#269: Some Girls- The Rolling Stones

Mike Natale:
Before I begin this piece, you are entitled, ad my readers, to understand it’s brevity. Last night, my best friend of many years, with whom I had been virtually inseperable for a majority of those years, announced to me and my family that he had joined the army, and that he was leaving for basic training on February 2nd. Naturally I was upset, and rather than allow these blog posts to become a soapbox on which I can immaturely rant about military propaganda (an issue it’s quite possible I’ll feel differently on after his 2 year term finishes out, and may in fact feel so differently I will regret using the term propaganda, as I should be clear is not a rational appraisal of the military’s advertisements, but instead a reflection of my current state of emotional disarray. I fully support the armed forces, but am distraught at the potentially permanent loss of my best friend) I have chosen to restrain myself and simply review albums. Yet, I am distracted, so I hope my readers will not mind if the next week or so of reviews are frank.

Listened to: MP3

I make no effort to hide the fact that I’m a huge Stones fan, and their first entry to the musical landscape with the addition of Ron Wood proves they kicked as much ass in a post-punk world as in the pre-hippie days.

“Miss You”, the albums opener, is a punk-blues blend that tears up the air each sound wave penetrates. At equal times soft ballad and heavy rock and roll wailing (with a pretty bitchin’ sax solo) this track is one of the Stones most popular, and a perfect way to open their triumphant return in 1978. “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)” seems like a heavier take on the early sounds of, well, The Rolling Stones. “Some Girls” is one of those great tracks that takes on a whole new life live.



All in all, the album is solid. Other than the tracks I mentioned, the real stand outs (to me) are obviously “Beast Of Burden” and “Shattered”. I cannot recommend this album enough.

-Mike

Again, sorry for the brevity. See you tomorrow for #129: 40 Greatest Hits of Hank Williams.