Their first A-side original release in the UK is a chance for The Rolling Stones to leave their mark beyond blues rips. The Mick Jagger-fronted group had enjoyed success in the charts before this, but in adapting songs from genres of influence rather than with their own words. The Last Time is a chance to change that. A song seemingly forgotten by the band. Understandably so, especially since the originals to follow were far superior. But The Last Time is a little, important relic of history which highlights a consistency in the band which would appear across all their records. It’s a song which has caused more trouble for The Who and The Verve than was expected. But the former covered the song in protest of Jagger and Keith Richards’ arrest, both men released before the Roger Daltrey cover, and Richard Ashcroft spent decades trying to secure the rights to a sample of The Last Time.
All in all, it’s a song where The Rolling Stones utilise their blues and rock influence as more than just a cover. It, in turn, influenced their peers and future stars. It’s interesting then that The Last Time is not talked about with the same fervour and love as Wild Horses or (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction. Hunting down what is an essential part of The Stones’ discography is not tricky, but it’s a sign of the times that it was never featured on a proper UK release. It was thrown onto the end of Out of Our Heads for those unlucky many in the United States, but for the UK, it’s compilations and scratched singles from the ‘60s. Well worth hunting down, though, because the stripped-back style offers an amazing contrast to the likes of Street Fighting Man and Mama’s Little Helper. A little slower in its tempo but just as strong, The Last Time is an outstanding piece of work.
Simple but strong enough to send those rock and roll shockwaves through a listener, as The Beatles and The Who were offering. The Rolling Stones offer a solid middle ground for those who found the Fab Four too light and The Who too heavy. Is it a true original, though? The Last Time lifts a lot from The Staple Singers’ sermon. We cut George Harrison slack for lifting He’s So Fine, and turning that into My Sweet Lord. Why not The Last Time, then? A catchy song where surprise lyrical depth is its strength. It’s a song of jaded feelings, of hurt because the protagonist’s advice has been offered and rejected. They may be in the wrong with their suggestion, but it sounds like advice will never leak from them again. It’s a cool song where the catchy Richards riff is as important as the soft resentment Jagger delivers.
Those are tones which would feature for The Rolling Stones often. Hearing it in motion here is a treat because it highlights what the band would do often. It’s a rugged piece of work despite the wall of sound at work on the track. A song which has rich instrumental layers is all in servitude of a song containing two lovers whose relationship is on the rocks from the first lyric. The Rolling Stones’ songs often had a passive attitude to love between two people. The harsher tone and sudden spots of anger which countered The Beatles’ Love Me Do and A Hard Day’s Night, are a welcome one. Few others were offering the blues in motion. Reflections on it and lessons learned were frequent, but continuing the burning anger and dismissiveness which fuelled the genre at its best, that is what The Last Time offers.
