Better than Goats Head Soup (barely)

The downhill slide begun by Goats Head Soup continues here. The title song is a classic, but it has also become tiresome after too much airplay. The good (notice I didn't say "great") songs here - If You Can't Rock Me, Time Waits For No One (even if it's a little long), Fingerprint File, Luxury, Dance Little Sister. The rest are filler.

One of four underrated Stones' #1 studio efforts

The Rolling Stones' album entitled It's Only Rock 'n' Roll was initially released in October of 1974 on Rolling Stones/Atlantic records.

After the commercial, if not critical success of 1973's Goats Head Soup, The Rolling Stones(lead singer Mick Jagger, guitarists Keith Richards and Mick Taylor, drummer Charlie Watts and bass player Bill Wyman) went in the studio to record It's Only Rock and Roll with Jagger and Richards producing the album themselves under the alias The Glimmer Twins with engineering by Andy Johns, Keith Harwood, George Chkiantz and Glyn Johns(whom mixed Fingerprint File). The It's Only Rock and Roll album would turn out to be guitarist Mick Taylor's farewell with the band before he left the band in December of 1974.

How is the album(as I first found out on Christmas Eve 1989 when I got the Rolling Stones/Columbia/CBS cassette and then later the 1994 Virgin remastered CD), read on.

We begin with the rocker If You Can't Rock Me which still gets rock radio airplay and a concert staple. Jagger's lead vocals, Keef's rhythm and Taylor's guitar solos all rock. Next is the rocking remake of The Temptations track Ain't Too Proud to Beg and the Stones make it their own, I even loved Keef's guitar solo which kicked ass. Next is the the title cut which had Faces Ron Wood on guitar and Kenney Jones on drums and is a rock radio and concert staple as well. Next is the slower track Till the Next Goodbye(which was the last track Mick Taylor recorded with the band) and is a great song. Next is Keith's opus Time Waits For No One which is one of the band's best songs ever and featured one of Mick Taylor's best guitar solos on record.

Luxury begins the second half of the album and is a great number. In fact, the track was extended by 45 or so seconds on the 1994 remaster when Bob Ludwig saw the track was edited(as songs were to fit on vinyl back in 1974) and asked the band to preserve the full ending and the band agreed. Next is the rocking Dance Little Sister and is a great rocker and was also a rock radio staple. Next is the song If You Really Want to Be My Friend which is a good track despite some saying it is a throwaway. Short and Curlies is next and was an outtake from the Goats Head Soup sessions but finished into a great song on IORaR. We end the album with the 7 minute or so Fingerprint File which had Mick Jagger and Taylor and Keith all on guitar for a funk rock exercise which is a great song and a great closer to the final album from The Rolling Stones' arguable classic lineup of Jagger/Richards/Watts/Wyman/Taylor.

Upon release, It's Only Rock and Roll hit #1 on the Billboard album charts(like the three previous studio efforts before it) and went Gold then eventually Platinum.

If you liked the 1968 through 1972 efforts and Goats Head then you will like IORaR too!

Highly recommended!

Rolling Stones Are the Greatest band ever.

You Know I am a long time Stones fan and it has been a blast to put my collection back together with the Remasters.

I think if you really like the Stones you cant go wrong with this disk.the first 5 songs are Awsome If you can't rock me and ain't to proud are classics and next goodbye and time waits just flow putting you in a relaxing and retrospective mood.

I thing this cd kicks ass, Luxury and dance little sister are

classics as well. you can play this cd from start to finish and let it restart it's that good. Stones are the best , you won't regret this. buy it it's great.