The Rolling Stones: Listener's Guide

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I started the Rolling Stones in early August of 2020. They're my favorite band. I recommend listening to all the albums from their debut to Goats Head Soup (skipping Got Live If You Want It! and briefly checking out Their Satanic Majesties Request) and then listening to Some Girls. For the albums up to Between the Button, I graded the US versions except the first one. Other than Aftermath, which would probably become an A, UK versions would very likely have the same grades as the ones I graded. The Rolling Stones No. 2, which combines tracks from 12 X 5 and Now!, appears to be an A- although it's hard to say since I've never played it.

The Rolling Stones (1964): B
12 X 5 (1964): A-
Out of Our Heads (1965): B+
Aftermath (1966): A-
Got Live If You Want It! (1966): C+
Beggars Banquet (1968): A
Let It Bleed (1969): A+
"Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!": The Rolling Stones in Concert (1970): B
Sticky Fingers (1971): A-
Goats Head Soup (1973): B+
Black and Blue (1976): B
Love You Live (1977): C+
Some Girls (1978): A-
Emotional Rescue (1980): C+
Tattoo You (1981): B+
Still Life (1982): C+
Undercover (1983): C
Dirty Work (1986): B
Steel Wheels (1989): B-
Flashpoint (1991): C+
Voodoo Lounge (1994): B-
Stripped (1995): B-
Bridges to Babylon (1997): C+
A Bigger Bang (2005): B+
Some Girls (Deluxe Edition) (2011): B-
Blue & Lonesome (2016): B-
On Air (2017): A-
Hackney Diamonds (2023): B


The rough recording quality, although not likely intentional, fits the band's bad boy personas and enhances the atmosphere of the album. Keith Richard's low register guitar and Mick Jagger's often inexpressive voice also work well to establish a unique, instantly recognizable sound for the band. That said, the band needs to work on their songwriting--from what I can tell, the band didn't make any significant changes to the songs they covered and I knew "Carol" was a Chuck Berry cover within seconds of it starting. In addition, "Tell Me," the one song penned by the songwriting duo of Jagger and Richards, is not particularly impressive. Three songs to check out: "Mona (I Need You Baby)," "Little by Little," and "Walking the Dog," in which Jagger affectionately offers dog walking assistance. B

12 X 5 (1964):
"Good Times, Bad Times" and "Congratulations" show that the Stones can sound just as raw and powerful with an acoustic guitar and it's the first inkling that Richards could turn into a first-rate guitarist and songwriter. Despite this, the Stones have yet to write anything as exceptional or catchy as their contemporaries, the Beatles, although instrumentally they're nearly equal. The recordings are crisper and the arrangements are tighter than on their debut. With all the originals here being at least mildly impressive, I see no reason why a large artistic leap isn't around the corner. B [Later: A-]

While the band's songwriting is still slowly developing, the band continues growing instrumentally. The opener "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" and "You Can't Catch Me" are great examples of early rock and roll and I love the low-register guitar on the LP, particularly on "Down Home Girl" and "Heart of Stone." Jagger's voice is continuing to grow on me and Richards and Jones are becoming stellar guitarists. B+ [Later: A]

"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" perfectly captures Mick Jagger's teenage angst--okay, he was 22 when it was released, but aren't you forever a teenager in a band?--along with Richards's contribution, one of the greatest riffs of all time. "Mercy Mercy," "Playing with Fire," "The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man," and about everything else plays into the band's instrumental wheelhouse and signature groove. The band still has yet to drift much from the sound they introduced on their debut, but they're slowly climbing the ladder, perfecting their craft, and bettering their songwriting. B+

While side one of this album doesn't contain songs of poor quality, it says something that the best song is "You Better Move On," which was recorded in the band's early days. On side two, "I'm Free" is a good original and the acoustic "As Tears Go By" is easily the best song on the whole album. Outside of these, there's half-assed covers, mostly uninteresting originals, and two decent live performances. B-

Aftermath (1966): 
Not only do many of the originals sound better than the covers the Stones took so long to shed, but they've also liberated the Stones to expand their musical horizon by experimenting with different genres. "Paint It, Black" has fabulous sitar playing from Brian Jones, "High and Dry" and "I'm Waiting" are nice folk blues with the latter including a dulcimer (also played by Jones), and, at eleven and a half minutes, "Goin' Home" includes some of the first rock improvisation of the time. Jagger has honed his vocal delivery to near perfection and Jones's exotic instruments with Richards's ever-rough guitar supply wonderful rock'n'roll blues more focused and refined than ever before. A-

Got Live If You Want It! (1966): 
Jagger's voice comes out crystal clear on this live album and he certainly had a good few shows but the instruments are really fuzzy and the band did nothing radically different to these songs that might repay another listen. C+

Aftermath was the Stones's mastering of the hard and blues rock they introduced on their debut; this is their true artistic step forward. Challenging themselves in a different genre, the Stones flex their melodic songwriting. With Jones's multi-instrumental talent and Jack Nitzsche's and Ian Stewart's organ, the band create a new, inviting atmosphere. "Ruby Tuesday" and "She Smiled Sweetly" showcase the melodic, baroque rock and "Let's Spend the Night Together" and "Complicated" blend together their hard rock side with this new sound. Jagger's vocal on "Something Happened to Me Yesterday" sounds Dylan-inspired and the horns as well as the spoken word outro are pleasant and carry the album out on a high note. Aftermath is the better album, but this one has my respect. B+

Often well-written and occasionally Richards has some worthwhile guitar moments, each song also has some avante-garde instrumentation, an unnecessary exotic instrument, or irksome vocal effects that make it impossible to enjoy completely from start to finish, with the exception of "She's a Rainbow." "In Another Land" has ruinous vocal distortion, "Sing This All Together (See What Happens)" is only admirable from a distance, and "2000 Man" was ineptly mixed. At best, this is a nice, final showcase of Brian Jones's multi-instrumental talent and his contributions to the band. C+

Beggars Banquet (1968): 
"Sympathy of the Devil" is not only musically one of the strongest songs and has one of Richards's finest guitar solos, such strong lyrics (written from the Devil's perspective) are unprecedented in the Stones's music. The musical sophistication of the whole album is too. Outside of "Sympathy" and the searing rock'n'roll "Stray Cat Blues," every song includes an acoustic guitar (perhaps they took a lesson from our good friend Dylan). While I originally yearned for more electric guitar, but since I've delved into the blues, this has become the Stones' album I'll reach for the most. A

Let It Bleed (1969): 
The apocalypse on "Gimme Shelter," brewed up with Richards's signature riff, Jagger's cries for help in the lyrics, and Merry Clayton's backing vocals, make for one of the greatest songs of all time as well as the Stones' best song. The electric blues "Midnight Rambler" and "Monkey Man" similarly seem to teeter on the edge of destruction. Even acoustically, this visceral sense lingers and if it didn't, "Let It Bleed" would still have Jagger's most overtly sexual lyrics anyway. Richards gets his first lead vocal on "You Got the Silver" and it's hard to say it's not just as good as the classic "You Can't Always Get What You Want." A+

"Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!": The Rolling Stones in Concert (1970):
While there isn't a song here that's better than its original recording, "Midnight Rambler" was meant to improvised and "Sympathy for the Devil" has a great rendition and solo. Those are the two that you should check out if nothing else. The rest is pretty good too, but there's many live albums I've heard that are better, so this is a little overrated in that respect. B

While the Stones lean into their bad-boy persona on "Bitch" and "Sister Morphine" (and obviously the cover), musically they lose some of their edge. The often slick production dampers Richards's and Taylor's guitar achievements, which is otherwise the best guitar work on any Stones' record yet. Luckily for the Stones, this flaw only makes the album a small step down from Beggars Banquet. Now, let's bring it back around to "Sister Morphine," a beautiful acoustic blues which is the first of a nearly perfect three song knock-down finale that closes the album. And in case you were wondering, I like "Dead Flowers" because of the lyric "I'll be in my basement room with a needle and a spoon/And another girl to take my pain away." A-

What more is there to be said of this masterpiece? Well, much like The Basement Tapes, it doesn't at first sound like a masterpiece. Lyrics about drugs and sex aren't exactly new to the Stones--remember "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" back in 1965?--but nearing their thirties, it filters through them differently. Jagger's voice sounds more raw, irritated, and lustful than ever before and, although Richards and Taylor were already in tip-top shape on Sticky Fingers, their playing here is left in all its menacing, untouched glory, matching the lust of Jagger and adding yet another layer of grime to the album. But let’s not overanalyze; Exile on Main St. is simply the world's greatest rock'n'roll band having fun in a basement, singing and playing whatever they want, and without the production of a conventional studio to screw anything up for sixty-seven minutes. Any of its four sides could be the best side of music the Stones ever put out and the fact that the saxophones and female vocalists were overdubbed onto the songs later doesn't change a thing. What matters is that it sounds like they were all there--the band, the women, saxophone players, and probably a number of other misfits--during a crazy, drugged-out weekend, evading authorities, and using rock’n’roll to keep "Happy." A+

I'm sure the funk-tinged rock of this album can be attributed to Jagger, who wanted to experiment after the straightforward rock & roll of Exile on Main St. I appreciate the different direction and it mostly works fine, although the smooth production on the guitar reminds of that on Sticky Fingers, which I still believe dampens the excellent musicianship of the Stones. Other than "Angie," "Winter," and "100 Years Ago," the songwriting is just a little underwhelming and there are two writing failures at the end of the album: "Can You Hear the Music" and "Star Star," the latter of which almost works because the lyrics become amusing after a while. So sure, the album is somewhat disappointing, but the four consecutive album-run of Beggars to Exile is on a sacred plane and this is still recommended for Stones fans. B+

I appreciate Taylor's guitar solos, but they've always seem a little out of place in the Stones' music. That, however, matters a lot less when the songwriting (on side two especially) is their worst in ten years. With Jagger's vocals being mostly self-indulgent and "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" being an underwhelming Stones' hit, "Time Waits for No One" might be the best song because of the Taylor's lengthy solo that closes the song. "Fingerprint File" would be close if Jagger didn't render it unlistenable with his most whiny vocal performance ever. B-

Black and Blue (1976):
Maybe Ronnie Wood isn't better technically than Mick Taylor and he won't make as many great albums with the band but I already like him a great deal and he fits stylistically with Richards. The experimentation makes for quite an engaging listen despite most of this album being unexceptional--it's marginally worse than Goats Head Soup if anyone's keeping score. B

Love You Live (1977):
Only a few songs--"You Can't Always Get What You Want," "Little Red Rooster," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," and "Sympathy for the Devil"--does Keith lead the band to match the quality performances of "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out." But that's a high bar and the band mostly sounds fine--it's Jagger's lazy slurs which hinders a great deal of this from being anything worth returning to. C+

Some Girls (1978):
Of course this was influenced by the music of the time--it's their most modern-sounding album so far--but it's also grudgingly the same Stones we know. Richards has seldom shown interest in other genres besides rock'n'roll and that's what he pretty much what he plays here. Jagger even graciously contributes his quota of one dumb song lyric per album ("Some Girls" this time) ever since Goats Head Soup. Half of the songs--"Beast of Burden," "Far Away Eyes," "Before They Make Me Run" and especially "Just My Imagination" and "Miss You"--stand besides their best material and the rest is pleasant if not better. Perhaps their seventh best album, which is nothing to sneeze at. A-

Emotional Rescue (1980):
Cohesive in a way It's Only Rock 'n Roll wasn't, mostly boring in the same. Not a single standout track--even the Richards-sung "All About You" is bad. C+

Tattoo You (1981):
A strong group of songs although side one isn't very cohesive, which isn't too surprising considering the recording of the music ranges from 1972 to 1979. Interestingly, Mick Taylor's solos have never sounded better in the Stones songs. That fact bugs me because Taylor never fit perfectly with the Stones and the band always seems to lose something when striving for commerciality. Although everything is good, "Slave," with the help of the saxophone, and side two are the only things that really start me up. B+

Still Life (1982):
Basically, this is fine and, as on Love You Live, Ronnie nicely helps Richards lead the band to decent if not good renditions of their own songs. Jagger's singing is a lot less ridiculous and self-indulgent than on Love You Live, which allows for some of this to be good enough to return to. C+

Undercover (1983):
I'm starting to understand why Christgau lost some of his awe of Jagger as time went on because Jagger really should have quit trying to keep the Stones' music modern after Some Girls. Who know? Maybe if he let Richards make another roots rock album at this point they could have made another Beggars Banquet. It's unlikely, of course, but at least we wouldn't have the utterly ridiculous "Too Much Blood." Musically, it's far from this album's most muddled and overdone song--I tolerated it until I paid attention to the lyrics. C

Dirty Work (1986):
Because the album was recorded during a time when tensions between Jagger and Richards were high over the direction of the band, I'd expect this to be a disaster in the same way Undercover was, but there are a few key differences: Richards's and Wood's guitars are back in the forefront of their music and Jagger's attempts to keep the band's music modern have either mostly fallen short in execution or he's stopped being so persistence about his wishes, which makes for a successful mix of roots rock, reggae, blues, etc. Of course, the songwriting isn't their best--a result of the high tensions I assume--but Jagger is once again singing with the venom he used during their peak period. B

Steel Wheels (1989):
I'm glad that Jagger and Richards have patched up their relationship and the songs are good but let's not make this album out to be more than it is. For starters, Steel Wheels is packed to the brim for no reason. Usually, I zone out from the third song to the tenth song. That's too bad because I always enjoy "Almost Hear You Sigh" (the ninth song) if I can concentrate on it. B-

Flashpoint (1991):
I'm running out of things to say about their live albums--overall it's fine, the band is good, and Jagger doesn't do the album many favors. The nice thing about this one is that it includes songs definitely not on past live albums like "Factory Girl," "Miss You," and "Ruby Tuesday." Also, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," which has always been a highlight on their live albums. C+

Voodoo Lounge (1994):
I'm not sure if this is misleading mediocre or misleading excellent. Although I usually zone out for a decent amount of it, each time I concentrate I can hear something that makes me sure this is their some of their strongest songwriting since Tattoo You. After waiting a few extra listens for the whole thing to finally click, I give up waiting. At the very least, it's just too long. B-

Stripped (1995):
Six live recordings and eight studio performances--all songs we already know from past Stones albums although the studio ones are acoustic renditions. This is as strong as they've been in their old age but, at the same time, not a single song is better than its original version from the Stones (except "Like a Rolling Stone," a cover which hasn't been seen before). B-

Bridges to Babylon (1997):
The modernity and experimentation that Jagger brings to the album doesn't fall on its face like it usually does, but tut, tut, it's another sixty minute album that I get bored of in fifteen. C+

A Bigger Bang (2005): 
I'm not one to tout Tattoo You as an excellent album, but unfortunately it's shaping out to be the Stones' best album released after Some Girls. Fortunately though, this is close. Where Steel Wheels sounded like a good album because it was manufactured to be one, this sounds like a good album because it is. There are a number memorable riffs and, despite not being as good as their 1981 album, it's more cohesive and I figure I'll probably revisit this more. B+

Some Girls (Deluxe Edition) (2011):
Some Girls was essentially Jagger's last great achievement and the outtakes from the album are a testament to his talent for songwriting and singing when he was at his best. By the way, if you thought "Some Girls" or "Let It Bleed" was as vulgar as Jagger could get, you're damn wrong. B-

Blue & Lonesome (2016):
The instrumentals are solid as expected but the songs could have benefited from some of the Stones' signature grime--perhaps some extra fuzz or distortion on the guitar? I bet Richards took the task of recording his heroes too seriously to do something like that. B-

On Air (2017):
I know my criticisms of Jagger's vocal performances in the Stones' later career got old, but I only commented on it so often because he was so damn good in their early stuff (basically up to Exile he was flawless) and this album really shows it. A-

Hackney Diamonds (2023):
Publications everywhere are giving this album critical acclaim and no doubt it's stronger than the suspiciously AI-generated cover art makes it out to be. In fact, it's about as strong as A Bigger Bang, which means the band is still chugging even as their new album has noticable shortcomings. After the strong opening three numbers, "Bite My Head Off" clumsily tries to capture the aggressive punk sleaze of Some Girls while the decent rock verses on "Mess It Up" contrast too much with its flaccid pop chorus. Meanwhile, "Whole Wide World" sees bad boy Mick Jagger all of sudden trying to encourage the youth about the light around the corner. No doubt, it doesn't make as much sense in the Stones pantheon as "Angry" or the tough lyric "if you live like a whore, better be hardcore." Even the album’s best moments are marred by the production of Andrew Watt, who ironically co-wrote three of the best songs. Despite the production keeping the guitars grizzled like they should be, there's obvious manipulation to Jagger's voice, which I can only imagine sounded pretty good without. But though the project shows that you can't teach an old dog new tricks anymore than you capture the classic tricks with the same burst of energy, there are some truly great moments that show this band is far more powerful in their old age than their remaining 60s contemporaries. After Charlie Watts's passing before the start of a US tour, I got sour: why can't they just retire already? But they shouldn't. Even if they never reach the heights of their early career and even if enjoying this is a widespread exercise in nostalgia, I'd love to hear if they have any more shards of excellence left in their tattered bones. B