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| It's Only Rock 'n Roll | |
|---|---|
| Name | It's Only Rock 'n Roll |
| Type | studio |
| Artist | The Rolling Stones |
| Released | 18 October 1974 |
| Recorded | March–June 1974 |
| Studio | Olympic Studios, Sunset Sound |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 41:15 |
| Label | Rolling Stones Records |
| Producer | The Glimmer Twins |
It's Only Rock 'n Roll is the 12th British and 14th American studio album by the English rock band The Rolling Stones. Recorded amid tours and legal disputes, the album continued the band's exploration of rhythm and blues, hard rock, and funk influences and marked a notable collaboration with songwriter and guitarist Ronnie Wood as he joined the group's creative circle. The release followed a string of successful albums and coincided with shifts in popular music led by acts such as Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, and The Who.
Recording sessions took place after the conclusion of the Goats Head Soup era and during contract negotiations with Allen Klein and ABKCO Records. The band convened at Olympic Studios in London and at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles with engineers who had worked on projects by The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton. Core members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, and contributing guitarist Mick Taylor collaborated alongside newcomer Ronnie Wood and session musicians associated with Nicky Hopkins and Bobby Keys, whose prior work included sessions with Bob Dylan and George Harrison. The production credited the songwriting and producing duo known as The Glimmer Twins, a nom de plume for Jagger and Richards, and reflected influences from Stax Records sessions, Motown Records arrangements, and contemporary recordings by Sly and the Family Stone.
Songs on the album ranged from hard-driving rockers to soulful ballads, drawing on motifs found in the catalogs of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Muddy Waters. Jagger and Richards incorporated narrative devices reminiscent of Bob Dylan and characters akin to those in Bruce Springsteen songs, while guitar textures echoed the slide work of Ry Cooder and the riffing of Jeff Beck. Lyrical themes addressed fame, desire, and the rock lifestyle with occasional satirical overtones that paralleled commentary by John Lennon and Paul McCartney in earlier decades. The title track—written to respond to contemporary debates about authenticity in the wake of Punk rock precursors and the mainstream success of acts like Wings—employed a hook-driven chorus and call-and-response phrasing analogous to arrangements used by James Brown.
The album was issued on Rolling Stones Records and distributed through Atlantic Records in the United States and EMI in the United Kingdom, during a period when Warner Bros. Records and Island Records were expanding global rock rosters. Promotional activities included press appearances, magazine profiles in Rolling Stone (magazine), photo shoots reminiscent of those used by Annie Leibovitz for celebrity portraits, and single releases serviced to BBC Radio 1, WPLJ, and KROQ. Marketing strategies mirrored contemporaneous campaigns by Queen, Aerosmith, and Fleetwood Mac, while legal maneuvers involved counsel experienced with the Music Business practices governing royalties and publishing through entities like Trident Studios administrators.
Contemporary reviews varied: critics from publications such as NME, Melody Maker, and The New York Times offered mixed assessments, contrasting the album with the Stones' earlier classics like Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St.. Over time, retrospective appraisals in outlets including Pitchfork, AllMusic, and music histories citing authors like Greil Marcus and Cliff Jones reevaluated the record's songwriting craft and production. The album's title phrase entered popular discourse alongside cultural references to rock criticism associated with figures like Robert Christgau and academic studies tracing rock's institutionalization at events such as the Isle of Wight Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival. Musicians from later generations—such as Oasis, The Black Crowes, and The Killers—have cited its grooves and attitude as influences.
Upon release, the album reached top chart positions in markets tracked by Billboard 200, the UK Albums Chart, and other national listings monitored by organizations like the Official Charts Company and ARIA Charts. Singles were promoted to chart-focused playlists, and sales contributed to the band's ongoing catalog performance measured by RIAA certifications in the United States and BPI certifications in the United Kingdom. International performance included placements on the Canadian Albums Chart and charts in countries serviced by Polydor and Philips Records distributors.
Material from the album was incorporated into setlists during subsequent tours, presented at venues such as Madison Square Garden, Wembley Stadium, and outdoor amphitheaters used by contemporaries like The Rolling Stones' 1975 Tour and shared bills with acts like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on festival circuits. Performances featured arrangements adapted for stage by touring musicians who had also worked with Delaney & Bonnie and The Faces, and live recordings captured energy later anthologized on compilations and expanded reissues overseen by archivists experienced with music restoration practices.
Category:1974 albums Category:The Rolling Stones albums