ALBUM REVIEW: The Rolling Stones - 12 × 5

    Rock 'n' roll and rhythm and blues was still the name of the game for the Stones, evident on their previous US debut, England's Newest Hit Makers. Perhaps "Hit Makers" was a bit of an exaggeration, but given the album almost hit the top 10 in the States, they have been more on the money than I believe. Nevertheless, The Rolling Stones came out hot on their first album with a handful of blues numbers, rockers, and the occasional original song that almost assuredly failed to meet the mark. So, what do they do differently for their second US album? Well, not very much—if it ain't broke, eh? No, much of 12 × 5 carries on bravely and triumphantly with the traditions of their debut, built largely on covers of blues standards and 50s rock and rollers with the rare original song sandwiched in the tracklist. Perhaps the greatest improvement, however, is from the Stones themselves, who seem to be even more invigorated the second time around, filled with some ripping performances that still manage to carry their power 60 years after the fact, even with the rest of their career well ahead of them. However marginal of an improvement it may be, the Stones still showcase some growth on their sophomore record, and it's all the better for it.

     The most immediate benefit this album has on its predecessor, in my mind, is the production of the album. While production is yet again handled by the Stones' manager Andrew Oldham, it seems that both him and the Stones have learned a great deal about working in the studio between Hit Makers and this album here—the jump in production is as great as going from Please Please Me to A Hard Day's Night, and it really does make a world of difference. While a song like "I'm a King Bee" or "I Just Want to Make Love to You" may have carried a world of power, something about the production of their second album ups the energy even more. Perhaps it's in Ian Stewart who, while still featured on their debut, has a much greater presence throughout this album, decorating many tracks with technical piano playing or organ flourishes, whether it's the vamping piano of the opening Chuck Berry cover that is "Around and Around" or his similarly colorful contributions to the instrumental "2120 South Michigan Avenue". On this album, Stewart's role works well as a thickener, but so does the guitar work of Keith Richards and Brian Jones, best evident on the moments when this album is allowed to fully let it rip. "Around and Around" sounds fantastic here, as does the frantic version of "Susie Q" at the end of the album. Richards really begins to shine through on this album, both as an electric and acoustic player - see the fantastic-sounding blues "Good Times, Bad Times", carried by a jangling 12-string guitar from Richards. This song is really a great example of the album's strengths over the debut - Jagger and Richards wrote this piece, and its quality surpasses every original on their debut, so much so that you'd be forgiven for thinking its two different writers. It also showcases the newfound willingness to jump around a bit in approach.

    This diversity can be seen all throughout the album, from instrumental tracks to reinventions of Valentinos songs to classic blues numbers to definitive covers. Both their version of "It's All Over Now" and "Time is on My Side" may as well be the de-facto versions. "It's All Over Now", backed with a new country-leaning guitar part and a faster pace carries an explosive energy, a bravado-filled display of male independence. In contrast, "Time is on My Side" is not a shout, but a meditation, even if it carries the same confidence and assured performance—Stewart's gentle organ playing backing Keith Richards' frantic guitar playing during the solo is a real moment of musical excellence. The group didn't sound half this confident on Hit Makers, and rarely do they run out of steam. When they ultimately do fizzle out, you'll find that the culprit is yet again two original songs, the rather uninteresting "Congratulations" and the rather dreadful "Grown Up Wrong", both of which fail to light much of anything on fire. At least they're able to get the momentum back by the end of the album, especially on a driving version of "Susie Q" with a flashy display of Richards guitar excellence and Charlie Watts laying down a smooth, assured drum groove slightly reminiscent of "What'd I Say". Clocking it at a lightning fast time of under two minutes, it's the group in their element—pure, unfiltered rock and roll, which is what the group really does best here. That's not to disparage the blues cuts like "Empty Heart" or "Confessin' the Blues" as lesser, because they certainly deliver a great time, but it's during these unfiltered moments of explosive power that the Stones really show their strength.

    They were still a growing group, the seed still fresh in the ground and the small sapling finally emerging, but they were growing at a rapid rate. 12 × 5 is both a continuation and an improvement over the debut, no matter how marginal the improvements may be. It's more creative, better written, better performed, and better produced. Arguably even more amazing than anything on this album is just how assured the Stones have become in rock and roll, even if they need to find that same assurance with their own originals. In due time, they certainly would, and it's almost hard to believe that a year later, this same group would have rapidly caught up with their contemporaries fully-fledged great songwriters, easily able to stand toe-to-toe with Ray Davies, Pete Townshend, or Lennon-McCartney in terms of quality. It should be considered nothing short of an accomplishment, but of course those albums are for another review and another time. For now, it's easy to appreciate 12 × 5 not only as a stepping stone, but as a great blues and rock record from the early Stones, capturing them young and ready to rip.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to 12 × 5.