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Edward Twining

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DandelionPowderman
<because many of the songs appear pretty one dimensional, almost like throwaways.>

One-dimensional is musically a wrong description, Edward, as several of the songs had middle eights and bridges we weren't used to from the Stones.

There are three fast rockers on the album that people think of, when they imo hastily conclude with what you write here.

My experience of this album is that I find new stuff everytime I listen to it, still does. And the versatileness is impressing (all kinds of musical styles).

I really don't know why the "I was walking central park-theme" doesn't move you, or why Beast Of Burden's feel, Keith's "last cry" in BTMMR, Shattered's brilliant description of NYC or the fantastic harp playing on SG. The punch in the rockers (Imagination a throwaway??).

There is so much to be found on this album, not only light-hearted fun and humour - as many people think.

I find SOME GIRLS too lightweight, Dandelion, to put alongside the earlier Stones classics. I say the songs are one dimensional, because they are all so obvious. SOME GIRLS is perhaps the most obvious Stones album of their career, not counting some of their much later albums. 'Miss You' as i have said, i like, and also 'Beast Of Burden'.

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DandelionPowderman

Shattered and Before They Make Me Run both introduce (albeit pretty similar) the musical bridge in Stones rock songs - that means a new theme going on for some time, with different chords and harmonies. There is one in the I Got The Blues hammond solo as well - hence my surprise by your one-dimensional statement.

But I guess you saw that bridges coming...

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liddas

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DandelionPowderman

Shattered and Before They Make Me Run both introduce (albeit pretty similar) the musical bridge in Stones rock songs - that means a new theme going on for some time, with different chords and harmonies. There is one in the I Got The Blues hammond solo as well - hence my surprise by your one-dimensional statement.

But I guess you saw that bridges coming...

There are quite a few great bridges in Black and Blue too!

C

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His Majesty
DandelionPowderman is passionate about some girls.

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DandelionPowderman

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Edward Twining

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DandelionPowderman
<because many of the songs appear pretty one dimensional, almost like throwaways.>

One-dimensional is musically a wrong description, Edward, as several of the songs had middle eights and bridges we weren't used to from the Stones.

There are three fast rockers on the album that people think of, when they imo hastily conclude with what you write here.

My experience of this album is that I find new stuff everytime I listen to it, still does. And the versatileness is impressing (all kinds of musical styles).

I really don't know why the "I was walking central park-theme" doesn't move you, or why Beast Of Burden's feel, Keith's "last cry" in BTMMR, Shattered's brilliant description of NYC or the fantastic harp playing on SG. The punch in the rockers (Imagination a throwaway??).

There is so much to be found on this album, not only light-hearted fun and humour - as many people think.

I find SOME GIRLS too lightweight, Dandelion, to put alongside the earlier Stones classics. I say the songs are one dimensional, because they are all so obvious. SOME GIRLS is perhaps the most obvious Stones album of their career, not counting some of their much later albums. 'Miss You' as i have said, i like, and also 'Beast Of Burden'.

You must be thinking in chords, unexpected dynamic turns or some other way - because in my book songs like JJF, SFTD, HTW, Dancing With Mr. D, Rocks Off, Rip This Joint and many classic Stones tracks are VERY obvious.

It's how they are performed that matters, Edward. Or else, we wouldn't enjoy the blues, soul, country or boogie-songs. Most of the songs in that category only have 3 or 4 chords anyway.

Shattered and Before They Make Me Run both introduce (albeit pretty similar) the musical bridge in guitar solos on Stones rock songs - that means a new theme going on for some time, with different chords and harmonies. There is one in the I Got The Blues hammond solo as well - hence my surprise by your one-dimensional statement.

But I guess you saw those bridges coming...

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Doxa
Even though SOME GIRLS is an awesome album, and one the very best they ever have done, I think it hasn't aged so well as their classic 'big four' albums. That's an observation I made when the deluxe version was released, and it seemingly didn't as much interest and general appeal than EXILE did (the same with TEXAS LIVE in compared to LADIES AND GENTS). For me that was a surprise (and a disappointment).

It surely is their most important item they probably released since BEGGARS BANQUET but I think it has or had a certain function in their career - for them it was necessary to have a big album like that at the time - and I think it has an important status within the fardcore fans as an important part of the story, but it doesn't have any longer that kind of zeitgeist magic around it, like the big four. In 1978 The Stones really weren't so relevant any longer, but more like trying to cope with the times. In hindsight that is not any longer so exciting, and you can hear that in music. I am afraid the future history writing, as a general interest, will be rather cruel for it.

- Doxa

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DandelionPowderman

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His Majesty
DandelionPowderman is passionate about some girls.

Just like you are on Buttons, Satanic and Beggars.

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His Majesty

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DandelionPowderman

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His Majesty
DandelionPowderman is passionate about some girls.

Just like you are on Buttons, Satanic and Beggars.

That was my not very good attempt at a funny.

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DandelionPowderman
You think so, I think otherwise

For me, they're "obvious" in exactly the same way songs like Bitch, Rip This Joint and Star Star are...

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DandelionPowderman

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His Majesty

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DandelionPowderman

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His Majesty
DandelionPowderman is passionate about some girls.

Just like you are on Buttons, Satanic and Beggars.

That was my not very good attempt at a funny.

I looked past that option, of you being that cheap

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Edward Twining

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DandelionPowderman
You think so, I think otherwise

For me, they're "obvious" in exactly the same way songs like Bitch, Rip This Joint and Star Star are...

Those earlier albums, Dandelion, and especially the big 4 are just more musical, not just in a more elaborate sense, as in being more complex, but in all the components possessing more musical richness and occasional sophistication. Just listen to the slide guitar on 'No Expectations', or the changes in tempo on 'Midnight Rambler', or the choir on 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' or the brass on 'Bitch'. Not to mention those earlier songs like 'Paint It Black' with the sitar, and even right back to Brian's tasty slide playing on 'Little Red Rooster'.

SOME GIRLS, while still possessing many of the Stones longstanding stylistic attributes eg the Chuck Berry, blues and rock 'n' roll influences, also tends to simplify everything down to basics. Not that that's bad necessarily because the Stones were pretty much a basic set up in the beginning. However, i loved the early Stones, in a way because of their naivety, in an era which was also still pretty naive generally.

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GetYerAngie

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Doxa
Even though SOME GIRLS is an awesome album, and one the very best they ever have done, I think it hasn't aged so well as their classic 'big four' albums. That's an observation I made when the deluxe version was released, and it seemingly didn't as much interest and general appeal than EXILE did (the same with TEXAS LIVE in compared to LADIES AND GENTS). For me that was a surprise (and a disappointment).

It surely is their most important item they probably released since BEGGARS BANQUET but I think it has or had a certain function in their career - for them it was necessary to have a big album like that at the time - and I think it has an important status within the fardcore fans as an important part of the story, but it doesn't have any longer that kind of zeitgeist magic around it, like the big four. In 1978 The Stones really weren't so relevant any longer, but more like trying to cope with the times. In hindsight that is not any longer so exciting, and you can hear that in music. I am afraid the future history writing, as a general interest, will be rather cruel for it.

- Doxa

Your observation might be right, Doxa. But never the less I don'tthink that a sociological perspective is that relevant, when it comes to artistical qualities.
Exile might be an exception because the mythology and storytelling surrounding the album is so strong, but I don't the main audience care much for the big four either, what they care for are the compilations.
Miss You equals (and might even in some respects surpass) the best disco-tracks. Respectable almost equals the best punk-tracks (Lies makes an effort but looses), Shattered equals (and imo surpasses the upcoming hip-hop-scene at that time) but the rest of the tracks do not relate much to the zeitgeist of that time. The marvelous titeltrack is an obvious example, and Beast of Burden and Before they make me run.

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Doxa

But let's say that I have talked som much about the artistic merits of SOME GIRLS during the years here that there is not much to add...

- Doxa

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DandelionPowderman

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Edward Twining

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DandelionPowderman
You think so, I think otherwise

For me, they're "obvious" in exactly the same way songs like Bitch, Rip This Joint and Star Star are...

Those earlier albums, Dandelion, and especially the big 4 are just more musical, not just in a more elaborate sense, as in being more complex, but in all the components possessing more musical richness and occasional sophistication. Just listen to the slide guitar on 'No Expectations', or the changes in tempo on 'Midnight Rambler', or the choir on 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' or the brass on 'Bitch'. Not to mention those earlier songs like 'Paint It Black' with the sitar, and even right back to Brian's tasty slide playing on 'Little Red Rooster'.

SOME GIRLS, while still possessing many of the Stones longstanding stylistic attributes eg the Chuck Berry, blues and rock 'n' roll influences, also tends to simplify everything down to basics. Not that that's bad necessarily because the Stones were pretty much a basic set up in the beginning. However, i loved the early Stones, in a way because of their naivety, in an era which was also still pretty naive generally.

I agree with most of the things you're pointing out - only that can be said about lots of stuff on Some Girls as well.

- The harp and sax on Miss You, as well as the "I was walking Central Park-theme".
- The steel guitar on Far Away Eyes - Sheer beauty!
- The fantastic guitars on Lies
- The sore and fragile guitar interplay on Beast Of Burden
- The guitar solos and harp on the title track
- Mick going berzerk on When The Whip Comes Down
- The transformation from a ballad-like soul number, to change of pace and hard rock on Imagination
- The backdrop on Keith's lyrics on Before They Make Me Run, and the wonderful pedal steel guitar in the solo bridge - as well as Keith's performance
- The (at the time) very innovative Shattered, and it's brilliant skewed-look at NYC

I could talk all night about this album

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Edward Twining

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DandelionPowderman

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Edward Twining

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DandelionPowderman
You think so, I think otherwise

For me, they're "obvious" in exactly the same way songs like Bitch, Rip This Joint and Star Star are...

Those earlier albums, Dandelion, and especially the big 4 are just more musical, not just in a more elaborate sense, as in being more complex, but in all the components possessing more musical richness and occasional sophistication. Just listen to the slide guitar on 'No Expectations', or the changes in tempo on 'Midnight Rambler', or the choir on 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' or the brass on 'Bitch'. Not to mention those earlier songs like 'Paint It Black' with the sitar, and even right back to Brian's tasty slide playing on 'Little Red Rooster'.

SOME GIRLS, while still possessing many of the Stones longstanding stylistic attributes eg the Chuck Berry, blues and rock 'n' roll influences, also tends to simplify everything down to basics. Not that that's bad necessarily because the Stones were pretty much a basic set up in the beginning. However, i loved the early Stones, in a way because of their naivety, in an era which was also still pretty naive generally.

I agree with most of the things you're pointing out - only that can be said about lots of stuff on Some Girls as well.

- The harp and sax on Miss You, as well as the "I was walking Central Park-theme".
- The steel guitar on Far Away Eyes - Sheer beauty!
- The fantastic guitars on Lies
- The sore and fragile guitar interplay on Beast Of Burden
- The guitar solos and harp on the title track
- Mick going berzerk on When The Whip Comes Down
- The transformation from a ballad-like soul number, to change of pace and hard rock on Imagination
- The backdrop on Keith's lyrics on Before They Make Me Run, and the wonderful pedal steel guitar in the solo bridge - as well as Keith's performance
- The (at the time) very innovative Shattered, and it's brilliant skewed-look at NYC

I could talk all night about this album

Well Dandelion, you have motivated me to dig out the album and to give it another listen!!

The thing i do feel strongly about SOME GIRLS, irrespective of personal preferences is that the album has the potential to work well within a live setting, because it is a little less elaborate, and all the songs are pretty direct and to the point. I have a very soft spot for the LIVE IN TEXAS 78 dvd, and think those SOME GIRLS songs performed in that live show are pretty definitive. I believe the production on the SOME GIRLS album to be a little brittle and thin, but live, those songs come to life ever more greatly. LIVE IN TEXAS 78 is the only official live Stones DVD release which i haven't had significant reservations about - the band is literally on fire and the visual filmic quality is truly excellent - you actually feel you are up on stage with the boys, you are that close - unlike the slightly grainly and distant LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. One can argue about the lack of presence of say, Mick Taylor, on a few of the songs, where his melodic guitar may have enriched things somewhat, but to my ears that argument is largely redundant, based on the fact that the Stones interpretation had also changed and the emphasis had shifted to a more basic rock 'n' roll energy. Ronnie had suddenly found his niche. 'Beast Of Burden' is perhaps one of my favourites. Sometimes Jagger's adaptation of the punk posturing can seem a little insincere, at times, maybe - 'When The Whip Comes Down' and 'Shattered' being examples, but perhaps i am also being a little too picky.

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DandelionPowderman


You should be writing about music for a living, Edward!

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Big Al

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treaclefingers


I think he might mean Rolling Stones albums, but of course that's also wrong as we all know that is Hot Rocks at 12 million units.

Hot Rocks is their biggest selling compilation - and biggest-selling release, overall - but Some Girls is their biggest-selling studio album.

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GasLightStreet

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Big Al

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treaclefingers


I think he might mean Rolling Stones albums, but of course that's also wrong as we all know that is Hot Rocks at 12 million units.

Hot Rocks is their biggest selling compilation - and biggest-selling release, overall - but Some Girls is their biggest-selling studio album.

Those sales are mainly based when a double album counted as 2 units sold. The amount of people that bought it is half.

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StonesTod

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GasLightStreet

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Big Al

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treaclefingers


I think he might mean Rolling Stones albums, but of course that's also wrong as we all know that is Hot Rocks at 12 million units.

Hot Rocks is their biggest selling compilation - and biggest-selling release, overall - but Some Girls is their biggest-selling studio album.

Those sales are mainly based when a double album counted as 2 units sold. The amount of people that bought it is half.

what if two people bought a single copy? how does that factor into these calculations?

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His Majesty

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DandelionPowderman

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His Majesty

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DandelionPowderman

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His Majesty
DandelionPowderman is passionate about some girls.

Just like you are on Buttons, Satanic and Beggars.

That was my not very good attempt at a funny.

I looked past that option, of you being that cheap

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Edward Twining

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DandelionPowderman
You think so, I think otherwise

For me, they're "obvious" in exactly the same way songs like Bitch, Rip This Joint and Star Star are...

Those earlier albums, Dandelion, and especially the big 4 are just more musical, not just in a more elaborate sense, as in being more complex, but in all the components possessing more musical richness and occasional sophistication. Just listen to the slide guitar on 'No Expectations', or the changes in tempo on 'Midnight Rambler', or the choir on 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' or the brass on 'Bitch'. Not to mention those earlier songs like 'Paint It Black' with the sitar, and even right back to Brian's tasty slide playing on 'Little Red Rooster'.

SOME GIRLS, while still possessing many of the Stones longstanding stylistic attributes eg the Chuck Berry, blues and rock 'n' roll influences, also tends to simplify everything down to basics. Not that that's bad necessarily because the Stones were pretty much a basic set up in the beginning. However, i loved the early Stones, in a way because of their naivety, in an era which was also still pretty naive generally.