12 X 5 (1964)


 

  1.Around and Around
  2.Confessin' the Blues
  3.Empty Heart
  4.Time is on My Side
  5.Good Times, Bad Times
  6.It's All Over Now
  7.2120 South Michigan Avenue
  8.Under the Boardwalk
  9.Congradulations
 10.Grown Up Wrong
 11.If You Need Me
 12.Susie Q

 

The second full-length Rolling Stones album, 12 x 5, sounds very much like their first—no surprise there. In fact, their first five albums form a kind of continuum, all rooted in the same primal stew of rhythm and blues, Chicago grit, and teenage adrenaline. That’s not a slight—it’s just that, stylistically, these early records were more about churning energy and youthful bravado than reinventing the wheel. And let’s face it, nobody in 1964 was pressing for artistic evolution from their rock bands. Get into the studio, cut the songs quickly, and get the thing released. 12 x 5 fits that bill perfectly. It came out just six months after their debut and clocks in at just over thirty minutes.

The formula is firmly in place: a handful of Jagger/Richards originals peppered among a solid lineup of R&B and blues standards. Some of the material leans slightly more “rock” than “blues,” though at that point in history, the distinction was more academic than anything else. Intentional or not, that subtle shift gives this record a little more edge.

Among the highlights are Chuck Berry’s Around and Around, which sets the album in motion with swagger to spare, and the brief but punchy Susie Q, closing things out in less than two minutes. The band also offers up a muscular instrumental with 2120 South Michigan Avenue, a moody, mid-tempo groove that was miles more authentic than most British bands were capable of at the time. Their take on Irma Thomas’s Time Is On My Side is another standout. Most people have no idea it’s a cover, which is a testament to how well the Stones made it their own.

Not everything lands quite as well. The cover of Under the Boardwalk feels misjudged, like it stumbled in from a different record entirely. It’s too soft, too syrupy, and just too out of character for a band that was already being branded as rock and roll’s resident bad boys.

Still, 12 x 5 is a fast, sharp, enjoyable listen. It’s not essential if you already own a few of their early records, but it doesn’t disappoint either. The Stones were still in the thick of defining themselves—and while they weren’t all the way there yet, you can hear the fuse being lit.


Go back to the main page
Go To Next Review