Released in April 1966 byDecca Records,Aftermathwas the Rolling Stones fourth British studio album. It was issued byLondon Recordsin the US in June 1966. Recorded at theRCA Studiosin California, it was their first album released in true stereo.
It is also one of the first popular albums to eclipse the 50-minute mark, and contains one of the earliest rock songs to exceed 10 minutes (the blues jamGoin Home). The albums release was briefly delayed by controversy over the original packaging idea and title Could You Walk on the Water? due to London Reocords fear of offending Christians in the US.
The album was considered an artistic breakthrough for the band, being the first to consist entirely ofJaggerRichardscompositions, (after their maverick young manager,Andrew Loog Oldham, had shut them in the kitchen of their flat until they had written some more original songs!).
It also featured strongly the immaculate guitar work ofBrian Jonesand the remarkably wry, observant song-writing of JaggerRichards
Jones played a variety of instruments not usually associated with their music, including sitar, dulcimer, marimbas and Japanese koto, as well as guitar, harmonica and keyboards, though much of the music is still rooted in Chicago electric blues. The burgeoning influences of psychedelia, Bob Dylan and the tensions around the world, are evident in classics likePaint It Black, an eerily insistent number one hit, available on the US version of the LP.
Other classics included the jazzyUnder My Thumb, where Jones added exotic accents with vibes, and the delicate Elizabethan balladLady Jane, with distinctive dulcimer, the wry observationalMothers Little Helperwith its unashamed lyrical drug references, and the overlooked gem the brooding, meditativeI Am Waiting.
The American edition was issued with a shorter track listing, substituting the singlePaint It Blackin place of four of the British versions songs, in keeping with the industry preference for shorter LPs in the US market at the time.
UK Edition Tracklist:
Side One
1. Mothers Little Helper
2. Stupid Girl
3. Lady Jane
4. Under My Thumb
5. Doncha Bother Me
6. Goin’ Home
Side Two
1. Flight 505
2. High And Dry
3. Out Of Time
4. It’s Not Easy
5. I Am Waiting
6. Take It Or Leave It
7. Think
8. What To Do
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