Aftermath (USA version) Roundup

Aftermath (USA version) Roundup

Side 1
1. "Paint It, Black" – 3:45
2. "Stupid Girl" – 2:55
3. "Lady Jane" – 3:09 (Seriously, I mean it: what the fuck?)
4. "Under My Thumb" – 3:41
5. "Doncha Bother Me" – 2:41
6. "Think" – 3:09

Side 2
1. "Flight 505" – 3:27
2. "High And Dry" – 3:08
3. "It's Not Easy" – 2:56
4. "I Am Waiting" – 3:11
5. "Goin' Home" – 11:13


Wikipedia:

Aftermath is the fourth UK and sixth US studio album by The Rolling Stones and was released in 1966. The album proved to be a major artistic breakthrough for The Rolling Stones in that it was the first full-length release by the band to exclusively feature Mick Jagger/Keith Richards compositions. Aftermath was also the first Rolling Stones album to be recorded entirely in the United States, where it was recorded at the legendary RCA Studios in Hollywood, California at 6363 Sunset Boulevard, and was also the first album the band released in stereo.

The album is also notable for its musical experimentation, with Brian Jones playing a variety of instruments which feature prominently in each track, including the sitar on "Paint It, Black", and the dulcimer on "Lady Jane" and "I Am Waiting", the marimbas on "Under My Thumb", harmonica on "Hight And Dry" and "Goin' Home" as well as guitar and keyboards. To this day the Aftermath album remains a big fan favorite from the Brian Jones era.

Once again, two editions of the album were released. The first release of Aftermath appeared in April of 1966 as a fourteen-track long-player, and is considered by many to be the definitive version. Issued between the non-LP single releases of "19th Nervous Breakdown" and "Paint It, Black", Aftermath proved a big smash, spending eight weeks atop the UK charts.

In the US however, fourteen tracks were considered too many. With a substituted cover art, the American edition of Aftermath, released that June, features a subtly re-shuffled running order that eliminates "Out Of Time", "Take It Or Leave It" and "What To Do" (all later released in the US), while replacing "Mother's Little Helper" with current #1 hit "Paint It, Black". Despite compromising producer Andrew Loog Oldham's and The Rolling Stones' intentions for the album, the revamped Aftermath shot to #2 in the US, eventually going platinum. In 2002, the US edition of Aftermath was ranked number 108 on the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Aftermath was important in establishing Jagger and Richards as respected songwriters in the same vein as Lennon-McCartney and Bob Dylan and also redefined The Rolling Stones from being R&B enthusiasts to a progressive and artistically-inventive group.

Goin' Home

Aftermath (USA version)
Side 2, Track 5
"Goin' Home" (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards) – 11:13




I went through a Stones phase in high school.

Not a huge revelation, I know – almost every suburban white guy born in the seventies went through the same thing, I'll bet: a period of time where, having grown jaded of the music coming out of your radio, you looked to the past for inspirational stories, and, having discovered the Rolling Stones hits of the sixties and early seventies, considered them to be the quintessential rock and roll band. This phase lasted until you grew tired of their unsubstantial non-hits, when you probably went back to thinking of the Stones as merely a great band.

That's my story. One of the reasons I started writing this blog is to give myself an excuse to revisit some of those non-hits, and give myself a chance to re-evaluate them. I knew there was gold in them thar hills – as I mentioned before, "Can I Get a Witness" has always been a favourite – and I felt I may have dismissed the majority of the band's output too easily.

So far, it's been hit and miss. Some forgotten tracks (to me, at least) surprised me with their ferocity and drive: ("Mona", "She Said Yeah", "It's All Right"), but most reinforced their status as album filler ("Off the Hook", "Under the Boardwalk", far too many blues tracks to name).

Which brings me to "Goin' Home", all 11 minutes of it. I'm not sure, but there couldn't have been too many rock and roll tracks of this length released previously. With good reason: it takes real compositional skill to make long tracks interesting. Most never meet that standard, and "Goin' Home" is no different. The song is essentially over at the 3 minute mark (although I would argue that the song is pretty much over before it starts) – and yet, there's 8 more minutes of boredom. By the 6 minute point the song has devolved into a freeform studio jam, with Mick babbling into the mic without purpose. I mean, the song isn't very good to begin with – a blues-influenced pop number lacking even a bridge. God only knows why they would inflict it on the world, all 11 minutes of its pointlessness. This, then, is the ne plus ultra of album filler.

There is a single point of interest on "Goin' Home": Mick's bom-bom-bom in the chorus, which makes me giggle like a schoolgirl every time I hear it. You will too:

I Am Waiting

Aftermath (USA version)
Side 2, Track 4
"I Am Waiting" (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards) – 3:11




Another one of the songs the Stones did trying to sound like the Beatles. That is a cute melody in the verse, but these kinds of songs were never convincing to me. I mean, it's not "Lady Jane", but still – it's not "Get Off My Cloud" either. There aren't too many bands that could get away with a dulcimer – the Stones aren't one of them. Some nice percussion work taking place on this track – sounds like Charlie overdubbed some toms throughout.

It's Not Easy

Aftermath (USA version)
Side 2, Track 3
"It's Not Easy" (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards) – 2:56



A Chuck Berry-style rocker, the kind the Stones had mostly left behind by this point. A decent enough effort by the band, nothing memorable except for Mick's phrasing in the chorus. You know the part:



That is hysterical.

High and Dry

Aftermath (USA version)
Side 2, Track 2
"High and Dry" (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards) – 3:08



Something a little different from the Stones – a countrified ditty in double-time, with just a couple of acoustic guitars, a high hat, upright, and harp accompaniment. Mick's nasal delivery is hilariously over the top, but not in a bad way. It reminds me of his solo releases from the 80s, when he stopped singing and decided that merely being Mick in the recording studio should be enough for anybody. This time, however, the song is actually half decent. Consider me charmed.

Flight 505

Aftermath (USA version)
Side 2, Track 1
"Flight 505" – 3:27



I'm going to quote the entry from godgammeldags.nu, a great Stones resource:

19 Seconds into this track, Ian Stewart plays the riff of Satisfaction on piano, before the rest of the band launch into the song.

Brian Jones plays Cembalo. Odd choice, being the Rolling Stones™' attempt to match the version of Rock and Roll Music (Berry) by The Beatles. You can distinguish his Cembalo playing by listening for a crisp sounded piano sound popping up from time to time, especially during the lead breaks. But you can hear two guitar players. And both must have been played by Keith, because they sound too similar in context to each other, than being the ideas of two different brains. In fact the guitar riff Keith played on Flight 505 would 7 years later turn up as the guitar riff of Star Star.

A track with lot of bass. The third bass, right, was Bill Wyman doing the Paint-It-Black-trick: hammering (with his fists) at the organ (bass) pedals. This was Bill's fetish during the recordings in 1966. And don't forget his bass slides. At 3:00 an organ starts to play in the right channel. Probably Bill during the same overdub as the pedals.

Second song Mick Jagger mentions the digits 505. The first time was during the song You Can't Catch Me. Both had something to do with altitude!

Think

Aftermath (USA version)
Side 1, Track 6
"Think" (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards) – 3:09



When I saw "Think" on the track list for Aftermath, I started licking my chops. Would it be a cover of "Think", the James Brown R&B number? Or maybe (hope against hope) Aretha Franklin's feminist anthem "Think"[*], a cover which would rank just behind Rod Stewart's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Man" in the Register of Bad Ideas?

Alas. You can imagine my disappointment when I found the Stones' "Think" to be merely an original composition. And a dull one at that. That's no fun. It's hard to work up any emotion over such a limp recording, especially when the possibilities were so promising.

(Okay, those possibilities existed only in my head, but wouldn't it have been fun to hear Mick try to wrap his voice around lines like

Think about the sacrifices that I made for you.
Think about the good things I done for you.
Now think of all the bad things I tried not to do baby baby.
Think of all the wrong things you did to me too.

The possibilities for snark are nearly endless.)

[* I was unable to locate online a clip of the Aretha Now version of "Think" – the internet, however, is filled to the brim with clips of her performing the song in that Blues Brothers movie. I think that really depresses me or something.]

Doncha Bother Me

Aftermath (USA version)
Side 1, Track 5
"Doncha Bother Me" – 2:41



Yet another blues shuffle, this time featuring a supremely annoying slide figure that repeats just often enough to make me reach for the fast forward button.

Yes, that is an anachronism.

I have to get this out of the way: a friend challenged my objectivity, claiming that I liked maybe four or five of the 91 Stones songs I have gone through. It has to be more than that – I've liked every chuck Berry number, and the Stones have at least five of those alone, right? But more to the point, I would like a lot more of the Stones' material if they avoided these pointless blues exercises. I suppose a case could be made that they served a higher purpose once – i.e. bringing the music of rural black American musicians to jaded white hipsters – but blues music today (certainly blues music performed by white British musicians) is merely a cliche, and I am not inclined to cut these people any slack, even retroactively.

Now edited for grammer and spleling. Note to self: CTRL-P = Post, CTRL-D = Draft.

Under My Thumb

Aftermath (USA version)
Side 1, Track 4
"Under My Thumb" – 3:41



I'm sensing a theme on this album. The misogyny of "Under My Thumb" is certainly uglier than "Stupid Girl", but at least the band had a go at making some interesting music. It's been a long time since I heard this track, but I remembered the marimba clearly – I had forgotten about the fuzz bass (played by Keith?) which sounds great on this song. Some clever chord changes as well. A memorable track.

Lady Jane

Aftermath (USA Version)
Side 1, Track 3
"Lady Jane" – 3:09



What the fuck? Really: What. The. Fuck.

My Sweet Lady Jane, when I see you again.
Your servant am I, and will humbly remain.
Just heed this plea my love, on bended knees my love.
I pledge myself to Lady Jane.

What the fuck is this shit?

UPDATE 11:53 AM: No, really, what the christ is this horrifying shit? I've thought about nothing else for the last half hour, and I still can't come up with an answer. In what universe is "Your servant am I, and will humbly remain" a good song idea? Is this an English thing? How the holy hell do you go from "She's the sickest thing in this world, look at that stupid girl" directly into "Wedlock is nigh my love, her stations right my love – Life is secure with Lady Jane"? I demand answers.

Stupid Girl

Aftermath (USA Version)
Side 1, Track 2
"Stupid Girl" – 2:55



Ah, misogyny. In time, the Stones would become synonymous with the term, but I think this is the first overt instance on their recordings. "Stupid Girl" is almost unimaginably dull – maybe Mick thought he'd rather be offensive than entertaining? Who knows. But listen to this bridge:



God, they must have spent 5 whole minutes composing that masterpiece. Not a good start to this album.

Paint It, Black

Aftermath (USA Version)
Side 1, Track 1
"Paint It, Black" – 3:45




One of the rules I set myself for this project was that I would approach each song not only as if I'd never heard it before, but also as if I had no knowledge of their future releases. I've already violated that rule a few times, but I still think it's a worthwhile goal.

It's going to be hard to apply the rule for "Paint It, Black", a song that has somehow become closely identified with the Vietnam War through its inclusion in movies and television, even though the lyrics and music seem to have no connection to it.

Also problematic is the fact that we know the Stones will within a few years go on to become THE iconic rock and roll band, exemplifying straight-ahead, no-nonsense rocking, but are heard on "Paint It, Black" to be embracing 60s psychedelia with some unsettling enthusiasm, what with that guitar melody and the sitar and everything (not to mention the weird random comma in the title). I think Chuck Berry said it once, there is nothing less rock and roll than a sitar.

Then there is my personal history with the song, which inspired some pretentious philosophising back in my high school days. I can't be the only person who had that experience or something similar, but that doesn't make the memory any less cringe-worthy.

So can I get away with saying absolutely nothing substantive about "Paint It, Black"? I think I just did.

PS: Did you know the word was "substantive", not "substansive"? Until this very moment, I did not. I've been saying substansive my whole life, and not only has no one every corrected me, but I have never heard any one ever say the correct form, or at least I never noticed.

PPS: I should probably say something about the weird bass on the recording. Numerous sources claim that Bill Wyman not only recorded a standard electric bass track, but duplicated that by playing it on organ bass pedals (presumably a Hammond B3). I'll admit that I can't really hear the pedals because my mp3 rip is pretty muddy, but there is something there besides the bass. Also, there is that crazy slidey bass thing played at the end during the outro – that sounds like another overdub. This is what I'm talking about: