Customer Reviews

Aftermath (US Version)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is the July 2, 1966 American release, not the original April 15, 1966 UK release. Most Stones fans consider this to be a vastly inferior album due to meddling by the record execs. At this time it was common for the execs to make decisions on what they thought would sell to the "American" market, which usually translated into holding back releases in order to create new packages to increase sales before the band faded into obscurity.

This American version replaced Mothers Little Helper with what was at that time a recent hit - Paint It, Black, while cutting Out Of Time, Take It Or Leave It, and What To Do.

Nearly everyone knows this music and now you can enjoy it the way it was meant to be heard. For the music itself, it's hard to improve on the review done of the UK Aftermath release by Brian Christie on Aug 29, 2002.

ABCKO acquired the Stones' catalog when Allen Klein became their manager in the 70s. The resulting legal battles produced releases that the Stones opposed (they took out full page adds asking fans not to buy them), including the controversial Metamorphosis releases (which are now available on CD for the 1st time ever). But the sad fact is that the Stones lost control of their great early material. With the recently remastered SACD releases, we at last have some idea of what they really sounded like in the studio. I guess if we had them 40 years ago they would have ended up Greatest Rock And Roll Band in the Universe instead of just our tiny little World.

All the tracks for Aftermath were recorded during 2 sessions at RCA Studios in Hollywood.

Dec 3-8, 1965 at RCA Studios in Hollywood
.....Doncha Bother Me (originally titled Don't You Follow Me for the unreleased album Could You Walk On The Water)
.....Goin' Home
.....Think
Mar 6-9, 1966 at RCA Studios in Hollywood
.....Paint It, Black
.....Stupid Girl
.....Lady Jane
.....Under My Thumb
.....Flight 505
.....High And Dry
.....It's Not Easy
.....I Am Waiting

The tracks recorded during these sessions that were not released on the UK version were Mother's Little Helper, Sittin' On A Fence, Sad Day, 19th Nervous Breakdown, Ride On Baby, Long Long While, Take It Or Leave It, What To Do, and both version 1 - the long version - and version 2 - the short version - of Out Of Time. In addition there were 3 tracks that have still never been released: Looking Tired, Aftermath, and Tracks Of My Tears.

This information comes from "It's Only Rock And Roll: The Ultimate Guide To The Rolling Stones" by Karnbach and Bernson and from my own collection.

This June 1966 album (USA release) was the first with all Stones-written material, and, as an archetypal album, contains the seeds of some of the best and worst moments of the ensuing decades. Mick Jagger is at his most self-assured to date, the varied instruments add texture and interest, and the somewhat underrated rhythm section provides a solid, driving foundation. On the other hand, certain riffs that were later overplayed creep in, a few songs are just average, and the Stones play one of their worst numbers in "High and Dry," marking a romance with country sounds that would produce extremely varied results over the years.

The CD opens with four huge hits, "Paint it Black," "Stupid Girl," "Lady Jane," and "Under my Thumb." With the exception of "Stupid Girl" (Jagger sounds somewhat tentative at first over a truly rocking background, then gains strength), these are among the best of their early work--and their early work is generally their best work. "Under My Thumb" is much tighter than "Stupid Girl," the rhythm is years ahead of its time, and Jagger is much more self-assured. "Paint it Black" and "Under My Thumb" benefit immensely from arrangements using sitar and marimba, and both feature superb vocals. The latter song ranks with James Brown's "It's A Man's World" as one of the greatest misogynistic songs of the period. This is perhaps a dubious distinction, but the song is incredibly impressive, and just an amazingly original effort within the R&B/rock genre. Jagger is deceitfully playful in his thickly accented "Lady Jane," and the imaginative use of Wyman on harpsichord enhances the effect. All of these songs show the Stones as a multi-dimensional band, definitely still blues and R&B based, but expanding into new territory.

The other songs are generally good, especially "It's Not Easy," "I Am Waiting" and the 11:35 minute (!) "Going Home," an almost unprecedented song in which Jagger completely nails the struts, panting, lip smacking, gutteral tones, and assorted other vocal sexual tools that became an important part of his persona. His singer-cum-vampire vocal is easily too long, but this cut sweats away and builds to a great crescendo. An overlooked gem. "Flight 505" has nostalgic value, but it lacks focus both in solo and ensemble playing. There are also some too-easy riffs that later became synonymous (in a repetitive way) with later guitar work. "Think, Think" plays it too safe; the Monkees could have done this. As mentioned above, the album also contains the awful, grating, "High and Dry." If you have a programmable CD player, you'll know what to do with this cut.

Personnel and other luminaries include:
Mick Jagger -Guitar, Harmonica, Percussion, Composer, Keyboards, Vocals,
Keith Richards Guitar, Composer, Keyboards, Vocals
Brian Jones - Dulcimer, Guitar, Marimba, Sitar, Bells
Charlie Watts- Percussion, Drums, Marimba, Bells
Bill Wyman-Organ, Synthesizer, Bass, Piano, Guitar (Bass), Harpsichord, Keyboards, Marimba, Vocals, Bells
Ian Stewart-Organ, Piano, Harpsichord, Keyboards
Jack Nitzsche-Organ, Percussion, Piano, Harpsichord, Keyboards, Organ (Hammond)
Andrew Loog Oldham-Producer

I recommend "Flowers" over this CD, but Stones Fans will want to get both. NOTE: The "enhanced" (ABKCO) version of the CD does not play on my computer's (Dell Optiplex) CD drive.

Aftermath shows a tremendous leap for the band. Mick Jagger & Keith Richards were starting to bloom as songwriters and the band started to step away from the heavy R&B sounds of their earlier albums. Brian Jones was the founder and spiritual leader of the band and Aftermath contains some of his finest moments with the band. "Paint It Black" was the band's third number one single and it sounded like nothing they had done previously with it's sitar work and eerie, apocalyptic sound and doomsday lyrics. "Stupid Girl" has the lowdown, dirty vibe that would permeate alot of their future records. "Under My Thumb" is one of the all-time best Stones songs and the samba beats and controlling lyrics. "Lady Jane" sounds stately with the harpsichord, "High & Dry" moves along smoothly and the "Going Home" closes the album on a strong note.

People. One must read between the lines, or the buttons, so to squawk. Let's not quibble on this one, o.k? I am just beginning to come out of my New Year's comatose state. So.........let's see.
This is a wonderful c.d. Got it when it first came out on L.P. back in the changing 60's, and I was always impressed with the sound quality on it. Crisp, clear, every instrument coming out to greet you done in that inimitable 60's style stereo. Who could ask for more? And the diversity of the tunes! As the Beatles did with Rubber Soul, the Stones were onto the same track with this album. They went beyond popular artists to becoming recording artists. You may think they're the same - they're not. There is some real thought here on sound and song construction. A conscious effort. And it shows.
All the songs are unique and take on their own particular life. I think I'm at King Arthur's court while listening to "Lady Jane" and "I am Waiting". What is Brian playing? A dulcimer? I am at some country front porch while listening to "High and Dry" and flying into Newark Airport as "Going Home" comes across the headphones. As I said - diverse. And there is much creativity here, and in your mind, to keep you satisfied. And, unlike Mick, you can get some satisfaction here. Try creating your own scenarios as you listen.
I won't get into archival notes here. Too much work and others have done this for you in other reviews. I operate more on the emotional level. How the songs group, the underlying effect of the whole experience - the feeling upon listening. To me, that is the important thing. The great discovery in this recording is that the old adages disappeared. You didn't have to rock hard anymore. Rocking soft was another trail. And everything in between. The Stones got that key early. All songs very listenable - and the Stones are creating their own style of blues. Highly recommended!

Despite my two-star review, it is my firm belief that Aftermath is one of the best Stones albums. The thing is, this isn't that album.

Like the Beatles, the Stones were cursed with a bit of record-company duality; that is, their UK albums were often reconfigured drastically for the US. Aftermath, their first album of all-original songs, was hit harder than most, and this (its US configuration) is almost as disappointing as the US version of Revolver. It loses "What To Do," "Take It or Leave It" and "Mother's Little Helper," and one song (Out Of Time) is edited from its original 5 minute-plus length. Sure, "Paint It Black" is tacked on, but said song is availible on countless other discs. The track order is also changed heavily; what was once one of the longest and most logical of the Stones albums was irrevocably damaged.

For reasons known only to ABKCO, this bastardized American version was the only domestic US CD version availible for several years. With their 2002 remastering campaign, though, while the US version stays in print, the far-superior UK version has also been introduced. As both are priced identically, the correct choice should be obvious: the UK album presents what the Stones intended, has the unedited Out Of Time, and has several tracks not on the US version.

Verdict: Great album, but pass on this disc for the far-superior UK version (with the purple cover).

Yes, I actually prefer the bastardized version to the UK. The running order makes alot more sense with "Paint It Black" kicking things off. I like all the songs on the UK (I too bought that in 2002 to get more bang for my buck) but the stereo separation was too extreme. The stereo here sounds more balanced. I find it odd that the two UK versions I have were done in Japan (Buttons & Aftermath)while most of the US versions were made in Germany. Today, I finally broke down to purchase the US Aftermath to find that this one was indeed made in the US. Can somebody shed some light as to why this is? All the discs were a marked improvement over the '86 releases. I would not trash the UK version of Aftermath-I realize this was the original running order & song selection in England & even the stereo argument is subjective. When I first played it in 2002- I liked the wider separation mainly because I was hearing instruments & vocals in the mix much clearer for the first time. However, now that the novelty has worn off, I find the US mix to have more punch. Either way- a tremendous album. I think I'll keep both. Who knows; I may want to hear the UK version from time to time but I definitely prefer the US version even if it is abridged. 5 Stars for either version regardless of your choice.

In this album we see ( hear ) the showcasing of Brian Jones' true versatility of musicianship. In "Paint It Black" it is he
( Brian Jones ) who plays the sitar. He also plays the dulcimer,
keyboards, and marimbas. The founding member of the Stones covered all bases on this except for lead vocals.

The 4 main tunes are "paint It Black", "Stupid Girl",the haunting "Lady Jane", and every mans dream song, "Under My Thumb". The other songs are marginally good except 2: "Flight 505" (too depressing)and "Going Home" ( too damn long 11:35 ).
A good investment if you are a fan or a collector. It is OK otherwise.

I know that the Stones started in 1963 but this is where they really get good. Aftermath and Between The Buttons are my two favorite album by them.

The album starts out with the middle-eastern rocker, Paint It Black, which is a signature Rolling Stones song with its trademark sitar by Brian Jones. Next comes the poppy Stupid Girl that is light-hearted and fun. Lady Jane is my favorite Stones song(along with Let's Spend The Night Together). It is a rare song by the Rolling Stones as it is a slow and heartfelt ballad and those are hard to find in the Rolling Stones catalog; sure there's Angie and Wild Horses but I mean a ballad more along the lines of The Beatles' Yesterday. Next comes Under My Thumb with its marimba sound that creates a unavoidable groove. The rest of the songs are good but not amazing except for Flight 505 and I Am Waiting, which is one of The Rolling Stones most haunting songs to this day. It's songs like these that really does make the Stones "The Greatest Rock 'N Roll band ever." Going Home is a good song but it does drag. I'll admit that it's grown on me since I first heard it where I hated it. All in all, good album but I agree with the review who recommended Flowers over this one. With Flowers, you get Lady Jane, the highlight of the album plus Let's Spend The Night Together, Ruby Tuesday, and much much more.

The Rolling Stones' Aftermath was quite a big deal back in 1966 when it was first released. Their first album in stereo, it featured experimental instrumentation and arrangements, all songs were Jagger/Richards compositions (for the first time) and it included a #1 hit single with Paint It Black. It just got pushed to the back of the room when The Beach Boys released Pet Sounds and The Beatles followed with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band the next year. And when the Stones themselves released their classic Beggars Banquet album in 1968, Aftermath suddenly seemed like old news. It still doesn't take away the fact that Aftermath is the Stones' best early (pre-Beggars Banquet) album, and one of my personal all-time favorites from the band.

It opens with a total classic, Paint It Black. Not many songs dare to go where this one does, into the bleak and dangerous world of depression. With an Indian beat that's augmented by Brian Jones playing the sitar, the song rocks in and out of two different formats while Mick Jagger sings of living in hopelessness.

Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts
It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black

Stupid Girl is a mod/hip London scene groupie put-down, and the refined Lady Jane shows an uncharacteristically disciplined side of the band (Brian plays the harpsichord). The marimba (Brian again) and guitar rock Under My Thumb is a classic that's still playing on classic rock radio stations today, and is one of the Stones' greatest songs. Kinda hard to resist the get-even politics, isn't it?

Under my thumb
The girl who once had me down
Under my thumb
The girl who once pushed me around

The slide guitar blues of Doncha Bother Me is a real winner, and then they go bluesy country with acoustic guitars and a harmonica on High And Dry. Keith Richards shows off some nice guitar work on both. Flight 505 has an old-timey piano intro that gives way to a laid-back rock n' harmony exercise, and It's Not Easy is an irrestible toe-tapping Chuck Berry sounding rocker. I Am Waiting is a strange and hypnotic bit of country psychedelia that features the omnipotent Brian Jones on the dulcimer.

The album closes with Going Home, an eleven minute blues epic that starts out innocently enough, but then embarks on a dark, sexual and shamanistic trip into the unknown night. Mick Jagger's sensual vocal improvisations and spirit channeling over a heavy bass and harmonica blues jam won't appeal to the more tidy and polished Stones fans, but it's quite a fascinating piece of work.

Bottom line, Aftermath is an essential part of The Rolling Stones catalog and a top-notch Rolling Stones production. One of their best albums in my book.

I like the rocking flavor of "Doncha Bother Me." It has me up and dancing, moving to the beat, shaking my shoulders. Other song's on the record, especially "Think" and "Stupid Girl" have me up and dancing around the living room too. Then there are the songs you just want to sit back and listen to with the headphones on. I'm talking about "I am waiting" and "Goin' Home." You can really see the range of Mick and Keith's song writing on this record. Fast songs, slow songs, rockers and the blues, they can do it all.