Rolling Stones, The Rolling Stones - England's Newest Hitmakers
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Artist: Rolling Stones, The Rolling StonesEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2002-09-03
Music Label: Abkco
Soundtracks:
- Not Fade Away
- Route 66
- I Just Want to Make Love to You
- Honest I Do
- Now I've Got a Witness
- Little by Little
- I'm a King Bee
- Carol
- Tell Me
- Can I Get a Witness
- You Can Make It If You Try
- Walking the Dog
Free Music Notes for England's Newest Hitmakers
Free Music Review: "I'm gonna tell you how it's gonna be..."
Hit: 4 Stars
Yes, even the Rolling Stones were once young and hungry. Released in 1964, the group's U.S. debut (and the counterpart to their self-titled U.K. LP) is an urgent slab of hardcore blueswailing from the soon-to-be Greatest Rock and Roll Band In The World. This was made in the days when Mick Jagger and Keith Richards hadn't yet come into their own as songwriters. Indeed, only three of these songs are group originals. And I'm using the word "original" in a very liberal sense here: "Now I've Got A Witness" is basically an instrumental version of a Motown tune by the name of "Can I Get A Witness" (a version of which appears toward the end of this album), while "Little By Little" is- let's face it- a very derivative uptown R&B/blues shuffle. Finally, "Tell Me" has Phil Spector's fingerprints all over it, with its teen-drama lyrics and swooning melody. The funny thing is, these aren't really bad songs: "Little By Little" is full of bemused attitude, with plenty of gin-joint instrumentation and a great drawling vocal from Jagger, with a wild guitar solo thrown in the middle. "Tell Me" may be derivative, but it shows that the 'Stones knew how to maximize the effect of their favorite cliches: It's an incredibly catchy song, with a soulful chorus and a totally freakin' sweet guitar part. It also proves that even when Mick was mewling and pleading for his girl to take him back, he still sounded way cooler than anybody you'll ever meet. And have I mentioned the guitars? "Now I've Got A Witness" is, well, actually pretty boring. They can't all be winners, I guess.
No, these 'Stones were not known for their songwriting. What made their music, self-penned or otherwise, worthwhile were the performances. And they really were amazing performers: Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones (who, in the absence of a dominating creative voice within the group, was actually seen as the head Stone) was an absolute beast of a musician, attacking his instrument(s) with prodigious insanity and plenty of raw attitude. Richards, meanwhile, was just about the only guitarist who could make a suitable partner; the two bounced off of each other brilliantly, intertwining rhythms and leads with dizzying virtuosity. Like any self-respecting rhythm section, Charlie Watts (drums) and Bill Wyman (bass) were completely brilliant despite a virtual lack of recognition. They lent a certain primal umph(!) to the proceedings, giving these songs a salivating swing that shimmed its way from one end of the record to the other without ever letting up. And then there was that Mick fellow...
Anyway, the songs. The ones I haven't already mentioned, anyway: The opener is a cover of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away," and it's incredible; it drips with animal fury and gutter sexuality, and it's also hypnotic and ferocious and a little bit scary. It's the kind of thing I wouldn't want my girlfriend to hear, because she'd realize that compared to the people in the song, I'm not a real man. There's also a wild, wild cover of Chuck Berry's "Carol," and an unbelievably cool version of "Route 66." Lots of cool blues tunes, too- Jimmy Reed's "Honest I Do" is pure caveman seduction, and "I'm A King Bee" has some stinging leads (I didn't want to make that joke, but I really couldn't think of another way to describe the guitars on it). There's also a totally outta-hand rip through "I Just Want To Make Love To You."
The album ain't perfect- the aforementioned "Now I've Got A Witness" is one strike against it, and the uninspiring "You Can Make It If You Try" is another. "Walking The Dog" is sleazy and fun, but so is the rest of the album, so this one doesn't really stand out as such. Plus, those whooping, whistling noises in the chorus are really annoying. The rendition of "Can I Get A Witness," while not as bad as some people say, isn't terribly exciting either.
But it's great, for the most part. It's fun, it's raw, and it rocks really hard. Plus, the cover art is really cool. The 'Stones were really good at sneering.
England's Newest Hitmakers Poster
The first full-length Rolling Stones album is a raw document of their early sound, which at this point was still Early British Tinny, even on this pristine re-issue. However, the band's growing confidence throughout the course of THE ROLLING STONES is almost palpable.Their take on Willie Dixon's "I Just Want to Make Love to You" is steeped in Chicago blues filtered through a West London sensibility, while the insistent harp on their hit cover of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" is an early example of the band's technique of using blues riffs as pop hooks. "Tell Me" is a fairly embryonic attempt at Tin Pan Alley songwriting (they're far more at home with the raw R&B of "Little By Little") and it's obvious that at this early stage the band was most comfortable performing R&B covers, such as Rufus Thomas's classic "Walking the Dog," and particularly Chuck Berry's "Carol," which remained a staple of the band's live shows for some years.
Rolling Stones Photos
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Remastered reissue of 1964 album, suitable for standard & 'Super Audio' CD players. Digipak. Abkco Records. 2002.
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