"I am the Stones Authority. This is where it all starts. On this record you get the best example of what was the reason this band got noticed and got signed and took off. These are many of the songs that built the Stones reputation in England in 1963. I like to pull this album to settle debates. See, my argument has always been that bad bands do not have careers that last - in fact, bad bands don't go far at all. And good bands are pretty damn good right from the start - or certainly by the time that the general public becomes aware of them. By the time they started cutting records, the Rolling Stones were already very good. I offer as proof their version of "I Just Want to Make Love to You" - the incredible tempo, the guitar chop, the vocal, the harp, the whole nine. And then there is "Route 66" - and the boys just smoke it. Then you have got "Can I Get a Witness" and "Walking the Dog", with Brian's slinky sounding guitar work, followed by Keith's Berryesque runs. These kids could play. And they were that at this point - kids. And when you listen to these albums I think it is important to keep in mind - because I think it helps seal the argument - that they generally are recording these songs live to tape, and they typically only did 3, 4 or 5 takes. No label was wasting good money on expensive studio time on an unproven product. Labels made albums as quickly and as inexpensively as possible and that meant that the band had better walk into that studio ready to record and knock it out. There weren't endless overdub sessions and separate vocal sessions. You weren't given 12 opportunities to get the guitar solo right. You couldn't disappear into a booth for half the day. There was none of that. You had to pull it off - and you had to pull it off while everyone else is blowing and going too. You had better not screw the take if everybody else pulled off their part. That is peer pressure! And albums had to sell too before you would get a chance to record another. Albums weren't released "Platinum", and they weren't released "Gold". Albums weren't recorded - let alone released - unless there was a single that proved people were at least interested. It is hard for anyone to imagine that today where this crap that passes for music is shipped platinum before anyone has even heard it or bought it. I don't know this for a fact, but chances are that this was recorded in a few days. This is the band you would have seen live in 1963 and early '64 - stepped out right onto your turntable (at the time), and onto your iPod (today). Just listen to "I'm a King Bee" or "Carol" - if you heard those songs being pulled off live in a bar today like they are being pulled off live on this recording then you would be blown away and telling everyone about this amazing group of kids just knocking it out - just killing it. You'd be telling everybody about the band you just saw. And that is exactly what happened." - Internet user M. Hughes