12 X 5 – THE ROLLING STONES***

Around & Around/Confessin’ The Blues/Empty Heart/Time Is On My Side/Good Times Bad Times/Its All Over Now/2120 South Michigan Avenue/Under The Boardwalk/Congratulations/Grown Up Wrong/If You Need Me/ Susie Q

The Rolling Stones second US album release 12 x 5 contains the US No. 6 single Time Is On My Side and the UK chart topping Its All Over Now. Five of the tracks are from the UK EP Got Live If You Want It. (US:3)

"The album doesn't flow because it's a butcher job. As a result, it has some weak cover material, with Susie Q the most uninspired of all. But the good covers are really good; the harsh sound of It's All Over Now exemplifies how The Stones were far, far superior to other UK bands of the time at interpreting American R & B."

"This record seems to have more depth and less blues than the debut. Confessin' The Blues is one stunning blues number. It is hard to believe that it was performed by five white British guys."

"Not quite as good as their debut and still mostly covers. There are more originals than the previous album but they aren't better than before. Some of the covers are disappointing too. Under The Boardwalk is a pale shadow of the original, Suzie Q is tame. On the positive side, the album does have the definitive versions of It's All Over Now, Time Is On My Side and Around & Around."

"It's too bad that the UK releases have not been put out as CDs. It forces us to listen to these 'butcher albums' instead. The Stones didn't seem to have broken any new ground with the release. Song for song, I'm not sure there's much of a difference in quality between this and the first album."

"The tracks are not of uniform brilliance. They were basically songs they had been performing live for a few years in London clubs. It does have a few weak tunes on it and some early attempts at songwriting, which are variable. However, the strong tunes are really strong and still sound great today."

"This is The Stones second US release and displays the band in the early stages of their classic raw blues/R & B sound. It is loaded with great tunes."