There's Something In Between the Buttons and It Ain't Cloth

Overall Album Score: 9.4 out of 10

HEY! The brilliance of Aftermath wasn't a fluke after all! The Rolling Stones follow it up with something, yet, even more brilliant! This is album is such a delight that I can't help but to name it a classic of rock-and-roll!

As the second undeniably brilliant record in the Rolling Stones (and the fact that it's only the second Stones album with 100 percent original material on it isn't just a coincidence). Of course, this wonderful display of songwriting strength only proves to the world that The Rolling Stones are the world's second greatest band. The greatest band is, of course, The Beatles. And, at this point of the Rolling Stones discography, they either really hated or really respected the Beatles so much that they spent this entire album (and the next) mimicking them. But geez! Nobody could have mimicked the Beatles so effortlessly and still create high-quality music, except for the Rolling Stones. In fact, this album is so wonderful that there is simply no point in comparing it to The Beatles.

And how could anyone claim that The Rolling Stones are not one of the greatest bands ever after listening to this? The transition The Stones have gone through to get from England's Newest Hitmakers to Between the Buttons and then later to their more famous era starting with Beggar's Banquet that ranges from R&B to Sissy 60's Rock to Hard Rock is kind of amazing! What's even more amazing is that every single album the Stones have created from 1966 to 1971 is nothing short of a danged solid masterpiece.

Going back to Between the Buttons, it's also amazing to think that it's not even among the Stones's most fondly-regarded albums. If The Stones weren't the second greatest rock band ever, an album of this quality would be the centerpiece of their legacy for sure. But it's not! And it's GREAT, anyway!

This album (that is, the American release of it) has the classics just dripping off of it! "Let's Spend the Night Together" is the most famous song from the album. (It was featured on a hotel commercial just recently, I believe, albeit another band covered it.) Also, the album features the lesser known "Ruby Tuesday" (most Americans probably find the restaurant chain more famous), "Yesterday's Papers" is a great, calm song, and ... man! If I go on, I'll probably have to mention EVERY song! Let's leave that for the track reviews, shall we? Pretty much everything on here is so immaculate that it's uncanny!

To those to listen to music principally for the lyrics, this is a fine set! The Jagger/Richards team proves even to be viable poets! (A rare quality in any man!)

Overall Album Score: 9.4 out of 10 (Heheheheheheheeeeeee! Aren't the Rolling Stones frikin' awesome????? They only rock out on ONE number, too! A great, great album from a band who hasn't even reached their peak yet!)

Average Song Score: 9.3 (Aren't these songs just wonderful? Not only do they have remarkably strong melodies and instrumentation, but they're also completely bizarre!)

Album Tilt: 9.5 (Again, listening to this album comes as a major delight to me! Weirdness is one thing that I almost pride myself in liking in music, and the Stones do it as well as anybody!)

Artist Rating: 9.5 (Weird pop music, anyone? Sure, the Stones were just following the lead of the Beatles, but you certainly can't say they actually took themselves seriously. And the Beatles certainly weren't this weird! That is, until The White Album, but that wasn't released yet, you see. This is a fine example of strong songwriting and there's even some innovative instrumentation here. This is a gold star on the second greatest rock-and-roll band's chart.)

Track Reviews

Let's Spend the Night Together 10/10

This is most certainly a classic! The only reason this song (which was released as a single) is so famous is because it was so controversial! This song, driven principally by the piano, doesn't even beat around the bush ... it's a plea to a woman to spend the night. OH YEAH! It's never worked for me yet, but the Rolling Stones sure made a decent song out of it. It has kind of a desperate vibe to it, and we really believe that he wants this nameless chick to spend the night with him. Okay. Next song, pppppplease!

Yesterday's Papers 9.5/10

This one uses the minor chord scale! The song is also multi-part, both parts of which are interesting to listen to. The song is almost dissonant. (Get that little marimba thing in the background.) And, by the way, where the heck did Keith run off to? They're too busy being psycho-delic! And nobody could be more psycho than the Rolling Stones.

Ruby Tuesday 10/10

This is a beauty! It's a light piano song that ... geez! Considering the image the Stones set for themselves starting in the late 60's, to an uninitiated person, it might be an utter shock to hear them sing something that is so uninhibited in its beauty! (The flute is a nice, if a bit dated, addition.) Very nice! Great melody, even better arranging.

Connection 9.5/10

Another seemingly flawless number! This is almost a regular rock song, but it's so weird that it simply screams out for my attention. That kind of muted drumming is so bizarre to hear (and that occasional muted bass thumping in). And that's not to mention the choppy piano chords.

She Smiled Sweetly 8.5/10

This one starts out with chords of the electric organ. The song is a little bit less weird, a little bit less beautiful, and has a bit of a lesser melody than everything else on this album thus far. However, it's still pretty strong in all these areas! It's just not quite as amazing.

Cool, Calm & Collected 9/10

This one goes a little bit more upbeat and takes a strong influence with the British music hall genre (ala The Kinks), and the strong proves that they can be strong in this genre as well! Whoever decided to play that weird sounding guitar (like I know exactly what it is), it was a good idear. Another remarkably strong song from da Rolling Stonesa.

All Sold Out 9.5/10

This is another "normal" rock song, except there's something about it that makes it sound unusual. Perhaps it's the drumming which goes BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM louder than Mick's singing, even. There's also some strange, very quiet background music going on in the background. And ... somewhere in between Mick & the drums, we hear a little bit of Keith's guitar. Nice! Another solid Stones song.

My Obsession 8/10

This one doesn't seem to work quite as well as the previous numbers. Seems a little bit sloppy to me. Charlie Watts' drumming is real screwed up here. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the track. I just don't enjoy it as much. (And ... yes, even the worst track from the album manages to have a few good hooks in them.)

Who's Been Sleeping Here 10/10

This one has one of the strongest melodies of this entire album. And ... ya know ... when ya gots a good melody, then why shouldn't top-notch arranging and excellent performances just fall into place? The song is also utterly beautiful. Yeeeeeeeeee!

Complicated 8.5/10

You know, after listening to "Who's Been Sleeping Here," that almost makes me want to dog on this relatively weaker melody. Charlie Watts and his monkey-cymbal drumming are making a lot of noise again ... But, as always, the song is perfectly entertaining.

Miss Amanda Jones 9.5/10

Well, what do you know? The Rolling Stones actually put a regular-sounding song in here! Yet, it would have been EXTREMELY welcome in any of their early R&B recordings. (It's not really R&B, though. It's more like A Hard Day's Night Beatles.) Indeed, the Stones have greatly improved their ability to pen songs! It's remarkably strong and fun!

Something Happened To Me Yesterday 9.5/10

Another British music hall-style song ... it sounds as if this were the closing number of a Vaudevillian show or something. It's kind of funny, too! It's very tacky, but it was nothing but intentional. (The lyrics are great! Silly, and it utilizes the word "groovy" in a manner that doesn't make me want to puke ... because it's silly!) It proves that at this point in the Stones discography they can really go out and kick some major butt no matter what the heck they're doing. (And ... aren't those closing lines just INSANE, where somebody ... presumably Mick ... gives their exiting lines! Dreadfully tacky yet dreadfully wonderful! Heheheheeeeeeee!)

By reading this review, do you reckon that there is anything between my ears? Leave your comments about this album here!