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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful and varied, March 21, 2006
This review is from: Some Girls (O-Card) (Audio CD)
This 1978 release from The Stones offers an impressive variety of styles, from their take on disco in the sublime Miss You to the humorous country of Far Away Eyes to the rock balladry of Beast Of Burden. Not many Stones albums offer such a variety of musical styles.
The rock tracks are tough and uncompromising, like the decadent When The Whip Comes Down, the acidic title track and the anthemic Before They Make Me Run. They also do a brilliant cover of the Temptations' classic Just My Imagination, giving it a much rawer soul sound.
It is clear that this album was a response to Punk and Disco, the two styles prevalent from the mid 1970s to the end of that decade. Without a doubt the Stones pulled it off very well as the aforementioned Miss You was a huge hit and has stood the test of time very well: it's mid-tempo dance track with subdued vocals, lovely ooh-ooh choruses and a genuine nightlife feel.
The country song Far Away Eyes is equally mesmerising, as Mick sings in a real country accent about a truck driver on the way to visit his girlfriend while listening to a gospel station. Although it's a parody, I find it very charming and very "genuine" in another sense. It was the flipside of Miss You and probably contributed to this seven single reaching Number One.
The songs are uniformly good with great tunes and plenty of attitude. Some Girls may not be considered as one of their top 5 classics of all time but I find myself returning to it again and again. Some Girls is a solid body of work with many highlights.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
(4.5 stars) As good as "they" say it is, February 1, 2008
This review is from: Some Girls (O-Card) (Audio CD)
This is the yardstick everyone measures late-period Stones against. Seriously, whenever the Stones put something out, if it's good it's "their best since Some Girls". And I'll tell you why, too: the last truly fantastic record the Stones ever put out. "Truly fantastic" differs from "Good", of course - I don't exactly fall into the camp that believes the Stones magically lost their Midas touch after this came out. But there's not much doubt in my mind that they've been rather inconsistent since the '80s, and this was their last grasp at true excellence, rather than simply goodness. It's not perfect, though. I'm no fan of the discofied "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" - I'll take the Temptations original over it any day, and "Lies" is a lazily written punk song that's little more than a ton of anger. But in other places they play up the punk and disco influences quite well. The group's attitude in the '60s was definitely punkish, inspiring groups such as the Stooges and New York Dolls, so it makes sense they try a style that they helped pioneer. Other punk songs, "When the Whip Comes Down", with VU-esque lyrics about homosexuality and decadence; the hilarious, hypersexual "Shattered", and the satiric triple-guitar assault "Respectable", come off much better. And the disco track "Miss You" is some of the best disco I've ever heard, with a fantastic bass line, even better sax solo, and all kinds of efficient hooks. A couple songs that are neither punk nor disco work just well, too: the anachronistic slightly boogie of "Before They Make Me Run", Keith's critical look at his drug problems; the funky, so exaggeratingly sexist it's gotta be ironic title song; the lush ballad "Beast of Burden", proving Mick's strength as a vocalist; and the hilarious televangelist send-up "Far Away Eyes", a straight-up country song. Stereotypical as it is to say this, Some Girls is definitely one of their best albums. Oh, and I don't buy all the "big-time comeback" stuff about this release - I really enjoy the group's mid-'70s discs, Goats Head Soup, It's Only Rock `n' Roll, and Black and Blue. Those three are just screaming for reevaluation. But that's another story. By the way, it's worth noting that the album versions of "Miss You" and "Beast of Burden" are, as you'd expect, much better than the single edits.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Comeback Album, November 14, 2006
This review is from: Some Girls (O-Card) (Audio CD)
Comeback album? Yeah, after Exile on Main St. in '72 the Stones put out three sub-par albums in a row; Goat's Head Soup, It's Only Rock and Roll, and Black and Blue. While those albums had memorable tracks, the fans (and critics) had to wonder if the stones were capable of a solid release again. Some Girls took care of any doubts. There's no denying the punk influence on this record. Songs like Lies, When the Whip Comes Down, and Shattered are raw, gritty, with harsh lyrics to boot. While not sounding punk, the Stones used the punk "attitude" to their advantage. There really isn't a dud on this record. I find all the tracks listenable, from the disco influenced Miss You to the country mockery Far Away Eyes. Still, my favorite will always be the soulful Beast Of Burden, especially Mick's rant in the middle; "Am I rough enough, am I tough enough, am I rich enough, in love enough"? As a Stones fan (and critic, at times), this is one album I feel is a must have.
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