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| From | "Sager, Greg" <greg.sager@bankofamerica.com> |
| Subject | Re: new to Stones |
| Date | Fri, 13 May 2005 10:54:28 -0500 |
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Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 16:53:11 -0400
From: "Stewart Mason" <craigtorso@verizon.net>
To: <audities@smoe.org>
Subject: Re: new to Stones
Message-ID: <035701c55734$9c0fbc40$1d02a8c0@Sparky>
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stacy Lynn" <stacylists@gmail.com>
> Lets say I never really listened to any Rolling Stones. And lets
> say
> of what Stones I have heard, I definately preferred the earlier
> poppy
> stuff to the later bluesier stuff. Also keeping in mind what you
> may
> know of my musical taste...
>
> What would you recommend I listen to to introduce me properly to the
> Rolling Stones?
The canonical introduction, the 1972 two-disc comp HOT ROCKS. Singles
and essential album tracks from '64-'71, most of the big hits and
enough of a hint of the later sound to let you know if you really want
to go further.
Most people will probably tell you to go for one of the albums -- and
if you really want to go that way, I suggest BETWEEN THE BUTTONS,
which is their response to circa '66 Kinks, Who and Beatles, adding a
big dose of Carnaby Street art-pop to the sound** -- but when you get
right down to it, the Rolling Stones were always, first and foremost,
a singles band. Frankly, a lot of their albums are fairly weak
overall, even from the so-called "classic era."
**(The US edition of BETWEEN THE BUTTONS adds both sides of the "Let's
Spend the Night Together"/"Ruby Tuesday" single in place of a couple
of minor songs, which will greatly increase the chances of your having
heard any of these songs before. Both the US and UK editions of their
albums are available on CD now.)
Josh Chasin's friend Lane Steinberg was right: The stuff that the Stones
recorded in the mid-60s was first-rate prototypical power pop. I'm pretty
sure that most bands currently active in the so-called pop underground would
give their eyeteeth to write and record such relatively obscure Stones
tracks from the era as "Miss Amanda Jones", "Stupid Girl", "Complicated", or
"Yesterday's Papers", to say nothing of innovative pop hits like "Mother's
Little Helper" or "19th Nervous Breakdown". Not to mention "Paint It,
Black", a song relatively subdued in its instrumental punch that
nevertheless manages to convey more menace than the entire Pantera catalog.
The later, open-tuning period of the band from *Beggars Banquet* through
*Exile On Main Street* now tends to overshadow their Swinging London
mid-sixties period, since the later, rootsier period has long since settled
into being the definitive sound of the band. And as a result I think that
the *Aftermath*/*Between the Buttons*/*Flowers* Stones tend to get short
shrift. So, too, does the more direct approach of their two latter '65
albums, *Out Of Our Heads* and *December's Children*. But if you dig power
pop, these are important albums to have in your collection -- although I'd
agree with Stewart that for the uninitiated general listener (as opposed to
the power pop aficionado) *Hot Rocks* is the place to start.
Gregory Sager
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