Main menu
Fretplay home Submit tabs

The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones tabs The Rolling Stones discography

Channels
Guitar channel Bass channel Guitar videos Reviews

Message Forum
Guitar forum Bass forum Bands and artists Promote your band Recent discussions All categories

Fretplay.com

The Rolling Stones guitar tabs

CD reviews

Aftermath (UK)

The Rolling Stones - Aftermath (UK) Audio CD

A fair review of the The Rolling Stones "Aftermath (UK)" 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: Aftermath (UK)
Rating:

Release Date: 2002-08-27
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Mother's Little Helper 2: Stupid Girl 3: Lady Jane 4: Under My Thumb 5: Doncha Bother Me 6: Goin' Home 7: Flight 505 8: High And Dry 9: Out Of Time 10: It's Not Easy 11: I Am Waiting 12: Take It Or Leave It 13: Think 14: What To Do

Uk version: Best Stones album, EVER!!
The execs screwed us and I didn't even know it. Back when I was poppin' zits and chasing cheer leaders, buying gas and cigs for nineteen cents a gallon and pack, this album was released in US. I did wonder why mothers little helper was released as a single, but not on an album until flowers, me thinks. Now, the UK version. . . . . Just the BEST Stones disc of all time. This was made when the boys were still hungry, which they haven't been for over thirty years. I believe Brian Jones had a good influence on them here. Buy it!.

The Start of Dominance!
I easily prefer this one over the [. . ] son-like US version. What to Do sticks on me. It has it all: penetrating blues (Going Home)saucy social commentaries (Mother's Little Helper) some psychedelia (Lady Jane) misogynisic love trials (Under My Thumb) and country stompers (Flight 505). What more could you want?.

*The* Stones album
All fourteen songs are from the group itself and the music never overpowers the lyrics. Beggar's Banquet was an artistic triumph; Let It Bleed had "Gimme Shelter"; this album employed the cliche, the best of the past, present, and future, in the best possible sense.
"Mother's Little Helper" is the opener, a huge hit as we all know, a complex arrangement on a complex subject - this disturbing tome came before many similiar ones depicting a troubled sub-culture. But this number coyld have been placed *anywhere* on this great set.
The misanthropic "Out Of Time" was surely one of the best songs of the year - given away to another group.
"High And Dry" is another terrific track, offering something to Country fans as well; Johnny Cash or Bill Monroe might have a Top Tens with this opus.
An older Stones album cut is "The Singer Not The Song" and we have two tracks which initially seem negative and misogynistic: "Stupid Girl" is a forward-looking 4/4 Rock and Souler - actually more critical of the singer; "Under My Thumb" has less accent on the drumns but is even better poetry. Jagger sings well.
Was lookin' for "Sittin' On A Fence" - didn't see it - if it had made the cut, we may have had the only album in history to be *too* good.
.

Aftermath, still the best
It was also their frst masterpiece. This is one of the best Rolling Stone records. If you already own the U. S. version of this album, buy it anyway. The extended version of "Out of time" and additional tracks "What to do" and "Take it or leave it" are worth the buy. This album demonstrates a transition of The Stones to a unique English style that infusses blues,folk,pop,progressive and dark themes, which paved the way for modern music.

The Stones at their peak! Their best album, forget what the critics say, I AM RIGHT.
The Stones, right before the change, of Between The Buttons and Their Satanic. . where they struggled for their sound and identity, to regain it, with such future classics as Jumpin' Jack Flash, Street Fighting Man, Gimme Shelter etc, til the beginning of their downfall with Exile (3 great songs, and it makes all them stupid critic's lists).

This was the first album where the Stones wrote all their material, and what gems are contained here! They were never snottier, or more sexist! (hooray!) Mother's Little Helper is of course a classic; how more obnoxious can you get than with an opening line like "what a drag it is getting old"? Good drug song.

Stupid Girl! Ah, what a great song about a stuck-up, narcissistic woman.
An underrated classic, just like this album. Nobody seems to know how great this LP is, it's like an appendage to a greatest hits collection, to make your classic Stones collection complete.
Great lines here: "she purrs like a pussycat; then she turns around and hisses back" (must've been about a Scorpio chick!)
The whole song has such wonderful venomous lyrics!

Lady Jane -- a love song following that? nah, this is sarcasm at its best I feel. This is probably the most sonically stunning song on this superb remaster (sure sounds a lot better than my old German CD version). The interlude is positively beautiful.

Other highlights are Doncha Bother Me, the horny Going Home (Mick's building up steam there, determined, he's gonna be back, oh YEAH. Great bluesy number); Out Of Time (another great sexist song; the message: you're too late, b---h! your loss, clearly ["my poor DISCARDED baby"]); I Am Waiting (the saddest song here -- "stand of coming years, escalation fears, you will find out" -- sadder than the truth behind Mother's Little Helper); What To Do (super-catchy number); and of course, the piece de resistance of sexism, Under My Thumb.

What a classic song! While Social Distortion did a brilliant couple (okay, FOUR) cover versions with incredible venom, there's no need here; she's clearly just a "squirmy dog" who "does just what she's told" and, best of all this so-called conquerer of men who once had our protagonist down -- "the way she talks when she's spoken to" --YEAH!!!! Also, "her eyes are just kept to herself". This may be the greatest song ever!
For any guy who's been done wrong, this is YOUR song!
In fact, it's the way to BE!
It's like "Heart Of Stone", yknow?, except HERE the Stones MEAN it!

A vicious album; yet not angry in delivery: The Stones know who's boss. (60's rock stars!)

My fave Stones album easily, after this I'd say --well first you need at least "Hot Rocks" or something, a best-of, covering the 60's. Then this, and then, well, the merits of Got Live If You Want It is widely debated, but I think it's great, just give me the old stereo mix with just Mick's vocals and handclaps in the right channel, and the band in the left, and you've got the next best album.

I don't care less what they're doing now, they've been miserable for the most part after the 60s, although especially after It's Only Rock n Roll (and the incredible live period with Mick Taylor, their best guitarist ever, forget Richards next to HIM!). Plus, after Tattoo You, nothing by them is any good.

Their peak, really. From the best year in popular rock and roll music, 1966, coincidentally when the bands influenced by the Stones were legion.

Your best choice after a greatest hits for one of their 60s albums, much better than those that preceded it, or came after.
.

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.