Dropping much of the swagger and menace of Aftermath, Jagger's back to being powerless and frustrated on the Stones' second album of original songs. Musically, too, there's less punch, with harmonies, harmonicas, and overall jangle finding their way into the mix. The result is tuneful, but unfocused, even outright sloppy in places, and not necessarily in a charming way. You can't argue with the stompy Let's Spend the Night Together, but the reedy, dissonant, overrated Ruby Tuesday mucks the early momentum pretty early on.
This album is the sound of the Stones trying to branch out, leaping without knowing where they're landing. It's an awkward phase, one with its moments, but without the effortless swagger of the early run, nor the silver age ('68-'73) that would come after 3/5
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