Keno's ROLLING STONES Web Site

IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N ROLL

Released - 1974,  Rolling Stones Records. Produced by The Glimmer Twins.

Personnel:

Mick Jagger - Lead and Backing Vocals; Guitar.
Keith Richards - Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Acoustic and Bass Guitar; Backing Vocals.
Mick Taylor - Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Acoustic and Bass Guitar; Synthesizer; Congas; Backing Vocals.
Bill Wyman - Bass; Synthesizer.
Charlie Watts - Drums.

Additional Personnel:

Nicky Hopkins, Billy Preston, Ronnie Wood, Ian Stewart, Ray Cooper, Kenny Jones, Blue Magic, Charlie Jolly, Ed Leach, Willy Weeks, David Bowie.

(Click on song for lyrics and song personnel) l)

 

SONG

1998 RATING

2005 RATING

2018 RATING*

   
IF YOU CAN'T ROCK ME      6.5      7.0   8.0
AIN'T TO PROUD TO BEG     6.5      6.7   7.0
IT'S ONLY ROCK N ROLL (BUT I LIKE IT)     9.2    10.0 10.0
TILL THE NEXT GOODBYE     7.0      9.0 10.0
TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE     7.8      8.0    9.0
LUXURY     7.3      7.5    9.2
DANCE LITTLE SISTER     6.1      6.2    6.9
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO BE MY FRIEND     6.0      6.1    6.2
SHORT AND CURLIES     7.5      7.6    9.0
FINGERPRINT FILE     8.5      8.3    8.8
Ave.

  7.24

    7.64   8.41


REVIEW

A pretty even album, not a bad song on this one. Surprisingly Mick Taylor's last LP with the band; as usual he plays some nice guitar here, including his solo on "Time Waits For No One", which is the best guitar riff on the album. Ron Wood makes his first appearance with the Stones on the upbeat title cut, "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It), a song he started writing for a solo album of his,  and Mick Jagger and company helped him finish it - then it became theirs. Wood would join the Stones for good two years later.

"Till The Next Goodbye" is a another winner. Jagger sings this one with a almost dirty sounding voice, and the guitars sound so fine! Then "Time Waits for No One" follows next, with fine results, the band sounds almost perfect here, even if this isn't the usual Stones sound that we are used to hearing.

"Fingerprint File" is one of my favorites on this album with Jagger/Richards hitting the bull's eye again with a well written and true song about government spying and its control over people. Sang in an almost rap like matter, before anyone really knew what rap was. "Luxury" is a neat little reggae number that makes you want to sing along, and "Short and Curlies" is another fun one to hear.

All in all, It's Only Rock 'n Roll has a very good feel throughout, the kind of album that leaves a smile on your face when it reaches its end.

- Keno, 1998

2018 updated review is here.

*Old Ratings vs. New Ratings

The oldest ratings that you see here are from back in 1998 when I first rated the album for this site. Since time does change one's point of view, I decided to listen to and rate the album again, doing so in late 2005. In November, 2018, 20 years after the first ratings were made, I rated all of the songs for a third time. Also note that I did not look at the old ratings from 1998 until after I placed my new ratings here in both 2005 and 2018.

To listen to some sound clips from IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N ROLL or to buy it click on: It's Only Rock 'N Roll..: :

To read others reviews about this album, go here.

To see how It's Only Rock 'N Roll's songs was voted on by fans, go here

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