Around and Around

12 x 5
Side 1, Track 1
"Around and Around" (Chuck Berry) – 3:03



I guess the Stones were contractually obligated to include one Chuck Berry song per album. Like "Carol", from the Stones debut album, 12x5's "Around and Around" doesn't really add anything to Berry's original, but manages to capture the spirit of the song faithfully. Keith once again nails the solo, which sounds great.

It sould be noted that both "Carol" and "Around and Around" are both first-rate pieces of songwriting from a guy who composed dozens of classics. This is probably a good topic for its own post, but I just wanted to say that Chuck Berry is a criminally underrated songwriter, and that the Stones' choices in material shows an uncanny eye.