The best of the Stones' first three albums of hopped-up R&B, 12 x 5 hints at why there was more to this quintet than to blues-reviving brothers like the Yardbirds and the Animals.
From the opening version of Chuck Berry's "Around and Around," Mick Jagger sings with a charismatic mixture of sexuality and menace. Even as a teenager--he actually looks alive in the 1964 album sleeve photo--Keith Richards shows a rare bluesman's confidence. It's unclear why covers of "Time Is on My Side" and "It's All Over Now" have become classic hits while the equally great "Susie Q" remains obscure. --Steve Knopper
Fan Reviews