The Rolling Stones – It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Review

Despite the success of their previous album releases, the reinvention of The Rolling Stones comes with studio casualties and artistic gambles. It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll sees the departure of producer Jimmy Miller because of what Keith Richards described as a lack of excitement. There was an expectation not just from Miller, but the band, too, that a new record must be made. Creation for the sake of it is never a wise route for a band to follow, and so the internal shake-up is trialled. It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll is a bold result which would hear the usual blues and rock blend with the burning need to record new material after so long spent on the road, touring what is likely the artistic peak of The Rolling Stones. Bringing their stage energies to the studio is no small feat, but they manage it, and It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll remains a sorely underrated effort.  

But so too does Goats Head Soup, the preceding album. This is a period of criminally underrated material from The Stones, who were still riding the highs of their Sticky Fingers run. Familiar instrumental tones for opener If You Can’t Rock Me offer an adaptation of the band on stage to the studio. Their desire to rock and roll is perhaps a primitive point to make, but given the depths preceding and following this album, it is clear to hear there is a love and hate relationship between The Rolling Stones and their touring. Most artists of a similar age hit a period of cultural malaise, an indifference to touring. It sounds as though The Rolling Stones were itching to rock from the comfort of their studio, and understandably so. Instrumental flickers found throughout It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll highlight a new peak for the band. Rocking out has never felt so enjoyable.  

These are not world-beating songs from The Rolling Stones but a cementing of their genre styles. A few new choices are optioned by the band, a welcome change of pace from the sound which still defines them. It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll has more than enough new steps for the band. Ain’t Too Proud to Beg puts The Stones, and Mick Jagger particularly, in a position of powerlessness. A rarity for rock bands of the time, who were usually trooping through as world-beaters. Humility and anxieties of the decade ahead come through on the standardised style of rock heard through It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll. Jagger portrays himself as a man not above pleading for love, of biding his time. Under the guise of steady and jam-worthy rock, there comes a sincerity, an unmasked edge to the lyrics.  

The Stones suggest rock and roll is just that, a rocking way to make the most of their guitar work. But It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll proves itself as so much more than that. From a roaring title track to the suggestive route these songs take, the double meaning where the comedown of stage performances, the self-sacrifice of creativity, is taken into consideration. It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll is a thoroughly smart album and proves to be one of the most consistent releases in the band’s discography. Some of the material here, the soppy charms of Till the Next Goodbye, suggest a longing for loved ones while on the road. No wonder the band wanted to return to the studio. Every song here sounds like blessed relief.  

It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll has plenty of hidden gems within. Till the Next Goodbye overhauls its heartbreak with charming piano, sweet percussion too. Following song Time Waits for No One has pangs of regret to it but a reformed image, a new message of hope for doing right in the future. These are the transitions The Stones lean into, sometimes a tad too much, but it is the making of a new moment for the band. Jagger is in incredible form, a vocalist not scared of Richards’ guitar work, which often becomes the influential moment for each song. It is certainly the case for the future-fearing, Van Morrison-like Time Waits for No One. B-side opener Luxury marks a song where the smoothness of the word itself takes precedence over the note of working hard for the sake of others.  

Those second side offerings range from the fine to the disappointing, though a song like Dance Little Sister manages to bring both to the table. A fine song which has a straight-shooting, rocked-out hope. There was bound to be one of those on an album titled It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll. The trouble for The Rolling Stones is that when they paint themselves as just rock and roll, as they do on this track, they find little life. Richards’ wild guitar playing, Charlie Watts’ cool and comfortable percussion, is all matters, but it is not paired with an electrifying or sincere message. Just a call to arms for the dancefloor of the past. Still, it’s just rock and roll, isn’t it? Nothing more than that. It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll is a tremendous surprise of an album, an evolving process where The Stones look ahead. It was downhill from here.