[BestEverAlbums]

Today's album of the day

Aftermath by The Rolling Stones (View album | Buy this album)

Year: 1966.
Country:
Overall rank: 456
Average rating: 79/100 (from 611 votes).

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Tracks:
1. Mother's Little Helper
2. Stupid Girl
3. Lady Jane
4. Under My Thumb
5. Doncha Bother Me
6. Goin' Home
7. Flight 505
8. High And Dry
9. Out Of Time
10. It's Not Easy
11. I Am Waiting
12. Take It Or Leave It
13. Think
14. What To Do

About album of the day: The BestEverAlbums.com album of the day is the album appearing most prominently in member charts in the previous 24 hours. If an album, or artist, has previously been selected within a x day period, the next highest album is picked instead (and so on) to ensure a bit of variety. A full history of album of the day can be viewed here.

[CA Dreamin]

I know this isn't a popular opinion, but Aftermath is the Rolling Stones's best album.

The tracklist you see above is the UK version. However as an American, my CD copy is the US version which goes like this:

1. Paint it, Black
2. Stupid Girl
3. Lady Jane
4. Under My Thumb
5. Doncha Bother Me
6. Think
7. Flight 505
8. High and Dry
9. It's Not Easy
10. I am Waiting
11. Goin' Home

As you can see the major differences are:

1. Three mediocre tracks (Out of Time, Take it Or Leave It, and What to Do) were cut out, making the US version shorter and tighter.
2. The 11-minute Goin' Home was moved to the closing track, where it belongs.
3. The US version opens with Paint It Black instead of Mother's Little Helper. The UK version doesn't have Paint It Black while the US version doesn't have Mother's Little Helper. (And you can't deny Paint It Black is amazing.)

So yeah, I certainly think the US tracklist I am used to is stronger than the UK tracklist we see above.

However, I love Mother's Little Helper too. So I made my own, even better, 12-track version of Aftermath where I squeeze Mother's Little Helper between High and Dry and It's Not Easy:

1. Paint It, Black
2. Stupid Girl
3. Lady Jane
4. Under My Thumb
5. Doncha Bother Me
6. Think
7. Flight 505
8. High and Dry
9. Mother's Little Helper
10. It's Not Easy
11. I am Waiting
12. Goin' Home

That tracklist rocks. Best Rolling Stones album, hands down.
_________________
on such a winter's day

[stangetzaway]

Totally agree it's the best Stones album. Every track is a blast though I do prefer the u.k version as intented but at least the album cover differs from the u.s version so you can't mistakenly buy the wrong one. i.e not the case for Between the Buttons. ( It was in fact the uk record companies themselves that tinkered with track lists for overseas countries because apparently they knew what they wanted. Made a complete pigsty out of the Beatles material right up to Revolver which wasn't officially released in the states until 1987.

[Facetious]

[Daydreamer]

I just hate those UK/US different tracklist. Makes it really hard for me to pick a definite version of the album.
US has Paint It Black, UK has Out Of Time and Mother's Little Helper, so no version is outright better. I just hate this.

But both version are great albums and probably in top 5 Stones records.
_________________
All time

2000's
1990's
1980's
1970's
1960's

[Fischman]

Agreed. The different track listings are a bummer.

How do you choose between Paint it Black and Mother's Little Helper?!?! Egad.

Even though I'm an album guy more than a singles guy, this is why I spent more time with Hot Rocks than individual early Stones albums.

[CA Dreamin]

[albumceleste]

In those days for a young albums were a luxury. It wasn't uncommon to collectively listen to albums because not many people had a lot of them. Also UK had a lower per capita income than a USA citizen.

For every UK LP there were about 2 or 3 singles and maybe an EP, so in the USA two albums were assembled with about 12 of those songs.

Rolling Stones UK LPs before Satanic Majesties: 5
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones vol 2
Out of our heads
Aftermath
Between the buttons

USA LPS: 8
England newest hit makers
Now!
12x5
Out of our heads
December's children
Aftermath
Flowers
Between the buttons

On topic: IMO best Brian Jones' era album. In my book is 4th or 5th best Stones album (below beggars, fingers and exile, and on par with let it bleed)

[Norman Bates]

[RoundTheBend]

Title Band Year Year Rank Rating
Hot Rocks 1964-1971 The Rolling Stones 1971 1 97.3
Some Girls The Rolling Stones 1978 1 89.5
Exile On Main St. The Rolling Stones 1972 3 88.8
Sticky Fingers The Rolling Stones 1971 9 85.5
Beggars Banquet The Rolling Stones 1968 6 85
Let It Bleed The Rolling Stones 1969 10 85

Tattoo You The Rolling Stones 1981 8 81.8
A Bigger Bang The Rolling Stones 2005 77.5
It's Only Rock 'N' Roll The Rolling Stones 1974 5 77
Out Of Our Heads The Rolling Stones 1965 7 75
Aftermath The Rolling Stones 1966 12 70
Between The Buttons The Rolling Stones 1967 21 70
The Rolling Stones No. 2 The Rolling Stones 1965 18 65
Their Satanic Majesties Request The Rolling Stones 1967 31 60
Steel Wheels The Rolling Stones 1989 34 60
Black And Blue The Rolling Stones 1976 24 56.2


For me - I don't think they made very good albums pre-1968. The bolded albums are the only ones I'd consider fantastic. Of course many great songs pre-1968, which then are covered in the greatest hits record. IDK - just me and how I look at their career.