Reviews (page 5 of 12)
Under my thumb probably my favourite track perhaps unsurprisingly, but the 11min Going Home was unexpected for the 60s good listen overall
Huh, this is an interesting one. So, the main difference between the UK release and the US release is only the addition of one the Stones' greatest and most popular tracks. That would have been my immediate favourite of the album, and through the power of streaming I could have chosen the US release to play. However I'm from the UK so I decided to listen to the UK release (Plus that is the earlier of the two releases, and they are a British band.) This was a nice adventure of rock, folk and blues from an instrumentation and riffs standpoint. Pleasant to listen to with a bit of everything. However, lyrics-wise, holy misogyny, Batman. I understand it's a 60s album but surely it wasn't all like this? I guess it helped affirm the Stones' "bad-boy" image in contrast to The Beatles. I thought the folk-rock style of Mother's Little Helper was great, providing a commentary about the popularity of prescribed tranquilisers to housewives, and the dangers of addiction and overdose that could come from it. Some nice thoughtful lyrics that were unfortunately completely overshadowed by most of the subject matter afterwards. That Eastern-flavoured 12-string electric guitar riff is so memorable though. An excellent song on a pretty great album. Favourite: Mother's Little Helper
It’s cool, I went us version as there’s paint it black which is definitely an essential, the first side was mostly great then side 2 was a bit non but nothing bad and going home is cool. 4/5
Classic
Tremendo disco de los Rolling que estuve escuchando mucho últimamente. No llega a ser top de ellos, pero tiene temas clave.
Cool album. Good tunes. Enjoyed the whole album.
I’ve never really listened to early Stones before besides the hits. I have to say I find both versions more enjoyable than the likes of early Beatles. There is personality in spades. The UK version is a little long, suffers from not having paint it black but feels more like a thought out album starting in psychedelic territory and ending more traditional blues oriented. The American version is short, has Paint it Black but doesn’t really gel quite as well as an album. I agree that their later work is better and more important but this is a solid album which is slyly altering the sound of English Pop Blues.
Incredible album, I do feel as if the US version is stronger solely by the inclusion of Paint it Black. 4/5. Favorite track: Paint It Black
It's a good album, and definitely feels like the Stones coming into their own. It doesn't have the same level of impact as The Beatles or Beach Boys albums at the time, and lacks as many distinct hits as either band had. But overall enjoyable, and The Rolling Stones are clearly an important band.
Brilliant album, easy listening Stones right through
Two of my favorite Stones songs are on this album. Under my thumb and mother's Little helper. I like the bluesy songs I like a bunch of these songs actually this is a good album.
The highs of Paint it black and under my thumb weighs up for some of the really crappy songs. A selection of pretty good tracks inbetween the highs and lows. It feels like Stones is one of the most uneven of the giant rock bands of yore. Tried both versions and prefer the American. It has paint it black and lacks the terrible “Take it or leave it”. First time I enjoyed a stones album. I’d previously listened to some of their first albums without finding anything worth returning to.
This was nice and relatively new to me. The Stones at their early brilliance, I’ve a new appreciation for Mother’s Little Helper, and Under My Thumb is still one of my favourites.
Nice bit of harmonica, the lyrics are questionable. Perhaps most on the grooviest tune under my thumb
I think this is a great Stones album. Just starting to flex their independence and not yet pretentious. This and the years to follow are the sweet spot in the Rolling Stones catalogue.
Not every one of these songs slaps, but most of them do, and Keef and Mick are finding their songwriting chops and Brian is playing some weird instruments, and the psychedelia is just about creeping in and the blues is giving way to rock. A fun fun album.
This swings and stings, and jukes quite a bit, too. There's a likable crispness and near professionalism to what they're doing here that elevates proceedings and points the way to greater achievements on the horizon (including those that would work out to be much artier but also more ragged and considerably less professional). "Stupid Girl" is silly and bubblegum-y, the dog of a pretty strong bunch. The blues are just valid enough, "Doncha Bother Me" the most so, though the juke-y "High and Dry" points to their future success with variations on basic country blues. "Lady Jane" is generally a successful experiment, but it's likely best that they didn't too much of this because braggart-swaggery Mick (see "Under My Thumb") is more convincing. "I Am Waiting" and "Out of Time" are also represenative of Stones' mid-tempo strength. Differences in UK and US versions aside (US being slightly preferred in that "Paint It Black" is a superior song to the crisp but somewhat obvious "Mother's Little Helper"), this is, net-net, awfully good though slightly sub-masterpiece.
JP: Yeah I mean the first track works. Ok this isn't doing anything special for me. Its gonna be a light 4 like a 7.2. Fav Tracks: Paint it Black Under my thumb Least Fav: Overall: Nothing earth shattering, but some decent tracks. its a light 4 (7.2)
Listened to the UK release, so not including Paint It Black. Dear God, this sounds so much like the 60s. It's their first album with only originals, and includes Going Home, which is not only the longest pop song at the time, but also is the first free jam recording song to make it onto an album. I'm starting to see why they got so big. Not as poppy as the Beatles, they were making more genuine musical waves. Nice
Legendary. The greatest band ever.
What a Drag it is to get old….. Classic. One of their best! BUT, I hate it when songs from UK and US versions are not the same. I considered both versions in my ratings. Listening to just one over the other would result in a lower rating. Standouts: Mother's Little Helper, Lady Jane, Under My Thumb, Out of Time, Paint it Black (U.S. Version of the Album) Others: Stupid Girl, Going Home 4.5/5
Great rockin album and very catchy
4/5
Another sound Rolling Stones album. I hate that forty licks compilation, has taken away some of the enjoyment from these stones albums, skipping some songs because i've heard them so often. Proper enjoyed it from Doncha Bother Me onwards, all tracks i'd never heard and were decent.
Paint it Black - Could hear this everyday and it would never bore me. Classic and also my favourite Guitar Hero song to play back in the day. Stupid Girl - Organs to kick it off, great. Organs should be in all songs in some capacity. Weird fairground vibes with what should be an annoying chorus but it works. Lady Jane - nice change of pace. Is it about women or drugs? Under My Thumb - Another cracker. Is there a Xylophone? Sounds well. Doncha Bother Me - Now we are in the world of slide guitaring blues. Boss song. A nice treat with earphones. Think - Decent melody but the weakest song up to now which is a compliment to the tracks up to now. Flight 505 - This song makes me realise that I should just stay in on the weekend playing on the PS5 with a cuppa. No need to rash decisions to fly off somewhere because there's a good chance I'll end up fucking dead. High and Dry - More bluesy again. Harmonica making a nice appearance. A good ol' knee slapper. It's Not Easy - Okay song. One of the weakest I think on the album. I like to think the girl is a metaphor for Everton and supporting them is not easy. I Am Waiting - Folky number. Dunno what it's about but it picks up at the 2:00 mark and gets me good. Boss song Going Home - Ending on another bluesy sounding song. It was alright but one of the weakest. It did feel like a fitting end track however.
Classic album
No particular favorite song
A low 4
Yeah, I like this, maybe if I’d grown up with my parents blasting it in the car (like The Beatles or Beach Boys) I might love it. But I was never much of a Stones fan…. It’s just not as good as Pet Sounds or Revolver is it?
Might listen to some again. It was fine.
Couple of classics, paint it black is a great start, starting to sound a little bit dated in parts, but a good listen I wouldn't have played without this. Enjoyable yes, classic, not sure.
Fantastic! 4/5 if you include Paint it Black….
Man under the thumb is so creepy, enjoyed most of the rest
Paar machtig goede nummers. UK versie heeft 4 andere nummers in plaats van Paint It Black
Hear the Stones when they were still lean and mean. It's a little overlong, and we probably could do without the casual misogyny, but it's refreshing to hear the sounds that later became cliche.
Nice
The album has one of the strongest openers of all time with "Paint It, Black" and one can certainly hear the slightly darker tone that the Stones had versus their Beatles contemporaries. Fair enough to say that if it were to come down between them, this reviewer would sway to the Rolling Stones. The remainder of the album matches energy fairly well, with performances by Mick Jagger having a live feel and sound, giving the album a spatial awareness while still featuring their vocals and instrumental prowess. Solid album, definitely one that anyone should hear at least once.
paint it black album
Really cool Stones album. Some of the best music I've heard from them. I was a little surprised at some of the musical directions they went in.
Paint it Black is one of their best songs hands down. The rest of album is decent bluesy rock that they are famous for. Very influential band.
This was good. Interesting that this was a big turning point for the Stones and the type of music they were recording.
Dat Paint It Black op de UK versie ontbreekt is een doodzonde, maar ik reken hem tot het album. Verder goed album, ga m nog wel eens luisteren.
Good old classic rock
Some classic songs and pretty enjoyable. Paint it black is a classic.
Excellent album! Paint it Black is obviously timeless, but so is Under My Thumb and others. Still great.
I don't dislike Rollin stones, just haven't listened to them much. Opening song is good this looks like early stones cause I don't see any of the big hits Ahh so the UK version doesn't have paint it black wild cause that's their biggest song at least imo Solid album I'd listen again
Misogynistic lyrics on many songs made it difficult at times. BUT the unique instrumentation made it quite fun to listen to it.
The Stones were starting to hit their stride here. Always better as a rock and roll band than as the supposed torchbearers of blues music.
o primeiro album que realmente é bom dos stones, começa a ter uma certa psicodelia e as musicas ficam mais pesadas.
Guitars sloppy and space. Everyone rides the bass.
Solid Stones album.
Classic stones
Great!
Brittiska eller amerikanska? Lyssnade dock på båda. Skulle bli en fyra om man finge slå ihop dem. Men samtidigt, det avgör ju jag. Tar ett beslut imorgon.
A solid RS album. Paint It Black is a banger of an opener. Reminds me of Guitar Hero. The best song on Aftermath is definitely Under My Thumb. That one might be one of my top five Rolling Stones' song. The way Mick's voice stretches on the "my" when he says "under my thumb" is cool, and I love the random instrumentation and bounci-ness of that track.
A couple great ones I’d forgotten about. Enjoyed most others.
This an early Stones' album. Apparently the UK version and the US version have different songs. The biggest difference is that the US version has Paint It Black and the UK version does not. The other well known song is Under My Thumb. The album as a whole does not come across as a typical Stones album or at least not in terms of the rock and roll music. I am only giving this album a 4 because of Paint It Black. Otherwise it would be a 3.
love that sixties sound. open, clean, great depth of recording. you can hear the twang and the delta influence but the sound remains theirs. crazy to think this was 1966 and they're still performing the same songs today.
Tranquilize yourself with music and escape the ennui of your safe, boring life. Lace up your boxing gloves and go three rounds in the perennial Battle of the Sexes. And when you’re weary of all that, indulge in a meandering, digressive meditation on what you’ve got and almost lost, and how desperately you want to go back home—a blues theme as old as the hills. As old as your desire. “Flight 505” is the groovy, wonderful fruition of that long pent-up need.
Under My Thumb & Paint It Black are spectacular, but the rest of the album is okay. I do recognize that The Stones are masters at country-rock, and you can hear a little of that here. Solid album.
I prefer the later Stones albums, from Beggars Banquet/Let it bleed onwards - up to Tattoo You.(and missing out the awful Emotional Rescue, obvs). This is pretty good musically, but the subjects are dodgy, to say the least. I doubt it could be released now - it would be considered way too misogynistic and offensive.
Great album from one of the all time great bands, with some absolute classic songs, paint it black, under my Thumb. But a hard one for me to rate, Some will see this as a masterpiece but I see it more as the point when the stones started to get to great, they would go on to make better albums, that unprecedented 4 album run from Beggars Banquet to Exile on Main Street, all of which top this album. Also in comparison to other masterpieces realised in 1966, pet sounds, revolver, blond on blond this album is just not quiet at that level. Maybe harsh if the stones didn’t have better albums and this wasn’t released in 1966 it might have got the full 5 stars.
Rolling Stonesi, bend čiji sam zadnji album slušao iz '73, a prije toga sam ih bome slušao. Zapravo čudno nekako, najviše sam slušao taj njihov poznati Blues Rock koji me najviše i naveo da ih slušam (Beggars Banquet - Let It Bleed), međutim i ovaj je bio u priči. Ne toliko, ali definitivno mislim da je ovo dobar album, prije koji tjedan sam si ga pustio ovako na poslu par puta dok sam radio. Prvi dio albuma, iliti prva strana albuma je bolja od druge.
Zo! Met een opening als Mother's Little Helper zet je je album wel gelijk lekker stevig neer! Zowel muzikaal als wat betreft het onderwerp. We kunnen daarna weer op adem komen en het muzikale geweld van het eerste nummer wordt niet meer geëvenaard. Enerzijds jammer, anderzijds springen de bluesachtige nummers er ook wel lekker uit. Helaas moet ik mij ook af en toe door suffe opvullers als Take It Or Leave It heen bijten.
OK, nothing special, dad's music
Great album with hits and some lesser known great tunes.
Yes it was good, a bit oddly put together and going home was too long for sure. However pretty much every other tune worked and I loved the sound they went for here. A great record.
They have better stuff, which is why it only seems right to rate this a 4 and keep the 5 for their best work
It was good to listen to the album when the Stones stopped being a coverband and started making their own. Brian Jones definitely has a good influence on it, but not all songs are as strong as others. A good debut of their own songs, that's for sure
I have listened to some of these songs a few times, so there is a nice nostalgic feeling to this album.
Seemed like a lot of lady hate but still a solid album
This is the album the Stones really come into their own and begin to produce some really good records. Some of the stand-out tracks would become classics (Paint It Black, Under My Thumb...I listened to the US version) and it's a solid collection of songs, though there still a few throwaway tracks. I wouldn't consider it in their A+ classic albums, but definitely an A.
A snapshot of UK rock and pop in that pre-summer of love mid-sixties era. A very English album in places with the madrigal-lite rubbing shoulders with the Stones doing The Kinks on Mother's Little Helper. Still beholden to the blues, tho.
Great flow. Love the early Stones.
This is the breakthrough Stones record. It contains some of my favourite songs of theirs, such as Out of Time, Mothers Little Helper, Under My Thumb, Lady Jane and my favourite on the album - I Am Waiting (love the scene from Rushmore!). However I don’t really care too much for the rest of the bluesy country tracks and never did. Also I absolutely hate the fact that there are two different versions and only the US one has one of the best songs of all time, Paint It Black. 4/5 for all the great tunes but not consistent enough for 5/5 for me
HL: “Lady Jane”, “Mother’s Little Helper”, “Out of Time” October 31, 2022 🎃
Drinks bailed but the rosh hashanah was fun
International version is better. The stereo sound is a bit weird sometimes..
I said Exile was probably their best, most consistent album. I'm still not sure if that's right. There's some real stonkers on here and the potential of the band is really showing. A cracker of an album.
Slaps
Vintage Stones. You can hear the blues influence heavy here. My favorite Stones song, Under My Thumb, is a perfect summary of this album and their early work. There's not much else to be said other than the fact this is must listen music for anyone.
Starts with best stones song, but rest of album is softer more folky. The mixing and use of stereo is fun. but a bit distracting at times (guitar is way to soft in much because of this mix)
Blues base. High and low points, picked 3 good songs to learn. Paint it black 😎
Early Stones is always interesting to hear.
classic stones
Some outstanding but some fillers.
First listened to this on reel to reel that my dad brought back from Vietnam. Funny thing is when I played them as a kid, my dad would yell from the other room "turn that noise down". Also was my first intro to the Beatles, Manfred Man, Mamas and Papas...
8/4/2022 - ALBUM #189 Today's Album: "Aftermath" (UK Version) by The Rolling Stones - So far in my exploration of The Rolling Stones, I went from disliking them in my review of their ‘72 release, Exile On Main St. for not being very interesting for the time, to somewhat reconsidering them in my review of ‘68’s Beggars Banquet. So what do I think of their even earlier work, 66’s Aftermath? I think that this album hit me at the perfect point in my music discovering journey. Listening to the early work of the Beatles and some of the peak albums of Bob Dylan’s career around 1965, I realize that this album came out before any of the albums by the Beatles that really pushed the sound of rock and exists in a time where the blues reigned supreme, and after you understand that bit of history and place yourself in the time period this was created in, the experimentation the Stones were trying on this album becomes far more impressive. For instance, the 11 minute track Going Home is noteworthy for it’s (at the time) adventurous length for a and dramatic progression for a pop rock band. The track Mother’s Little Helper also opens the album on a fairly experimental songwriting note, with allusions to moms pill popping to keep their 20th century family satisfied. I enjoy the fairly unapologetically sexist songs Stupid Girl and Under My Thumb for being so upbeat despite the rude lyricism. Lady Jane is a fairly interesting song for it’s classical composition style and delicate lead vocals and I like the closer What To Do with it’s beach-boys-like background vocals and overall carefree vibe. None of the songs together create a real sense of cohesion across the record and even that aforementioned ending track ends in a pretty unsatisfying fade-out, but I think this album still flows from track to track in a way that isn’t too out of the ordinary. I think this album also has a decent problem with the second half feeling a bit more bloated and uninteresting, but given the close to hour of music on this thing, I think it does a fine job filling the time. Overall, this is a fairly enjoyable album by The Rolling Stones that innovates on a lot of the sounds at the time while still maintaining the youthful chaos that the stones were known for back then. Give this one a listen if you dig 60s music or enjoyed Beggars Banquet. Highlights: Mother’s Little Helper, Under My Thumb, Goin Home, What To Do Score: 7.25/10 A slightly bloated, but innovative and explorative Rolling Stones album from the mid 60s.
I like the way 70s-era Stones is seeping into this one.
I give it a 4, it's a good album. Before I listened to this I listened to Beggars Banquet and I think they're neat. My favorite is Mother's Little Helper, since it completely caught me off guard with it's dark lyrics.
I have an idea in my head about who The Rolling Stones are but after listening to a few albums I’m starting to realize they defy classification. This had a very 60s rock/pop feel and it’s as good as anything I’ve heard in that genre. It doesn’t really fit my image of them though. Still pretty good stuff. 3.75 stars.
Some gems of songwriting and the next steps in song craft for the Stones. But also a lot of filler
Listened to the US version (the one with Paint It Black (the superior version)). A lot of the lyrics seem like they haven't aged the best. Also could have gone without that 11-minute track. Other than that, it's very enjoyable.
Paint it Black is one of the best ever. The rest is a good blend of styles and songs. I'm more of a stones fan now.
I never knew how misogynistic The Rolling Stones were. Sure, they were musically influential but damn.
Some great songs, really enjoyed it.
Javaisjamais entendu, plus doux que leur autre album mais ca sonne tres rock and roll, j’aime beaucoup. 4.25
Mick Jagger may be a shitty human being with some questionable lyrics aimed at his girlfriend, Chrissie Shrimpton, but this album is still great.
le monde si under my thumb avait d'autres paroles
Weird discrepancy between the UK and American version. A Stones album with great other tracks beyond the singles.
Classic music.
Fun to hear the transition. Like still some of that poppy stuff they did in early 60s but you can hear the transition to more bluesy stuff and Jone's influence with different instruments.
This is the third Rolling Stones album that I've had so far and was the one I enjoyed the most (vs Beggars Banquet and Let it Bleed)
Evidence of Stones expanding their palette in interesting ways – some credible, others less so. “LadyJane” Is most intriguing case in point. I took it seriously and probably found it beautiful upon first hearing it in late 70s, early 80s, but now it sounds contrived (probably because Stones abandoned such artiness in favor of … well, so many other alternatives.. Mick’s yelping, growling and whooping now sound more like a valid interpretation of the blues, and there are many cool guitar licks and accents. “Goin’ Home” is great and points the way forward to “Love in Vain” and the longer-form jams to come. Solid from top to bottom and one feels the gathering storm, even if this remains sub-masterpiece. Note the UK and US versions have different tracks -- the former opens with “Mother’s Little Helper” (latter with “Paint It Black”) and has more songs.
I enjoyed this, but not a ton. I like the Stones, but they can be pretty same-y. Overall, I'd say it's a 3.75/5, so I'll round up.
I went with the UK version, since that’s the cover reflected here. But I know the US version is still in print and prefered by plenty. Anyway, I understand why this album is considered important for the Stones. It’s around this point that the Jaggers and Richard songwriting team really started to take off, and they started to cut back on their R&B covers. But there’s still plenty of those as well, and they’re all mostly fine, although I’d consider little of this to be essential. Their best stuff here are all-timers, but a lot of it is fluff meant to fill up an LP. I do give them credit for ending side A with Goin’ Home. Most artists would save that for the very end, and I believe they did in the US version. B-
In a parallel universe of beards and eye patches this would have been The White Album. Misogyny aside it’s a near miss. Ironically misogyny included and it’s a miss.
At times you can really hear the green shoots of what was to come. Some classic stones tracks on this.
Love the stones- this album I kinda zoned out on- maybe not their best
classic
What a drag it is getting old, indeed. Stupid Girl didn't age well; we can agree with that. This has all the sounds of Stones. Rock, blues, baroque, rockabilly, and great riffs. But this is not peak Stones. This is also not their most listenable album. As far as one of the more mainstream albums on this list, it's not a home run at all. I do love how Tarantino used Out of Time in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood though. I am Waiting is another clever song that is buried deep on this album. This is a 3.5, and I will round up because while it's not top Stones, it would be for almost every other band.
very good one
8/10. Pretty good, would listen again. Paint it Black is a great way to start an album, and while it gets a bit weaker towards the B-side, it's still pretty pleasant.
So good.
La photo indique la version UK, mais pour moi, c'est la version US la meilleure à cause de l'inclusion de ce qui est selon moi la meilleure pièce des Stones, Paint It Black. C'est la première pièce qui m'a vraiment fait accrocher au groupe et qui m'a poussé à explorer les autres albums. La face A est vraiment excellente. Il y a Going Home où on aurait pu se passer du défi de faire une chanson vraiment trop longue, mais bon, c'est la dernière alors on peut y survivre.
Some excellent tracks on this. Faded away towards the end.
Great album! A bit heavy on the honkey tonk feel, but a strong Stones album nonetheless.
Muy bueno
decent stones sounding stones
Probably worth it to mention that I've never been much of a Stones fan. So there's nothing outside of maybe "Gimme Shelter" that ever gives me chills or demands listening. Having said that, it's pretty clear this is an important historical rock document - the album where the Stones became The Stones™ in a lot of ways; first one consisting of all originals, first one recorded in stereo; more usage of different instruments (largely due to Brian Jones' influence). There are some all-time hits on this album [depending on which version: the UK version doesn't have "Paint It Black" while the US version is missing "Mother's Little Helper" - both classics] which makes it worthwhile. And even though they're not really my favourites, I feel like this is too important to not give a 4 star rating to - inarguably one of the 2 or 3 most recognizable and influential rock bands in history with their first proper original album. Even if some of it sounds incredibly dated, it's certainly worth a few listens at least. 7/10 4 stars
There are awesome famous songs on this albums, but a lot of them are not the classic Stones sound we come to know in the 70s. The rest is blues that is good but nothing exceptional. Good 60s album, but not quite a Stones album just yet.
Good album, very beatles-eque with a blues touch. Not a real bad song but also not a lot of song standing out very positively
I love the classic 60s pop vibes mixed with blues on a lot of these songs, sounds like Led Zeppelin must have listened to this album a lot, definitely hear things on here that they would do later on.
Nice variety of sounds on this album. Would love to have a mono version. These stereo recordings from the 60s are hard to enjoy.
I like this era Stones. Hadn't listened to this in a while if ever. Nice mix of their sounds
The link that I used from this site sent me to the UK version. Which straight up doesn't have paint it black on it. Which is an absolute bummer. So I said fuck it and listened to both of them. Paint it black is an absolute banger of a song. Mothers little helper proves that Suburban house wives have had mental health issues for the last 60 years. Under my Thumb is real fucking weird.
The first Rolling Stones album I have listened to from start to finish which I think surprise most people I know. I've always been a huge Beatles fan so I would hear constant debates on which band was the better of the two. This led me to directly compare both throughout most of my life, and I definitely felt that the Beatles were the more talented, unique, and fun band (and still do). Although I have never considered myself a huge fan of the Stones, I enjoy their style and can think of quite a few songs that I think are fantastic which made me excited to give this one a go. Overall, I felt Aftermath was a really good set of songs and exactly what I would expect from a Rolling Stones' album featured on this list (mostly solid blues rock with some experimental elements). I thought that the album started off super strong, and while there were some songs that I could have done without towards the middle, it ended up being a great and fun listen. My immediate favorites were Under My Thumb, Flight 505, and I Am Waiting which were all pretty upbeat. I found the album to be at its weakest when it slowed down which thankfully didn't happen too often. I did think that the last track was a VERY underwhelming closer as I was surprised once the album ended since it didn't give that impression at all. In short, I enjoyed this one enough to be excited for other RS albums that are on this list. While I'm sure this isn't their best work, it was rather enjoyable for what it was. 3.5/5. NOTE: I ended up listening to the UK version since, as a Beatles fan, I know that the US versions don't really count. That being said, I was disappointed that the UK release did not feature Paint It Black as that has always been one of my favorite Rolling Stones tracks since it first appeared on Guitar Hero 3. There is a chance that I would have given this a 4 if it was included as I feel it would have been an amazing opener.
On a basic level, you can’t go wrong with the Stones. They’re an exceedingly talented band and they’re really the gift that keeps in giving. They have a deep catalog full of little gems to discover, many of which aren’t widely heard by casual listeners. The early albums are a bit of a mixed bag, a little overly fixated on mastering American blues. But Aftermath is probably the first album where the Stones really begin to stretch their musical legs. And oooh, Charlie Watts with that first beat crashing in on Brian Jones’ sitar in "Paint It Black," what a way to kick it off. That's one of the best openings to a song you will ever hear and a brilliant way to start an album. The exotic, middle eastern vibe gives this song such a rich sound. It’s one of the few earlier Stones songs that retains its musical power to this day. The rest of the album, although musically ambitious, is kind of all over the place. It comes off like this is a band in search of a sound. You have the dark numbers like "Paint It, Black" and “Under My Thumb,” mixed in with typical Stones bluesy fare like "Doncha Bother Me" and the affected, baroque sounding "Lady Jane." The Stones haven't figured out yet what kind of band they want to be, and it shows. That said, the album is absolutely a solid listen. The songs are crisp and concise, most of them barely clearing the 3-minute mark. The songwriting is dark, insouciant, full of attitude. And musically, the band is really tight. This is the best of the early albums, without a doubt. Fave Songs (U.S. version): Paint It Black, Under My Thumb, Doncha Bother Me, I Am Waiting; Lady Jane
I think I get it now. I understand why The Stones were so big in their day. This album, while feeling very middle-of-the-road today, was stand-out-from-the crowd in '66. Sure, there were other British acts reaching across the pond to make a splash in the US but they were either The Beatles or riding the coattails of The Beatles. The Stones took a different direction - real, old-school blues - and then went further by not pulling punches with the lyrical content. "Mother's Little Helper" and "Stupid Girl" while being almost painfully misogynistic, were certainly not playing around lyrically. I can see why this appealed to the disaffected youth of the time the same way that Sex Pistols, Ice T, or Tool did in later years. Musically, the album is solid. Lyrically, it's solid if a bit dated. The performances, however, are stand out and pull the whole thing up from a middling grade to a solid 4 stars.
4? Maybe a 3.5, but I'm going to err on the side of 4 since it's the Stones and all. i feel like I disregard the Stones a lot as I'm sick of their biggest hits. I forget about their earlier ones that have that old raw rock n roll sound like this one.
The UK version leads off with Mother's Little Helper and doesn't have Paint It Black. The US version leads off with Paint It Black, but omits Mother's Little Helper. The Spotify link here goes to the UK version, which means you miss one of the all time great Stones songs. That's a pretty big swing. Both versions give you the overlong Going Home, which is probably the song that makes McCartney think the Stones were just a great blues cover band, even if they did write all of the songs on both the UK and US versions of this album.
Thankfully Spotify had both the UK and US versions of the album. After listening to the UK version, initially, I thought it was a perfectly good album by the Rolling Stones, but there was something lacking from it to elevate it to the next level. Then I decided to listen to the US version, and instantly found what was missing - "Paint it Black" along with the arrangement and placement of songs throughout the album. It really is amazing what changing around, adding and cutting a few songs does to an overall album sound and flow. I found the US release much tighter and flowed so much better than the UK version. Where the songs had more cohesion as a whole and sonically seemed to make better sense. Best: Paint It Black Worst: What To Do
It’s ok…
Good old rock and roll of the swinging sixties. Couterculture to the counterculture sprinkled with some misogyny, and it rocks.
It's a pretty good album, you could hear the Stones come onto their own here. It could do without the poorly aged songs like Stupid Girl and Under My Thumb but the fact that they sound great is what makes them Stones classics. The boldest thing for them to do is to add an 11 minute track in the middle of the album and it pays off. Pretty good all around. Favorites: Going Home and Out of Time.
Brilliant dirty blues rock from the other invading Brits, the dark undertones of this recording make the Stones feel like the anti -Beatles; but here they are ploughing their own furrough, upsetting the neighbours, upsetting women and causing all kinds of chaos. Under my Thumb is the highlight - Sinister and unsettling. The experimentation with a variety of instruments adds flavour and the drumming of Charlie Watts (RIP) is exemplary.
It's so good to deep dive into the tracks that you don't know. This is the 'dive into commerciality' album - more pop-rock than blues-rock, but it's awesome. Loses 1 star for 'Paint it Black' being on the US release - NOT this UK one. Tune
Tiene grandes canciones pero acá los Stones como que tratan de salir de su zona de confort (rock y blues) y son más experimentales. Y no, a los Stones no les va muy bien que digamos siendo experimentales. Ojo, escuchar la versión inglesa que tiene 14 canciones, la de USA solo 11.
pretty cool, 8/10 kinda wild that people consider this a competitor to Sgt Peppers, when The Beatles were so far ahead of The Rolling stones granted the rolling stones later stuff is also legendary
Some good stuff on here like Mother's Little Helper, Lady Jane, Under My Thumb, I Am Waiting, High and Dry, Flight 505. There's a bit of dross as well mind, especially the long boring jam Going Home. I prefer their two 1967 albums 'Between The Buttons' and 'Their Satanic Majesty's Request', which are similar but better.
Growing up, I was very anti-Stones. Being a huge Beatles fanatic, I felt like the Stones were inferior in every way. I've softened that stance as I've gotten older. I can appreciate the Stones, although I still believe they were overrated and sellouts in many ways. I like this album though, it feels like they were finding their identity as they made it. Some songs sound like they are trying to imitate elements of the Beatles, but others are the Stones finding their own sound. I like the bluesiness of some songs, and impressed that they included an 11 minute song - definitely innovative. Out of Time is a great song. 4 stars.
Good coworking music. Quite classic
I liked this. It's classic. I don't really have much else to say. If I saw this at my record store I would pick it up
Early Stones is a great time warp back to their rudimentary roots, on the bridge from early 60s Rock and roll towards 70s psychedelia.
rolling!
Not their best album but still good.
4/5
4th British / 6th American album of Rolling Stones, 1966. This one was a breakthrough for the band. They became famous as much as The Beatles. "Aftermath" consist entirely of original compositions written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Sound of this album is more experimental than previous.
I like this new direction that they take in this album, some really good classic 60s music here with Out of time, Sweet lady Jane and my fav, Under my thumb. Interesting that the UK version that I listened to on Youtube didn't have Paint it Black. I'll assume that song is on this LP which would elevate this to a 4 star record.
A curious beast, with emphasis on the word "beast". The most popular songs associated with it (Paint It Black, Under My Thumb, Mother's Little Helper), are all in my Rolling Stones top 10, and I adore Out of Time, even though I prefer the Gary Filmore version (seriously, I completely adore Gary Filmore's take on it). And yes, I appreciate the dark paths the Stones explored here: all the snottier to sound, an admirable trait. Prosaically, I just think there's a touch too much filler for this to be a full 5-starrer. I'm practically nitpicking, there's obviously excellent stuff here, but if you go dirty, you'll have fun but you'll probably end up with nits.
Great record with bonafide all-time great singles.
An amazing early Rolling Stones album. It is interesting that the UK version has "Mother's Little Helper" and the US release has "Paint It Black." Both killer songs.
En general creí que iba a suceder algo muy similar a Queen, que el disco entero no iba a ser por completo de mi agrado y que me quedaría con los sencillos. Fue bastante refrescante verme equivocado en mi idea. Excelente disco directo y sencillo de blues y rock and roll; la instrumentación siempre vívida pero sin sobrecomplicar las canciones. El único gran problema que puede tener es esa diferencia entre versiones. Me es impensable que hay una versión sin Paint it Black, que puede ser mi canción favorita del grupo, mientras que a la otra le quitaron 3 canciones... Terminando con 4 canciones de diferencia, ninguna versión que realmente sea por completo la correcta, una corta con el mejor sencillo otra con unas canciones adicionales (aunque Goin Home es un poco sobreindulgente y creo sobra). Fuera de la logística terrible para poder escuchar el disco como un album completo, la música es excelente, los Rolling nunca fueron tan complicados o innovadores pero tampoco les hizo falta en mi opinión.
El link lleva a la versión de UK que cambia Paint It Black por Mother's Little Helper y trae 14 tracks en lugar de 11. La primera versión de mi revisión apuntaba a "diluido" y "un poco de relleno", pero la versión de US me parece maravillosa por Paint It Black y por que recortan 12 minutos (aunque Out Of Time sí me gusta). La mejor es Paint It Black por mucho pero Under My Thumb también es buena.
Siempre he tenido un problema con los Stones: sus rolas, por más buenas que sean, de agarran de una línea y la repiten infinidad de veces. En este disco, aunque me gustaron varias partes, no es la excepción. Desde Mother’s Little Helper y Out of Time, pero sobre todo en a Going Home. Y sí, quizá eso es la influencia del Blues, pero también pasa en canciones menos blueseras. De cualquier manera, no quita que el disco sea muy bueno, especialmente en la enorme adición de nuevos sonidos al repertorio de las bandas de rock de la época. Una lástima que no venga Paint It Black en esta versión del disco, es de mis top de ellos. Ya por último ¿qué diablos con las letras de Stupid Girl y Under My Thumb?
A very strong start, though drags a bit by the end i feel like they were just solid blues/rock songs, though not much at the end stands out. Still enjoyable.
Number 2! Never listened before and again lots of songs I don’t know. Great start with Mother’s Little Helper which I first heard the Tesla cover of. Under my thumb, what a great song and beat.
Early Stones is always a little weird to me. The band sounds big and live here but the production is very much a product of his time. It all sounds great but it also sounds extremely 60s. Lots of good tracks here, and the band is definitely getting a little experimental. And there’s always that little country twang to the early stuff. Rock solid all the way through.
I love this album! But I think you have to give it a 4 because there are better Stones albums that are a definite 5
Not their strongest outing but still fun and some classics
Como si estuviera en Trémolo. Me gusta
Flere fede snce og generelt et godt album. Lyden er måske lige lovlig 60er og nogle af numrene for lange og kedelige 3,5
Good breakthrough album for Stones….. liked it…..
Favorite band ever. Don’t listen to this era of their music as much but it holds up
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Mother's little helper, Stupid girl, Under my thumb
This is something of a transitory album for The Rolling Stones, as they haven’t completely abandoned being the largely blues influenced band that they were for their early records, but they also aren’t the straightforward rock band we’ve known for decades at this point. Sort of their “Rubber Soul”, since they’re so frequently compared to their contemporaries the Beatles. Dug everything I knew from this album - “Mother’s Little Helper”, “Stupid Girl”, “Under My Thumb”, “I Am Waiting” - and most of the tunes that I was unfamiliar with, save for “Going Home” which goes on for far too long at nearly eleven minutes and arriving in the middle of this record (I listened to the UK version) is an albatross around its neck that prevents me from giving this a full 5 stars rating.
Good stuff !!!
These guys are going places.
This sounds like they have some more musical maturing to experience. It has good tunes but doesn’t hold a candle to sticky fingers or exile. I think the US release (with paint it black and without take it or leave it, out of time, etc) is probably better
Amazing and probably their darkest album.
So there’s two versions of this album. Uk and US. US has paint it black which is a classic but it also has the high hat going constantly on high and dry. UK is a little long and ordered differently. Overall it’s a good early stones album where they still have the blues influences but not their best. I’d say both versions are a 7.7/10
Yes I know this album. It’s a classic.
I was surprised how much of this album sounds like early rock and roll. "Out of Time" is a good example of the older sound. "Goin' Home" gives a taste of the Stones' experimentation with the blues that I believe was part of the origin of the band. The more well known singles ("Mother's Little Helper", and "Under My Thumb") contrast with the rest of the album, having a more advanced sound of Rock and Roll that I most often think of when it comes to the Rolling Stones. This album is at the edge of being "okay", but I think I would listen to it again.
good
I like how ethereal parts of this album sound and how it seems like they’re doing whatever they want and stretching themselves
Sempre achei difícil relacionar Stones com Beatles, contudo esse álbum aproxima as duas bandas para mim. Algumas músicas poderiam facilmente ser dos Beatles com pequenos ajustes, como a primeira do álbum (Mother's Little Helper) e Flight 505.
Great album. Lots of Stones classics
Wasn't sure which version I was supposed to listen to, the U.S. or U.K. listened to both and actually like the U.S. better. One thing I noticed is every band at the time really loved the sitar and the Stones were no different it makes its presence known on this album!
4.5 a fun listen
I was listening to this with my kids, 12 & 15, and they were making fun of it for sounding like “cowboy music”. I don’t understand.
US and UK versions are wildly different. I am confusion. Either way, I would definitely have been #teamStones. Great album. Out of Time is a forgotten gem.
Mother's little helper was a great start to the album. Lotta Jagger's grunts. I love the sound of the time period, but not my favorite
It’s mad good. Very catchy riffs
I’m a fan of the Rolling Stones, so it surprised me that I wasn’t familiar with this album title. Always good to learn something new! I think that “Paint it Black” is maybe the quintessential early period Stones song - adding “Under my Thumb” and “Lady Jane” solidify this as more than a one song wonder LP. The rest is good. Jangly 60s era guitars can be a bit grating at times, but Brian Jones makes it all OK. I think this is a solid 3.5. So that makes it a 4.
Liked this much better than Exile, an enjoyable creative rock album
nice music, no outstanders for good or bad but the last song is too long. good album overall
Az dziwne, ze dopiero teraz turlajace kamienie sie pojawily na listowiu, a z tego co pamietam to byla pierwsza kamieniowa plyta jaka maialem okazje przesluchac w calosci zapoznajac sie z kamieniowa dyskografia i chociaz jest to jeden z najbardziej popowych krazkow jakie skrecili, to jednak byl to przelom w dziejach karierowych bandy, a co ciekawe po tym wygraniu publiki popowym rokiem lub rokowym popowaniem na modle bitelsowa po trochu, postanowali jednac odejsc od tego brzmienia w strone odwazniejszych eksperymentow, ale przechodzac do samej plyty, hamerykanska wersja ktorej tym razem sluchalem to 42 minuty przy 11 trakach, ktore troche gina wsrod pozniejszej dyskografi stonesow, bo zazwyczaj kojarzy sie dwa traki z tej plyty, otwierajacy paint it, black, czyli dosc niezbyt popowy material traktujacy o grzebaniu ukochanej, wiec juz sama tematyka lirczna niezbyt popowa, ale jeszcze mniej popowe brzmienie ma sam kawalek poprzez swoje zmiany tempa na melodii, ktora jest robiona na sitarze i prawdopodobnie czyms organowym, wlasnie dlatego stonesy sa klasa sama w sobie, ze nawet na swoim najbardziej popowym mateirale potrafia przemycic taka egzotyke, kolejnym mainstreamowym hajlajtem jest oczywiscie under my thumb, kawalek pisany przez jagera, ktory ponoc opowiada historie z zycia wziete mikowe, gdzie byl pod kniuckiem lub jak po polacku sie mowi pod pantoflem, czyli zycie w tyksycznym zwiazkowaniu, razem z stupid grilem tworza bardzo antyfeministyczny, albo raczej po prostu seksistowski vibe, ktory stonesy utrzymywaly przez cala kariere, ciekawego gema mozna sie takze doszukac na saym koncu plyty, ponad 10 minutowego bluesowego jama, czyli going home, jeden z pierwszych tak dlugich trakow na rokowej plycie, chyba ze dylan zrobil cos dluzszego szybciej, ale raczej nie przed 66, z ciekawostek, to wlasnie z tej plyty neil young pozyczyl sobie traka do swojego broowoed tuna z tonights the night, chodzi o utwor lady jane, ktory na tej spotifjajowej wersji jest wyjatkowo grany w mono, szkoda ze calej plyty tak nagranej nie mozna dostac, pozostaje soulseekowanie, jesli temu albumowi dam cztery gwiazdoje, to na nastepnych kamieniarzach poleca chyba same piatki, ale jednak mam do tego materialu zbyt duzy sentyment i wspomnien, zeby nizej go ocenic
☆☆☆☆
Excelente disco de una de las mejores bandas. Rítmico, con voz, enérgico.
8/10 Under my thumb Folk
Quite good and some songs are very original
US version — Solid. Obviously Paint It Black and Under my Thumb as standouts, personally I enjoyed “Think”.
elles ne sont pas toutes bonnes mais on sentait qu'il y avait de l'avenir
sounded familiar, enjoyed it more than i thought!
Good album, but there are probably 10 better Stones albums than this one.
Time unas de más de 5 pero no todas
Was just reading on Wikipedia that A) this came out right around the same time as the Beatles’ Revolver and B) the UK track listing is crazy different from the US. No “Paint it Black” in the UK! What’s up with that?? Anyway, “Under My Thumb” and “I am Waiting” are songs I still enjoy on the 8,000th listen so they had to be doing something right on this thang. But that last track… why is it the last track of all these albums is a let down?
Fun stuff. Cool perspective.
Necesitaría que Paco Navarrete me ayude a entender algunas cosas pero es sin duda un gran disco. 4.01 apenas pero vale. La que menos entiendo es la de 11 minutos que seguramente fue todo un gesto de valentía de los vatos pero ... No sé
It’s really good music. Well made. Just a little slow overall for my liking. It’s music I’d listen to again though if I were in the right mood.
I’m a Stones fan, but admittedly have not listened to this album in its entirety. Under My Thumb has always been a favorite of mine, it other stand out tracks include Mother’s Little Helper, Doncha Bother Me, and Out of Time. Not their strongest album, but still an entertaining listen and I love how the instruments are panned to either the left or right in these older recordings.
They are good
Very enjoyable. Always liked Paint it black but never listened to the rest of the album. I should listen to more Rolling Stones.
Not really many notes. They sound like the beatles, and i thought it was strange that the UK release had 4 more songs and took off Paint it black, which was the biggest hit they've ever had.
Some real stinkers on this one lads. 3.75
Classic 60s/70s rock, nice bunch of well-known Stones' songs. Overall good.
Going home's a bit long isn't it? Stormer, but every now and again I thought of Jagger and felt a bit sick.
Thought "Mother's Little Helper" might be feminist-adjacent, then "Stupid Girl" came on and dismissed the notion. And Under My Thumb. Jfc. The rest of the album was good though. I love British rockers and the Rolling Stones are fun.
Pretty goods. Very versatile sound. They feel genre-fluid within just this album
2nd guy in looks like Mark Hamill Paint It, Black: hey i know this one, good start. added to my old music and borderlands playlist
Not my favorite stones, but man did it set a tone
7/10
1966. Key Songs: Under My Thumb, Paint It Black
I listened to both UK/US versions, and honestly the US one was better, trimmed some fat. Under My Thumb is on both tho so net negative either way. Overall it wasn't bad, but a good amount was just eh. The standouts were good tho, I will admit that. Highlights-Mother's Little Helper(UK), Paint it Black(USA), Stupid Girl(guilty pleasure), Lady Jane, Doncha Bother Me, Think, Goin' Home.
I don't really get the Stones. They're fine, but nothing to get excited about.
I know and love the later Stones albums after this one, but I’ll be honest and say I’ve never listened to this. I knew the singles obviously, but the rest was new to me. It was a bit disappointing. Quite repetitive and the songs just aren’t all that strong. Add in the frankly terribly misogynistic and dated lyrics and it makes for a pretty average experience. Released between Rubber Soul and Revolver, quite how anyone at this point thought they were at the level of the Liverpudlian lads is beyond me.
These are good smokey, smarmy Stones songs. But goddamn are they misogynistic. I learned Under My Thumb way back when I was heartbroken, and because I was young and foolish, I probably vibed with the notion of blaming other people for being upset. But I can’t imagine covering it today without making some changes.
A lot of these classic rock records can be hit and miss. not a lot of substance or similarity blending these tracks together. the highs are high and the lows are zzz..
Good.
5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Listened to both the U.S. and British versions of this. Very front loaded. First 4 tracks are very strong. Back half feels like a pale imitation of their influences.
It's strange — I have a difficult time with many Stones albums. A couple (Exile, for certain) are brilliant from start to finish, but most of the rest have timeless songs parked next to ones I'm content to never hear again. When everything clicks, it's the epitome of rock and roll. When it doesn't, it can be dismissible, even distasteful. Funny, there's some sort of magic that happens in a brilliant song, and it's not easy to qualify. Anyway, half of these have it.
At first, I was reviewing the American release, but then I realized that they, like the Beatles, had a different version for the UK. There are definitely a few gems on here. Out of Time, Mother's Little Helper, Think... But there are quite a number of mid- to just plain bad songs (Lady Jane), plus a whole heap of misogyny. The UK version is definitely better than the US one, though that one has Paint it Black.
Yeah, I’m a Rolling Stones and Beatles fanboy (yes, that’s possible); this is a solid album, though I find *Sticky Fingers* quite a bit better. I don’t get the hate for the Stones at all—come on, Mick and Keith are the coolest people on earth.
Hab es tbf nicht fertig gehört
11 songs Paint It, Black is a 5/5 song, that's for sure, but other than that, I found the album to be pretty mediocre. Also worth mentioning that I listened to the US version, which I think is superior, as the UK version didn't have Paint It, Black and was a bit more bloated.
The first song was a nostalgic punch in the face but other than that it is, fine.
Jamais écouté avant. Même si c'est le premier album intégralement signé Jagger/Richards, et en quelque sorte le réveil artistique à part entière des Stones, Aftermath ne s'éloigne en réalité pas tant que ça de leurs racines blues, passées au crible des instincts pop parfois géniaux des Glimmer Twins, et leur goût de la provocation pas toujours du meilleur goût, à mettre aussi sur le compte de leur jeunesse. Seule l'intégration d'instruments moins traditionnels (dulcimer, marimba, sitar sur Paint It Black, absent de la version britannique de l'album) par Brian Jones leur permet d'explorer de nouveaux territoires. L'album compte quelques morceaux de génie, c'est incontestable, de Mother's Little Helper à Out of Time entre autres, mais aussi des compositions terriblement standard et oubliables. Difficile pour moi de le placer au même niveau que les autres chefs-d'œuvre sortis la même année. Top : Out of Time (Paint It Black sur la version US) Flop : Stupid Girl
Kind of a tough album, because it's hard to know if I'm rating the Rolling Stones compared to others or compared to far superior efforts that I know will follow this 1966 album, where they finally seemed confident enough in their own songwriting to let loose. "Paint It Black" and "Under My Thumb" are the clear standouts, and in the "competition" they were indirectly having with the Beatles at the time, those are the only two tracks that might have had a chance to make it on either Rubber Soul or Revolver, which is how far the Beatles had come by then. Still, this is really the Stones' first effort to focus on the album level (rather than the singles' successes they had already experienced). So points for that, I guess?
Still early Stones, only a couple of years away from their creative peak. You can start to hear the band they will become.
Boy, Mick Jagger really didn't seem to like women. Despite this, it's still a good album. 3.4/5
3/5
Not my favourite of the Stones period. Clearly still trying to find their blues / rock roots.
I play a little game while listening to these albums: I wonder what score this album has? I've been wholly wrong a few times but bang on for this album by the stones (3.4). Two very good songs that we all know. The rest not so much and I have been taking points off for random too long tracks of what sounds like extended free improvisation "noodling". So point off for the 11:13 of going home. I would really like to give it 3 1/2, so right on the average but obviously can't. Ok 1/2 a point for a song about prescription drug abuse (Mother's little helper). Sorry doesn't get it over the line.
Paint it black was good
Longer than I wanted
It's alright. Nothing that I'd consider a stand out.
There are some bangers in this one but I didn’t give it enough listens to really flesh out my review. Probably a mid/high 3.
this was cool. comments on this are mad charged. im not sure i listened to the lyrics very carefully. im not sure whats happening most times with regards to most things
immediately went to the edit page after looking at the lyrics of stupid girl and undr my thumb whyyyy do i never pay attention to lyrics.....downgraded from 4 to 3 but i still think that sonically this is the best rolling stones album and everything should sound like paint it black forever
it's ok, pretty neutral on stones Will I listen to again: 11%
Favorite song: Paint it, Black (of course, there's a reason that song has withstood the test of time and become a classic). Surprise favorite song: I am Waiting. Song I struggled to make it through: the final song, Going Home. 11 minutes and 13 seconds of absolute nonsense in the worst, most self-indulgent, nonsensical way. Overall I give this album 3 stars, there are a couple of redeeming classics / good songs, but an equal or greater number of what fell on my ears as duds.
The Brian Jones and Beatles fingerprints all over this thing are really great. I really really like the instrumentation and production. Sounds like that side had yet to be refined, and was a little derivative, but really strong. I'm usually not too sensitive to lyrics, but the misogyny on this one really is a vibe kill.
Pretty solid old classic rock that doesn't stray too far from the formula. a Couple breakout songs that I had heard before but you can mostly guess what you're in for early on in the album. I think the Vocals are the major identifying factor that give it its edge here and in the future.
(Review for UK Version) A solid album and seminal for 1966, released months before The Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" and The Beatles "Revolver". The Rolling Stones have reached the apex of their early style with more original material than earlier releases. They've already written "Satisfaction", "Play With Fire", "As Tears Go By", "Get Off of My Cloud", so they'd have already solidified themselves in rock history by this album. While this has some big songs for them--"Mother's Little Helper", "Under My Thumb", "Out of Time", "Paint It Black" for the US release--they are still a few years away from hitting their pinnacle. That's the biggest mark against this album. Although it's quite good, it just pales in comparison with basically everything that comes after it: over a decade of great albums. 3.5 / 5, rounded down. This is a pretty big stepping stone for them. Of all the bands that started in the 60's, The Rolling Stones discography is maybe most emblematic of the changes in the world and musical landscape. In just 3 years after this album, the 60's would die in a cloud of confusion and darkness, with The Rolling Stones performing at Altamont Free Concert. With Aftermath, the darkness is looming, but it's hiding in the peripherals. The Free Love movement is dwindling, and leaving behind some scars. And yet, as a whole, Aftermath feels less essential for me personally.
Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Under My Thumb (disappointing rapey lyrics though) Date listened: 16-17/06/26 Listen when: - Definitely grows on me the more I listen so this rating could 100% go up but right now it stays where it is.
A few really good tracks, but as an album, it has too much filler to stand out. Faves: Mother's Little Helper, Lady Jane, Under My Thumb
Bangers and some weaker songs
I listened to both the UK and US versions of the album. Both start off with different hits (Mother's Little Helper and Paint it Black, respectively) that are not included on the other version. Those are the best two songs overall, so it's strange they both weren't included on both. Anyway, I was excited after the UK version started, but it quickly devolved into a whole lot of disrespect for women, which was a real turnoff. Musically, I think it's pretty great. Lyrically, it sucks.
*63 Det er ikke rigtig the best of the bunch, men der er stadig en solid musikalitet.
Er ikke vokset op i et stones hjem :( Det er fint, men det får mig altså heller ikke helt op at dinge
Disclaimer: jeg kommer fra et Stones-hjem 2.8
ikke så meget at sige. Ganske fint med et par fede numre, men jeg er ikke specielt overvældet
3/5 Favorite Song: Think
https://500songs.com/podcast/song-176-sympathy-for-the-devil-by-the-rolling-stones-part-one-a-man-of-wealth-and-taste/
I’ve never been the biggest Rolling Stones fan. This album started of pretty strong, I really enjoyed the first four songs, but from “Goin’ Home” and onward this album really did drag, and was a bit boring.
7- / 10
Paint it Black and then…a pretty okay blues record. Eh.
Nemám ich až tak rád. Som viac beatlesovský ... Ale je to z ich lepších albumov
Paint It, Black is great. The rest is nothing.
nothing that really stands out, just good overall
Mother's Little Helper is a strong opener. I hear the misogyny argument, and I know it was a different time, but Under My Thumb sounds great. It seems like the sort of thing that was written after a bad relationship. Good to know that we have evolved to gangsta rap and Taylor Swift to cover those cringey issues now in a commercially successful way. Lady Jane and Out of Time were OK, and I appreciated blues elements and experimentation throughout the album, but the other tracks weren't memorable.
Blandad säck
Gillar verkligen Stones, ett av väldigt få artister på listan jag sett live. Men detta album hade llte väl många dussinlåtar.
This is alright. Honestly, it's better than that, I'm just still not that much of a Rolling Stones fan. It's fine.
“paint it, black” and other stuff
6/10
Decent but nothing super outstandingly good
It’s a pretty solid album, not sure why it’s compared to rubber soul, though. Enjoyable, some pretty solid tracks, but I don’t know if he reaches that level. Three stars.
Paint it black and under my thumb were alright
The temptation is to give them high marks because they’re the Rolling Stones. The thing is, while the good songs are really good, there’s a lot of filler here.
Some I liked more than I should. Some showed the talent on display, some obviously missed by miles. It seems I write the same every time I review their albums.
Paint it Black and Under My Thumb (despite its lyrics) are fantastic songs musically. The rest of the album was disappointing. I’ve never understood how this band was compared to The Beatles.
"Look at that stupid girl" I loved so much and so glad I've discovered it LOL. Some of the songs like Going Home I couldn't stand it was so boring.
A classic.
Awww baby stones
bad sequencing and a little bloated tracklist make what should be a great album feel like a little bit of a slog near the end which is unfortunate cause i dont think any of the tracks are Outright Bad
Mostly slow, some good tunes
This is just what I think of when I think of oldie rock. Nothing more or less, nothing better or worse.
I've never heard this album, but yet it feels so familiar. Kudos somehow, Rolling Stones.
Turns out I'm not the biggest Stones fan. Don't get me wrong, the album is good, and a few songs stand out. It's just not that special to me. I think it's an album where I needed to hear it a lot closer to when it was release to fully appreciate it. Nothing on the record blew me away. And about 4-5 songs in I realized that 90% of Mick's lyrics are just repeating the same one to two lines for the entire song. Maybe their other albums will be better.
6.5 - fine, stones don’t do much for me
Kinda average
Mid table Stones
here we can see the Rolling Stones becoming a rock band in the contemporary sense of the word: a band that writes and performs all-original material. previous LPs were partially (or even mostly) comprised of cover versions that showed their love and respect for American folk and blues; but on Aftermath, the Stones start to really put their foot in the ring as contributors to that lineage. as a songwriting duo, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards clearly had a lot of room to grow from here, but standouts like "Mother's Little Helper", "Under My Thumb" and "Out of Time" stand up just as strongly as do the songs from their more legendary albums to follow. Brian Jones is a much bigger factor in this era of the band, with his sitar parts in particular giving a lot of flavor to the musical formula they were working with. this is most notable on "Paint It Black", one of their earliest hits, which landed on the American edition of Aftermath, but not the UK one, so it's not factoring into my review here. that being said, there's still plenty of sitar from Jones, along with marimba, koto and dulcimer. the 52-minute duration of the UK pressing strikes me as ambitious, but not exactly desirable. "Goin' Home" is an 11-minute jam that's one of the earliest examples of such a track on a studio rock album, but not necessarily one of the most notable. the deeper cuts also start to feel pretty repetitive after a while. keep the tracks you like and throw 'em in a playlist or something. light 7/10.
Good album.
Thanks to the game "Guitar Hero III" the song "Paint It, Black" is engraved in my heart :) Sounded to me a kind of deconstruction of country music with rock&roll mixed in.
I enjoyed this album I just thought it felt soooo long. I was like where is the end of it. Some great tracks I can't fault a lot of it but it just feels so drawn out.
Feeling quite conflicted on this one as there as re hip hop records on this I've marked down for their unpleasant misogyny but musically I really like Under My Thumb which is one of several toxic male manipulator anthems from Jagger and co. The US version of this has Paint It Black on it, which is one of the best songs of the decade but there's also quite a few filler tracks on here too, so I'm going to prevaricate and award 3 stars rather than face the bigger question of whether pop music was sexist from it's inception.
Not my #1 Rolling Stones album - some of the songs are repetitive or have annoying lyrics - but includes hits Paint it Black (one of my absolute favs by them) and Under My Thumb.
Surprisingly good album! Rolling Stones is one of the most overrated bands ever. IMO, they’re more of a singles band than an album band, but this album is actually okay. It starts out really strong before the 11 minute drag starts, and brings along the next 3 poor tracks. Out of time is awesome and the album ends in an okay manner. 6/10
Note: I listened to the US edition of this album because that's what was on YouTube Music, though I think the recommendation was for the US edition, which has a pretty different track listing. I know that the Stones are a big deal, and this album is important because it's the first of their albums without any cover songs on it. It's a shame that I didn't like it anywhere near as much as I wanted to. The only song that I'd definitely listen to again is "Paint It Black." A lot of the other songs have very strong instrumentation and would sound great if it wasn't for the horrifying levels of misogyny in the lyrics, even by Rolling Stones standards. And there's no world in which the Stones work as a jam band, so my attitude towards the 11-minute album closer, "Goin' Home," was "Just end already!"
I don't think I've ever listened to Aftermath in full before and there are definite peaks and troughs. It's got that sound of a band in transition - there's the outright pop direction of songs like Mother's Little Helper, Under My Thumb, and Out of Time, then there are the blues tracks like Going Home (which was a slog), High and Dry, etc. The two styles don't sit comfortably alongside one another here to my mind, but they merged these influences almost seamlessly on their future records. An awkward listen all in all. Fun as their earlier years were, I think they had to get their next album (Between the Buttons) and their clumsy psychedelic effort (Their Satanic Majesties) out of the way before they could really get going in earnest. Personally, I don't think you need to listen to anything before Beggar's Banquet. From then on, they were untouchable.
RATING: 7.5/10 HIGHLIGHT: Mother’s Little Helper LOWLIGHT: Doncha Bother Me
Liked the front half of the album but got a bit repetitive by the end.
Sorry lads but I'm not a Stones guy. This is fine.
Fun but not mind blowing. Three
Some songs were great, others not so much. Some lyrics need rethinking. Good Lord.
There are six The Rolling Stones albums on this list, I feel like this one could have been cut. Perfectly fine, but to my ear ordinary, rock and roll.
While I enjoy their hits, the rest of their music doesn't roll for me. ★★★
If the Wikipedia page is correct, I have now listened to everything The Rolling Stones has to offer in this generator after completing 59 percent of this journey. I'm an original album purist, so I only listened to the United Kingdom version, and that may be the difference maker here. Again, I wasn't very impressed. A few key songs helped carry this album to some enjoyability. In this generator, my favorite album by The Rolling Stones is "Let It Bleed". Overall, I say the band is influential, obviously has tremendous longevity, but is overrated as well. Favorite Track: "Lady Jane".