Beatles vs. Stones

To me the Rolling Stones are much more of a Rock n Roll band.

@waytoomuchstuff - I was thinking the same thing, but there were some parallels in career trajectory, especially in their earlier days. Like the Beatles put out 'Sgt Pepper' and the Stones replied with 'Their Satanic Majesty's Request'. And while I did really like about half the songs on 'Satanic Majesty's, the other half, uh, not so much, so Sarge beats out the Majesty for me. 

@larsman 😀

Actually, "Out of Our Heads" is the first Rolling Stones album to actually feature the Rolling Stones.  Prior to that all music attributed to the band was created as a side project by Paul McCartney who played all the instruments, including drums and sang all the vocals.  When Paul got tired of the side gig and wanted to devote all his energy toward the Beatles the record label hired a bunch of non-musicians who looked like rock stars to basically be the Rolling Stones.  Charlie Watts unique drum style is the result of him trying to sound like McCartney, a non-drummer, playing the drums.  The funny thing is that over time the Rolling Stones actually became a pretty good band.

Some people also think it was really McCartney on the early Led Zeppelin.  That sound far fetched to me, but it's possible.

^ ;-) .

While McCartney is a pretty good multi-instrumentalist, he can barely play drums. Emitt Rhodes---very Beatles influenced---started on drums (during his Freshman and Sophomore years in High School he was in The Palace Guard), moving to guitar and vocals when he formed The Merry-Go-Round in 1966. The group had a national hit single while Emitt was a Junior. On his 1970 debut solo album he wrote every song, played every instrument, and sang every vocal part, as did McCartney on his solo debut that same year. Play those two albums back-to-back, and you will see why I consider the idolization of the music of 1960’s groups over-the-top. Emitt’s album is considerable better than McCartneys. IMO, of course. Emitt’s songwriting, playing, singing, and production are first rate. Billboard Magazine declared Emitt’s album to be "One of the best albums of the decade." Not the year, the decade! I’ll wager far more people own McCartney’s album than Emitt’s, a ridiculous state of affairs, and a real shame.

Another great solo debut in which the artist plays and sings (almost) everything is Dave Edmunds’ 1971 album entitled Rockpile. While not a songwriter, Dave has excellent taste in material, and album is chock full of blistering hot American Rock ’n’ Roll. The album was recorded at Rockfield Studio in Wales (Dave is Welsh), with Dave producing. The album produced one hit single, the absolutely amazing "I Hear You Knocking". Dave went on to make some of my favorite music of the 1970’s and 80’s, far more to my liking than did McCartney, Lennon, Harrison, and The Stones.