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In 1966, the London group surprised almost everyone with their first album of original songs, after having previously covered many rock and blues pieces. Just one year later, the so-called "psychedelic turn" by artists like the Beatles and Dylan left a trail too deep not to be followed. And here is the "magic year," or if you will, the year of experimentation, given the work of "Their Satanic Majesties Request," which followed what feels the least like Rolling Stones among the entire discography. In fact, while "Their Satanic" symbolized a psychedelia at times even redundant, "Between The Buttons", though not overtly lysergic, still marks the beginning of this turn. The influence of the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds," Bob Dylan, who in the same year released "Blonde On Blonde," and the aforementioned Beatles of "Revolver" is evident, and the album, the last in the discography to contain different tracks in the USA and Great Britain, is overall populated by nice but not exceptional songs. Not surprisingly, "Let's Spend The Night Together" and "Ruby Tuesday" were included, initially released as singles, at the expense of "Back Street Girl" and "Please Go Home".
The opening is entrusted as usual to a classic single - a gem that dominates the entire album; the famous piano riff by Ian Stewart takes us into a boogie of compelling effectiveness, very similar to "Sympathy For The Devil" for its instrumental composition and driving energy. The remaining compositions unfold on canons very uncharacteristic of the Rolling Stones, with piano and organ overshadowing the guitars, and the vocal part more prominent than ever. The band embarks on a journey through the experimentation of decidedly unusual genres: especially boogie-woogie and jazz ("Let's Spend The Night Together", "Something Happened To Me Yesterday", the great "Connection", and "Cool, Calm And Collected", with an unmissable vocal solo by Jagger), but also slow ballads accompanied by the organ ("Ruby Tuesday", "She Smiled Sweetly"), with Brian Jones and his indispensable sitar not missing, present throughout the album. The few rock surges are found in "All Sold Out" and "Miss Amanda Jones", but they remain the only ones: throughout the album, that jazz vein, peculiar to Jagger's blonde alter-ego, as well as Watts and Wyman (with essential support from Ian Stewart, Nicky Hopkins, and Jack Nitzsche), is fully reflected, not coincidentally the true protagonists of the work.
In short, an album for connoisseurs, we might say, perhaps the only one to deviate slightly from traditional themes. Soon, the '68 - '72 period would arrive, and that is history.
Tracklist and Lyrics
02 My Obsession (03:11)
(Jagger/Richards)
My obsession
Your possessions
Every piece that i can get
My obsessions are
Your possessions
My mouth is soaking wet
I think i blew it now, confession
Can't dodge it, it's simple logic
Youd be better off with me and you'll know it
When you lost it, lonely
My obsession are
Your possesion
Are you smiling on my way
My obsession are
Your possession
One that you should give away
Give it to me now i've no objection
I don't mind if it's unkind
And it's not my property
But i want it just to be mine, exclusively
Oooh baby, ooh baby
Oooh baby, oooh baby
Oooh baby, oooh baby
Oooh baby, oooh baby
Aaahhhh
You need teaching you're a girl
There are things in this world
That need teaching with discretion, my profession
My obsessions are
Your possessions
Are you used to the idea
My obsessions are
Your possessions
Do you feel at home right here
You should relax it's my impression
Didn't see you were so young
I could almost be your son
Please turn in my direction, no objection
04 Connection (02:03)
(Jagger/Richards)
Connection, I just can't make no connection.
But all I want to do is to get back to you.
Everything is going in the wrong direction.
The doctor wants to give me more injections.
Giving me shots for a thousand rare infections
And I don't know if he'll let me go
Connection, I just can't make no connection.
But all I want to do is to get back to you.
Connection, I just can't make it, connection
But all I want to do is to get back to you.
My bags they get a very close inspection.
I wonder why it is that they suspect them.
They're dying to add me to their collections
And I don't know if they'll let me go
Connection, I just can't make no connection.
But all I want to do is to get back to you.
Connection, I just can't make no connection.
But all I want to do is to get back to you.
06 Cool, Calm & Collected (04:04)
Well she's very wealthy it's true
So in that she is one up on you
She's dressed all in red, white and blue
And she always knows more than you do
She's so affected
Cool, calm, collected
She knows who to smile to today
She has just been brought up in that way
She knows all the right games to play
And she always just knows what to say
She's well respected
Cool, calm, collected
She's so affected
Cool, calm, collected
In public the strain's heard to bear
She exudes such a confident air
But behind she is not without care
But she sweeps it right under her hair
She's well respected
Cool, calm, collected
She seems to glow brilliantly white
And her hair seems to shine in the night
With her feet unbelievably light
And her teeth ready, sharpened to bite
She's so respected
Cool, calm, collected
07 All Sold Out (02:10)
(Jagger/Richards)
Why put this sadness inside of me
Why be so matter-of-fact
Why put this one bit of hope in me
You sold me out and that's that
I hope that you're having fun with me
There's not much left to attack
I hope that you're nearly done with me
You sold me out and that's that
All sold out i'd never seen
A mind so tangled, a girl so strangled
All sold out well i felt so green
It was just like that
I was put down flat
I was sold out just like that
Oh baby
All sold out i'd never seen
A mind so tangled, a girl so strangled
All sold out well i felt so green
It was just like that
I was put down flat
I was sold out just like that
I missed the point of you doing it
Your mind has just jumped the track
I took a bit different view of it
You sold me out and that's that
Hey hey, that's that
10 Complicated (03:05)
(Jagger/Richards)
(Ah, har har har har)
She looks so simple in her way
Does the same thing everyday
But she's dedicated
To having her own way
She's very complicated
(Ah, har, har, har, har)
Yeah
Women seem to fill her mind
And many men in so short time
But she's underrated
She treats me oh so kind
She's very complicated
(Ha, har har har, har)
Yeah
We talk together and discuss
What is really best for us
She's sophisticated
My head's fit to bust
Cause she's so complicated
Ah,. ha har har, har
She knows just how to please her man
Softer than a baby lamb
But she's educated
Doesn't give a damn
She's very complicated
(Har, har har har, har)
Na, na na na num
She looks so simple in her way
Does the same thing everyday
But she's dedicated
To having her own way
She's very complicated
(Har, har har har, har....)
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