The Rolling Stones by The Rolling Stones (1964)

It’s hard to believe that in 1964 Rock and Roll wasn’t a global phenomenon. In fact, it hadn’t even spread the entirety of the US by that point. In short, England needed some Rock and Roll gods to come from Rock and Roll heaven and spread the good word around. Actually, this already happened in the form of The Beatles, but the poms wanted a second helping, and so they got The Rolling Stones as well.

By the time The Rolling Stones was released, they had already put out two singles, one covering Chuck Berry, and the other covering The Beatles. They continued this tradition on their eponymous debut by covering the likes of Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Bo Diddley, Slim Harpo, Chuck Berry, Marving Gaye, Rufus Thomas and Chuck Berry covering Nat King Cole. They also managed to put three original pieces together, although they all sound an awful lot like Chuck Berry songs themselves (and they were probably actually written by Phil Spector. Not that there’s anything wrong with that).

So you might think that it isn’t too original. Well you’d be wrong there. An observant eye will notice that all of those artists there are American (and you might also notice that they’re black, if you think that’s important). But the Stones inject a certain amount of Englishness to the formula, which makes a big difference. They also play the songs with such a unique energy, that they really end up doing a lot more than a lot of supposedly original songs nowadays.

There are other things to dislike about the record, of course. It’s quite messily produced, which might turn you off, but really, it adds to the appeal of the whole thing. It’s also somewhat short, by more modern standards at least: thirty minute LPs were common in those days. This might be a good thing if you’re getting tired of rhythm and blues covers, but then why are you listening to this in the first place?

All in all, The Rolling Stones isn’t an ideal record for anyone but Rolling Stones fans. Simply put, the energy on here was also apparent on later records: the ones with original Stones songs, or even by different bands (The Who anyone?), leaving The Rolling Stones sounding more like a relic than anything. But it certainly is a good record, and a worthwhile investment for anyone looking for more early British invasion.

~ by Draco N. Slayer on 5 December, 2007.