Year: 17 October 1964 (CD Apr 25, 1989)
Label: Polydor Records (Japan), P25L 25032
Style: Classic Rock, Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Roll
Country: London, England
Time: 31:15
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 163 MbImagine
that in moments of smart alecky tomfoolery, many a person has looked at
the cover of The Rolling Stones’ 12 X 5 and yelled, “Sixty,” soon
followed by uncontrollable giggling at their own corny brilliance. Had
the same people seen the British EP which featured songs that appeared
on 12 X 5, they would have probably yelled “Twenty-five.” In either
case, the joke would most likely be met with blank stares and shaking
heads, maybe a few befuddled shrugs from people not familiar with
multiplication or amused by arithmetic.
The twelve songs by the five
piece Stones which comprise 12 X 5 are, like its predecessor, deeply
entrenched in rhythm and blues and soul; brimming with lively covers and
boasting the support of bad-boy Brian Jones. Unlike its predecessor,
the album offers some early Stones originals, which, though they stand
on forgivably shaky legs, give a taste of what’s to come. It’s
definitely an album of portent, something of a glimpse at the bands
roots before Out of Our Heads or the all-original Aftermath.
The
album kicks off with Chuck Berry’s “Around and Around.” The cover
showcases the rhythm section, Keith Richards’ lead guitar, Jones’ piano
and Mick Jagger’s vocals working in unison to create a catchy, bopping
whole. The same can be said of “It’s All Over Now,” the rhythm section
of Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman demonstrating their immense importance
to the band as Jones and Richards guitars open up into solo bravado.
“Confessin’ the Blues” crawls with a standard blues riff, Jones and
Richards once again sharing guitar duties, seamlessly giving way for
Jagger to wrap that mouth of his around a harmonica.
Ushered in by
organ or a tasty guitar lick (depending on what version of the song you
have) is The Rolling Stones’ first top-ten single stateside, “Time Is On
My Side.” Originally recorded by Irma Thomas, Jagger’s lament and
taunting backed by the band guide the song from beginning to the fading
repetition of the song’s title, pulsing the word “time” for emphasis.
Both “Time Is On My Side” and “Around and Around” were the two songs the
band played on their first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in
1964. Apparently frightened by their motley looks, Sullivan vowed to
never have them on the show again. In 1967, The Rolling Stones once
again appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” this time playing “Let’s Spend
the Night Together.”
On the Rolling Stones original songs, it sounds
as if Jagger is attempting to tame the muse of lyric writing with a
Mars bar and a pouty-lipped pucker. While “Good Times, Bad Times,” the
jilted “Congradulations,” and “Grown Up Wrong” aren’t bad by any means,
they don’t have the same memorable melodic quality or the lyrical
intelligence of what was to come. They stand there for the most part
without the pomp, circumstance or flooring power that would
characterize, for instance, the riff of “Satisfaction” or the sudden
dark blast of “Paint it Black.”
Under the pseudonymous group guise of
Nanker Phelge, the band delivers a grooving jam on “2120 South Michigan
Avenue.” Named after the street address of Chess Records, the band
blends organs, harmonica hums, blistering solos, warm thudding bass and
tattering drums. Nanker Phelge also gets the credit for “Empty Heart,” a
bounding rhythm and blues track that, along with “Grown Up Wrong,” is
arguably one of the best of the album’s originals.
While there’s no
iconic Jagger/Richards-written songs on 12 X 5, it’s an album bursting
with energy and begging to be heard. By the following year, time matured
the group into rock stars grown right, still tied to their roots but
coming into their own in a satisfying way.
(treblezine.com/rolling-stones-12x5/) Review by Hubert Vigilla, September 19, 2004.
Album recorded and mixed in the analog domain - AAD. That is, a minimum of digital processing.
A=Analog.
D=digital. The first letter stands for how the music was recorded. The
second letter for how it was mixed. The third letter stands for the
format (all CD's will have D as the last letter).
01. Around And Around (03:08)
02. Confessin' The Blues (02:51)
03. Empty Heart (02:39)
04. Time Is On My Side (02:55)
05. Good Times, Bad Times (02:36)
06. It's All Over Now (03:30)
07. 2120 South Michigan Avenue (02:10)
08. Under The Boardwalk (02:48)
09. Congratulations (02:30)
10. Grown Up Wrong (02:08)
11. If You Need Me (02:06)
12. Susie Q (01:49)
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