*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.

*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.

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)