"Between the Buttons" is the height of The Rolling Stones as songwriters as well as making one of their perfect albums, such as their previous "Aftermath." I have two versions of "Between the Buttons," the American mono release as well as this German stereo reissue that came out in 1982. I'll let the audio freaks argue what is better, but for me, the Stones always sounded great in mono. Still, I love all of their European editions than the U.S. releases due to the slight order or addition of songs.
There is a Dylan "Blonde on Blonde" influence that comes through, especially on "She Smiled Sweetly" and "Who's Been Sleeping Here." Then again, what wasn't influenced by Dylan in the mid to late 1960s? The songwriting craft comes to focus for the Stones, where their voices become a distance from their R n B roots into a more pop format. Perhaps under the influence of Andrew Loog Oldham, or whatever was being pumped in the air during those heady times. Still, a remarkable presence at the time, where one would buy a Beatles record, then a Stones, a Dylan - in a way it became a dialogue between these artists, and us listeners were invited to overhear their musical chat.
"Aftermath" wowed me, but "Between the Buttons" gently whispered into my ears, and it became one of favorite Rolling Stones albums. I have always loved the music hall touch in The Beatles, as well as in The Kinks, and The Stones embracing that world in the songs "Cool, Calm, and Collected" and "Something Happened to Me Yesterday" is a total delight. Those two have a Dylan feel but mixed in with British culture, which makes them unique and a lovely aural/sensual cocktail.
The rockers "All Sold Out," "Connection," "Miss Amanda Jones" (a Dylan type title of a song), and "My Obsession" are remarkable works. The Jagger/Richard songwriting is at their most wonderful peak. It's a reflective album, then a diary or journalistic approach to the world around them. For that reason, as well as the quality of the songs, "Between the Buttons" is an important album to me, and I hope to other listeners.
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