The Rolling Stones - December's Children (And Everybody's)
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Free Music Notes for December's Children (And Everybody's)
Free Music Review: The Best Of The Early Days
Hit: 4 Stars
December's Children was released in 1966, it was The Rolling Stones fifth album. With this new 2002 remastered version on ABCKO the sound is superior compared to the 1986 version on CD. Sometimes I like the 86 version's better but in this case the 2002 remastered version is much better. December's Children includes Get Off My Cloud the best song on this album. I think for a true Rolling Stones fan this one should be in your collection.Free Music Review: One of the better albums
Hit: 4 Stars
Regardless of what some of the others say, the live performance of Route 66 is one of my favorite Stones recordings, even with the screaming, and I think they're best recording of it. Their covers of blues songs on this album, and especially on the album "12x5" are some of the best, and you can understand their local popularity as a blues cover band before they became famous. They were very good.Free Music Review: Put Together By London Records Execs - Some Great, Some "Iffy" Out-takes
Hit: 3 Stars
Let me first point out that this is not an album that the Rolling Stones ever planned to release. This record is made up of out-takes from sessions between 1963 and 1965. I've had this for a few weeks now and I must admit that, compared to other early Stones material this is only worthy of 3 stars. I like the Rolling Stones a lot, really - especially the Brian Jones stuff. I have every one of the ABKCO SACD Hybrid remasters. Compared to the others, December's Children has some very "iffy" tracks and some that are downright awful. There IS good music here, but overall, the release is so uneven it feels like a bunch of recordings that were sort of mashed together. And indeed, that is exactly what we learn that December's Children is with a little investigative work. The tunes span from 1963 to 1965 and it was put together for release in the US only by Decca recording executives. I'm not saying don't buy it. Certainly, if you are a collector, you MUST own it and that's exactly why I have it. And there is some very good R & B material on "December's Children".
Now, about that theory of mine... Back in the day, studio time was really EXPENSIVE. Often bands only got a single take on a tune and the band would pick the best material for the release after the session was complete. That would make it very easy for a band member to sabotage a song he really hated. There are two songs on this CD that have major blunders in them (which I outline below): "The Singer, Not the Song" and "I'm Free". Remember, The Rolling Stones did not pick the songs for this release, American executives as Decca records put this thing together to showcase "Get Off of My Cloud" on an Lp, presumably in time for Christmas... maybe that's why they called it "December's Children".
"The Singer Not The Song" - Gawd that 12 string is sooooo out of tune. I mean, REALLY out of tune. I have to wonder if it's Brian Jones on 12 string and he hated this tune. I can picture him behind his partition in the studio, deliberately flattening the high "B" string (the one that's out of key), snickering to himself while thinking "God, I hate this song". I mean, the dude supposedly had an evil streak. Only an American recording exec could be greedy enough to include this lousy performance without a second thought (stupid teenagers will buy it anyway).
The choruses of "I'm Free" are a real mess as far as the drumming goes. I wasn't really sure whether the dropped beats in the choruses were deliberate and just sounded odd to me, so I played it for the drummer in my jazz-fusion band. He laughed when he heard it he thought it was so bad and HE is a Rolling Stones fan too. One has to wonder if Charlie hated this one. Again, this is not a performance worthy of release (though the introduction and first few lines do make for a nice Chase Bank/JP Morgan Financial TV commercial).
Apart from those two blunders (and I admit this is just a matter of personal taste) "Better Move On" just sounds like a silly teen angst ballad to me. The words are pretty cheesy in my opinion. Why did they even record this song? This is a very mysterious selection to record as it doesn't seem to fit their sound. Ok, in fairness, lots of reviewers here have written that they like this track and who am I to argue? I just don't care for it.
There's a lot of good stuff on "December's Children" but, as mentioned above, it is pretty uneven. Is it an R & B record? Is it a "pop" record? Is it a live album? Again, the problem stems from the fact that The Rolling Stones did not cut or choose these tunes for release on any particular Lp back in the day. Forgive me if I fail to agree that it is as good as the Lps that The Rolling Stones created with deliberate intent to include certain tunes. Hence my three star rating.
All that said, I do own "December's Children" and I wouldn't take it back, cash it in at the used CD store, or give it away. It contains some great music! I sure do wish the live cuts didn't have quite so much screaming from the girls in the audience, I would love to be able to hear Brian Jones' slide playing on "I'm Moving On" It just isn't very clear. This is an SACD hybrid but unlike the releases starting such as "Aftermath" and "Now!" you really can't hear a startling difference in sound.
Free Music Review: Just Sign Here
Hit: 3 Stars
With the success of "The Last Time" and "Satisfaction" the Rolling Stones were under the gun to keep the hit machine roaring. "December's Children" was primarily a vehicle for the next two singles "Get Off My Cloud" and "As Tears Go By", and as you might suspect consistency is a problem here."She Said Yeah" starts us off, and what a start it is! This was the hardest rocking song the Stones had so far released, and it is fueled by the twin guitars of Brian Jones and Keith Richards, and some great rock'n'roll shouting by Mick Jagger. Just when we think the Stones are going to blow our asses off with 11 more heavy rock numbers we find them heading back to a warmer climate with a Chuck Berry tune. "Talkin' About You" is a heavier take on the Berry original, and works thanks to a stellar guitar break by Keith. "You Better Move On", the Arthur Alexander cover, is snatched from a session way back on September 14/15 1963, and is carried (as are most songs from the early sessions) by a some warm Jagger soul vocals. Next up is a cover of a Muddy Waters song that is more of a slow R & B than it is blues, "Look What You've Done" is made honest by some truly amazing harp a la Brian. Imagine Brian Jones blowing harp in the same Chess Studios where Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter, Junior Wells, Big Walter, and James Cotton had blown years before... out of this world! Back to reality "The Singer Not The Song" is a weak title, and an even weaker performance, and one of this album's fatal flaws. This live version of "Route 66" sounds great and gives the listener a feel for the excitement of a Stones show in '65, however the insertion of live tracks on this record and "Out Of Our Heads" is awkward, and ultimately serves to derail the listener.
Ok try to stay seated..., I'm not crazy about 'Get Off My Cloud". The more I hear this song the less I like it, and I think I've figured out why. We're treated to an amazing opening, Joe Frazier couldn't have hit skins any better than Charlie Watts does here, Mick Jagger shouts, Keith Richards launches into a great riff, good opening stanza, great chorus, and we're off to the races...or are we? In runners parlance the song then hits the wall, the lyrics are a little goofy, and blasphemy! Richards and Brian Jones' guitars are going in opposite directions! Having said all of this the song did deliver the desired result, it became their 2nd #1 single in the U.S. Now I know I'm going to sound like a whiner here, "I'm Free" doesn't do it for me. The Stones here sound like they're pandering to the rebel mood of the time, the music is weak, and overall the song lacks backbone. Time for a comeback, and we get one with "As Tears Go By". Originally written for Marianne Faithfull (went to #9 in the U.K.), the song is a beautiful acoustic ballad replete with strings that kept the hit machine humming, reaching #6 in the U.S. "Gotta Getaway" should've got away, this is more filler, Jagger's vocals are unconvincing, and the music suffers from too much starch. I shouldn't like "The Singer Not The Song" but I do, it's a blue- eyed soul number, and wonder of wonders Mick and Keith duet on this song. "I'm Moving On" cooks, however it would have been better served on a live album, as there are too many superior unreleased tracks from this period.
Notes: The album contains just under 30 minutes of music, every song is less than three minutes, the shortest (She Said Yeah) is a trfling 1:30. "As Tears Go By" was originally titled "As Time Goes By", and first recorded as a demo on 7/11/64 at Kingsway Studios in London.
Recording Notes: "She Said Yeah", "Talkin' About You", "I'm Free", "Gotta Get Away", & "Blue Turns To Grey' recorded 7/12-13/1965 at RCA Studios, Hollywood. "You Better Move On" recorded 9/14-15/1963 at Kingsway Studios, London. "Look What You've Done" recorded 6/10-11/1964 at Chess Studios, Chicago. "The Singer Not The Song", "Get Off My Cloud" & "As Tears Go By" recorded 9/6-7/1965 at RCA Studios, Hollywood. "Route 66" & "I'm Moving On" recorded 3/5-16/1965 at one of the following: Edmonton Regal, Liverpol Empire, Manchester Palace, or Greenford Granada.
Free Music Review: Not Too Special
Hit: 3 Stars
Somehow December's Children falls short of other Rolling Stones recordings during the Brian Jones era. Whereas recordings like Aftermath, Between The Buttons, and 12 X 5 feature catchy hooks and creative arrangements, December's Children seems to feature the Stones going through the motions with a few noteworthy moments.Get Off My Cloud is clearly the best song in this lot with ringing guitars and super drumming. As Tears Go By is a touching ballad and I'm Free has a fairly catchy tone. The live tracks, I'm Moving On and Route 66 have some good energy but do not vary much from prior fast rockers that the Stones recorded at that time. When Blue Turns To Grey and The Singer Not The Song have nice poppy tones but seem kind of ordinary with recordings as Out Of Time and Lady Jane.
If you feel the Rolling Stones can do no wrong, pick this one up. However, it surely does not rank as a premiere recording.