It's Only The Rolling Stones...But I Like It! (Pt. 1)

This is the series of blog posts where I share my Rolling Stones record collection with you. Take the journey with me as I try and collect the whole Rolling Stones discography on vinyl. 

12X5 

Twelve songs done by five guys or as the Rolling Stones would like to call it 12X5. Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman recorded this record in 1964 and released it on 17 October of the same year. This was their second American record. 12X5 mostly comprised of covers of songs that the Rolling Stones liked around the time of recording the record. This was because the big phenomena of the Jagger/Richards writing team was still developing. Jerry Ragovoy's song "Time Is On My Side" was covered twice by the Rolling Stones, and the version on this record included an electric organ in the song instead of the electric guitar that everyone is used to hearing. 12X5 sold faster than the Rolling Stones first record, England's Newest Hit Makers. It reached #3 and went gold very fast. 12X5 was reissued in August 2002 including stereo versions of some of the tracks and extended version too. 

*My Favorite Songs on 12X5* 

"Time Is On My Side"

"Grown Up Wrong" 

"Around and Around" 

Between the Buttons

This is one of my top favorite Rolling Stones albums. Released on 20 January 1967 in the United Kingdom and 11 February 1967 in the United States, Between the Buttons, is the fifth United Kingdom and seventh American Album by these five lads. If you take the a listen to this record for the first time you will probably not recognize it as the Rolling Stones. (I know that happen to me) This is because of their sound being different from their popular albums like Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers. Between the Buttons was the Rolling Stones one of two of their albums in the psychedelia era in their career. On the American release of this record it included hits like "Ruby Tuesday" and "Let's Spend the Night Together". Rolling Stone magazine ranked Between the Buttons #355 on the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list in 2003. 

*My Favorite Songs on Between the Buttons* 

"Yesterday Papers" 

"Cool, Calm, and Collected" 

"Something Happen To Me Yesterday" 

Beggar's Banquet 

After releasing two album in their psychedelic era in their career the Rolling Stones returned to the sound of rock 'n roll with Beggar's Banquet. This album was the seventh United Kingdom and ninth American album released on 6 December 1968. The album release date was delayed for months because of the first version of the album art that the Rolling Stones wanted to release. It is said that the Rolling Stones were on tour and they took a picture of this toilet in a rest stop that was gratified (they added to it of course!) and decided to use it as the album art. That was until it was rejected by their record label. The album art that was released depicted an invitation to a banquet. (I know fitting for the album name right?)

When the album was open it showed a picture of Mick, Keith, Charlie, Brian, and Bill dressed in their best banquet attire. During the recording sessions for Beggar's Banquet Mick, Keith, Charlie, and Bill would all show up and be ready and gearing to go to record the album. Brian was the only one that was missing most of the time. Brian would show up whenever he felt like, and when he was in the mood to play music. Mick and Keith would just give Brian parts to record just to keep him busy and they would never use them on the album. On Beggar's Banquet Brian Jones' influence with the band started to dwindle because of the lack of being in the the studio and getting too caught up in drugs. Beggar's Banquet would be the last album Brian Jones would be apart of before his passing on 3 July 1969. In the Rolling Stones documentary titled Crossfire Hurricane Mick Jagger said "You certainly didn't know if he was going to turn up and what state he was going to be in, and then what was he going to be able to do in that state. What job could you give him? And then one time when we sat around on the floor we played in a circle playing "No Expectations", and he picked up the guitar and played very pretty lines on it which you can hear on the record. And that was the last thing I remember him doing that was Brian or the Brian that could contribute something very pretty and sensitive and it made the record sound wonderful." 

*My Favorite Songs on Beggar's Banquet* 
"Sympathy for the Devil"
"No Expectations" 
"Salt of the Earth" 



Stay tuned to my blog for more looks into the Rolling Stones records I have in my collection.

The Non-Rolling Stones Side of My Record Collection (Part 1)

This series of blog post will let you have a look inside of my record collection...That is the non-Rolling Stones records that are in my collection. [Keep a look out for blog posts about the Rolling Stones records that are in my collection at a later date!] Every week I will pick out five records from my collection and write a little about them, provide pictures of them, and tell you what I like about each record that I have selected. 

1: Boys & Girls by Alabama Shakes 

Don't mistake this white album as The Beatles. The Alabama Shakes are an American rock band from Alabama...Would have never guessed that right! The members are Zac Cockrell, Heath Fogg, Brittany Howard, and Steve Johnson. This album titled Boys & Girls is the debut studio album from the Alabama Shakes and was released on April 9, 2012. The album reached number six on the US 200 Billboard charts and number three on the UK Album Chart. It was also #34 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 albums of 2012. The album is very blues-rock influenced and has a soulful vocals by Brittany Howard. Her vocals are one of the main reasons I like listening to the Alabama Shakes. 

I started listening to the Alabama Shakes on recommendation from my brother. I picked up this record after their second album was released. Even though I like the whole album my three favorite songs are "Hang Loose", "I Ain't the Same", and "On Your Way". 

2: Whispers by Passenger 

Whispers is the fifth studio album released by Passenger (AKA Mike Rosenberg). It was released in June 2014. This album's geners is a little of pop but mostly folk. I love how Mike writes songs that are stories of someone he met on tour, his own life, or someone he already knew like the songs "Bullets" and "Riding to New York", which are two of my favorite songs on the album. However, my favorite song on this album is "Hearts of Fire" especially the version he did with Ed Sheeran in an empty arena two years before the album was released.(linked below) Mike said that "Hearts on Fire" is the oldest song that he wrote on this album. 

Aside from the songs on Whispers lets talk about the album art. Within the record sleeve there is a beautiful water color piece that I fell in love with when I first received it, and to this day when I open it to listen to it on my record player I still find myself in awe of how beautiful it is. This is by far my favorite thing about the Whispers record.

3: The London Chuck Berry Sessions 

Side one of this record consists of songs that were recorded at a studio in London, England while on side two are songs that were recorded at the Lanchester Arts Festival in Conventry, England. On the studio recordings it featured Ian McLagan and Kenny Jones of The Faces.This record was released in October 1972 on Chess Records. "Johnny B. Good" from the the festival recording is my favorite song on this record. I love how the crowd interacts with Chuck Berry during the performance. This album was the only album of Chuck Berry's to certified by the Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA). With over 1,000,000 record sells in less then a month of its release making it certified a gold record. 

4: Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits 

This is Bob Dylan's best selling album in the United States. It is certified five times platinum by RIAA. It was released on March 27, 1967 and is the first compilation album released by Dylan. It is a collection of every Top 40 single that Bob Dylan released in 1967. What drew me to listen to Bob Dylan is his folk sound and his use of the harmonica in his songs. This influenced me to try and learn to play the harmonica myself, which I am still working to this day. My two favorite songs off this album is "Blowing in the Wind" and "Like a Rolling Stone". 

5: The Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions 

This was the first record I have ever owned and it was a gift from my brother for one of my birthdays. This compilation album was released in 1985 and is the first of many that is released by Elvis Costello. Costello is an English singer-songwriter, and The Attractions was his back up band from 1978-1986 and 1994-1996. Elvis Costello genre is described as pub rock, punk rock, new wave, and power pop. "Alison" and "Radio, Radio" are my favorite songs off of this album. Another song that I like by Elvis Costello is "(I Don't Want To Go) Chelsea". (linked below)