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Sleepy City

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LieB
Possibly the Stones worst album pre-Dirty Work. It's a toss up between that one and Black And Blue. What I don't like with it is it's hodgepodge mix and flat sound. Goats Head Soup, for instance, has more coherence, better songs and a much more interesting and pleasing vibe overall.

Emotional Rescue is by far their worst album imo (yes, worse than Dirty Work).

I had stayed away from ER and put off buying it fo ryears because I thought it was so weak. Just recently got it and I actually love it.

The worst for me is Undercover followed closely by Voodoo Lounge.

I'd seriously rather listen to Dirty Work than either of those.

IORR was my favorite for a long time, probably 'cause my first RS record was GHS, so naturally the next one I was gonna like even more. I think due to the length of each side ( I think they're around 25 minutes each) might be responsible for the muddy mix. I think if one album deserves a remaster (or remix) to boost the high-end a bit it's this one.

Probably the album from the late 60s onward that I play the least. The muddy mix just makes me cringe every time. Plus, IYRWTBMF and Short and Curlies do nothing for me.

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KeefintheNight82
The worst for me is Undercover followed closely by Voodoo Lounge.

I'd seriously rather listen to Dirty Work than either of those.

I'm inclined to agree. I really can't understand why so many people like those Stones-by-numbers riff-songs on Voodoo Lounge (Bridges To Babylon was far superior!).

Masterpiece! Classic Rolling Stones.

Some of the songs are among my favourites (IYCRM and FF).

There are many weak songs, though (IYRWTBMF, S&C, DLS)

As a whole, it's a mediocre Stones album, imo.

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Havo
In my opinion the most underrated Stones album.

Thought you said that about Aftermath for about 46 years.....

I am obsessed with Luxury. I can play it for hours.

Some good songs on there, Short and Curlies, Fingerprint File, If You Really Want To Be My Friend.

I think it's just an overlooked album.

Very good title for the album on which the only 5/5 song is: It's only rock'n'roll but I like it...


John Keith Eric

2 1 2 0

If You Really Wanna Be My Friend and Short & Curlies are weak.

Til The Next Goodbye isn't really one of their better ballads either.

If You Cant Rock Me - a bit cliched, good tune though, and worked very well live on the Licks tour.

The rest is top drawer stuff, though.

Agree with sirdoug that it was a bit better than GHS, but still quite a bit below the period that had preceeded those two records. And the production could have been better.

Highlights - Fingerprint File, Taylor's coda on Time Waits for No One (makes up for some pretentious lyrics), a terrific cover of an already terrific Temptations classic and the chaotic brilliance of the last 90 seconds or so of the title track as the tempo goes a bit haywire and threatens to fall apart at any time.

It's not a great album but a good one. It's upbeat and up tempo generally whereas Goat's Head Soup, which has the far better songs, is a little jaded, reflective and badly recorded.

I guess like most of their other work, it reflects the times and there really wasn't much to get excited about in 74, in terms of music. Favourite songs are Luxury, Time Waits For No One, Dance Little Sister, Fingerprint File and the title track.

This week's chart action of the Stones in Tokyo.

IORR is solid enough. There are some decent tunes and some which are perhaps of less merit. I like the title track and enjoy several of the other tracks very much. Short and Curlies is the only real duffer.

The production is questionable, to be diplomatic.

What are the Bsides and outakes from this one?

If 'Through the Lonely Nights' is from this album, I think it's better than several songs on the album and could have been a good one if included.

What about 'waiting on a friend'? Is it an outtake from this album?

Possibly could have been some stronger stuff on the album.

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Big Al
IORR is solid enough. There are some decent tunes and some which are perhaps of less merit. I like the title track and enjoy several of the other tracks very much. Short and Curlies is the only real duffer.

Yes, agree. And I love IFYCRM although it came alive in 1975 and 1976.

It's an awkward sounding album for me. The sounds are a bit lifeless...but still an album I quite enjoy nevertheless.

Context is important too. Goats Head Soup was seen as a less than successful album, somewhat like Emotional Rescue being the followup to Some Girls. Goats Head Soup succeeded Exile and the expectations were high. Goats Head Soup was kind of dismissed, with a lot of good will given the band for the four masterful albums that had preceded it. Therefore 'It's Only Rock and Roll' was anticipated as a makeup for Goats Head Soup. But it simply couldn't live up to what people had expected of the Rolling Stones. I think if we were honest with ourselves, they never would be better than Exile.

As the single for the album, IORR was also slammed as not being in the league of their last major hit, Angie, which was a world wide smash. The album did lack some of the depth of even Goats Head Soup. IORR's followup, Black and Blue, was a bigger head scratcher for fans, with no hit single, and only 8 cuts! It wasn't until Some Girls that they regained some of their aura. But looking back, IORR is a much better album than generally agreed upon. It's biggest sin was not being in the same golden circle of the Stones' earlier work.

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KeefintheNight82
What are the Bsides and outakes from this one?

If 'Through the Lonely Nights' is from this album, I think it's better than several songs on the album and could have been a good one if included.

What about 'waiting on a friend'? Is it an outtake from this album?

Possibly could have been some stronger stuff on the album.

Through The Lonely Nights was fromn the GHS sessions. Sounds like it too, in a good way. It has the melancholia that several of the GHS songs had. IORR was more of a scattershot approach.

great album!

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LieB
Possibly the Stones worst album pre-Dirty Work.

+1

how could a band this successful make such a poorly produced album?

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cc

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LieB
Possibly the Stones worst album pre-Dirty Work.

+1

how could a band this successful make such a poorly produced album?

-1 there is nothing wrong with this album...better than GHS.

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treaclefingers

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cc

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LieB
Possibly the Stones worst album pre-Dirty Work.

+1

how could a band this successful make such a poorly produced album?

-1 there is nothing wrong with this album...better than GHS.

NOT better than GHS. At least that record had some songs with actual feeling: 100 Years Ago, Winter, Coming Down Again. Not so with IORR, which had a few rock throwaways, a stale ballad, a fairly mediocre Motown cover, an ok funk workout, and possibly their weakest single to date.

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71Tele

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treaclefingers

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cc

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LieB
Possibly the Stones worst album pre-Dirty Work.

+1

how could a band this successful make such a poorly produced album?

-1 there is nothing wrong with this album...better than GHS.

NOT better than GHS. At least that record had some songs with actual feeling: 100 Years Ago, Winter, Coming Down Again. Not so with IORR, which had a few rock throwaways, a stale ballad, a fairly mediocre Motown cover, an ok funk workout, and possibly their weakest single to date.

and GHS had their greatest? an overly emotive ballad as the lead single, and honestly probably the first or second best song on the album? what's better, dancing with mr. d, (wannabe sftd), star star (gratuitous use of expletives to mask a BORING chuckberry ripoff), Silver Train (didn't they do this song already an album before, only WAY better as All Down The Line?)?

The only truly classic song on the album is Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker). That actually is a good song.

Winter is just dreary...which probably encapsulates my overall feeling for this album.

Sorry about the rant!

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71Tele

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treaclefingers

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cc

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LieB
Possibly the Stones worst album pre-Dirty Work.

+1

how could a band this successful make such a poorly produced album?

-1 there is nothing wrong with this album...better than GHS.

NOT better than GHS. At least that record had some songs with actual feeling: 100 Years Ago, Winter, Coming Down Again. Not so with IORR, which had a few rock throwaways, a stale ballad, a fairly mediocre Motown cover, an ok funk workout, and possibly their weakest single to date.

No rockers on GHS are better than IYCRM, imo.

I too think that CDA is better than the ballads on IORR, but do you really find TWFNO stale?

And FF is WAY better than 100 Years Ago, imo.

Still, I like GHS the most, but that´s mainly due to the horrendous sound on IORR.

I love it, even the more throwaway stuff (DLS,SAC). In fact ,i probably play it more than the couple of the 'big four' even though i understand it's not as significant in the wider scheme of things.

Fingerprint File, Time waits for no one, Till the next Goodbye, If You really want to be my friend, Luxury.........great stuff

The only weak one to me is If You Cant Rock Me, stones by numbers.

There are many albums I love despite them having terrible, or really dated, production. (The Stooges' original mix of Raw Power is pretty insane, for example.) IORR would certainly have been better with a more lively sound, but for me, I think the main problem is just the song material.

Great songs + lame sound = good record
Bad songs + great sound = bad record

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still ill
I love it, even the more throwaway stuff (DLS,SAC). In fact ,i probably play it more than the couple of the 'big four' even though i understand it's not as significant in the wider scheme of things.

Fingerprint File, Time waits for no one, Till the next Goodbye, If You really want to be my friend, Luxury.........great stuff

The only weak one to me is If You Cant Rock Me, stones by numbers.

blasphemy!

im amazed by the lack of appreciation here especially for Short & Curlies - whats not to like ?
a great , fun song , good harmonies , keith at his very best ,funny lyrics .
dance LS is a great one taker.
aint too PTB nice version, amazing originality in keiths solo. maybe they should finish the covers album
the ballads are all good.
luxury, another fun song with phony accent.
and FINGERPRINT FILE ,how can you not love this song ? fantastic arrangement, great closer.

more comedy songs on this album than before, just sit back and enjoy them.