'Yesterday's Papers' has a tough time, let's face it. Stuck between two of the finest Stones songs ever, stuck and forgotten, right there, left to fend for itself. It's my favourite song on the album. It's short, just over two minutes long. Contains absolutely no impressive ROCK! instrumentation. I just love the feel of it. 'Between The Buttons' is a Rolling Stones pop album from start to finish. And 'Ruby Tuesday' The drums are completely ham-fisted, terrible things, mixed too loud - clumsily they come in, but still the song is absolutely glorious. The opening 'Let's Spend The Night Together' is rocking enough a way to open a stones album, and a great production in addition. The Stones sound good all across the album. Ah! 'Connection' is just this dumb, fucking dense little shuffling rhythm, but it's so glorious, words cannot describe! The Rolling Stones ( greatest rock n roll band in the world ever, woven into the very fabric of rock music itself! T.M. ) create a song out of absolutely nothing at all, just this MELODY! Wow, who would have thought melody would win the day?
'She Smiled Sweetly' is a typical 'Between The Buttons' song, everyone apart from Mick possibly - must have been dismayed and even ANGRY at having to play such a soft and un-stones sounding song, but god is it sweet listening! The Rolling Stones prove themselves here. An album without a single bad song, without a SINGLE bad song, for the first time ever for them. The rinky dink Piano of 'Cool, Calm Collected' is glorious, the pop of 'All Sold Out' not terribly well played - again drummer Charlie Watts wishes he wasn't even there, but still, melody wins in the end. Such simple songs! Who complained about the lack of innovation on the previous Stones album? Ah! That's right, I did! But, you see - it depends what you're trying to do in the first place. Reach 100% of 50%? That's better than reaching 50% of 100%, isn't it...? Not that i'm suggesting anything, of course. More of which later...... There's a song here called 'Complicated' and it really is the least complicated thing on earth. Good, though! 'Between The Buttons' is so simple yet so full of melody. So easily listenable, it creates a rare form a genius without even trying. Everyone was dismayed in the Stones camp - Brian Jones didn't even much want to be there anymore, and Charlie Watts, judging by his performances here, was clearly embarrassed by the whole enterprise. But, it's still GREAT!
Let's Spend The Night Together / Yesterday's Papers / Ruby Tuesday / Connection / She Smiled Sweetly / Cool, Calm And Collected / All Sold Out / My Obession / Who's Been Sleeping Here / Complicated / Miss Amanda Jones
'She Smiled Sweetly' is a typical 'Between The Buttons' song, everyone apart from Mick possibly - must have been dismayed and even ANGRY at having to play such a soft and un-stones sounding song, but god is it sweet listening! The Rolling Stones prove themselves here. An album without a single bad song, without a SINGLE bad song, for the first time ever for them. The rinky dink Piano of 'Cool, Calm Collected' is glorious, the pop of 'All Sold Out' not terribly well played - again drummer Charlie Watts wishes he wasn't even there, but still, melody wins in the end. Such simple songs! Who complained about the lack of innovation on the previous Stones album? Ah! That's right, I did! But, you see - it depends what you're trying to do in the first place. Reach 100% of 50%? That's better than reaching 50% of 100%, isn't it...? Not that i'm suggesting anything, of course. More of which later...... There's a song here called 'Complicated' and it really is the least complicated thing on earth. Good, though! 'Between The Buttons' is so simple yet so full of melody. So easily listenable, it creates a rare form a genius without even trying. Everyone was dismayed in the Stones camp - Brian Jones didn't even much want to be there anymore, and Charlie Watts, judging by his performances here, was clearly embarrassed by the whole enterprise. But, it's still GREAT!
Let's Spend The Night Together / Yesterday's Papers / Ruby Tuesday / Connection / She Smiled Sweetly / Cool, Calm And Collected / All Sold Out / My Obession / Who's Been Sleeping Here / Complicated / Miss Amanda Jones