Mick Jagger / Keith Richards / 2:32
Musicians
Mick Jagger: vocals
Keith Richards: rhythm electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Brian Jones: guitar (?)
Bill Wyman: bass
Charlie Watts: drums
Ian Stewart (?): piano
Recorded
RCA Studios, Hollywood: March 6–9, 1966
Technical Team
Producer: Andrew Loog Oldham
Sound engineer: Dave Hassinger
Aftermath concludes with an evocation of boredom—the boredom one feels watching TV or spending one’s money on drinking and dancing until dawn. The narrator then addresses his contemporaries getting into a train, worrying about being late for work while he is getting ready to go to bed. Although predating punk by some ten years, this is not so very different from the “No future,” “Blank Generation” idea.
The music, on the other hand, is not at all similar to that of the Sex Pistols or the Clash, groups that would rouse rock music from its lethargy during the second half of the seventies. It is a pop song that combines acoustic and electric instruments, adopting the same approach as beat bands such as the Searchers and the Hollies.
Once again, a drum break from Charlie Watts launches this number in a style reminiscent of the doo-wop groups of the fifties. “What to Do” is certainly not the jewel in the Aftermath crown; it is more of a filler. There is nothing exceptional about the writing, which gives the impression that the Jagger-Richards duo were simply going through the motions. Mick sings this ode to boredom with a certain casualness and Beach Boys–style backing vocals overdubbed by himself and Keith. Fortunately, he rediscovers his soul-rock style of delivery in the verses and bridges, particularly the last (1:54), in which he excels, no doubt under the influence of Otis Redding. At 1:33 there is a slight hiccup in his voice! It is doubtful whether Brian Jones played any part in the recording as both the acoustic guitar and rhythm electric (with vibrato) bear the stamp of Keith Richards. Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts fulfill their roles with their usual assurance and efficiency. Finally, it seems to be Ian Stewart on piano. “What to Do” was not included on the US version of Aftermath, only on the UK album.