[www.pastemagazine.com]

Found this on the same page as the Steve Cropper article posted by dmay.

From the original Crawdaddy! magazine, a 1967 review of Between the Buttons.

This isn't just an artifact of their history, but a way to gain of little perspective of how they were viewed back in the day.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-05-01 23:02 by loog droog.

Why do you say today?
The release date for Between The Buttons (UK) is January 20, 1967

Always fun to read old reviews ......I missed Back Street Girl

__________________________

Very interesting article written by a very young Jon Landau. His insight into the Stones at such a young age as well of his knowledge and awareness of music at that moment in time is quite impressive. Also kind of funny that the review was 3-4 months after the release. I guess another time another place!!!

Wow, quite the review. I wonder what he thought of what came after namely the big 4.

Quote
ironbelly
Why do you say today?
The release date for Between The Buttons (UK) is January 20, 1967

The review is from May 1, 1967.

Amazing review.
Rockandroll,
Mops

What a great and interesting read. It's this type of review that I used to love to read as it showed someone had actually paid attention to the music. A few years ago I got back into listening to Between The Buttons and recalled how much I liked it. I loved the takeoffs on Dylan, the Winchester Cathedral folks, etc., the first times I listened to the album. I told friends, some of whom never heard Between The Buttons, to check it out as it was one of the Stones really good early albums. Many of these folks liked the Stones but called Buttons one of the worst things they had ever heard. They couldn't exactly say why it was, for them, one of the Stones worst, just that, for a number of them, it didn't really do anything for them. I concluded it was their loss, not mine. FYI, there's a version of She Smiled Sweetly by Lindsey Buckingham that I think is rather good.

Weird ,superficial review.One mention of Brian is incorrect,he doesn’t play guitar on AmandaJones.And no mention of Brian on Ruby Tuesday?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-05-02 02:05 by Taylor1.

Quote
Taylor1
Weird ,superficial review.One mention of Brian is incorrect,he doesn’t play guitar on AmandaJones.And no mention of Brian on Ruby Tuesday?

OK, maybe inaccuracies, but how was it superficial?

I like his focus on the music. So many album reviews I read these days seem to talk about the lyrics and little else.

However I'm astounded to see BTB mentioned in them same breath as Blonde on Blonde. Its nowhere near as good. Jon Landau's judgement has always been questionable. After all, this is the guy who let Bruce put out 'Human Touch'

This is a beautiful review.

Yes,Keith’sguitar during 1964-1967 was great.Different from later years when he is also great.But the music onBetween the Buttons was heavily influenced by Brian even if he didn’t get writer’s credits.Listen to his Degree of Murder and you can hear it.To not even mention him on Buttons except for a wrong statement makes the article useless.

The fact that Brian brought colour to the songs Mick and Keith wrote is not the same as the music being influenced by Brian.

Wrong order.

How many of Keith songs in those days especially were fully finished songs that he gave to the band to record and how many were just basic chords the rest jammed on until there was a finished song.I doubt he always gave Brian a fully finished song to add color to

Quote
NICOS
Always fun to read old reviews ......I missed Back Street Girl

This the US version.

Quote
DandelionPowderman
The fact that Brian brought colour to the songs Mick and Keith wrote is not the same as the music being influenced by Brian.

Wrong order.

Agree. Still, the review as a whole is moving like a wave. Sometimes sharp and to the point, other times supervisual and sloppy. Sometimes too much focus on the lyrics, where indeed the instrumental parts are essentially more "important". Brian colouring the album in many cases somehow didn't reach the author. True, even in those days the spotlights were not on Brian as such for instance, but on the band as a whole. After all, we're talking about The Rolling Stones. All members had a distinct contribution and the sum of all marks the band's greatness. Nice review, but mediocre.


I'm a GHOST living in a ghost town

His focus on Keith's musicianship is striking. I wonder if they had met.

Quote
Taylor1
How many of Keith songs in those days especially were fully finished songs that he gave to the band to record and how many were just basic chords the rest jammed on until there was a finished song.I doubt he always gave Brian a fully finished song to add color to

A song might be 'fully finished' in terms of writing when you can perform it with a guitar round the campfire. It's not fully arranged, though, and that's where musicians in a band's job starts.

A good example from this era is Dandelion (Sometimes Happy, Sometimes Blue). When we listen to the early take with Keith on vocals and guitar, there should be no doubt about who wrote the music. Then Mick wrote lyrics and the rest of the guys embellished it.

There is no sign of Keith being inspired musically by Brian on the early take. However, it sounds like an awesome Brian-era recording after Brian and the others helped embellish it.

But it was Keith who wrote the music.







Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2021-05-04 09:55 by DandelionPowderman.

This is the earliest contemporary account I've seen that treats Keith as somewhat the creative inspiration behind the music.

UK Buttons is way better ..... Back Street Girl
and esp for the frantic rush of the Bo-Diddley
on acid style madness of Please Go Home ...... PLAY LOUD



ROCKMAN

Agree, Rockman!

Quote
wonderboy
This is the earliest contemporary account I've seen that treats Keith as somewhat the creative inspiration behind the music.

It's pretty evident throughout the Charlie Is My Darling-film as well.

It's not a great album by any stretch, U.K. or U.S. version. But the U.K. version is better. I think they tore of pieces of the U.K. version and helped patch together the U.S. 'Flowers' album.

I read a review years back that said they seemed burnt out by the album. I can see that. By this time the Beatles were off the road and spending all their time in the studio, and doing little things individually. The Stones were still on that get out a single, tour, get in the studio, put out an album treadmill. The recording of the album is uneven. But Back Street Girl and She Smiled Sweetly are up there with their best.

All in all a good review.

Like the fact he puts the focus on the sound of the record.

I do think that tone is THE most innovative factor of pop music.

Always loved Buttons. In particular the US version (sorry Rockman!).

It's by far my fav of the 3 (4 if we include Flowers) non cover records that came before the Miller era. Yes, way better than Aftermath.

As I was born one year after its release, I see it out of the context. I can't say if its strangeness is original or derivative (Obsession and Papers are quite unique recordings for the Stones' standards)


C

Quote
Rockman
UK Buttons is way better ..... Back Street Girl
and esp for the frantic rush of the Bo-Diddley
on acid style madness of Please Go Home ...... PLAY LOUD

Nice review by Landau. And spot on Rocky

Rod