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DandelionPowderman

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matxil

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DandelionPowderman

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matxil
Their discography was a bit confusing at that time. Is this the UK or the US version? This is their second album, right?
I know a similar second album, but without Mona (which was on their first), without Little Red Rooster and - I think - without Heart of Stone.
As such, I never liked their second album very much, apart from Down The Road Apiece, which is perfection. The other remaining songs I always found a bit weak, compared to what was on their first album and their third (which would be "Out Of Their Heads", the UK version), which I both like very much.

It's their third US album. 12X5 was their second.

Their second european album was «No 2».

Was there any reason why they had this odd discography those first years? Or did all bands have similar tactics? The Beatles, as far as know, brought out the same albums on both sides of the atlantic. But maybe they were more succesful right from the start in the US?

The Beatles had different albums in the US as well.


Info about the Beatles's US albums here

By and large, there were no tracks issued as singles or EPs on any UK album apart from hits compilations.
The only exceptions were "Little By Little", the 'b' side of "Not Fade Away" and on the first UK album, and "YCAGWYW", the 'b' side of "Honky Tonk Women" and very much shorter than the "Let It Bleed" version.
This convention did't apply in the US so they had more songs to fill albums out with.


"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

Yep.
And were The Beatles had absolutely no say on the US tracklists, Andrew and The Stones did put together the US albums themselves, until 1967. Even "Flowers" was a Stones creation.

One of their best early-period-albums, truly wonderful and always a treat to listen to. There isnt a single weak song to find on it, no matter how hard you might try. In that way it reminds me very much of Dirty Work, although both albums are very different musically. Everyone is so focused on the "big four" that their earlier (album)work sometimes got a bit neglected unfortunately. They were such a great band in the early and mid 60s.

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DandelionPowderman
The cassette version of this album is interesting. The songs are in a different order, and the freaky/different version of ENSTL is included. Cool!

Can you elaborate please. .. is it the same version as on the UK album?

One of my fav albums. Bought it when first released, needed a second vinyl and a CD of it. Down the Road, great, even Springsteen has performed it. Any new songs or covers similar to it would be great. Excellent sound!

Entire album is great. My favs, can't pick a #1:

Down Home Girl
Mona (I Need You Baby)
Down the Road Apiece
Little Red Rooster

The Rolling Stones, NOW - My rating 5 out of 10

Mostly a reshuffled version of "The Rolling Stones No. 2", this is another reminder that these early albums are repackaged material between the UK and the US. It would still be a few years before an album felt like one unified work instead of a haphazard collection of singles and b sides.

1. Everybody Needs Somebody to Love - For some reason this always feels uninspired. I wouldn't hesitate to add a live version of this song by the Stones to a playlist, but for me the studio version is forgettable.

2. Down Home Girl - Interesting to hear one of the earliest Stones songs to invoke race and sex.

3. You Can't Catch Me - Efficient rock and roll.

4. Heart of Stone - This song is a true Rolling Stones classic. Iconic vocals and sweet guitar work.

5. What a Shame - Not super exceptional, but still a nice, solid blues number.

6. Mona (I Need You Baby)- A sub-par minimalist rewrite of "Bo Diddley", I think this one is eminently skippable.

7. Down the Road Apiece - Enjoyable Chuck Berry-esque rocker with some fun guitars, but hardly essential.

8. Off the Hook - This is just a silly little ditty that sounds incredibly dated now, and a little sloppy in the performance as well. It's almost a novelty song. But come on, how can anyone not like this tune?

9. Pain in My Heart - This one wasn't working for me very much at all in songwriting or performance. The different elements added up to less than the sum of its parts.

10. Oh Baby! (We Got a Good Thing Goin') - Okay, not terrible, but ultimately forgettable.

11. Little Red Rooster - Super tasty guitar on this blues classic. Love the sound of the guitars. Also some fantastic drumming and nice restrained vocals.

12. Surprise, Surprise - There's a nice guitar solo, the verses are okay, but I've never been a fan of the musical refrain in this song. I would leave it off any of my playlists.

Keepers: Down Home Girl, You Can't Catch Me, Heart of Stone, What a Shame, Off the Hook, Little Red Rooster