How the 2002 Remasters Rescued Aftermath and Between the Buttons from Obscurity

Before 2002, most listeners knew the mid-60s Rolling Stones albums through muddy, flat-sounding vinyl pressings or early CD transfers that squashed the dynamics. ABKCO’s 2002 remasters changed that — cleaner, punchier stereo mixes and restored UK track listings gave songs like “Mother’s Little Helper” and “Back Street Girl” a clarity critics hadn’t heard in decades.

The effect was biggest for Between the Buttons, often dismissed as a throwaway between Aftermath and Their Satanic Majesties Request. With the remaster, the record’s music-hall psychedelia and Jagger’s wry lyrics suddenly felt cohesive and deliberate. Meanwhile, Aftermath — already considered a classic — gained deeper respect for its blues-crunch meets baroque arrangements, especially the full UK version with “Paint It Black” and “Lady Jane” sitting in their original sequence. Critics began ranking both albums higher in the Stones’ catalog, arguing that 1966–67 wasn’t a dip but a weird, fertile peak.