The Rolling Stones: Out Of Our Heads - 1965

  

Along with December's Children, this was one of those confusing UK/US released albums which varied considerably between each release. Out Of Our Heads was released in both countries, and December's Children was a US-only release. All of the albums contained some of the same songs, but also significant changes. 

Let's check out those hearts of stone....

These were the albums, and the year, 1965, which saw The Rolling Stones really start to stand on their on two feet as a credible rock band singing their own credible rock songs. Yes, each album contained contemporary soul covers as well (as opposed to the r 'n' b covers of their 1964 albums), but they also had some seriously good Jagger-Richards original compositions, such as the bluesy but beat boom-adapted ballad Heart Of Stone, the upbeat r'n'b of Gotta Get Away and the teenage clarion call of I'm Free. 

The album was recorded in mono and is best listened to either via the ABKCO 2002 remasters or as part of the excellent Rolling Stones In Mono box set. The sound on the latter is truly superb - speaker-pounding and floor-shaking in its pure mono, vibrant, heavy bassy, centred sound. Just listen to that throbbing bass and clear, jangling guitar on Oh Baby (We Got A Good Thing Goin'). 

Some songs, however, have a poor sound that no amount of remastering will cure, I am thinking particularly of the opener, the cover of Larry Williams' She Said Yeah. Even the said covers, though, now showed The Stones to be masters of their art, a band in total control. These albums would, however, be the last of their albums to include covers. Aftermath in 1966, would be completely made up of Jagger-Richards songs.

Apparently on recommendation from Paul McCartney, The Stones chose to cover a Larry Williams song, She Said Yeah. The Beatles loved Williams' stuff and The Stones, along with many other British Blues Explosion artists, it seemed, chose this one and they do a good job, but it is, as I said earlier, blighted by poor sound. 

Similar to Larry Williams' material was that of Don Covay, an Atlantic label artist. As with She Said Yeah, Jagger does a good job on the vocal of Mercy Mercy without ever losing his own uniqueness, neither is he simply imitating Covay. Compared to some of the recordings, such as She Said Yeah, it has quite a good sound to it, with a nice deep bass.

A Marvin Gaye song is up now, Hitch Hike, one typical of its era in that it was about a dance craze, you know, the one where you pretend to be hitching a ride. Its guitar solo, good as it is, seems completely incongruous on the song, however.

Not many can cover Otis Redding and get away with it, but the Stones did, simply because many fans had not heard of Redding. To them, their version of That's How Strong My Love Is was definitive. Regarding the cover, it's not as good as Redding, but who was? Covering Sam Cooke was another damn difficult job, and Mick doesn't really achieve it on Good Times. The already late Cooke's voice was so honey-sweet and melodic that he never really stood a chance. Only Rod Stewart has ever really done Cooke's material justice. It has a great sound quality on it, howvber, one of the best on the album, sounding great in mono.

Now, a Jagger/Richards original, at last. Upbeat and r'n'b in style, Gotta Get Away taps into the whole teenage angst thing as young people considered leaving home in a way they never had done before. Times were changing. Jagger was not singing about leaving home though - it was one of several tracks that saw Jagger griping about his ex-girlfriend Chrissie Shrimpton in a way that made the listener wonder what he ever saw in her. Musically, it is extremely catchy, though.

A Chuck Berry cover now, the last one they would do until they did Carol live on Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out in 1969. They do Talkin' 'Bout You a lively justice. Another cover is up next, this time of Solomon Burke's 1962 hit Cry To Me. Jagger once more puts his own stamp on it. It is a slow, bluesy ballad. From little-known bluesy guitarist Barbara Lynn, Oh Baby (We Got A Good Thing Goin') has become a bit of a deep cut, showcasing as it did The Stones' mature, often obscure musical taste. They knew their stuff, for sure. It has a catchy rock 'n' roll vitality to it that I love.

A top ten hit in the US, Heart Of Stone was a bluesy Jagger/Richards number that also fitted in with the beat boom and is probably the best known of the songs on here, appearing on several retrospective Stones compilations. Lyrically, it exploits their insensitive bad boy image as they claim to have a heart of stone, one that no simple girl could break. Don't believe a word of it. I also can't help but like the groovy Nanker-Phelge credited number, The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man, a song that was a wry take on music's burgeoning publicity machine, particularly in the US. This was something that will have recently irked the group on their visit there, no doubt. 

Another Jagger/Richards number once more appealing to the rebellious teenage fanbase who fantasised about being free to do what the hell they liked, I'm Free served as something of a clarion call to the young. Very sixties. Very swinging London.

Overall, however, this album has to be viewed as very much part of a time of change for The Stones. It was their Beatles For Sale.