Aftermath
For this 1966 album, one Stone asserted himself even more than Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, who for the first time wrote all the album's songs. Brian Jones is all over the opening "Paint It Black," which remains a dark classic more for its spooky sitar than for Jagger's dated psychedelia. Jones's marimba boosts the R&B-derived; "Under My Thumb" and his harpsichord somehow makes the subject of "Lady Jane" more interesting. Though Charlie Watts's jazz-derived fills and Bill Wyman's bass continue growing into rock's greatest rhythm section, a disturbing misogyny creeps into Jagger's class-conscious lyrics, especially on "Under My Thumb," and "Stupid Girl."--Steve Knopper