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Monday 14 December 2009

Aftermath (Mono) (1966)




This is the mid 60s masterpiece by the Stones, but it's not an album I've found easy to get into as the stereo mix is awful, and I have never been able to track down a mono version. Until now! The problem is that all the backing tracks are panned into one speaker and the overdubs and vocals are panned in the other at a louder volume. But no longer! So now, feast your ears upon the album the way it was intended. Lovely stuff!

Download It Here

1."Mother's Little Helper"
2."Stupid Girl"
3."Lady Jane"
4."Under My Thumb"
5."Doncha Bother Me"
6."Goin' Home"
7."Flight 505"
8."High and Dry"
9."Out of Time"
10."It's Not Easy"
11."I Am Waiting"
12."Take It or Leave It"
13."Think"
14."What to Do"
bonus
15.Ride On Babe
16.Sittin On A Fence
17.My Girl
18.Out Of Time (US Version)

Tuesday 8 December 2009

The Rolling Stones No.2 (Mono) (1964) (Re-post)


The second Stones album carries on where the first left off, though not as good as the debut, this still has has many great tracks on it. Down The Road Apiece, Down Home Girl, Time Is On My Side, there's plenty to recommend it, but tracks like Solomon Burke's Everybody Needs Somebody To Love or The Drifter's Under The Boardwalk are a little out of their league. For the most part this is a good album, much better than it's butchered US counterparts 12x5 and Now!

1. "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" (Solomon Burke/Bert Berns/Jerry Wexler)
2. "Down Home Girl" (Jerry Leiber/Arthur Butler)
3. "You Can't Catch Me" (Chuck Berry)
4. "Time Is on My Side" (Jerry Ragovoy)
5. "What a Shame"
6. "Grown Up Wrong"
7. "Down the Road Apiece" (Don Raye)
8. "Under the Boardwalk" (Arthur Resnick/Kenny Young)
9. "I Can't Be Satisfied" (Muddy Waters)
10."Pain in My Heart" (Allen Toussaint)
11."Off the Hook"
12."Susie Q" (Dale Hawkins/Stan Lewis/Eleanor Broadwater)

Download it here

Monday 7 December 2009

Got Live If You Want It EP (Mono) (1965)


This is no relation to the US album of the same name. This is an EP that was a UK only release, not currently available in any format. So grab it now!
Download It Here

The Rolling Stones Ep (Mono) (1964) (Re-post)


The first Stones Ep is a bit of a gem. Fantastic version of The Coaster's Poison Ivy, Arthur Alexander's You Better Move On, Barrett Strong's Money, and Chuck Berry's Bye Bye Johnny. None of these tunes appeared on the UK albums, a must for all fans.

"Bye Bye Johnny" (Chuck Berry)
"Money" (Berry Gordy/Janie Bradford)
"You Better Move On" (Arthur Alexander)
"Poison Ivy" (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)

Download it here


The Rolling Stones (Mono) (1964)




This is the first UK album by the Stones, and despite the covers heavy tracklisting, it's one of their best. At the start the band were blues and R&B evangelists, most people in Britain and America were unaware of Jimmy Reed, Bo Diddley and Muddy Waters, the Stones soon changed that by making that music popular and telling their public to check out the original versions. Route 66, I Just Wanna Make Love To You, Carol, Honest I Do, none of these songs were written by the band, but the interpretations are all their own. This is a fine rock and roll album, and one you should get your kicks on...

Download it here

1. "Route 66" (Bobby Troup)
2. "I Just Want to Make Love to You" (Willie Dixon)
3. "Honest I Do" (Jimmy Reed)
4. "Mona (I Need You Baby)" (Ellas McDaniel)
5. "Now I've Got a Witness" (Nanker Phelge)
6. "Little by Little" (Nanker Phelge/Phil Spector)
7. "I'm a King Bee" (Slim Harpo)
8. "Carol" (Chuck Berry)
9. "Tell Me" (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards)
10."Can I Get a Witness" (Brian Holland/Lamont Dozier/Eddie Holland)
11."You Can Make It If You Try" (Ted Jarrett)
12."Walking the Dog" (Rufus Thomas)

5x5 (Mono) (1964) (Re-post)




As the title suggests, this is a 5 track ep from 1964. This features tracks not included on any of the official UK albums, including their homage to Chicago's Chess studios, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, as well as a blinding cover of Chuck berry's Around and Around.

"If You Need Me" (Wilson Pickett/Robert Bateman)
"Empty Heart"
"2120 South Michigan Avenue"
"Confessin' the Blues" (Jay McShann/Walter Brown)
"Around and Around" (Chuck Berry)

Download it here


Let It Bleed (Mono) (1969)




The album that ushered in the end of the sixties. Let It Bleed has the stink of death and mayhem about it, Brian Jones became the first rock and roll casualty months before this record's release, and the Altamont tragedy was just round the corner. The age of innocence and optimism was over, the dark smack and coke addled 70s started here. But what an album! Gimme Shelter, You Can't Always Get What You Want, Monkey Man and Keith Richards' first proper solo outing, You Got The Silver (a version with Jagger singing lead is included here). The Stones' bad boy image was turned up a few notches on this one, songs of impending disaster, serial killers, disfunctionality, damaged people and one of the greatest rock records of all time. This is dark stuff, but it's quite a ride.


1. "Gimme Shelter"
2. "Love in Vain" (Robert Johnson)
3. "Country Honk"
4. "Live with Me"
5. "Let It Bleed"
6. "Midnight Rambler"
7. "You Got the Silver"
8. "Monkey Man"
9. "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
bonus
10. Gimme Shelter (Keith Vocals)
11. Honky Tonk Woman
12. Loving Cup
13. You Got The Silver (Mick Vocals)
14. Sister Morphine
15. Memo From Turner
16. Honky Tonk Women (45 Mix)

Download It Here

Big Hits (High Tide And Green Grass) (Mono)




The first singles round up album in glorious mono! Contains all the Stones hits from 64 - 66, they're all here - Satisfaction, The Last Time, Not Fade Away, Paint It Black etc. This is essential, and in mono is even rawer and punchier!

Download It Here

Their Satanic Majesties Request (Mono) (1967)




Drugs busts, media hoo-hah, court cases, incarceration... 1967 was becoming the Rolling Stones' annus horiblis. It's a miracle they made any music that year, let alone two albums! Satanic Majesties is unfairly maligned if you ask me. It is not a cheap rip-off of The Beatles Sgt Pepper, although the cover art doesn't help abate that comparison. This record sounds exactly like the Stones, rough and ready R&B with plenty of swagger, but it's a tad psychedelicised. It was for this that criticisms were levelled at the band, hippy trippyness was not how the public wanted to hear the band. Although if you chart the sound of the group from Aftermath through to Satanic Majesties you can hear the sound progressing to that point naturally, this was not (as has been said) a cynical band wagon jumping excercise. None of the music on this album comes close stylistically to anything the Beatles would have done, it's a Stones record and that's that. No album that contains She's a Rainbow, 2000 Light Years From Home or 2000 Man can be considered a failure (although you may want to skip Sing This All Together (See What Happen's)). I think this is a great album. Top drawer psych R&B, unfairly dismissed by all. Don't listen to them, listen to this. Oh yeah, and included in the bonus tracks is We Love You, my favourite Stones song.


1. "Sing This All Together"
2. "Citadel"
3. "In Another Land" (Bill Wyman)
4. "2000 Man"
5. "Sing This All Together (See What Happens) *"
6. "She's a Rainbow"
7. "The Lantern"
8. "Gomper"
9. "2000 Light Years from Home"
10."On with the Show"
bonus
11. Child Of The Moon
12. We Love You
13. Dandelion
14. The Lantern (Alternate Mix)
15. In Another Land (Alternate Mix)
16. She’s A Rainbow (Alternate Mix)
17. Untitled
18. 2000 Light Years from Home (Rough Mix)
19. 2000 Man (Rehearsals)
20. Gold Painted Nails

Download It Here

Between The Buttons (Mono) (1967) (Re-post)




Coming straight after the heavily praised Aftermath, this album is a bit of a forgotten gem in the Stones' cannon. Despite the lack of any well-known material, this does contain a few of their best tunes such as Backstreet Girl, She Smiled Sweetly and Yesterday's Papers. Released early in 67, it disproves the notion that the Stones had temporarily lost their mojo that year. Between the Buttons is a breezy pop album in which you can hear the influence of Bob Dylan (particularly on Who's Been Sleeping Here), and also of old English music hall (Cool, Calm, Collected and Something Happened To Me Yesterday). In my opinion this is a more focused and consistent album that Aftermath, even if it doesn't have anything on it of the stature of Under My Thumb or Out of Time. This is the Stones '67 style, full of sneering misogyny (not neccessarily a good thing), naive charm and rocking tunes.


1. "Yesterday's Papers"
2. "My Obsession"
3. "Back Street Girl"
4. "Connection"
5. "She Smiled Sweetly"
6. "Cool, Calm, and Collected"
7. "All SoldOut"
8. "Please Go Home"
9. "Who's Been Sleeping Here?"
10."Complicated"
11."Miss Amanda Jones"
12."Something Happened to Me Yesterday"
bonus
13. Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby
14. Get Yourself Together
15. If You Let Me
16. Let’s Spend The Night Together
17. Ruby Tuesday
18. Who’s Driving Your Plane
19. Yesterday’s Papers (Backing Track)

Download It Here