Release Date: October 17, 1964
Label: London, Decca
Popular Songs:
Songs You Need to Listen To:
Written By: Andy Trcka
October 29, 2019
Part of me wants to open this review by demanding this album be referred to by its proper title – 12 x 6. Instead I am following Stu’s example…
“Around and Around” opens 12 x 5. It is a rip-roaring song. Think of a sock hop hooked up to a 1,000,000 volt battery. “Around and Around” completely occupies the moment and you’ll have no opportunity to ponder how the album will unfold. You’ll have little bandwidth to contemplate your workweek, household chores, etc. If you’re lucky enough to be standing, you’ll probably dance. At a minimum, you’ll tap your toes. The song begins with a hefty dose of Brian Jones’ guitar but Ian Stewart’s piano riff draws me in. It flutters throughout both gracefully and strongly.
If I try to discern what Keith and company individually bring to this song, I can’t. I just can’t get past the piano. I love it – to my ears, it’s the heart of the song. The piano is also intriguing because Stewart isn’t one of the five musicians of which 12 x 5 is named for; 12 songs by 5 musicians. Ian is the 6th musician credited on this album. Shouldn’t this be 12 x 6?
Ian, by not caring about his omission (or at least by not voicing discontent), lies the reason I enjoy this album. 12 x 5 is without controversy; there are no theatrics, side stories, strife within the band, etc. It is just a really solid album constructed by musicians who adoring American music. In summation, 12 x 5 is a blues soaked album a listener can enjoy without being encumbered by tabloid nonsense.
Bruce Moir is a friend of mine from work. Actually, a retired friend from work. Sadly I rarely see Bruce these days as he live in Willmar (45 miles from Chels and I in Mac Groveland). Bruce was known in our office for two things: 1) NEARLY overfilling his coffee mug and, 2) spilling his precariously filled coffee mug. Needless to say, many were irritated when Bruce visited their cubicle. Fortunately, because Bruce liked to chat about the early Stones, I kept plenty of paper towels on hand. Bruce “loved the Stones when they were a blues band.”
My voyage with the Rolling Stones began late in the CD era. Unlike Mr. Moir who digested the Stones career in real-time, I leapfrogged from era to era, album to album. My experiences were framed by the bounty provided by the used bins at Cheapo. The bins introduced me to albums, but I had to connect the dots to familiarize myself with the various episodes of the Rolling Stones’ career. 12 x 5 was just a record, a record I might have encountered directly after Emotional Rescue, before Sticky Fingers, or in parallel with Steel Wheels, etc. I enjoyed without context. This piecemeal indoctrination led me to love everything stamped with the Stones brand. Thus Bruce was kicked out of my cubicle numerous times for offering disparaging remarks about post-Aftermath albums.
12 x 5 is the sort of album I want to shine a light on (pun intended). It’s exactly the sort of record that leads me to write these reviews – to draw attention to Stones content folks might not know about. It’s a gem of their early years. I frequently revisit “2120 South Michigan Avenue” and insert it as an opening track in playlists. The free-flowing form of “2120” is exactly the sort of rawness many fans cry out for in their later stuff. “It’s All Over Now” and “If You Need Me” round out the songs I crave from 12 x 5. The album is playful and bounces from pop to soul to blues, all bleeding together in a fashion that the Stones personalize as their own. You can almost feel them grow in repertoire with each song; they assimilate well! 12 x 5 is what you get when you mix a handful (if your hand has 6 digits) of curious musicians growing together stylistically and enjoying themselves in doing so! Despite the obvious affections I just noted, I’ve struggled with an exact reason why I revisit 12 x 5. In prepping this review I realized my enjoyment is represented in Ian and Bruce.
Disgruntled feelings and feuds have accompanied much of the Stones career…
Quarrels about songwriting credits have chased musicians out of the Stones. Mick and Keith have famously feuded. Artistic influences represented in albums have at times been released in homage or in thinly veiled competition with other bands (think Their Satanic Majesties Request). They’ve been famously greedy (i.e. The Verve). Ian Stewart could justifiably be upset this isn’t 12 x 6. But the fact remains (at least publicly) he wasn’t. His lack of dissatisfaction is unique in the annals of the Rolling Stones. Ian was an original member of the band and stayed with them till his passing in 1985. His piano is present throughout the bulk of the Stones content. Simply put, he was the 6th Stone. His omission from 12 x 5’s title could have been the first in the long line of Rolling Stones side stories and quibbles, but it wasn’t. Thus there is no gossip, consternation or distracting nonsense surrounding this album. It’s just the product of some guys who love listening to and playing their version of the blues.
Bruce loved 12 x 5. For him “Congratulations” and “Confessin’ the Blues” represented the breadth of the Stones repertoire; they were a blues band! To him, the arc of their career started with England’s Newest Hitmakers and ended with Aftermath (1966). 12 x 5 is not a transitional album nor is it an effort disproportionately influenced by a particular contributor. Because it isn’t a transitory effort, there is no reading the tea leaves necessary to discern where the Stones are going next. It is just an enjoyable blues-rock volume fitting snugly amongst of bluesy efforts. Given the quality of the album, it is excusable why Bruce opted for staying put with the sound provided by 12 x 5. Likewise you can relax and enjoy it for what it is!
Let’s talk about the construction of 12 x 5…
This is the second US album for the Stones. 12 x 5 is comprised of the UK’s 5 x 5 EP (which probably should have been 12 x 6) plus three original songs Jagger/Richards and an additional four covers. Because EP’s didn’t sell as well in the US, the EP format was abandoned in support of an LP.
Recording was split between RCA Studios in Los Angeles and Chess Studios on 2120 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Legend has it Muddy Waters was painting when Mick and crew walked through the door. Take a moment to digest this – the Stones travelled to another hemisphere to record this album. That is how important they considered their influences – they travelled to another continent to record where and how their heroes did. They breathed the same smells, experienced the same hustle and bustle of the surrounding neighborhoods. They felt the same sun as Howlin’ Wolf, Louie Johnson and Willie Dixon. How far are you willing to go to pursue your passion? Another continent?
It’s worth pointing out the Rolling Stones were afforded the luxury to record in Chicago (or wherever they chose) because they were signed to a single manager – Andrew Loog Oldham. Others in this era did not experience such freedom as they were signed to a specific studio.
12 x 5 is consistent throughout. Five Stones originals are included within. “Empty Heart” and “2120 South Michigan Avenue” are credited to Nanker Phelge (an alias for the Stones as a whole). Both are strong songs and feature a pleasing dose of Mick’s harmonica. “Grown Up All Wrong” was written by Jagger and Richards and features the band really playing well as a cohesive unit. “Good Times, Bad Times” features country blues guitar that lays the groundwork for Let It Bleed’s “Country Honk”/It’s only Rock and Roll’s “Honkey Tonk Women.” It’s a pleasing downtempo song I envision spilling off a porch on a sultry summer evening. I’d love to hear “Good Times, Bad Times” live. “Congratulations,” with its reconciliatory mood is a snappy track that rounds out the originals.
The covers on the record traverse a lot of ground. “Under the Boardwalk” is the Stones take on the classic penned by Artie Resnick and Kenny Young. It is a welcomed poppy addition. “Susie Q” is another poppy number that leaves the listener in a happy mood to conclude the album.
12 x 5 is solid throughout and plays well as an album. For this reason I refrain from steering you towards highlights. My preferred way to enjoy this album is by pouring a drink and listening to it all the way through. It is also fun blasted att volume – either option or any method of your choosing is perfectly acceptable. While I won’t provide fodder for playlist construction, I will mention my favorite track – “If You Need Me.” Mick’s vocals on this track are as strong as any instrument on the album. It feels as if you’re in the room as he pleads his case to a lover. Great Song!
Mr. Moir would grind his teeth at me identifying a big hit from 12 x 5. The whole album plays so smoothly that the whole thing is essentially a hit. But the song most notable is “Time is On My Side.” Not looking beyond the title, there really is no stronger metaphor or prognostication for the Rolling Stones. This Norman Meade cover is a classic in every sense of the word. Time as a concept is an incredibly interesting topic. Instead of me waxing about time, take a moment to dig into the time-related tidbits below and form your own thoughts:
· The Time Machine by HG Wells (available free narrated by Kelsey Grammer via Apple Books)
· Time is On My Side. Take your pick: Original Mono Single from 1964 or live in 1981
Ok…I mentioned how I originally digested 12 x 5. Basically it was a jumbled mess. Don’t be like me! Instead, be like Bruce and set aside some time to live with this album. Listen to this record and its influences. To help you, refer to the playlist below. Within it you will be introduced to 12 x 5 and material on the album the Stones covered. Lastly, follow the precident established by Stu – approach 12 x 5 and other Stones records openly and without reservation. Don’t get caught in the quagmire of tabloid tackiness. If you follow Bruce and Stu’s leads you will be treated to an unending trove of great American music! So listen with an attentive ear and DIVE IN!
| Track (Click for Stones Version) | Songwriter(s) | Other Interesting Stuff by Songwriter(s) |
| Around and Around | Chuck Berry | You Too |
| Confessin’ The Blues | Jay McShann, Walter Brown | Stompinin K.C. (Jay McShann), You, Cindy Lou (Walter Brown) |
| Empty Heart | Nanker Phelge | Play With Fire |
| Time is On My Side | Norman Meade | Piece of My Heart |
| Good Times, Bad Times | Mick Jagger, Keith Richards | Tell Me |
| 2120 South Michigan Avenue | Nanker Phelge | I’m All Right |
| Under The Boardwalk | Arthur Resnick, Kenny Young | Chip Chip (Arthur Resnick), Don’t Go Out in the Rain (Kenny Young) |
| Congratulations | Mick Jagger, Keith Richards | Heart of Stone |
| Grown Up Wrong | Mick Jagger, Keith Richards | Get Off of My Cloud (live) |
| If You Need Me | Robert Bateman, Wilson Pickett | Please Mr. Post Man (Robert Bateman), Teardrops Will Fall (Wilson Pickett) |
| Susie Q | Eleanor Broadwater, Stan Lewis, Dale Hawkins | My Babe (Dale Hawkins), |
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