Artist: The Rolling Stones
Album: "Get Off of My Cloud" b/w "I'm Free" 45 RPM 7" single
Label: London Records
Released: September 25, 1965 (US) / October 22, 1965 (UK)
I've decided to go a bit more mainstream with this vinyl find series. You must know The Rolling Stones. If not, how have you ever settled a "Beatles or Stones" debate? Do you just choose the Fab Four by default? What if you don't know either of them? How are you human?
Anyway, you've likely even heard both of these songs before, or at least the A-side: it's a staple of classic rock stations and one of the band's more recognizable singles (of which there are many, of course). "Get Off Of My Cloud" has all of the deliciously rockadelic paranoia of "Sunday Morning" but with the added upbeat catchiness and rhythm of a radio single. I don't have much commentary to include about this song because you've probably formed your opinion of it already, but I will say that, no matter what your opinion is, discovering this 7" record amongst a shitbox of 45s is truly finding a diamond in the rough. You know it's a good song and you know it's great to have it on a vinyl copy, even if it's a little static-heavy on the A-side (likely due to overplay). "Hi! Hello! How are ya? Well, I guess I'm doing fine".
The B-side here is "I'm Free", a lyrically-simple declaration of desire for independence and artistic integrity and ... Well, maybe it's even simpler than that: it's a silly little pop-guitar song, and it's unfair to think of it as anything more grandiose than that. As the flip-song to a popular radio hit in its heydey, this is perfect. Is it a standalone work of art? Fuck, no, but that's not the point. Enjoy it for what it is. (I wish I could explain the bizarre Star Wars-style scrolling German text in the video below. Someone help, please? It was the only non-live version I could find on YouTube...)
No comments:
Post a Comment