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Between the Buttons

The Rolling Stones - Between the Buttons Audio CD

A fair review of the The Rolling Stones "Between the Buttons" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Rolling Stones reviews here, or go back to the The Rolling Stones tabs.

Band: The Rolling Stones
Title: Between the Buttons
Rating:

Release Date: 2002-09-03
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Let's Spend the Night Together 2: Yesterday's Papers 3: Ruby Tuesday 4: Connection 5: She Smiled Sweetly 6: Cool, Calm and Collected 7: All Sold Out 8: My Obsession 9: Who's Been Sleeping Here 10: Complicated 11: Miss Amanda Jones 12: Something Happened to Me Yesterday

The Stones Then
Still, it is interesting to listen once again to the guys when they were at the height of their musical powers (and as high, most of the time, as Georgia pines). Hey, in 2009 no one, including this reviewer, NEEDS to comment on the fact that The Rolling Stones, pound for pound, have over forty plus years earned their place as the number one band in the rock `n' roll pantheon. This album from the tail end of their most creative period , moreover, unlike let us say Bob Dylan who has produced more creative work for longer, is the `golden era" of the Stone Age. The album, however, is a little uneven in spots reflecting, I think, a certain exhaustion of material that they could call their totally their own unless the time when they owned a big chunk of rock 'n'roll in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Still "Ruby Tuesday is clarly an early classic, as is "Let's Spend The Night Together". But here is the 'skinny'. For the aficionado get a compilation that will give you these and other, better material in one place. For the novice definitely do that.
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Some buried gems
" Brian Jones contributes his usual array of sound effects to almost every track. This early 1967 somewhat overlooked gem contains several tracks just so redolent of the period: you can almost hear the stones smoking reefer in the studio as they laugh their way, stoned, through "Something Happened To Me" and Keith croaks the obviously druggy "Connection. I love "She Smiled Sweetly," a sexy ballad, "Yesterday's Papers" and "Miss Amanada Jones. " Charlie's drumming throughout is a cut above most other British drummers at the time. His joining of the band at an earlier stage of their career was the often overlooked key to what made them a sensation. Charlie was older, more mature, a professional musician and a jazz buff. He brought sensibilities to most of the tracks here that other young drummers of the period would have never thought about. This is one of the Stones' best, but then, it has a lot of competition. Upgraded sound quality, too.

just some of The All-Time Greats...
The Stones have a singular ability to work very well together as a group and that shows through continuously on this album. Between The Buttons is still one of the best Stones albums I've ever heard; and this USA release of the album gives us a lot of great rock by them. The quality of the sound is great and the artwork is good although very similar to the British release of this album. Diehard Stones fans may well want both editions of this CD as the tracks are slightly different; although I personally prefer the US version.

The CD starts great with one of their best hits ever, "Let's Spend The Night Together;" "Let's Spend The Night Together" rocks with a great beat and The Stones do this one up right! Jagger's voice never sounded better and the overall effect of this rock song certainly sets the mood for an auspicious CD. Listen also for "Yesterday's Papers;" this one has a fine melody that is actually quite catchy and I really like that. Mick Jagger again aces this one with some of the band on vocal backups. "Yesterday's Papers" is definitely a highlight of this album.

"Ruby Tuesday" was always one of my very favorite tunes by The Rolling Stones; the percussion enhances this rock ballad and I think you're going to like this one a lot! "Ruby Tuesday" uses the flute very well in the musical arrangement, too. "She Smiled Sweetly" has an element of R&B/light country added to the rock and roll flavor of the song; and this makes it a total masterpiece. "She Smiled Sweetly" is clearly one of their best on this album--it's a stellar CD indeed!

"Cool, Calm & Collected" has Jagger and the band handling the tempo and key changes like the pros they always were and still remain; and there's also a really fine tune called "My Obsession. " "My Obsession" really shines and again we have a tune that uses the percussion very, very well. The piano ain't bad, either!

"Complicated" is another great rock song with a beat that is quite catchy and you're sure to love it if you like this style of music; and "Miss Amanda Jones" really rocks! "Miss Amanda Jones" has The Stones rocking at their best and that's grand. The album also ends strong with The Rolling Stones performing an awesome tune, "Something Happened To Me Yesterday. " "Something Happened To Me Yesterday" has even a touch of folk music to make the rock ballad enhanced all the more.

Overall, this is a "must-have" for fans of The Rolling Stones and naturally people who like music from the "British Invasion" will want this one, too. Diehard fans, as I mentioned, will probably want both the US and the UK versions of this album; and I certainly can't blame them as the music on both is outstanding rock. If you want just one version, though, try the American release here as it is filled with tunes that are practically all classics from The Rolling Stones' repertoire.
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Between Two Eras
Great album. I am the Stones Authority. I review these albums the way they were released on vinyl in the US. I'll let others fill you in on the various permutations and offerings as these crazy things are remastered and reissued. I am not getting bogged down in those discussions and debates. "Connection" - very cool song. "All Sold Out" - damn good. "Complicated" and "Miss Amanda Jones". A good straight ahead rock and roll album that Some Girls would often be compared to. Whatever. But those four songs make me wish that I could have seen and heard them performed live or that there was at least a good live recording of them somewhere. And I don't mean Keith's recent version for Scorsese. Oh well.

The Rolling Stones at their absolute best!
I had to have records by every artist, and I had albums by most from that period. As a teenager in the 1960s I became absorbed with the many great groups from England and beyond. The Rolling Stones were in my opinion never better than what they were when Bryan Jones was with them. I'm not sure that he was a major influence in their sound because Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were their song writers, but whether it was "Between The Buttons" or "Out of Our Heads", "12 by 5", "December's Children" or the great "Live If You Want It" they were on top of their game. And back during that era any group had to produce a new album about every four months, unlike today where artists come out with a new album (sometimes) every four years. I liked (still do) all those Rolling Stones albums, including "England's Newest Hitmakers", "The Rolling Stones Now", "Their Satanic Majesties Request" and "Flowers". However, I believe that "Between The Buttons" from beginning to end was The Rolling Stones masterpiece amongst masterpieces! I did not care much for "Beggar's Banquet" and some of the latter efforts.

You can see a complete list of all The Rolling Stones discography, or go back to the The Rolling Stones tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.