1994 Virgin CD Reissue and Remaster - Standard Edition in Jewel Case
Collector's Edition with Original Album Packaging
"...If You Want To Be My Friend..."
Following the
artistic studio-album high of "Beggars Banquet" (1968), "Let It
Bleed" (1969), "Sticky Fingers" (1971) and the double
"Exile On Main St" (1972) with a cool live set thrown in for our
delectations in 1970 - "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!" - common knowledge has
it that the Stones brought this astonishing run of Rock-cool to a shuddering
halt (or at least stalled it a tad) with the decidedly half-assed "Goat's
Head Soup" in 1973 and "It's Only Rock 'N Roll" in 1974. Drugs,
excess, failing marriages, tax exiles – by the mid Seventies I suppose it was a
minor miracle that any of them were still breathing/corpus mentis let alone
popping out masterpieces for baying maidens.
But like me - and
I suspect this is the case across the world - despite the obvious weaknesses of
1973's and 1974's studio efforts – I remember at the time thinking even
half-baked Stones was better than most everyone else. And in a way, we strolling
bones lovers had held a penny candle for these two runts ever since – some even
citing them as faves over their more lauded work. But for this review, I want
to talk about sound…
While
"Goat's Head Soup" had always felt like an audio let down of epic
proportions - October 1974's "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll" saw the
Glimmer Twins take the Production controls once again and it rawked. The CD reissues have been the
same - the two principal choices for Stones nuts being either 1994 on Virgin
vs. 2009 on Polydor - and I'd argue that both astonish in the Audio Remaster
battle. "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll" is an LP that is transformed by
digital - lifted up and given a power far greater than the original single
sleeve LP we all owned for years. Be my friend, it's time you were. Let's get
to the Fingerprint Files...
1. If You Can't
Rock Me [Side 1]
2. Ain't Too
Proud To Beg
3. It's Only Rock
'N Roll (But I Like It)
4. Till The Next
Goodbye
5. Time Waits For
No One
6. Luxury [Side
2]
7. Dance Little
Sister
8. If You Really
Want To Be My Friend
9. Short And
Curlies
10. Fingerprint
File
Tracks 1 to 10
are the album "It's Only Rock 'N Roll" - released 18 October 1974 in
the UK on Rolling Stones Records COC 59103 and in the USA (same date) on
Rolling Stones Records COC 79101. Produced by MICK JAGGER and KEITH RICHARDS -
it peaked at No. 1 in the USA and No. 2 in the UK. All songs were written by
Jagger/Richards - except "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" - a cover version
of the Temptations classic originally written by Norman Whitfield and Eddie
Holland.
MICK JAGGER -
Vocals and Guitar
KEITH RICHARDS -
Lead Guitars, Vocals and Bass
MICK TAYLOR -
Lead Guitars Vocals, Synthesizer, Congas and Bass
BILL WYMAN - Bass
and Synthesizer
CHARLIE WATTS -
Drums and Synthesizer
Guests:
Billy Preston -
Piano and Clavinet on Tracks 1, 2 and 10
Nicky Hopkins -
Piano on Tracks 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10
Ian Stewart -
Piano on Tracks 3, 7 and 9
Ray Cooper -
Percussion
Blue Magic -
Backing Vocals on Track 8
Charlie Jolly -
Table on Track 10
Ed Leach -
Cowbell on Track 2
Willy Weeks
(Bass) and Kenny Jones of Small Faces and The Who - Drums on Track 3
The 15 August
1994 CD Reissue and Remaster by BOB LUDWIG on Virgin comes in two forms - the
standard issue on Virgin/Rolling Stones Records CDV 2733 - 7243-839522-2-9
(Barcode 724383952229) has a standard jewel case with 4-page inlay - while the
limited edition 'Collector's Edition-Original Album Packaging' variant uses
mini LP repro artwork (cover and inner sleeve) in a special stickered outer jewel
case on Virgin/Rolling Stones Records CDVX 2733 - 7243-8-39500-2-7 (Barcode
724383950027).
The UV99 Super CD
Encoding Process by Apogee Electronics in California promised uber realistic
transfers from the original tapes – and in the case of the 4 May 2009 Polydor
Remasters by STEPHEN MARCUSSEN on Polydor 0602527015590 (Barcode 602527015590)
– you got the same (issued in a stickered round-cornered Super Jewel Case). I
have both and the AUDIO is a wow (48:26 minutes).
Polydor 2009 Reissue and Remaster in Rounded Super Jewel Case
Artwork-wise, all of these IORNR reissues are a little bit of a joke – typical cheap-assed Stones – a gatefold inlay that repro’s the original inner sleeve with barely readable details. No new liner notes – zip. Is it any wonder I’ve seen copies online for under a pound. Better is the audio and the music...
Long-time pal of
the Beatles and The Stones - Billy Preston - gives it some Clavinet
underpinning on the lyrically vicious "If You Can't Rock Me" that
opens Side 1 - Jagger screaming "I've got a hard and it hurts like hell,
if you can't rock me, find someone who will..." Girls with bright blue
hair successfully tempting our Michael away from his dissolving marriage to
Bianca - the drums and guitars in yer ya-ya's face throughout. Not for the
first time do The Stones reach for The Temptations back catalogue - their
version of "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" became an American-only 45 that
punching the top 20 to settle at No. 17. The guitars, chunky riffs and Billy
Preston's piano - all amazingly clear and full of muscle. Having listening to
the LP cut and that ever so-slightly muffled 45 for all those years - the
acoustic/electric guitars combo of the title track "It's Only Rock 'N Roll
(But I Like It)" is likely to shock many. And its a brilliant single -
remember that soap suds video that eased your brain. But then Side 1 gives us
two gems I've always loved - the coffee shop down on 52nd Street acoustic
ballad "Till The Next Goodbye" - gorgeous audio as those Mick Taylor
guitar touches come melting into the mix. And have they been so beguiling as on
the star-crossed "Time Waits For No One" - won't wait for me - well
this is waiting for you - as is Mick Taylor's fantastic guitar parts
(beautifully clear).
Side 2's
"Luxury" had a playing time on my original LP of about 4:30 minutes,
here this CD cut is 5:01 minutes - longer in the fade out. $20 me (making a
million dollars for Texans) working so hard for the company, to keep you in
luxury - go the lyrics in this Reggae-Rock chugger. Rolling Stones Records put
"Dance Little Sister" on the B-side of the US 45 for "Ain't Too
Proud To Beg" (October 1974 on Rolling Stones 19302) and were rewarded
with as many radio plays as the A-side received - and again those drums and
guitars kicking out of your speakers. The Atlantic Records Soul Band BLUE MAGIC
of "Sideshow" fame adds subtle but deep backing vocals to "If
You Really Want To Be My Friend" - a plea for understanding and not
jealousy. The short and snotty got you by the ….s rocker "Short And
Curlies" apparently started life sometime around the Exile sessions and
was obviously press-ganged into Rock 'n' Roll service to fill out Side 2.
But Audio Blast
numero-uno belongs to the fantastic menace of "Fingerprint File" -
Jagger clearly sick of the press and government hounding he and everyone around
him was getting. Some little jerk in the FBI keeping papers on him six feet
high - gets him down. Well the stunning audio won't.
1974's "It's Only Rock 'N Roll" may not be a
mountain of a record and it would be two years to "Black And Blue" in
1976 - another underrated winner for me in their sexy Seventies catalogue. But I'd say go for it. And the standard variant of IORNR can be picked up for under a fiver in the right
places (and sometimes a lot less).
Who's listening -
whose taking pictures by the ultra-violet light - methinks it should be you. Good
night-sleep tight. Love it...
