March's Album of the Month: December's Children (And Everybody's)- The Rolling Stones

After a month of Beatlemania on my part, I decided to give a little air-time to their greatest rivals in the competition for greatest rock band of all time: The Rolling Stones. 

December's Children (And Everybody's) is one of my favorite early stones records for one reason and one reason only: "She Said Yeah", a cover of a Larry Williams B-side, is perhaps 95 seconds of the purest rock and roll ever recorded; fast, load, and raucous--- it's perfect.  It might even be the best thing the Stones ever recorded!

However, that isn't all this album has to offer; as the band's first real follow-up after their stateside breakthrough earlier in the year with "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", it helped solidify the Stones' reputation as the harder rocking, bluesier alternative to the Fab Four (would that make them the first alternative rock band?).  But, more importantly, it saw Jagger/Richards continue to grow as songwriters.  The lovely ballad "As Tears Go By" would be a hit for Marianne Faithful but, quite frankly, I've always preferred this version.



Key Tracks: "She Said Yeah", "I'm Talking About You", "Get Off of My Cloud", "I'm Free", "As Tears Go By"