The Rolling Stones – Aftermath

warning: the USA tracklist releases of "Aftermath", catalogue numbers 74762 and POCD-1937 have "Paint It, Black" and "Going Home" in MONO ! The rest on these albums is somewhat narrower stereo. Avoid these two releases like the plague!

let's be brief: this album is a must for every Rolling Stones fan... if you don't have it, you miss their best album ever...

though this must be noted: the mix of "Out Of Time" on the album "Flowers" - although shorter - is very interesting too (along with the rest of that album :-)
On the Flowers' mix of "Out Of Time" during the chorusses the second vocal overdub by Mick Jagger is now audible, for it is no longer drowned in the center, but on the left channel, together with the backing vocals, which gives this mix an extra dimension. Not only Jagger's second vocal overdub, but also the backing vocals are better audible. The downside is that the organ and the high tones of the marimba on the left channel are occasionally drowned by those vocals.

On "Aftermath", from 03:17 to 03:44 all vocals (mainly Mick Jagger's lead vocals and his vocal overdubs) are centered with an echo at the left.
On "Flowers" these vocals are all at the left channel, and there the fade out has been done, making this a much shorter version (3:40 instead of 5:40).

In 1966 The Rolling Stones still in essence a singles band. But how exciting many of the first hits are, the band limited itself to a popstramien in which it actually doesn't belong. Aftermath is the first album to feature solely self-penned compositions, but still contains the necessary filler material. Stupid Girl, with his wife unfriendly text, is an inept attempt to shock. The macho song Under My Thumb succeeds there a lot better in. However, the essence of the band is not caught in the fine pop songs-such as Lady Jane (with Brian Jones on the sitar)-but in the simple rock and roll (Flight 505, it's Not Easy) and countrysongs (High & Dry). Only later, with the famous series of Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street, this approach to satisfying albums would suffer. Aftermath (' aftermath ') is what the title promises, the last remnant of the exciting early days of the Stones, in which the group still in two minds is: continue to do so with the fashionable popstroming led by The Beatles, or going out of the own strength. Fortunately they would choose for the last several years later. P.s. In the UK version of Aftermath is Paint It Black replaced by mother's Little Helper and are also Out Of Time and Take It Or Leave It On the tracklist. The sound quality of this hybrid super audio cd (also play on regular cd players) is considerably better than the first pressing on cd.

This is like the blueprint for the identity of the Rolling Stones. An important record and the best since their début, it's the first to only feature compositions penned by Jagger and Richards. There's a darker, bluesy, macho edge to the Stones that you just don't get with Lennon-McCartney, but there is plenty of variety in style and they are all great tunes.