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DECEMBERS CHILDREN
Twelve Reviews - Overall Average Rating - 8.2 Tongues
DECEMBERS CHILDREN
by devilsadvocate
June 27, 2009
Rating:
What an underrated gem of an album! I'm giving it a 9 instead of a 9.5 only because
of the filler live version of "Route 66". Every other song is just
brilliant! Once again, the Stones prove just how good they are at covering Chicago
blues with their version of Muddy Waters' "Look What You've Done". Brian's
harmonica steals the show here.
Other winners are the well-known "Get Off My Cloud", "Blue Turns to
Grey" and another live track, "I'm Moving On". "Get Off My Cloud"
is a rocker with one of those fantastic riffs that the Stones are famous for.
"Blue Turns to Grey" is a lovely little tune with great guitar work from both
Brian and Keith. It is regrettable that "I'm Moving On" was never recorded
in the studio. But it is possible that a studio version would not have matched the
intensity displayed here. This track simply smokes.
All in all, an often-overlooked album that deserves to be rediscovered.
To listen to some sound clips from
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN
or to buy the CD, click on: December's Children (And Everybody's)
More fan reviews:
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN
by Channing
February 19, 2005
Rating:
I just stumbled onto this web site. Wish I had had a crack at some of the albums for which
reviews are closed off. I really like December's Children, and the standout
cuts to me are apparently not the same as what some others have pointed to. "Get Off
of My Cloud" and "As Tears Go By" are classic Stones, of course, although I
am not sure whether the former does much that, say, "19th Nervous Breakdown" and
"Satisfaction" did not do better. The cuts I really like are "Better
Move On," "Singer Not the Song," and "Blue Turns to Grey."
The first is Stones doing real American Black music--soul with a tinge of country and
western--without irony, without a wink and an nod. A great Arthur Alexander, Jr.
song. See also the Beatles version of "Anna." Brits recognizing
American Black music better than white folks in the States had. "Singer"
mean-spirited in the same kind of groove as "Under My Thumb" and "Heart of
Stone." Classic Stones theme of the time. I understand we have rap these
days, but what other group was writing about dominating women this was in the early 60s.
"Blue Turns to Grey" drips with Brian Jones' musicianship and subtle hooks,
again with good lyrics "now, that she is gone, you won't be sad for long"--but
in fact you will be. If "I'm Free" is a steal, it sure isn't from "8
Days a Week." Maybe from The Who "I'm Free." But still a good
celebration of the attractiveness of a guy that is "free." I could have
done without "Rt. 66" live. "Got to Get Away" seems like very
solid work by the Stones in the time period. The other cuts seem at least okay with
lots of Brian Jones interesting things coming up all over the place. On the overall
ratings, I think I like this album as much as or than any other of the early Stones
albums, which means I like it a whole lot. A tad better than Aftermath for
instance. 12x5 seems underrated here, too. I see the Stones as
starting to move away from being one incredible R&B cover band in these albums to
being a truly distinct voice. That does not hurt at all.
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN
By jdlc
February 18, 2005
Rating:
As said in other reviews, December's Children was the third Stones album released
in one year. While the album makes it clear that they'd covered a lot in one year, it does
show that the Stones may have been running out of material to use and were not willing to
release an EP, which, in my opinion, should have been released. This album isn't a great
buy. It doesn't have very many good songs, but the Stones should get some credit. They
were making way for Aftermath.
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN
By Starsuckin' Ruby Flash
January 11, 2004
Rating:
There's still some blues on this album but rock was getting into the Stones' sound pretty
quick. This was released in 1965, and still sounds hard and raw!
"She Said Yeah" opens the album with a minute and thirty-five seconds of action.
Hard guitars. "Talkin' About You" is a nice little slower ballad. "You
Better Move On" is really good. Some fine percussion and that bass. "Look What
You've Done" is the only stereo track and is great. The harmonica solo is one of the
best ever. "The Singer Not The Song" is a thoughtful song about love, Mick and
Keith wrote good lyrics. The song rocks, but at the same time is gentle. Then we have a
live cover of "Route 66." It's hard and strong, but the audience's screaming
distracts. "Get Off My Cloud" is the best song, pounding drums and a great
chorus make it one of rock's best songs. "I'm Free" is another beautiful, yet
rocking number. "As Tears Go By" is the Stones' "Yesterday." Great
song! "Gotta Get Away" is alright. "Blue Turns To Grey," what a great
song! "I'm Moving On" ends the album with another rockin' live number. Sweet
harmonica, fuzz bass (Aftermath, anyone?) and less audience noise makes this a
great closer. All in all, the album holds together well, and is one of '65's best rock
albums. This could be better than Aftermath!
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN
By GB
September 16, 2002
Rating:
This is more poppy collection of songs, to some extent, but nowhere to the point that the
album loses energy - at all. This is a very good rock album. What we get here is a fair
number of ballads and slower numbers.
LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE is a nice slow blues. Very Stones. ROUTE 66 is a driving live
version. Very hard. It shows the difference between the Beatles of this era and the
Stones. I'M FREE is a simple, strikingly effective anthem. There are more great rockers
here, like GOTTA GET AWAY, TALKING ABOUT YOU, and SHE SAID YEAH. There's also the
SATISFACTION-encore, GET OFF MY CLOUD.
I enjoy this album very much, and I'm sure all Stones fans will dig it too!
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN
By the chipper
March 24, 2002
Rating:
A cut and paste job concocted for the American market, this gathers together songs from
various British albums, singles and EPs, some of which had been released more than a year
and a half earlier. Marketing at its most crass? Of course, and it also presents a
distorted view of the group's development as recording artists and songwriters. But like
all the early Stones albums this is worth your cash anyway, simply because the songs are
so good. "Get Off Of My Cloud" is the standout, a smash hit single with some of
Charlie Watts' most propulsive drumming and some of Mick Jagger's most interesting lyrics
(though you can't make them all out due to Andrew Loog Oldham's ...er... production).
Another uptempo number is the rousing opening track, "She Said Yeah" (all 1
minute, 36 seconds of it). And, interestingly enough, this also includes raucous live
recordings of "Route 66" and Hank Snow's "I'm Moving On", culled from
the British EP Got Live If You Want It. But for the most part, this is a quieter,
gentler Stones album, with such subdued songs as "Blue Turns To Grey", the
famous "As Tears Go By" (originally written to order for teenaged Marianne
Faithfull), the cheerfully naive "I'm Free", and the much maligned "The
Singer Not The Song", which features slightly out-of-tune guitars, but nevermind! Of
the cover songs, "Talkin' About You" is one of their only Chuck Berry numbers
that is'nt up to snuff, but the takes on Muddy Waters' "Look What You've Done"
(great harmonica!) and Arthur Alexander's "You Better Move On" are primo. And
don't overlook "Gotta Get Away", an early Jagger-Richards "down on
chicks" original. Lastly, the impact may be diminished in the CD age, but I would
like to nominate the group photo for "December's Children" as their best album
cover... all you 21st century grunge acts, eat your heart out!
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN
By Brian McMahon
June 6, 2001
Rating:
This is an interesting album, very uncharacteristic of the Stones sound (aside from 'Get
Off My Cloud'). It also has 2 live songs and at least 2 songs they wrote for other people
('As Tears Go By' and 'Singer Not The Song'). I love the tremolo guitar on "I'm
Free" (a re-make you may recognize came out in the 90's) and like that harmonica
sound on "Look What Ya Done". Not a dud on it, though some of the songs could
use some polish. I don't know if they have improved the initial CD release, but I'm
holding onto my album until they improve the mix on the CD!
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN
By Babur
February 4, 2001
Rating:
December's Children is quite as underrated Stones Album. I perceive this album as
a typical Spring Album. The tracks on it are mostly soft with the occasional tough track.
The ballads on this album together exceed those on almost any other Stones album. "
You Better Move On", " The Singer not the Song", "I am Free",
"As Tears go By", " Look What You've Done", and " Blue Turns to
Grey" are not typical love songs. A certain pleasant and sweet melancholy pervades
most of these songs which express feelings of loneliness, freedom, self assurance, and
regret. Only "Sweet Virginia" and "Wild Horses" are other songs by the
Stones in the genre that are always a pleasure to listen to, regardless of ones mood. Live
tracks like " She said Yeah", " Route 66", are full of raw power, They
are precursors to the Stones album "got live if you want it!" The live
"Route 66" is better than the studio recording. "Get off my Cloud"
exemplifies the Rolling Stones toughness and grit.
I do not think that people should buy this as their first Stones album, or even as their
second Stones album. This album is for fans who are familiar with the Stones work of the
60's and early 70's. For those fans this albums would be like a spring breeze. To maximize
the listening experience, this album should be listened to with the one you love while
viewing the constellations on a warm summer night.
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN
By Net Pimp
December 27, 2000
Rating:
This album does house some classics, but even with good covers, there are others that just
stink, same goes with some originals. But, a great band is human once in a while.
"She Said Yeah" is way too short of a beginning. They play pretty sloppy.
"Talkin' Bout You" seems to lack that spark too. "You Better Move on"
and "Look what You've Done" are nice little tracks. But "The Singer Not the
Song" is a weak, junk song that's rather embarrassing. "Route 66" is a fine
live track that's energizing. "Get Off of My Cloud" holds this up pretty well.
The repeated riff makes it a fantastic angst-filled rocker. "I'm Free" is a
folk-rockish that barley has any more to it other than the verse and chorus. It's a
little-known gem. 'As Tears Go By" is a beautiful song, made as a spin-off to the
orchestral overtones of "Yesterday" when recorded, it still is a bitter, dandy
little track. "Gotta Get Away" is perhaps the strongest original here next to
those three. The bluesy "Blue Turns to Grey" is an acoustic-filled track that
brings forth a calm, peaceful, atmosphere. "I'm Moving on" is a well-done cover
of the Hank Williams tune and is a countryside closing to an erratic album.
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN
By Alex Short
November 3, 2000
Rating:
This album is a mix match of A sides, B sides and the English version of Out of Our
Heads. Hense the conclusion of 'She Said Yeah'. This song has to be the best starting
track to any album. But why so short? This album has few flaws, except in my opinion 'Im
Free'. 'Get off Of My Cloud' has to be one of the classic singles of all time. Its just so
affective. Its hook grabs you immediately. I love 'The Singer Not The Son'. Why this
wasn't released in England until the seventies I will never understand. Another stand out
which didn't grab me until I got a harmonica is 'Look What You've Done'. Just who plays
that harmonica? Finally, I have to say that their two live renditions of firstly, 'Route
66' and then 'IM Moving On' are terrific. So much so that I'm going to buy the Got
Live If You Want It album. Just one more thing to say. If you don't have
this album, go out and buy it now!
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN
By Jack
August 25, 2000
Rating:
I just can't say enough about this album! This was my first Stones album, which was given
to me as a Christmas present in Dec.
1965. This first copy was ruined, and as soon as I could afford it, I bought another one!
And when I got my 8-track tape deck
I quickly got the tape too! And when it was available as a CD ( remastered ) I got that
too!
The songs on this album pretty much exemplify the best of the early Stones. A little bit
of blues, a little bit of rock, and, of
course, a bit of pop . . . and even a pretty ballad in, "As Tears Go By." I like
the whole album but my fave songs are "She Said
Yeah!" "Look What You've Done," ( love the harmonica! ) "Get Off My
Cloud," "As Tears Go By," and "I'm Moving On."
This album is the Rolling Stones best early effort, IMO. Buy it! You'll like it!
Oh yes, I don't care if it's an "ABKCO" record now . . . as far as I'm concerned
it's a "LONDON" record!
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN
By Steve Cronen
April 11, 2000
Rating:
Hoo, boy, what a great album. It's always seemed very underrated to me. Maybe because of
its being sandwiched in between "Satisfaction" (Out Of Our Heads) and
"Paint It, Black," (Aftermath) it didn't get as much attention. But
some of my favorite Stones songs come from this album, and I feel I should point this out!
Wow, how many albums out there kick off as strongly as "She Said Yeah"? It rocks
so hard, yet it's incredibly short, which is the only thing about it that makes me angry.
The rest of the
first side is okay, if not a little dull. But "The Singer Not the Song" and the
live "Route 66" always get me moving. The former is like a sequel to "I'm
Free," which can be found later on the album. And if "She Said Yeah" didn't
float your boat as a kick-off tune, wait'll you get a load of "Get Off Of My
Cloud." An instant classic! Mick's idea of a "ballad" comes through on
songs like "Gotta Get Away," which is really just about a really hard break up.
"As Tears Go By" is just beautiful, but "Blue Turns to Grey" is the
absolute most beautiful song on here, and it always makes me think of Brian Jones.
Speaking of Brian, that's him carrying "I'm Moving On" with that slide guitar.
Ah, but my all-time favorite Stones song lies on this very album: "I'm Free," an
absolutely beautiful song with an awesome message: "I'm free at any old time to get
what I want." It's one of my personal favorite sayings. Ah, and that live version
from 1969... (drools on keyboard) A great album, but what I also like is the cover. Such
as stark and simple cover, yet really striking. Jones stands out the most, like the alien,
the outsider. Keith also seems to be very prominent, while Mick, Bill, and Charlie are in
the background, really. But as for Andrew Loog Oldham's Dylan-wannabe liner notes?
(Shudders)
Keno's mini review, song list, lyrics and more info on DECEMBERS CHILDREN
To listen to some sound clips from
DECEMBER'S CHILDREN or to buy the CD, click here:
December's Children (And Everybody's)