together on this. It also cuts off, which was a bit weird. It’s a well written song, however that just doesn't do quite enough in my opinion. But like I said, this feels like a good song that might become great over time.

4/5

Can I Get a Witness

(Brian Holland, Lamond Dozier and Eddie Holland)

I don’t like how Jagger sounds on this, and the rest is average.

2.5/5

You Can Make It If You Try

(Ted Jarrett)

Average song. Nothing special, and that’s even with an organ backing it up.

2.5/5

Walking the Dog

(Rufus Thomas)

I don’t know what The Stones thought they were doing cover this. Whoever is doing backing vocals seems to have the right attitude, but Jagger doesn't have the right voice for this. And it almost sounds calm (excluding the solo, which is nice), which is the last thing this song should be. But I will forgive them this time as the guitar work is nice, even if Jagger doesn't have enough “umph” to do it.

3/5

12 songs, total rating of 5.

37.75 / 60

Overall average album. You can’t ask for too much on a debut album, and I think this fulfills everything The Rolling Stones could’ve done. Guitar solos and guitar work in general if fantastic, featuring full sound. What kept me away from The Stones for so long, Jagger’s voice, is very hit and miss on the album. He tries to put his unique voice into situations where it doesn't belong (example, Walking the Dog). The whole album would be a 3.6 in my book, with 3 I guess being OK/average and 4 being great. And 5, I guess, being fantastic life changing and perfect. (This was the first album I "reviewed", and I realized a 5 needs to be 10 times more lenient)