Now

The Rolling Stones | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Abkco
• ASIN: B000003BE1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #136,895 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Everybody Needs Somebody to Love

2. Down Home Girl

3. You Can't Catch Me

4. Heart of Stone

5. What a Shame

6. Mona (I Need You Baby)

7. Down the Road a Piece

8. Off the Hook

9. Pain in My Heart

10. Oh Baby (We Got a Good Thing Goin')

11. Little Red Rooster

12. Surprise, Surprise

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST example of the early, hungry & pure Rolling Stones., August 18, 1999

By 

Larry Butterton (Apex, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Now (Audio CD)

Perhaps the best "true" Rolling Stones. "You Can't Catch Me" and "Down The Road Apiece" are on fire and cut the master's (Chuck Berry) original versions. "Down Home Girl", "What A Shame", and "Mona (I Need You Baby)" are THE essence of the original Rolling Stones, and show Brian Jone's remarkable talent and leadership; "Little Red Rooster" is arguably the best Stone's blues ever recorded. "Heart Of Stone" and "Pain In My Heart" are the soul(ful) songs of the set. The only disappointment is "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love", a Wilson Pickett tune: the original (and GREAT!) version is on the vinyl and cassete sets, but someone (unknowingly or uncaring) put a second rate version on the CD. If you can find this album on vinyl or cassette, the oringinal opening song is worth the price. Play it LOUD!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jones and the Stones, January 10, 2000

By 

Kendal Paget (Tallahassee,Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Now (Audio CD)

Probably Brian's best work with the Stones as a Blues player;the last album to present themselves as such before the mega hits."Little Red Rooster" is one of the highlites for it's threatening slide and even powerful vocal.The Chuck Berry covers are always some of the Stones best tracks,always fun.( with attitude! )A lost gem,'Heart of stone" seems to have been an effort the band was setting fire to.The lead guitar on the break,is some of the best found on any Stones work.It appears that Brian and Keith trade off lead parts although it may well have been just Brian.(playing a white Vox "tear drop" guitar.) For anyone who used to like the Stones when they were really the "Rolling Stones" ....this album is a must.Brian Jones at his guitar playing best,maybe the Stones best (and last) Blues albums ever.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brian's Original Blues Band, July 14, 2002

By 

Richard R. Carlton (Ada, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Now (Audio CD)

More than any other Stones release, Now! showcases the original blues band that Brian was always so proud of. The way I heard the story, Brain used to play tracks from this era to show how good the band was before Mick and Keith took over. These included Down The Road Apiece, Little Red Rooster, Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, Bright Lights Big City, Down In The Bottom, & Road Runner (the 1st 3 of which are on Now!, the others were never released - except on bootlegs). Personally, I think Down The Road Apiece is the absolute best song they recorded during this period. The guitar work is so good that one reviewer here on Amazon even suggested it was Chuck Berry.....nope....it was Brian.....Chuck was never that good.

To understand the impact Mick had on the British scene, all you have to do is listen to Everybody Needs Somebody To Love. His command is impressive and this is really the first time you get to glimpse the superstar he was to become.

You Can't Catch Me is a great tribute to Berry, personally I've always liked Oh Baby (although many people, including the Stones themselves considered it a throwaway). Off The Hook is a decent early Mick & Keith song (although not good enough for Mick to keep putting it on all those greatest hits albums to generate songwriting royalities). Down Home Girl has resonated through my thoughts for over 30 years now....it just won't leave me alone, but neither will Down The Road Apiece, so to me these two are the reason you keep a good copy of Now! in your collection.

Released on April 16, 1964, this album was to be the American release of The Rolling Stones No. 2. As was common at the time, the American execs tampered with the original design of the album, substituting the new American hit Heart of Stone for Time Is On My Side and eliminating Grown Up Wrong, Under The Boardwalk, I Can't Be Satisfied, and Suzie-Q.

The tracks Mona, Oh Baby, Little Red Rooster, and Surprise Surprise were not on the UK release of No. 2, although Little Red Rooster was released as a single and became one of their signature songs in the UK.