Best song on the album.

for me one of the best songs on the album, always liked it. it´s just fun and doesn´t aspire to greatness. the stones didn´t take them too seriously on this one...

Not a highlight of the album in any way. However, to me "Short And Curlies"'s prime function is to balance, at the same time both separate and bind together the potentially two best songs of the album. That function "Short And Curlies" performs very well, being in itself a more discreet song, but neither indifferent nor a "Stones- by - numbers" song. (Something which, "Stones - by numbers", very few Stones songs really are, in my opinion.)

"short and curlies" is good,nothing more nothing less, and its only rock and roll is an underrated album.

I always liked the whole vinyl IORR with some outstanding tracks, Short And Curlies is nice to listen to.

Funny track, and funny the fact that nobody did speak a word on Stu. Did anybody there's a magnificent piano track here? Your ears can just make focus on Taylor?

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"I'm gonna walk... before they make me run"

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Here's a guy who's learned the bass line - pretty impressive:

A b-movie stones track. It would've made for a fun outtake but the decision to leave out far surperior material for this, is still, four decades later a head-scratching one. Maybe it was a way to show off Stu on a Stones track.

Underrated song.


Bill is humbly but strongly holding the whole song. As usual.

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wandering spirit
for me one of the best songs on the album, always liked it. it´s just fun and doesn´t aspire to greatness. the stones didn´t take them too seriously on this one...

Yep. That's what makes it more than filler - it is funny and lighthearted. This was a down time for the Stones, not in a bad way - it was just different. The first time I heard IORR and GHS and sogs like Short/Curlies, Coming Down Again, Fingerprint File, Luxury, or Hide Your Love, is that the Stones sound lowkey and casual, and that was a nice contrast to the the 68-72 era, and the later Some Girls era....
Its like the Stones were on vacation. They can't be angry and dark all the time...Don't overthink it, just take for what it was meant to be: a light-hearted song about a guy whose woman has him by the cojones, and that's funny.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-04 00:26 by stupidguy2.

I think it's a great funny and happy song....I love the swing in it ...Oh, it's a shame Ah but it's funny She crashed your car She spend your money

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NICOS
I think it's a great funny and happy song....I love the swing in it ...Oh, it's a shame Ah but it's funny She crashed your car She spend your money

Agreed. I especially like the lyric you quote. A sense of humor is always a good thing.

Great song

.... be a laugh ta hear some female artist do an answer-record to this one ...



ROCKMAN

Love the song as well as the album! One those song's that you never hear and on the rare occasion when you do... it transports you back in time.

A riff in search of a song.

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Bärs
Here's a guy who's learned the bass line - pretty impressive:

Never realized Bill could play like that.

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LuxuryStones

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Bärs
Here's a guy who's learned the bass line - pretty impressive:

Never realized Bill could play like that.

Fur sure there will be someone who will say ....this ain't Bill

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Filler my arse

It is funny, and it swings. I'd call it the second okay okay, the fifth-best track (ex aequo) on the album.
It didn't need all those "it's too bad it's too bad it's so sad it's too bad", though -
one of the dangers of easy access to cocaine I reckon :E



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-22 22:23 by with sssoul.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-03-28 15:43 by camper88.

I love this song. To me it's everything the Stones are about; it swings, great tune, great vocals - quite surprised that so many people dislike it tbh.

it's alright, nothing bad about it. but it's never a song I've put on to listen to.

The music isn't really all that bad, if the mix was a bit different or they were using their current set ups I think this would be a great bar room tune. The lyrics are a bit lame and cliche and the vocal delivery is a bit weak, imo. But I'll bet it was fun for them to play.

As far as "filler" goes, I don't think that term applies to any band making a record. I mean their going to put the best stuff they have on the record and I doubt anyone selects cuts for their record thinking "ok let's put a filler in here". Everyone wants to make a record with all decent songs. We as listeners may not like tunes and decide to call them fillers, but the term implies it was somehow intentional to slip a sub-standard tune in the order. CS Blues might be the only Stones song you could call a filler.


peace

I need to confess that of all 70's Rolling Stones records, IT'S ONLY ROCK'N'ROLL has least impressed me, and now to think of that, I most likely have also least listened to it. And of all of its tracks, "Short And Curlies" is the one with the least impression...

So what to say of it? There is nothing wrong with it, a fun little rhythm&blues number. Probably a damn great number for any other group, but not for the one who had just a while ago released albums like EXILE ON MAIN STREET. After the melancholic, reflective GOATS HEAD SOUP the band seemingly wanted to showcase some great rock and roll spirit, but, however, the elixir of EXILE wasn't to be used to easily again. Or that it would sound so fresh and vital again. Like in many tracks of ONLY ROCK'N'ROLL the danger of repitition - "Stones-by-numbers" - is a real threat, and "Short And Curlies" falls into that category.

So all in all, there is nothing wrong with it, like I said, but at the same time there is nothing much to be remembered either, and a Rolling Stones track without a significance is doomed to be a filler-like thing. But that's only because the band just had such a high quality standard back then. They weren't build for mediocricy. Or repitition yet. But even in their weakest, and the least inspirational, they still were damn good.

- Doxa



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-22 01:23 by Doxa.

But one positive thing about "Short And Curlies" needs to be said: over-all IT'S ONLY ROCK'N'ROLL sounds a bit uptight record to my ears (partly due to bad production, but also due to performances and song ideas as well), but "Short And Curlies" is an exception. It really is relaxed, naturally groovy piece. The most-EXILE like number by spirit.

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-22 01:41 by Doxa.

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DandelionPowderman
The only Taylor lead is in the very beginning of the song. After that, Keith takes over. But the slide in the beginning (first seconds) is indeed tasty.

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guezeg
I was frankly suprised when I read that Keith plays the lead on this one. The lead has some lazyness I usually associate with Mick Taylor and I cannot think of another lead by Keith sounding like this one...

To my ears, Mick Taylor plays slide throughout the song, panned to the right, lower in the mix than Keith, who is slightly to the left. For example at 0:57 it sounds like Taylor, a bit reminiscent of Stop Breaking Down in sound and touch. Could be Keith though.

Terrible terrible terrible lousy track!! Hate this song on the album.

Can't understand why people like this song??! It's just plain awful!
But hey, it's a matter of taste...

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black n blue
Filler my arse

With'a what?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-12-22 07:01 by bitusa2012.

Rock & roll, swing, boogie...............a very simple song, but with all the flavour and essential ingredientes
I enjoy it
A filler? Maybe. A gem? probably. A nice Stone song? Surely