#330 The Rolling Stones, 'Aftermath' (1966)

Previously #109

The Rolling Stones’ fourth album and their first consisting solely of songs composed by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. But for me, this album belongs to Brian Jones and Charlie Watts. On this record, Jones made a marked effort to experiment with instruments not usually heard in popular music; sitar, Appalachian dulcimer, Japanese koto and marimbas. What would ‘Paint It, Black’ be without Jones’s sitar melody? Or ‘Under My Thumb’ without the marimbas. Jones makes those songs. And similarly, what would ‘Paint It, Black’ be without the intense, yet simple drumming of Charlie Watts? Watts gives each song just what it needs, no more and no less. Another case in point, his simple drum roll lead into ‘Stupid Girl.’ Simple, yet effective. Back To Jones and his dulcimer on ‘Lady Jane.’ Another example of how his contributions make the song. 

For the most part, the Stones all but abandoned their Chicago Blues sound opting to explore pop, folk, country, psychedelia and Baroque music, with the exception of ‘Doncha Bother Me,’ because what’s a Stones record without a bit of blues? Lastly, the piano intro by Rolling Stones founder, Ian Stewart, on ‘Flight 505’ is nothing short of superb. The album topped the UK charts for 8 weeks and was a real turning point in music where albums started replacing singles as the industry’s dominant product. Arguably the first great Rolling Stones record.

#rs500albums