Even Status Quo made better records than this. AC/DC were just starting to fire out of Australia, and it wasn't only just Rock N Roll. It meant something. The Stones never used to be just only Rock and Roll. What happened? Where did this pub-rock boogie come from? Where did all the great songs go? The sprawling 'Exile On Main Street' had a couple of good songs, this has a couple of average songs. A couple of 'decent' songs, and much else that will never, ever - change your life, or much likely, mean anything. The songs are so simple - played well enough, but nobody sounds on fire, nobody sounds on top form. Absolutely nobody, not Keith, not Mick. Nobody. What the hell happened to Mick Taylor?? He's hardly here. Maybe not his fault, I don't know. Just the product of confused times, most likely. So, 'It's Only Rock N Roll'? Well, the title song has a certain shambolic but endearing groove about it. So, that's ok. 'If You Can't Rock Me' is just.... it's a groove, a single groove - yet with uninteresting lyrics, uninteresting bass. Charlie Watts, bless im', gives it his all - or at least, as much as he could given the circumstances. But..... this is just so 'ordinary'. Pub rock boogie? Too right it is. 'Aint Too Proud To Beg' includes a few nice piano sections and a few bracing guitar sections, but again - never amounts to more than "oh, it's okay". Even the ballads go downhill. 'Till The Next Goodbye' is sappy and unconvincing, the gospel flavoured 'If You Really Want To Be My Friend' including a few interesting instrumental parts, but little magic. No magic at all, actually. What's wrong? I don't know. How can such a great band produce such average material as this, so soon after producing classic material? Drugs? Lack of motivation?? Whatever.
'Dance Little Sister' has a simple groove and riff - Mick is singing utter nonsense, but this has a certain charm. 'Time Waits For No Man' is interesting, with its drum introduction, then very uninteresting as suddenly Mr Jagger especially appears to be just going through the motions. Nice guitar solo near the four minute mark, though. Ah, they still had something. They still were The Rolling Stones, but let's pretend they weren't. Lets pretend this album was released by a bunch of unknowns. Would it have got anywhere at all? It's a thought to ponder.
If You Can't Rock Me / Ain't Too Proud To Beg / It's Only Rock'n'Roll / Till The Next Goodbye / Time Waits For No One / Luxury / Dance Little Sister / If You Really Want To Be My Friend / Short And Curlies / Fingerprint File
'Dance Little Sister' has a simple groove and riff - Mick is singing utter nonsense, but this has a certain charm. 'Time Waits For No Man' is interesting, with its drum introduction, then very uninteresting as suddenly Mr Jagger especially appears to be just going through the motions. Nice guitar solo near the four minute mark, though. Ah, they still had something. They still were The Rolling Stones, but let's pretend they weren't. Lets pretend this album was released by a bunch of unknowns. Would it have got anywhere at all? It's a thought to ponder.
If You Can't Rock Me / Ain't Too Proud To Beg / It's Only Rock'n'Roll / Till The Next Goodbye / Time Waits For No One / Luxury / Dance Little Sister / If You Really Want To Be My Friend / Short And Curlies / Fingerprint File