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Rocks Off: 50 Tracks That Tell the Story of the Rolling Stones
December 3-4, 1969. Keith and Mick stood at the same microphone at Muscle Shoals, lights dimmed, splitting a fifth of bourbon, and simultaneously sang the melodies and harmonies on the three songs that they had recorded over three "Brown Sugar," "You Got to Move," and "Wild Horses." That's your rock ‘n' roll fantasy right there, pal. A six-piece band working in a tiny converted coffin factory across from an Alabama graveyard, on an eight-track recorder, with no computer editing or Autotune, recorded three songs, representing 30 percent of one of the greatest rock ‘n' roll records of all time.
So tells Bill Janovitz of the making of the inimitable triple-platinum album, Sticky Fingers , which hit number one in the US and the UK in 1971, skyrocketing the band to superstardom.
To Bill, all artists reveal themselves through their work and the Rolling Stones are no Each song exposes a little more of their soul. In Rocks Off, Janovitz reveals the forces at work behind the band's music by deconstructing their most representative tunes from their incredible fifty years of record making. Written by a Stones fanatic, this is a song-by-song chronicle that maps the landmarks of the band's career while expanding on their recording and personal history. Much like friends pouring over old records or having a barroom argument over the merits of certain songs, the book presents the musical leaps taken by Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, and the rest of the band and discusses how the lyrical content both reflected and influenced popular culture. The song choices are chronological and subjective; many of them are the classic hits; however, the book digs deeper into beloved album tracks and songs with unique stories behind them.
Rocks Off is the ultimate listening guide and thinking man's companion that will spur you to dust off those old albums and listen in with a newfound perspective on one of the most famous and acclaimed rock 'n' roll bands of all time.
So tells Bill Janovitz of the making of the inimitable triple-platinum album, Sticky Fingers , which hit number one in the US and the UK in 1971, skyrocketing the band to superstardom.
To Bill, all artists reveal themselves through their work and the Rolling Stones are no Each song exposes a little more of their soul. In Rocks Off, Janovitz reveals the forces at work behind the band's music by deconstructing their most representative tunes from their incredible fifty years of record making. Written by a Stones fanatic, this is a song-by-song chronicle that maps the landmarks of the band's career while expanding on their recording and personal history. Much like friends pouring over old records or having a barroom argument over the merits of certain songs, the book presents the musical leaps taken by Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, and the rest of the band and discusses how the lyrical content both reflected and influenced popular culture. The song choices are chronological and subjective; many of them are the classic hits; however, the book digs deeper into beloved album tracks and songs with unique stories behind them.
Rocks Off is the ultimate listening guide and thinking man's companion that will spur you to dust off those old albums and listen in with a newfound perspective on one of the most famous and acclaimed rock 'n' roll bands of all time.
416 pages, Paperback
First published July 23, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
September 27, 2019
"I know, it's only rock and roll, but I like it, like it, yes I do!!!" -- Stones' single from July 1974
Authored by the guitarist of the alternative rock group Buffalo Tom (who is a lifelong Stones fan), Bill Janovitz's near-Herculean task in Rocks Off is picking 50 songs that chronologically tell the story of the legendary and durable rock group. As such, it's not necessarily restricted to a predictable ranking or a listing of their 'best' songs or singles. Janovitz occasionally digs sort of deep into the 50-year discography (!) to discuss some album cuts not generally heard on radio ('Sway,' 'Let It Loose,' 'Time Waits For No One,' etc.) alongside the big hits that EVERYONE knows. Additionally, he includes bits of band history - the drugs, those Mick and Keith feuds, the arrests, the drugs (ha!) - as well as some pretty good insight into the music, such as distilling the essence of 'Honky Tonk Women' (one of my favorites) as the perfect amalgam of rock, country, blues and gospel in a tight three-minute package.
Authored by the guitarist of the alternative rock group Buffalo Tom (who is a lifelong Stones fan), Bill Janovitz's near-Herculean task in Rocks Off is picking 50 songs that chronologically tell the story of the legendary and durable rock group. As such, it's not necessarily restricted to a predictable ranking or a listing of their 'best' songs or singles. Janovitz occasionally digs sort of deep into the 50-year discography (!) to discuss some album cuts not generally heard on radio ('Sway,' 'Let It Loose,' 'Time Waits For No One,' etc.) alongside the big hits that EVERYONE knows. Additionally, he includes bits of band history - the drugs, those Mick and Keith feuds, the arrests, the drugs (ha!) - as well as some pretty good insight into the music, such as distilling the essence of 'Honky Tonk Women' (one of my favorites) as the perfect amalgam of rock, country, blues and gospel in a tight three-minute package.
March 7, 2014
I will admit that I am a total sucker for rock n roll bio books. Most of them start with "This musician was born on this date" and end around the time of their latest record or death. The approach that Janovitz takes is unique, and one that is highly rewarding.
Rather than tell the story of the Stones year by year, he picks 50 songs of theirs that demonstrate what the band was going through at the time. Each song composes a chapter, which can range from 3 to 10 pages. The bulk of the book, for obvious reasons, is spent on material released between the late 60's and early 80's. The group's latter releases are occasionally hurried through, though not dismissed out of hand. The author finds interesting bits about all of their output, and even praises a few songs from the 90's - 2000's.
At first, I was a little dismayed to see that a number of my favorite Stones songs were not listed as chapter titles. However, once I began reading, I realized that Janovitz takes a pretty broad sample within each chapter. He may spend most of a chapter telling you about the titular song, but he makes sure to discuss the more popular ones within those pages, as well.
This book really conveys the turbulent relationships between the Stones' players, and how those relationships affected the song writing. It's amazing that Jagger and Richards hid their feelings in plain sight with pointed lyrics throughout the late 70's and early 80's.
My only word of caution about this book is to make sure you either own all of these albums, or have a subscription to Spotify. You will get the most out of listening to each song, multiple times, while reading its chapter. There are also some technical discussions of the songs here that may not be as interesting to non musicians. They are kept brief enough so as not to disturb the narrative.
Finally, be sure to read the introduction to this book. It explains Janovitz's perspective on the band, and conveys a great anecdote about Keith Richards.
Rather than tell the story of the Stones year by year, he picks 50 songs of theirs that demonstrate what the band was going through at the time. Each song composes a chapter, which can range from 3 to 10 pages. The bulk of the book, for obvious reasons, is spent on material released between the late 60's and early 80's. The group's latter releases are occasionally hurried through, though not dismissed out of hand. The author finds interesting bits about all of their output, and even praises a few songs from the 90's - 2000's.
At first, I was a little dismayed to see that a number of my favorite Stones songs were not listed as chapter titles. However, once I began reading, I realized that Janovitz takes a pretty broad sample within each chapter. He may spend most of a chapter telling you about the titular song, but he makes sure to discuss the more popular ones within those pages, as well.
This book really conveys the turbulent relationships between the Stones' players, and how those relationships affected the song writing. It's amazing that Jagger and Richards hid their feelings in plain sight with pointed lyrics throughout the late 70's and early 80's.
My only word of caution about this book is to make sure you either own all of these albums, or have a subscription to Spotify. You will get the most out of listening to each song, multiple times, while reading its chapter. There are also some technical discussions of the songs here that may not be as interesting to non musicians. They are kept brief enough so as not to disturb the narrative.
Finally, be sure to read the introduction to this book. It explains Janovitz's perspective on the band, and conveys a great anecdote about Keith Richards.
July 31, 2013
I received this book as a Goodreads give away. This is a book for music fans! In particular Rolling Stones music fans. This book is not a biography of band members or a tell all that the Star or the Enquirer do so well. Bill Janovitz does a great job with the history and production of songs from one of the best bands in Rock. This is a fifty year history of the music that is very well done. I am a musician and for a non musician it may not be an easy read. For a student of Rock or a die hard Stones fan this is a must read. Kudos to Mr. Janovitz! Thank you Goodreads
January 6, 2016
Interesting overview of the Stones' history, as reflected through the history of 50 songs. Janovitz's fanboy tendencies are apparent through much of the book, which robs it of objectivity, but it is nice to see passion in the writing. The book spends most of its time on the peak Mick Taylor years 1968-1972 (which may be the finest album run of any rock band ever, covering Beggars Banquet to Exile on Main Street), so that was "warm and fuzzy" for me. My biggest gripe is my favorite Stones' song exclusion: Can't You Hear Me Knocking?
Also cool to see how history unfolded as they wrote/recorded the songs. In Sympathy for the Devil, the line "Who killed the Kennedys?" was originally "Who killed Kennedy," but RFK's assassination during the song's production changed it. Through modern eyes it's often hard to realize that shit was going down when this iconic music was produced.
Also cool to see how history unfolded as they wrote/recorded the songs. In Sympathy for the Devil, the line "Who killed the Kennedys?" was originally "Who killed Kennedy," but RFK's assassination during the song's production changed it. Through modern eyes it's often hard to realize that shit was going down when this iconic music was produced.
February 27, 2018
All I ask from a non-fiction music book is that it provide interesting and/or inspiring stories about how a song was written and recorded, throw in some sociohistorical context and a little music criticism (but don't go crazy with that stuff), and reflect some unjaded enthusiasm for the artist. This book delivers all that in spades. I consider myself fairly well-versed in Stones lore, and I still learned things I didn't know--for example how "Stray Cat Blues" consciously apes the Velvet Underground, or Albert Hammond's hilarious anecdote about recording a horn arrangement for "You Can't Always Get What You Want." It's also refreshing to know that, unlike some artists, the Stones didn't spend, say, 72 hours getting a snare drum sound right. Many first takes and mistakes ended up on their records--their inspired sloppiness was genuine.
October 8, 2013
Recommended by a library patron. Lots of fun. I had somehow underestimated Keith Richards' songwriting contributions on classics like "Ruby Tuesday." Lots of good background; ex. Mick Jagger was reading The Master and the Margarita when he composed "Sympathy for the Devil." Downsides: it's ugly to see how much resentment Keith and Mick still harbor for Brian Jones, and the constant pot shots at the Beatles seem outdated and silly. Or just plain wrong: author Janovitz uses the lines in John Lennon's "Revolution," "But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao/You aren't going to make it with anyone anyhow," as an example of the Beatles' 'soft-pedaling' the conflicts of the 60's. Hasn't this guy ever heard of irony?
June 18, 2013
I received a copy via a Goodreads giveaway. 4 1/4 stars. Most of the books I've read about the Rolling Stones are very one-sided; either love everything Stones, or hate the immoral bad boys.
This is a well put together and written book, that uses songs from the different ages of the Stones to explain what was going on in the lives and music of the band. It reminded me of some of the great but not-so-popular songs from the catalog. It is definitiely one that I will look through over and over again.
This is a well put together and written book, that uses songs from the different ages of the Stones to explain what was going on in the lives and music of the band. It reminded me of some of the great but not-so-popular songs from the catalog. It is definitiely one that I will look through over and over again.
February 13, 2019
Interesting and informative view from author Bill janovitz on his personal top 50 Stones tracks or those that tell the tale. In-depth look at the Stones mentions all guest performers and has a stark view of the band from various time periods throughout their 50+ years. Some more-important tracks (my opinion, of course) have been omitted for whatever reason.
January 15, 2019
Bill Janovitz brings a musician's perspective to the story of the Rolling Stones. That's actually a fairly unusual thing. He talks with authority about the music itself, which is a wonderful in a genre often filled with scandals and personality over all. I don't agree with all of his opinions (he's a bit of a rock snob about popular music, for one thing, and he thinks the best of later Stones is their schmaltzy ballads, for another - ick), but he knows a thing or two about rock n roll. (Also, his band, Buffalo Tom, is great.)
July 17, 2018
Awesome tour of the fifty songs that defined the Rolling Stones. With a band with the extensive discography of the Stones, not every vital track can be included but the author did a sterling job justifying each song's inclusion. After all, you can't always get what you want! Fun read to be accompanied by music by a certain band. Loved it!
February 21, 2020
What a book! In that great separation of wheat from chaff and sheep from goats I was always more of a Beatles guy than a Rolling Stone fan. Sure, the AM hits coming out of car radios for the last 50 years are cultural touchstones but for years the only Rolling Stones album I ever bothered to procure was Some Girls. And that may be because it brought back sweet memories of my first hot girlfriend, warm Minnesota summers and making love in a canoe.
I read a lot of music books and biographies and Janowitz has set the standard. No official or formal biography I nevertheless came away with a feeling of love and affection of the guys and the band and their amazing accomplishments. I will be seeking out most of those great albums from the 60s ands 70s as soon as finish this review. Janowitz's approach of mini essays about 50 songs is endlessley fascinating and chocker block full of colour, erudition, expertise and passion. Clocking in at a few pages each the books chapters fly by. Infinitely interesting and so well conceived.
If you are a Stones fan you've probably read this and refer to it a lot. If you're not a Stones fan, read it soon. You still may not like their music but you'll love reading about them.
five red bloody stars from me.
I read a lot of music books and biographies and Janowitz has set the standard. No official or formal biography I nevertheless came away with a feeling of love and affection of the guys and the band and their amazing accomplishments. I will be seeking out most of those great albums from the 60s ands 70s as soon as finish this review. Janowitz's approach of mini essays about 50 songs is endlessley fascinating and chocker block full of colour, erudition, expertise and passion. Clocking in at a few pages each the books chapters fly by. Infinitely interesting and so well conceived.
If you are a Stones fan you've probably read this and refer to it a lot. If you're not a Stones fan, read it soon. You still may not like their music but you'll love reading about them.
five red bloody stars from me.
January 21, 2019
Fascinating, this book tells the story of The Rolling Stones using their music as the timeline.
I had no idea that originally the band had been a blues band and I really loved most of those early tracks. I'd never heard them before. I was not particularly a Stones fan so I never followed them closely, but this was enlightening, both musically and historically. Well, I say I wasn't particularly a Stones fan, that doesn't mean I didn't recognize all of their popular tunes. They have been a soundtrack to my life whether I call myself a fan or not.
I read this book more like a research project than a page turning book. I listened to nearly every song mentioned, I watched Gimme Shelter. I could have done more of course, but I tried to give the book and The Stones my full interest and attention.
What is so fascinating of course is Mick Jagger. A mesmerizing individual. Learning about the rest of the band and watching many live performances was great, but that camera was loving Mick, you almost never see the other musicians, and if you do it is almost always their faces, especially Keith and Charlie, not the playing of the instruments. I find that unusual but there was a strong interest in the band members I suppose.
The book gives a lot of technical musical review/interpretation and a lot of details of their recording sessions. The writer is a musician himself and a Stones fan so he works hard to do the band justice here. This book has nudged me closer to being a fan, I really enjoyed the musical tour.
A week later: I can't get The Stones out of my head, listening to them all the time. Yeah, I know, coming a bit late to fandom, but here I am, add me to the rank of fans please.
I had no idea that originally the band had been a blues band and I really loved most of those early tracks. I'd never heard them before. I was not particularly a Stones fan so I never followed them closely, but this was enlightening, both musically and historically. Well, I say I wasn't particularly a Stones fan, that doesn't mean I didn't recognize all of their popular tunes. They have been a soundtrack to my life whether I call myself a fan or not.
I read this book more like a research project than a page turning book. I listened to nearly every song mentioned, I watched Gimme Shelter. I could have done more of course, but I tried to give the book and The Stones my full interest and attention.
What is so fascinating of course is Mick Jagger. A mesmerizing individual. Learning about the rest of the band and watching many live performances was great, but that camera was loving Mick, you almost never see the other musicians, and if you do it is almost always their faces, especially Keith and Charlie, not the playing of the instruments. I find that unusual but there was a strong interest in the band members I suppose.
The book gives a lot of technical musical review/interpretation and a lot of details of their recording sessions. The writer is a musician himself and a Stones fan so he works hard to do the band justice here. This book has nudged me closer to being a fan, I really enjoyed the musical tour.
A week later: I can't get The Stones out of my head, listening to them all the time. Yeah, I know, coming a bit late to fandom, but here I am, add me to the rank of fans please.
August 29, 2023
Telling Bill!
He's just a good writer, no doubt in my mind. Just is a bad word. That's a big deal, to be a good writer and besides that, to have lived what you speak and keep it relevant to the subject, while remaining passionate, compassionate, understanding, and imaginative at the same time - that's a special talent.
Bill has that talent, plus a sense of humor that knows when to come out and play as well as when to lie low and let the other dudes shine. It's good that he became a musician himself. His understanding of the process is so deep, that if he had had to sit on the bench, he would have killed himself by now, ha!
Anyway, it's a good book, full of surprises in just the way he describes things. You'll say, yeah, that's it - I couldn't have said it better myself, and yet it's exactly the way you felt, while listening.
Only problem is now I have to read all of his books (I've already read Leon) and I'm a writer myself and he's cutting into my time!
He's just a good writer, no doubt in my mind. Just is a bad word. That's a big deal, to be a good writer and besides that, to have lived what you speak and keep it relevant to the subject, while remaining passionate, compassionate, understanding, and imaginative at the same time - that's a special talent.
Bill has that talent, plus a sense of humor that knows when to come out and play as well as when to lie low and let the other dudes shine. It's good that he became a musician himself. His understanding of the process is so deep, that if he had had to sit on the bench, he would have killed himself by now, ha!
Anyway, it's a good book, full of surprises in just the way he describes things. You'll say, yeah, that's it - I couldn't have said it better myself, and yet it's exactly the way you felt, while listening.
Only problem is now I have to read all of his books (I've already read Leon) and I'm a writer myself and he's cutting into my time!
November 13, 2023
I find it hard to enjoy music journalism, so my low rating may reflect more about me than this book. Nevertheless I found the prologue interminable and dull, and my perusal of a few random sections revealed lots of opinion mixed with a few items of trivia concerning which musician wrote what lyric. Ho hum. Finally, I'm not sure the Stones have 50 songs that are worth writing about. The author acknowledges as much in his intro. And, incredibly, there's nothing on "Sweet Virginia," for my money their best song, or on "Beast of Burden." How can you leave those songs out? I'd rather just read some interviews with the musicians themselves.
March 31, 2022
Bill Janovitz is/was the frontman for Boston band Buffalo Tom, so he knows music. But he's also a really good writer, and he uses the format of this book (50 songs) to explore not just the songwriting but the general ups and downs of the career of The Rolling Stones. It's a breezy read but full of great insights.
March 6, 2019
There are many books about the Stones, but this one is the best one that I have read. I borrowed it from the library but I might have to get a copy for my bookshelf! Highly recommended.
June 11, 2019
I liked this. It is laudatory in right places and critical when necessary. Interesting trivia and studio details are included. Must for all Stones fans.
October 20, 2019
An extremely well researched and entertaining read covering the Stones entire history. It’s not for the casual Stones fan, but if you’re a die hard, like myself, you’ll love it.
November 23, 2019
Wow, the author captures the heart of every song he writes about.
December 24, 2019
As a decent musician in his own right, Bill Janovitz brings an important measure of technical insight into his writing about these songs. Very impressive book which is also just fun to read.
April 29, 2020
better to just listen to their music
July 20, 2022
The Best book of the Stones recordings.
September 12, 2023
"The sunlight bores the daylights out of me."
You know, Mick Jagger is never mentioned among rock's best lyricists, and Lord knows, there are some clunkers in the ol' catalog ("Get off the fence now / you're creasing your butt"), but most of the classic songs have at least one line that's both clever and profound, in a way that sounds almost tossed-off and incidental. The line about who killed the Kennedys is the equivalent of anything in Dylan's or Cohen's oeuvre.
Anyway, solid book here. No news is broken, no insights are original, but the song choices are deft and the passion is obvious.
You know, Mick Jagger is never mentioned among rock's best lyricists, and Lord knows, there are some clunkers in the ol' catalog ("Get off the fence now / you're creasing your butt"), but most of the classic songs have at least one line that's both clever and profound, in a way that sounds almost tossed-off and incidental. The line about who killed the Kennedys is the equivalent of anything in Dylan's or Cohen's oeuvre.
Anyway, solid book here. No news is broken, no insights are original, but the song choices are deft and the passion is obvious.
July 20, 2015
Judging by this book and his 33 and 1/3 review of Exile on Main Street, Bill Janovitz has spent many hours listening to and thinking about the Rolling Stones. His writing is at its best when he addresses the details of the songs, highlighting the individual threads that converge to make the band's music so exciting. For example, about Charlie Watts' contribution to Wild Horses he observes:
"The second time Charlie enters, he rolls the snare drum in earlier on the verse than the first time he entered, when he came in at the chorus. Now he enters at the halfway point of the verse. He leaves space, an impossibly drawn-out beat number two. A deep breath....The six note drum fill going into the last chorus is one of the most devastating of all Charlie's fills. This is an emotional song--lyrics, music--and yet Charlie's austere choices are what provide the song the most drama."
The casual fan will probably find this boring. But for the serious fan, this kind of writing makes you hear a well-worn song in a new light, with a new sense of appreciation, not just for the members of the band but also the other contributors (such as Nicky Hopkins) that have moved in and out of the picture over the years.
Don't get me wrong--Janovitz spends plenty of time on band history and controversies, but you can get that from a lot of different sources. It is Janovitz's perspective as a musician and songwriter and his appreciation for the actual music that make his work unique.
"The second time Charlie enters, he rolls the snare drum in earlier on the verse than the first time he entered, when he came in at the chorus. Now he enters at the halfway point of the verse. He leaves space, an impossibly drawn-out beat number two. A deep breath....The six note drum fill going into the last chorus is one of the most devastating of all Charlie's fills. This is an emotional song--lyrics, music--and yet Charlie's austere choices are what provide the song the most drama."
The casual fan will probably find this boring. But for the serious fan, this kind of writing makes you hear a well-worn song in a new light, with a new sense of appreciation, not just for the members of the band but also the other contributors (such as Nicky Hopkins) that have moved in and out of the picture over the years.
Don't get me wrong--Janovitz spends plenty of time on band history and controversies, but you can get that from a lot of different sources. It is Janovitz's perspective as a musician and songwriter and his appreciation for the actual music that make his work unique.
October 3, 2013
I’m not a big Rolling Stones fan. I have three greatest hits compliations, Tattoo You downloaded and I won’t confirm or deny that I have a bootleg concert.
I got this book because I know most of the songs that are written about. The point of the book was to tell the history of the Rolling Stones through their songs. This book accomplishes that. I learned the different band line-ups, fights in the band, the writing process and the truth behind the image (they’re really not that far apart).
The author is a talented musician who was able to explain the structure of the songs in a way that a non-musician gets what he means. He was in a band called Buffalo Tom, which had some modern rock hits in the 1990s. So this book can be technical about music and be from a music fan. It's a distinct way to get several takes on the band.
This is a tough book to recommend because he uses Keith Richard’s book as a reference a lot. I read that book so I knew some of the things here. I wouldn’t say this is for hardcore fan of the band, because I think a hardcore fan would know much of this. I wouldn’t say it’s a good introduction either because I had to look up some of the songs. He uses famous songs as well as album cuts to tell his story.
If you’re a fan with a few greatest hits compliations, this may be the book for you. It’s a well done history of the band.
I got this book because I know most of the songs that are written about. The point of the book was to tell the history of the Rolling Stones through their songs. This book accomplishes that. I learned the different band line-ups, fights in the band, the writing process and the truth behind the image (they’re really not that far apart).
The author is a talented musician who was able to explain the structure of the songs in a way that a non-musician gets what he means. He was in a band called Buffalo Tom, which had some modern rock hits in the 1990s. So this book can be technical about music and be from a music fan. It's a distinct way to get several takes on the band.
This is a tough book to recommend because he uses Keith Richard’s book as a reference a lot. I read that book so I knew some of the things here. I wouldn’t say this is for hardcore fan of the band, because I think a hardcore fan would know much of this. I wouldn’t say it’s a good introduction either because I had to look up some of the songs. He uses famous songs as well as album cuts to tell his story.
If you’re a fan with a few greatest hits compliations, this may be the book for you. It’s a well done history of the band.
January 21, 2015
I must admit I came into this book as a huge Bill Janovitz/Buffalo Tom fan and a part time Rolling Stones fan. I always knew Janovitz was influenced by the Rolling Stones and I was interested in reading his thoughts on the band. Rocks Off is an eloquent and revealing read about a legendary band. Janovitz writes passionately about the band, their songs and what they mean to him.
The book is divided into three parts, the Brian Jones, Mick Taylor and Ron Wood years. Each chapter is about a specific song but the author expands his account to write about the relevant album and what was happening with the band at the time. For someone like me who is familiar with most of the songs but not with how they came about it was a very interesting read. I would say even Rolling Stones experts will find out facts about the songs that they didn't know before reading.
I had a playlist of the songs and listened to them as I was reading about them and found myself hearing the songs in a new light and discovering little instrumental flourishes and flaws that I didn't know existed. I really gained an appreciation for the Stones and how their music shaped rock n roll.
I would highly recommend this book to new and old Rolling Stones fans and anyone who wants to read about how great rock music is created.
The book is divided into three parts, the Brian Jones, Mick Taylor and Ron Wood years. Each chapter is about a specific song but the author expands his account to write about the relevant album and what was happening with the band at the time. For someone like me who is familiar with most of the songs but not with how they came about it was a very interesting read. I would say even Rolling Stones experts will find out facts about the songs that they didn't know before reading.
I had a playlist of the songs and listened to them as I was reading about them and found myself hearing the songs in a new light and discovering little instrumental flourishes and flaws that I didn't know existed. I really gained an appreciation for the Stones and how their music shaped rock n roll.
I would highly recommend this book to new and old Rolling Stones fans and anyone who wants to read about how great rock music is created.
February 2, 2015
Bill Janovitz takes 50 Rolling Stones songs and not always the well known or even semi-played ones and proceeds to tell the band's history through these 50 particular songs.
I think it really helped that not only is he a huge Stones fan, but that he is the guitarist in the band Buffalo Tom.
I was impressed with Janovitz ability to get pretty detailed on who played on these songs including all the various session men and background singers and in his ability to find at least one song from each of the Stone's studio albums to represent as one of the 50.
Of course there is bias towards the Stones middle period with multiple examples from such albums as Beggars Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Mainstreet, but those were also four of the stones best albums in their catalog as well for good reason considering the early albums were mainly made up of cover songs and the later period Stones albums were to be honest quite dreadful.
But I found it to be a really good read and I got more out of this book then in the one I read about Brian Jones by Paul Trynka.
I think it really helped that not only is he a huge Stones fan, but that he is the guitarist in the band Buffalo Tom.
I was impressed with Janovitz ability to get pretty detailed on who played on these songs including all the various session men and background singers and in his ability to find at least one song from each of the Stone's studio albums to represent as one of the 50.
Of course there is bias towards the Stones middle period with multiple examples from such albums as Beggars Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Mainstreet, but those were also four of the stones best albums in their catalog as well for good reason considering the early albums were mainly made up of cover songs and the later period Stones albums were to be honest quite dreadful.
But I found it to be a really good read and I got more out of this book then in the one I read about Brian Jones by Paul Trynka.
June 5, 2014
Bill Janovitz wrote an interesting 33 1/3 series book on The Rolling Stones landmark album Exile On Main Street. In his new book, Rocks Off (2013) tells the story of the Rolling Stones. The book is divided into three sections that reflect three distinct line ups, the early version was the Brian Jones era, followed by the Mick Taylor years, and finally the Ron Wood years which has been the longest. Janovitz admit if he was writing this book about the album he has found worthwhile it would have stopped at 1981 Tattoo You, but this is a history and a critical appraisal, but there is a good deal of analysis about what makes the songs successful. I made a play list of all the tracks and listened as I read about each particular track. A well-researched and fascinating look at a band that is still together more than 50 years later.
December 27, 2017
"Guys. whatever you do, don't try and grow old gracefully. It wouldn't suit you"
First of all, I'm a big big Rolling Stones fan.
I enjoyed this book so much. Reading about making music, explaining music with words, has always been a favorite thing for me, and reading how precisely lots of these songs that I've known for years is pretty special. Makes me appreciate even more the art that was making music when technology was not around. It also made me realize a lot of things I hadn't thought about the band, how hard it was for them at some points of their history, and it made me learn a lot.
I'm not sure if this would be suitable for people not that much into the Stones. But for the music history and as a faithful step by step of the sixties seventies process of making music, it's quite interesting, also if you play some instrument.
First of all, I'm a big big Rolling Stones fan.
I enjoyed this book so much. Reading about making music, explaining music with words, has always been a favorite thing for me, and reading how precisely lots of these songs that I've known for years is pretty special. Makes me appreciate even more the art that was making music when technology was not around. It also made me realize a lot of things I hadn't thought about the band, how hard it was for them at some points of their history, and it made me learn a lot.
I'm not sure if this would be suitable for people not that much into the Stones. But for the music history and as a faithful step by step of the sixties seventies process of making music, it's quite interesting, also if you play some instrument.
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