*Review* (EP) Got Live If You Want It!

Got Live If You Want It! (EP)

Released
June 11, 1965

We Want The Stones

(Nanker Phelge)

Why is this credited to Nanker Phelge.  We just won’t count this.

Everybody Needs Somebody To Love

(Solomon Burke, Jerry Wexler and Bert Russell)

This is where Stones are pissing me off. It’s already hard enough to rate live albums, but then not only do you include the cheers as a separate track, but this song is only 36 seconds long. Do I even rate this? No. No I don’t. But we get our first taste of the mixing on this album; below-average, but pretty good for a mid-60’s popular rock band.

Pain in My Heart

(Naomi Neville)

So this song sounds a lot better live. Not only that, but it’s performed exceptionally well, despite the Jagger voice crack (I think that’s what it was, you can hardly tell under such harsh crowd conditions, especially when the instruments are louder than the vocals.)

Route 66

(Bobby Troup)

Of course Rock and Roll sounds good live. You’re silly. It’s a good performance, but I feel like they could do better. I’m glad Keith Richards (?) can keep a good solo live as well.

I’m Moving On

(Hank Snow)

So I didn’t like this, sorry. Jagger didn’t really sound that good until the end. Nice drums though, so good job Watts.

I’m Alright

(Jagger / Richards) or (Nanker Phelge)

Better than I’m Moving On as it has some good energy and a nice outro guitar there. Alright. Alright. Alright.

So no ratings because the beginning of this EP screwed that up. Instead I’ll just explain what/how I liked it. Performance wise it was good. Recording wise it was pretty good for the time, but you could’ve had a better mix. This album’s main attraction is the amount of energy these songs radiate out. It’s true that it sounds like a rocking band, and the crowd (like all crowds next to groups in the 60’s) sure enjoyed it, but the songs itself aren’t that great. I mean, they are good, just not great. It’s the energy that carries this album.

Five By Five (EP)

Released

August 14, 1964

If You Need Me

(Wilson Pickett and Robert Bateman)

I should hate this song. Deep inside, I know that. This is the kind of song that drew me away from the Stones in the first place. But it’s a strong opener to this EP. With a heavy guitar and Jagger’s voice that fits this song.

4.5/5

Empty Heart

(Nanker Phelge)

A little complaint, not relating to the Rolling Stones themselves, is how this was mixed into stereo. I don’t like it (I’m listening to the Singles 1963-1965 box set, not sure if it was re-released onto CD in any other place). Other than that first few seconds of intro, nothing too extraordinary.

3/5

2120 South Michigan Avenue

(Nanker Phelge)

Organ.

4.5/5

Confessin’ the Blues

(Jay McShann and Walter Brown)

Good harmonica solo. Blues is hard to rate correctly, because you’re not really supposed to stand out in blues. Everything needs to mix together well.

3.5/5

Around and Around

(Chuck Berry)

It’s definitely an interesting cover, and I’m not sure if I like it. Everything’s fine, except Jagger, and I don’t even know how to explain why. I guess it’s because I’m comparing the original to this cover too much. I guess it’s just another example where Jagger seems a tad out of place.

3.5/5

19 / 25

I did a little adjusting to some of the scores, and I’m not even sure I like a 19/25 as a final score. A 21.5/25 sounds better to me, but I couldn’t adjust the individual song scores to fit. This is a great EP, and it got the Please Please Me treatment (recorded in one day on August 14, 1964). Good stuff. My one complaint will be how the stereo was mixed, as I’ve said in Empty Heart. While it wasn’t bad in a good rock song like Around and Around, it did seem weird during slower songs like Confessin’ the Blues, where some instruments were quieter than other and pushed to the left side. 

The Rolling Stones (EP)

Released
January 17, 1964

Bye Bye Johnny

(Chuck Berry)

I appreciate The Rolling Stones covering Chuck Berry songs that big bands haven’t already covered before. No Roll Over Beethoven. No Johnny B. Goode. That being said, this cover is pretty good and, also, pretty raw. The Stones have, so far, done really well with Chuck Berry tracks.

4/5

Money

(Berry Gordy and Jamie Bradford)

The Stones version of Money turns the R&B classic into something more like raw Rock and Roll. I am a  disappointed they got rid of the piano; that was the main part of the song. They will have fantastic piano pieces in their first album, however. Not an excuse though. It’s less of a cover and more of a reworking into the Rock N’ Blues sound of The Rolling Stones. I guess for what they’ve tried to do with it it’s alright, but it’s a song that shouldn’t be tampered with much.

3/5

You Better Move On

(Arthur Alexander)

I was not expecting anything like this early on in their career. And I like it. I like it a lot. I guess I better try to explain. It sounds very similar to the original, which makes it sound fantastic. The electric guitar bits sound great, and Jagger can work this song to perfection.  Harmonies are also fantastic. This song gets the first great score.

5/5

Poison Ivy

(Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller)

Leiber and Stoller make great compositions for bands with varying Rock sounds, and The Stones are no exception. While nothing particularly special about this, it has been covered well.

4.5/5

16.5 / 20

Fantastic EP. So far the best thing to come out of the Rolling Stones so far (Doesn't say much since I've only gone through the first two singles and this, but still). Great music.