Consider where the Stones were up until this point. For the most part, earlier Stones records were 99% derivative of American blues/R&B. Aftermath changed all that. The album includes "Paint it Black" ("Mothers little helper" in the UK - I have both releases), Lady Jane (which is as English as you can possibly get - I'm surprised Masterpiece Theater hasn't discovered it yet), "High and Dry" - a seminal attempt at combining rock and country, the gentle and stirring "I am Waiting", "Under My thumb" - a staple of classic rock, and, of course, the experimental "Going Home", probably one of the longest tracks to be recorded at the time, and still very listenable. Brian Jones' unique thumbprints are all over this album and would never again be so prominent in future Stones albums. Other important artists of the period took note of the fact that you could creatively incorporate other instruments in pop songs besides guitars, bass and drums. The texture of pop music was forever changed because of the innovations brought to bear by the late Brian Jones on Aftermath. Note, the UK version included "Out of Time" and "Take it or leave it". I recommend this CD. This is classic '66 Stones, different from earlier releases and never to repeated in the future.

Aftermath is an essential record for every collector of rock masterpieces. You don't have to be a big Stones fan to pick up a copy of this. There is just one problem with this CD, it's the US version. There ones was a time when record companies thought they were free to change a great work of art for audiences on different sides of the Atlantic. Or maybe they thaught the lyrics of Mothers Little Helper weren't appropriate for the American Market. And it's obviously profittable that the real fans bought two versions of the same album. I would like to think those days are over, but unfortunatly they are not. Abkco still doesn't bring a decent copy of Aftermath on the market. We're waiting for the version that starts with Mothers Little Helper, includes the excellent Out Of Time, Take It Or Leave It and What To Do and has Paint It Black as an extra track.

Perhaps the greatest Stones album ever made, you're not a true fan if you don't have this album. It's a mystery how this album didn't appear in Vh-1's top 100 Rock Albums of all time. It should have been in the top ten on the list.
The true genuis in the album is the way Brian Jones shines on almost every song. On "Paint It, Black", Jones shows George Harrison how sitar is meant to be played in a rock song. "Under My Thumb" is brilliant, and Jones' marimbas (african xylophone) give the song its brilliant tempo. Furthermore, whether its not clear who it is that plays harmonica on "Goin' Home" (Jagger or Jones), its Brian Jones who taught Mick Jagger to play the instrument, and their style is so much alike Jagger mimics the same sound even today. Also, take a listen to "Its Not Easy", and its Jones and not Keith Richard singing backup.
Other great works on the album include "Stupid Girl", "Doncha Bother Me", and "Flight 505". All the songs take on their own identity, yet are brilliantly packaged together on the album. The only weird inclusion on the album is "Lady Jane". It really doesn't fit together with the other songs, but again Jones work on dulcimer creates a gem you're glad was included on this album. Yes, it is a shame they didn't include "Mother's Little Helper" as they did on the UK version; but remember the UK version didn't have "Paint It, Black" either. One last note, don't forget to give a listen to "I Am Waiting". Its a terrific song that somehow gets lost among the others. However, it did find its way in the movie "Rushmore", and rightfully so.
Buy this album, and you'll realize why the Stones were never the same without Brian Jones. For better or worse is up for debate, but with his departure the sound of the band was definitely changed forever. The only mistake of the album is Jones receives no writing credits for what was clearly his work on the album.

This will always be my album of choice from the Stones. It's not only the best of the Brian Jones period, but superior over all their incarnations. For the first time it was a record written entirely by Jagger and Richard(s) without the inclusion of any blues/r&b/early r n' r cover tunes. It's a great showcase for Keith on guitar; listen closely on headphones for various layered parts, quite intricate. Brian Jones provides the odd instruments like dulcimer and sitar. The band stretches out on "Goin Home", one of the first really long rock tunes (11 + minutes). Their great pop sense is present in "Under My Thumb" alongside the menacing "Paint It Black" and "Dontcha Bother Me" and the scathing "Stupid Girl". Every track is a gem, especially some of the lesser knowns like "Think" and "I Am Waiting" which are hits in my mental jukebox forever. Indescribably essential.This one is always in my top ten all time albums when someone asks me for a list.

This is the July 2, 1966 American release, not the original April 15, 1966 UK release. This is also the original CD release, not the remastered SACD, which is much better. Most Stones fans consider this to be a vastly inferior album due to meddling by the record execs. At this time it was common for the execs to make decisions on what they thought would sell to the "American" market, which usually translated into holding back releases in order to create new packages to increase sales before the band faded into obscurity.

This American version replaced Mothers Little Helper with what was at that time a recent hit - Paint It, Black, while cutting Out Of Time, Take It Or Leave It, and What To Do.

Nearly everyone knows this music and now you can enjoy it the way it was meant to be heard. For the music itself, it's hard to improve on the review done of the UK Aftermath release by Brian Christie on Aug 29, 2002.

ABCKO acquired the Stones' catalog when Allen Klein became their manager in the 70s. The resulting legal battles produced releases that the Stones opposed (they took out full page adds asking fans not to buy them), including the controversial Metamorphosis releases (which are now available on CD for the 1st time ever). But the sad fact is that the Stones lost control of their great early material. With the recently remastered SACD releases, we at last have some idea of what they really sounded like in the studio. I guess if we had them 40 years ago they would have ended up Greatest Rock And Roll Band in the Universe instead of just our tiny little World.

All the tracks for Aftermath were recorded during 2 sessions at RCA Studios in Hollywood.

Dec 3-8, 1965 at RCA Studios in Hollywood
.....Doncha Bother Me (originally titled Don't You Follow Me for the unreleased album Could You Walk On The Water)
.....Goin' Home
.....Think
Mar 6-9, 1966 at RCA Studios in Hollywood
.....Paint It, Black
.....Stupid Girl
.....Lady Jane
.....Under My Thumb
.....Flight 505
.....High And Dry
.....It's Not Easy
.....I Am Waiting

The tracks recorded during these sessions that were not released on the UK version were Mother's Little Helper, Sittin' On A Fence, Sad Day, 19th Nervous Breakdown, Ride On Baby, Long Long While, Take It Or Leave It, What To Do, and both version 1 - the long version - and version 2 - the short version - of Out Of Time. In addition there were 3 tracks that have still never been released: Looking Tired, Aftermath, and Tracks Of My Tears.

This information comes from "It's Only Rock And Roll: The Ultimate Guide To The Rolling Stones" by Karnbach and Bernson and from my own collection.