Buttons is really a stand out and stand alone album the way I see it.

The production, songwriting, lyrics, the over-all sound of it is a huge step forward from Aftermath in recording terms.

The sound and tones, and more importantly, the layers of sound on each track added a whole other dimension to the music they were creating.

I think this is the starting point for the layering of sound to come on Beggars.This is where the studio became part of the band.

It's too bad they couldn't have carried this inventiveness onto T.S.M.R.
But with everything going on at the time, drug busts, Andrew gone, Brain, I can see how they lost focus.

But they really were cooking w/ Button's.

Some say it's too pop... etc...

Listen to the guitar's on M.A.J. one of the best examples of weaving and the distinct sound they never had before or since.

Ruby Tuesday - really beautiful - Brian might not have been able to write songs but he sure as hell could MAKE the song!

L.S.T.N.T. - The piano here is the rhythm, lead, and melody.

Y.P. - GREAT percussion & Charlie doing only what Charlie can do

A.S.O. -Again great stand out guitar work very closely resembling 'I Can See It", too bad it didn't at least make a b-side.

Overall great rock album. Stones in true form.

Lot's of first's here.


Very important album to have

"Well my heavy throbbers itchin' just to lay a solid rhythm down"

This is an excellent album. I think it is not discussed 'as much' as some albums, only because it is almost immediately overshadowed by the big four, which dominate the next 5 or 6 years.
I've read and may partially agree that on this album is where the 'Beatles' influence can be most heavily felt...and that might be where the the sound is very 'pop' as you've said.
Shows how good tunesmiths they are, that they can create an album like this, which may not be the groove they most naturally fit in. May also explain why they really have done anything like this since.

Fair amount of Dylan influence too.

A really interesting Stones album. Their pop, psychedelia, blues and rock influences are all on display.

like it. like it better on vinyl, cos it's really hard to do that thing with charlie's buttons on the cd cover....

It is said to be very much Charlie's album.

[www.paulinestroosnijder.com]

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the juf
It is said to be very much Charlie's album.

how so?

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cc

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the juf
It is said to be very much Charlie's album.

how so?

Have you ever noticed how loud Charlie's drums are miked on BTB?

BTB is a transition album for me, from the blues/R&B outfit they began as to the full tilt rock and roll band they became in the 68-69 period; in between, with BTB, they experimented with sounds, instruments and moods.. some ideas worked, others not so much

there's a folk feel, and a baroque feel to Buttons; it's a melting pot, almost a pre pre-curser to Exile in that regard

importantly it was the second consequtive record where Jagger/Richards penned all the tunes, establishing them as album writers per se

definte Dylan influence on BTB, what with all the 'artiness', and Dylans influence can certainly be heard on tracks like 'she smiled sweetly' ..

to me there is an air of 'competition' here, probably with the Beatles and Dylan, and with it the Stones sort of sailed off into uncharted waters .. BTB is sorta like the Stones 'Revolver' I guess

also has some of those english Kinks/Ray Davies type music hall moments as well ..but honestly the Kinks in this period were better at being the Kinks..than the Stones were at being the Kinks...

I think this is where you noticibly see Brian falling off the guitar and Keith taking over; many cool Keith riffs on this record; some great acoustic stuff on it as well

i love some of the songs - my obsession, all sold out, back street girl, connection for example - but all in all tho' its not one of my favs - but I can dig it for what it's worth; IMO it's too wordy, too Dylanesque, a little to 'Kinkish' .. for the time period.. and this area for me is not the Stones strength; their strength is full bore rock and roll, and in that department, as the world was soon to find out, nobody could touch them

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mitchflorida

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cc

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the juf
It is said to be very much Charlie's album.

how so?

Have you ever noticed how loud Charlie's drums are miked on BTB?

on some tracks, yeah maybe, but no more so than on any other Stones album. And that wouldn't answer where "it is said" that this is the case.

>It's too bad they couldn't have carried this inventiveness onto T.S.M.R.


J'adore BTB but if you're going to use the word "inventiveness" I have to disagree, I find TSMR much more "inventive" than BTB. Unfortunately the band itself seems to hold some disdain for both albums.

P.S. The UK version (as usual) slays the US release.

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KSIE
Fair amount of Dylan influence too.

A really interesting Stones album. Their pop, psychedelia, blues and rock influences are all on display.

I like it for all the same reasons. As Stones77 said, it also has that sort of English music hall influence that showed up in some of the work of the Kinks and (for better or worse) Paul McCartney. Even though it was a bit over the top at times (a dulcimer and kazoo on "Cool, Calm Collected"?) it showed that the Stones were up there with the best of them as far as pop craftsmanship. Brian Jones' best album, imo.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-06-29 06:13 by 71Tele.