Rolling Stones
12 x 5

THE REVIEW

The second American album by the Stones, as was usual at the time, brings together tracks from a variety of sources. We have pieces from their second mythical English EP, singles, and tracks that would later complete "Rolling Stones No. 2", their second English album. For the most part, these are covers; the Jagger and Richard hit and riff factory was still in its early stages but already here they delight us with some gems.

It starts with "Around and Around" by Berry, it's impressive how a still young and let's say inexperienced group displays such maturity and freshness in performing this driving rock & roll. On lead guitar, as almost always, is Keith Richard. Also from the second English EP, we have "Confessin the blues", a genre in which the Stones have always been masters, as well as "If you need me" by the mighty Solomon Burke. That record also featured some of the first examples of original pieces still signed by Jagger and Richard with pseudonyms, namely: "Empty Heart", a beat for Jagger's gritty voice and especially "2120 South Michigan Avenue", an instrumental with Brian Jones on harmonica and Richard's riffs. To conclude, we can listen on this excellent record to the cover of the Drifters "Under the boardwalk", already famous at the time, another original "Grown up wrong", and "Susie Q" with the syncopated rhythm of Watts and Wyman.
But the two pieces that truly make this album great are "It's all over now" by B. Womack and another cover, now made theirs, "Time is on my side", which especially today has become a theme song for the Glimmer Twins.

In the former, we have Richard's first truly incendiary solo; this track really introduced the Stones to the whole world. The second song (another version exists) is embellished by an electric organ and Jagger's inspired performance.

P. S. The title was the number of songs contained multiplied by the number of band members.