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FANS ALBUM REVIEWS
ENGLAND'S NEWEST HITMAKERS
Eight Reviews - Overall Average Rating - 8.7 Tongues
ENGLAND'S NEWEST HITMAKERS
by devilsadvocate
June 30, 2009
Rating:
This was a very promising debut album from a very promising young band. "Mona",
which appears on the UK version of the album, was dropped from the North American version
(it would later appear on the Now album) and replaced with "Not Fade
Away". This short and fast harmonica-based number kicks off the album and sets the
tone. The much-covered "Route 66", always a fun song to listen to, follows and
keeps up the lively pace.
"I Just Want to Make Love to You" comes next. This song, written by Willie Dixon
and first recorded by the great Muddy Waters, is played at a frenzied pace. Brian Jones'
harmonica dominates this one just as it dominates the opening track. "Honest I
Do" slows down the pace for a while; this time, Mick Jagger gets a chance to
demonstrate his talents on the harmonica.
Slim Harpo's "I'm a King Bee" features an early example of Brian's great slide
guitar playing. "Carol", an upbeat Chuck Berry cover, is followed by the first
Jagger-Richards original composition officially released by the Stones, "Tell
Me". This worthwhile effort features a rare guitar solo from Brian, with Keith
Richards on acoustic rhythm guitar. It was a promising start for what was to become one of
the greatest song writing teams ever.
A Rufus Thomas song, "Walking the Dog", closes out the album. This is a really
fun number to listen to. It is one of the very few songs with backing vocals from Brian
alone. His raspy singing pretty much drowns out Mick's voice by the end.
All in all, a very good debut album. We sure are glad these five lads decided to
stick around!
To listen to some sound clips from
ENGLAND'S NEWEST HITMAKERS
or to buy it click
here: England's Newest Hit Makers: The Rolling Stones
More fan reviews:
ENGLAND'S NEWEST HIT MAKERS
by Lordofthejimmy
September 4, 2007
Rating:
What a great debut album by the greatest rock band of all time. Obviously most of it
includes covers, "Not Fade Away" is a fun way to kick off the album with great
singing by Mick, but the one original on the album, "Tell Me", is the best. It
really foreshadows what is to come. I love this song with a great chorus and great lyrics.
Also includes a cool solo by Brian Jones, in fact, this album is probably his best work
with the band. He really shines on two numbers in particular: "Just Want to Make Love
to You", which sounds like Little Walter coked out of his mind: great harmonica
playing! The other one is "Walking the Dog", with his raspy vocal and great
guitar playing. Keith plays some burning guitar here. My favorite solo by his is on
"Now I’ve Got a Witness" which is really insane! He also plays great on
"Carol", with Keith channeling Chuck Berry into a new direction, and "Route
66", which includes great singing by Mick. I like Mick’s singing on
"I’m a King Bee", reminds me of the King Bees on SNL with John Belushi. The
rest of the album is all good energy and Charlie and Bill are tight as ever. It’s
remarkable how much they grew from here.
ENGLAND'S NEWEST HIT MAKERS
By Wintah
August 28, 2006
Rating:
The first Stones album features the hardest, meanest sounding rock and blues music that
had ever been recorded by a British band, or arguably even by a white act in general up to
that point in history. At that early stage in their careers Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
were not yet the terrific songwriting team that would soon rival the Lennon/McCartney
partnership, and so nearly all of the songs are covers of blues and rock n' roll
standards. The remarkable thing is that most of the time the Stones equal, and in a few
cases even improve upon the already very good originals. The energetic "Route
66", their semi-classic Chuck Berry cover "Carol", the horny blues shouters
"I Just Want To Make Love To You", "I'm A King Bee" and "Walking
The Dog" which rocks even harder that Rufus Thomas' excellent original are just some
of the highlights. Jagger and Richards own promising, though somewhat clumsy "Tell
Me" and Phil Spector's "Little By Little" are a bit below that level and
the instrumental "Now I've Got A Witness" is mere filler but this is
nevertheless the best pre-Aftermath Stones album as far as I'm concerned.
ENGLAND'S NEWEST HIT MAKERS
By Jack Flash
June 7, 2005
Rating:
The Stones burst onto the popular music scene with this, their debut album, England's
Newest Hitmakers. Right from the start you could tell that the boys weren't just your
average old band. First of all, they were the first white people to play R&B and blues
like this. And though they may only have been a cover band at this point, the excitement
in the music itself and the way they played it was enough to make the Stones the best at
what they did in the uncertain music scene in 1964, and today it's held up great. Of the
straight blues covers, "Walking The Dog" is the best, with Brian Jones singing
backing vocals. Brian dominates the album, playing some terrific lead guitar, especially
his slide on "I'm A King Bee." Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" was the
hit single, infused with some Bo Diddley riffing by Keith Richards. Keef also shines on
the obligatory Chuck Berry tribute, "Carol," the earliest indication of the
brilliance that was to come from Mr. Riffhard. The best all around tune is the rollicking
Berry meets Muddy "Route 66," a great picker-upper. "Tell Me," the
album's only true original and the first Jagger/Richards tune the band ever recorded,
shines in a layered, Beatlesque fashion. One of the great debut albums of all time,
especially considering it came out in 1964!
ENGLAND'S NEWEST HIT MAKERS
By the chipper
May 28, 2005
Rating:
Once upon a time, the Rolling Stones were a covers band, and their primary goal wasn't
money, or chicks, or fame... it was turning people on to the same music they'd grown up
listening to. As such, their first album can be seen as a beginner's appreciation course
in early rock 'n' roll, r & b, and the blues. Mick's vocals aren't as convincing as
they would soon become ( how gutbucket-blues can a 20 year old British Economics student
be expected to sound?), but for 1964, this rocks out big time! Even the album's low point,
"You Can Make It If You Try", isn't so bad when you realize the Beatles were
going with things like "Till There Was You" for their cover ballads. As for the
rest of the tracks, there's a great take on Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" (with
a pronounced Bo Diddley beat), Slim Harpo's "I'm A King Bee" (great
"stinging" and "buzzing" from the guitars),a nod to Motown (a jaunty
version of Marvin Gaye's "Can I Get A Witness"),a smokin' romp through Willie
Dixon's "I Just Want To Make Love To You",a tribute to Brian's blues hero Jimmy
Reed ("Honest I Do"),a direct steal from Reed ("Little By
Little",which the Stones pass off as an original even though it's just Jimmy's
"Shame,Shame,Shame" with different lyrics),the definitive take on Rufus Thomas'
"Walking The Dog" (yes, better than Aerosmith's), a fantastic job on Chuck
Berry's "Carol" (Keith does his idol proud), a fun, word-slurring "Route
66" (a hit for Nat "King" Cole, believe it or not!), an instrumental called
"Now I've Got A Witness" (which is actually "Can I Get A Witness"
without vocals, but this is also credited as a Stones' original comp), and "Tell
Me" (a great, moody ballad which was the first Jagger-Richards song the boys
recorded). A genuine piece of cultural history, compare this to 99% of what was on the
market in 1964 and you can see why the Rolling Stones, right from the start, stirred up
such strong emotions.
ENGLAND'S NEWEST HIT MAKERS
By Alex Short
November 1, 2000
Rating:
This album is great from start to finish. It starts of with the great 'Route 66' and ends
with 'Walking the Dog'. Even better than the Rufus Thomas original. I cant see any flaws
in this album. Its just so exiting. 'Tell Me' is great, if not a little poppy. For me the
stand out song has to be I just want to make love to you. With superb harmonica from
Brian. The guitar on this album is also superb. Never again would rhythm and blues be
played so convincinly. I wasn't around in the 60s, 70s or really the 80s to listen to
music. But I understand the value of the Stones music. This is by far more superior to 12x5
in every way, it just doesn't rock like this debut album. The single 'Not Fade Away'
is great. Everything is just the way you would expect thing to be done by the Stones.
Although at the time in 1964 you wouldn't think that, as they relatively new to the scene.
Any way enough of this. This album is one of the best!
ENGLAND'S NEWEST HIT MAKERS
By Net Pimp
October 12, 2000
Rating:
Things get started for this already on-the-rise R & B band on this fine debut with
their spirited cover of Buddy Holly's Bo Diddley knock-off "Not Fade Away"
with some explosive harmonica and guitar work. They were starting to form a tight unit in
the studio too. "Route 66" is one of their most rocking covers. The up-tempo
cover of Willie Dixon's "I Just Want to Make Love to You" shows these guys had
some class and could really wallop a r n' r song. "Honest I Do" is a little
half-assed song with engaging guitar work by Keef, and particularly weak vocals by Mick.
By Aftermath, he found his permanent niche! "Now I've Got a Witness" is
just an instrumental of "Can I Get a Witness." It's lifting in it's jiveness,
but really just padding for the LP. It has nice bass work by Bill. "Little By
Little" a group-written song with Phil Spector, another helper along with Gene
Pitney, and Ian Stewart, is a mediocre mid-tempo song that is a little interesting.
"I'm a King Bee" has some okay reworking going on with sly instrumentation
providing a basis for this menacing Slim Harpo cover. They really rock out on
"Carol" (the Beatles do an equally-riveting version on Live At The BBC,
so check it out) with Keef giving Chuck Berry a run for his money. A top-notch
Stones concert favorite. "Tell Me" is the J/R composition that tries to edge
them into a pop field. It's not bad for their style, but the singing isn't assuring and it
sounds as if they were trying to be phony in their vocal delivery. "Can I Get a
Witness," a H-D-H tune for Marvin Gaye of Motown, is covered here in a down-home
church rambling version that isn't so bad. "You Can Make it if You Try" is a
little carelessly covered here with little emotion put into it. "Walking the
Dog" a Rufas Thomas 1963 hit, is done in an extra-spirited style with a good groove
and perfect imitation of the original, complete with whistles and dog calls too. This
debut was hinting at something more than just another British Invasion band covering black
guys stuff!
ENGLAND'S NEWEST HIT MAKERS
By StonesDoctor
April 13, 2000
Rating:
THIS is the album that started it all. Although it didn't make much of a sales impact in
the U.S., this album is THE primal Stones record. Recorded in a tiny back room studio on a
two-track Revox tape machine, this is as essential as Elvis' SUN SESSIONS or
"PLEASE PLEASE ME" as to the founding of Rock [as opposed to rock n' roll].
{NOTE: Since there is only a one track difference between the UK and Us versions, I will
reviewing the UK version...to make the UK version, all you have to do is drop "Not
Fade Away", and add "Mona" after "Honest I Do"....} From Charlies
opening drum roll on "Route 66" to the last cymbal crash on "Walking the
Dog", the Stones roll non-stop thru the blues ("I Just Want To Make Love To
You", "Honest I Do"), early soul ("Can I Get a Witness",
"You can Make it if You Try"), and of course, Chuck Berry ("Route 66",
"Carol"). Almost 40 (!!) years after the fact, its very easy to criticize the
lack of studio polish here, as well as [especially] Micks weak vocals. But the fact
remains that rarely before or since has a group laid out its musical commitment out in
such a forceful
manner. Particularly strong is Brians vibrato work on "Mona" [even Bo was
impressed!], and Keiths fluid leads on "Carol". The original "Tell Me"
[the only J/R tune here..] isn't a half bad ballad, and "Little By Little" is a
nice piece co-written with Phil Spector. Individual tracks aint what this album is about
though [another thing that will carry throughout the Stones career..]. As Keith (or is it
Mick?) has pointed out, this is basically an album of the Stones live act of late
1963/early 1964. and as such, just shows how great and powerful a live act the Stones have
been since the very beginning. This is a very fun album, and is not to be missed! FUN
FACTS: The original UK cover, with just the picture of the Stones in the dark, without any
title, was SUPPOSEDLY the first time this was ever done, and had a HUGE impact. [Too bad
London Records had to ruin it....]. Also note in the credits: Brian and Bill with backing
vocals...but no Keith! Again, mirroring the stage act at this time - Keith
wasn't doing any singing at all at this time.
Keno's mini review, song list, lyrics and more info on England's Newest Htimakers
To listen to some sound clips from
ENGLAND'S NEWEST HIT MAKERS or to buy the CD click here: England's Newest Hit Makers: The Rolling Stones