Aftermath was the first full Rolling Stones album, in the sense that the previous ones were effectively singles packed with some offcuts and others, rather than a cohesive whole. The album demonstrated not only the variety the band could attain, but that they were willing to be experimental in their approach. All songs were written by Jagger and Richards, and the album clocks in at over 50 minutes - a rarity at the time. The US version starts with Paint It Black, a number one single at the time, and the album reached number one in the UK, and number two in the US.
Mother's Little Helper opens the album with a catchy tale of domestic drug use and abuse. Whilst there are certainly tones of sexism and a lack of awareness of mental health when viewed from a modern context, it is well observed, and the guitar really drives things along. Stupid Girl takes this attack on women to another level, but without the musical backing to at least distract from this. I would imagine that it was written with a particular individual in mind, and the song would have been better had she been named - at least then the accuracy of the statements could have been tested, rather than being clearly unjustified. Lady Jane takes things in an awkward direction, with a medieval pastiche that may have been fashionable at the time, but just sounds boring now. Under My Thumb is all sinewy instrumentation and Jagger taking centre stage; the combination of hand claps, bass line and glockenspiel works well as a backing to the narrative of the tables being turned in a relationship. Doncha Bother Me again shows the variety of instruments upon which the band (primarily Brian Jones) were adept, from harmonica to slide guitar. It is an enjoyable enough romp, but also fairly forgettable, in contrast to Goin' Home, the following song, which could never be called a romp, at a Pink Floyd bothering 11 minutes long. It's a stripped back bluesy epic that that doesn't really build into much, and whilst it may suggest a long train ride over the mid-West, it wouldn't make the journey feel much shorter. Flight 505 is a piano-centred number with some delightfully deep bass lines thrown in. The slightly ramshackle feel to the song gives it a sense of authenticity, but I feel it would work much better live than in recorded form. Honky tonk is the main theme of High and Dry, and is not a genre I now wish to explore. Out of Time is a more complete song than most on this album, and the conventional verse-chorus structure just seems to suit the group more. It's Not Easy adds some energy and strong backing vocals, and I Am Waiting has some pleasant harmonies, although is a bit lightweight. Take It or Leave It was actually released as a single for the Searchers before appearing on this album, with Think being recorded by Chris Farlowe three months prior to the album release as well. This demonstrates the fluidity of recording and song-writing at the time, but they are decent rather than exceptional efforts.
The influence of the USA is so palpable on this album that the band's identity as British seems irrelevant. This love in with Americana clearly influenced the band's later work for the better, but in this condensed form, it lacks the cohesion and originality I was expecting. This album is revered, and had a huge impact at the time, but it just sounds like a band finding their feet rather than standing astride the globe, and that is what I've grown to expect from the Stones I guess. Add the singles they recorded around this time (Paint it Black, 19th Nervous Breakdown), and remove some of the filler, and you'd have a sharper, more direct album.
Chloe's album rating: 5
Chloe's favourite track: 4. Under My Thumb
Olly's album rating: 6
Olly's favourite track: 4. Under My Thumb
Next week it's 690. Blood Sugar Sex Magik by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. More meaningless lyrics and funky basslines; we'll call that one-all.
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