It's Only Rock 'n Roll
| It's Only Rock 'n Roll | ||||
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| Studio album by The Rolling Stones | ||||
| Released | 18 October 1974 | |||
| Recorded | 25 November – 21 December 1972, 13–24 November 1973, 14–28 January, 10–15 April, 20–25 May 1974 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 48:26 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Rolling Stones | |||
| Producer | The Glimmer Twins | |||
| The Rolling Stones chronology | ||||
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| Singles from It's Only Rock 'n Roll | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Robert Christgau | B |
| Džuboks | unfavourable |
| The Great Rock Discography | 6/10 |
| MusicHound | 3/5 |
| NME | 6/10 |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
It's Only Rock 'n Roll is the 12th British and 14th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1974. It was the last Rolling Stones album for guitarist Mick Taylor and the songwriting and recording of the album's title track had a connection to Taylor's eventual replacement, Ronnie Wood. It also marked the 10th anniversary since the band's debut album. The album has a firmer rock sound than the band's previous album, the more funk- and soul-inspired Goats Head Soup. The album reached #1 in the US and #2 in the UK.
Work began on It's Only Rock 'n Roll following the Rolling Stones' fall 1973 European tour. Production began in November at Munich, Germany's Musicland Studios. According to guitarist Keith Richards, "We were really hot (off the road) and ready just to play some new material." The recording sessions were attended by Belgian painter Guy Peellaert, who Mick Jagger invited to do the album cover after seeing his work in the book Rock Dreams, which featured illustrations of various rock musicians such as the Stones. Peellaert eventually painted the band as "rock deities", descending a temple staircase, surrounded by young girls and women worshipping them in Grecian clothing. The artist refused to sign a deal of exclusivity, and in 1974 provided another album art, David Bowie's Diamond Dogs.
The album was at first developed as a half-live, half-studio production with one side of the album featuring live performances from the Stones' European tour while the other side was to be composed of newly recorded cover versions of the band's favourite R&B songs. Covers recorded included a take of Dobie Gray's "Drift Away", Shirley & Company's "Shame, Shame, Shame", and The Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud to Beg". Soon the band began working off riffs by Richards and new ideas by Mick Jagger and the original concept was scrapped in favour of an album with all-new material. The cover of "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" was the only recording to make the cut, while the "Drift Away" cover is a popular bootleg.
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