I'm From the Bush Administration, and I Can Say With Confidence That We Are Out of Our Heads

Overall Album Score: 8.3 out of 10

The Rolling Stones FINALLY are starting to abandon all this R&B nonsense and are FINALLY starting to play some straight POP-ROCK songs that are so much better and enjoyable! Don't get me wrong ... I like R&B just fine. I like good old straight rock BETTER! YEAAAAAAAAAH!

This album has a plethora of amazing songs on it! Among them are the first two tracks, the semi-R&B covers "Mercy, Mercy," and "Hitchhike," which are remarkably enjoyable pop-rock songs. There are also some freaking awesome originals "The Last Time" and "The Spider and the Fly." And ... yep ... I think that's all ...

Yep ... that's definitely all.

Nothing unexpected or completely unnatural, especially for a music review, is going to happen.

*Remarkably good riff starts playing*

I CAN'T GET NO!

SATISFACTION!

I CAN'T GET NO!

SATISFACTION!

CAUSE I TRY! AND I TRY! AND I TRY! AND I TRY!

...Oh yeah. That one song's on here, too.

In that respect, this is the first unrestrainedly enjoyable Stones record I've experienced. (I mean ... who the froody wants to listen to olde-tyme R&B rock, anyway? Not I! Give me this over straight R&B any day of the trading week! (Okay ... given there is still some R&B stuff in this album, but there's not nearly as much.)

Not only was there a significant stylistic improvement but a major original songwriting improvement! Even though there are only five Jagger/Richards originals in this (and two songs apparently written by James Phelge), they are among the album's best. It almost makes you wonder what they're doing recording covers, anyway! At any rate, however, two albums after this, the Stone'll start doing original material entirely. (Yaaaaaaaay!)

Okay ... about this James Phelge character. Who is he? I get one source telling me that he shared a flat with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones. And I get another source telling me that he is some made-up dude whose credit means it was written by the entire band. If you know, or have a bizarre theory that involves space aliens and mutated crocodiles, please E-MAIL ME! (Go to the link where you can fill out the e-mail form.)

Overall Album Score: 8.3 out of 10 (The Stones make a good album with only a few weakish songs in it. For me, this is the first undeniably enjoyable Stones record in their discography.)

Average Song Score: 8.5 (This is a NICE collection of songs. Unfortunately, there are several covers here that are BLAAAAAAAAH!)

Album Tilt: 8.5 (It's not a bad listen at all. And, after all, how can I resist the album that has "Satisfaction" on it? Right! I can't resist it at all!)

Artist Tilt: 8.0 (Well ... the Stones do improve on their sound a little bit, but there are too many BLAH songs. And the inclusion of that live song in the middle makes this album seem tacky.)

Track Reviews

Mercy, Mercy 9.5/10

This is a solid cover, and a good way to start this album! The song is utterly catchy ... it's one of those really good old-school kinds of rock songs that everyone and their dog thinks is the coolest thing on the planet. (I mean ... if you are a ROCK fan, you should really like this song.) I can see where someone could argue that this is an R&B song, but I think it's much closer to being a regular old and pure rock song. And I like it!

Hitchhike 9/10

The second and final cover on here that is exceptionally solid. This one is closer to being an old-time, 50's rock song than the last one came off as being. But this song is almost as good. The tune, of course, is catchy and it's just an undemanding song that's fun to listen to!

The Last Time 9.5/10

An original! And it's one of those super pure rock songs that I keep on wetting my panties over! It has an altogether excellent riff and even the vocals rule here! Check out Mick Jagger screaming the lyrics at the end of the track! Very nice!

That's How Strong My Love Is 8/10

This is a pretty good cover. It's certainly more soulful than anything on this album thus far, but it's not nearly as fun.

Good Times 7.5/10

This is also a cover and it certainly doesn't lose. However ... even though it's a good song to listen to and it's very pleasant, it is fairly dull.

I'm All Right 7/10

It was penned by this mysterious Phelge character, whatever he may be! If the 'group credit' theory is correct, this song might have just been a very inspired jam. The riff (which I'm sure was lifted from somewhere) is pretty good. The instrument-playing here is even better. The roaring female-voices of the fans is TACKY. But it does prove that the Stones really had ENERGY on stage.

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 10plus/10

The riff is legendary! And so is the song! This is the first MAJOR song the Stones ever put forth onto the world. And it stands up today as one of the world's best songs to come out of rock and roll. Sure, I know it's overplayed ... (I was at a really war museum last summer in Madison, WI, and they had a radio that looped this song over the Vietnam-era exhibit, incidentally, and I spent a lot of time hanging around that 'cause it was about the only thing that wouldn't put me to sleep.) ANYWAY! We all know this song by heart, so why not join me in a rousing chorus? *I CAN'T GET NO!*

Cry to Me 7.5/10

It's still a pretty good cover ... it's just really BLAH compared to some of this other stuff, although a lot of redemption comes from Mick Jagger's passionate vocals. A weak thumbs-up, nevertheless.

The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion 7/10

This is another one of those Phelge compositions. It's very R&B ... No ... scratch that. It's BLAH R&B. I'm sure they were performing this one somewhat out of kindness for their good buddy. It doesn't really sound like it belongs! Sorry! Perhaps it would have gone better on their last album. Albeit, it was performed WELL.

Play With Fire 9.5/10

The homestretch of this album are all Jagger/Richard compositions. And, of these three, this one is probably the strongest. It's the slowest song of the album, and it points to the direction the Stones would take in the later part of the 60's. To listen to it, it's fairly calm. But the lyrics are BOLD!

The Spider and the Fly 9.5/10

This is also a major highlight in this album. As I mentioned above, this is a Jagger/Richards original, and it's pretty darn good and catchy. This one is actually rooted in R&B, but it's pretty good, so I forgive it for all its past transgressions.

One More Try 7/10

This one's a little bit ... annoying actually. Jagger's vocals are among his most UNinspired on this one! Even though it is the final track on the album, it's easy to be overlooked because it's under two minutes.

Hey! Is this review perfectly sane? Or am I out of my head? Leave your ideas here!