Can the Stones defy their age and deliver the goods? Here is a preview.
The Rolling Stones have released several details of their new album in a statement on their web site. A Bigger Bang will be released September 6th and is the band’s first album since Bridges to Babylon in 1997.…
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26 - Neocon
After hearing 30 second clips of most of the songs from A Bigger Bang that have popped up on the net, I think that we're in for a treat this time. There is a certain funky minimalism, raw rock and roll brilliance that is refreshing to hear from the Stones (or, for that matter, anyone else) this day in age. Keith is loud in the mix and beautifully unpolished. Mick, though still espousing the trite, corny post-Jerry lyrics that marred his unfortunate Goddess in the Doorway, sings with an emotionally-charged passion that could give soul to a corpse. If anything, cancer emboldened Charlie's upward advancement that fans have enjoyed since Voodoo Lounge.
I am a HUGE Stones fan and have been for about 10 years, ever since seeing the Stones' Voodoo Lounge show at the age of 12. There is nothing I want more than for this album to be great, for critics to recognize its brilliance, and for millions of copies moved off shelves to prove the Stones relevance. This is what I've wanted for years, but the one that has stood in the way has been the Stones themselves. While offering scattered moments of greatness and lots of incredible songs, their recent albums have lacked coherence. This one, from what I've heard in 30 second snippets, sounds different.
Combining the rootsy feel of the album and, unfortuantely to this right-wing "neocon," the press generated by Jagger's ridiculous liberal tirade against Bush, I think that commercially and artistically, this could be the year that the Stones take home all the awards. Even if I'm wrong on the chart-busting predictions, I am confident enough in what I've heard to say that one thing's for sure: A Bigger Bang will bring Rock and Roll back to a world of fans who've needed it for quite some time.
27 - WanderingSpirit
I am a huge Stones fan. Objectively speaking, Exile remains their last truly great piece of work. Goats Head Soup and It's Only Rock n roll were good but far from great. Since then every album has had it fair share of brilliance mixed with some really bad tunes. I attribute this to general laziness and boredom. The production has been particularly lackadaisical and is most evident in Emotional Rescue. Some Girls (considered a great album by many) has its moments but rocked the world only because of its timing; it was released in the midst of the disco era and was a breath of fresh air then but again, far from a great album
Tattoo You was a really well made album but again mostly because it was a collection of outtakes from previous sessions. I loved Undercover (mixed reviews by fans on this one though) and Dirty Work isn’t half as bad as people make it out to be.
In the late 80's/90's Stones have ruled the world of Stadium Rock but it is almost more noteworthy that they are a rejuvenated bunch with respect to song writing and studio/album production. They have dug deep into their catalog and have also managed to sound modern. I just don’t get it when people criticize this trio of albums for "over production". The albums in the 70's(Goats Head Soup, It's Only Rock n Roll, Black and Blue) lacked a sonic theme and suffered from uneven production (post Jimmy Miller days).
In contrast, Steel Wheels, Voodoo Lounge and Bridges to Babylon are all very very good albums with some inspired rockers (Saint of Me, Out of Control, Rock and a Hard place, I Go Wild Gunface) beautiful ballads (Slipping Away, Out of Tears, Blinded by Rainbows, Almost Hear you Sigh, Blinded by Love, The Worst, New Faces) and some adventurous tunes (Thru and Thru, Moon is Up, Continental Drift, Break the Spell, Terrifying, Might as Well get Juiced).
The above set was nicely interspersed with some fine mid-tempo rockers of this era (Hearts for Sale, Anybody Seen my Baby) and classic rock'n'roll tunes (Mean Disposition, Baby Break It Down, Too Tight).
Even the filers (Lowdown, Hold on to Your Hats, Can't Be Seen, Already Over Me) are better than the fillers from the Stones mid-career catalog.
So what should we expect from "A Bigger Bang”?
I have heard 3 songs in their entirety: Rough Justice and Back of my hand sound like All Down The Line and Ventilator Blues from the Exile era Stones. Rough Justice is awesome - it flat out rocks and brings out the best in Mick - his tongue and cheek song writing style -"One time you were my baby chicken, now you've grown into a fox/Once upon a time
I was your little rooster, now I'm just one of your cocks" ...
Streets of Love however sounds like a standard Jagger ballad (we've heard better ones even recently)
The 30-second song clips on Amazon.com don’t reveal much but I am excited. Uncut magazine's article "HOW THE GLIMMER TWINS GOT THEIR GROOVE BACK" suggests: "Jagger and Richards wrote in tandem and the result is the most organic-sounding album they've made in decades." "Early indications suggest that with this is mind, the Stones have defied the odds and raised their game to produce one last great album. "
From what I've heard all the songs sound stripped down and it is once again time that the critics and the audience gave the Stones their due - this is the greatest Rock'n'Roll band in the world - PERIOD.
28 - neocon
To hear 4 songs, go to rollingstones.com and follow the links for the "Bigger Bang Media Player" listen. They've got Rough Justice, Streets of Love and also It Won't Take Long and This Place is Empty. These last two blow me away. I just get more and more convinced that this is going to be a great album. Possibly an Album of the Year.
29 - brownsugar
Listen to the last half of Out of Control cranked on your car stereo and then say No Security is crap!
As for Voodoo Lounge - yes, way underrated: "waitresses with broken noses, checkout girls striking poses, and politicians' garish wives with alcoholic cunts like knives"
30 - t-roy
Brown Sugar, I agree that the version of Out of Control on No Security is great. Saint of Me is cool, too. But the studio version of You Got Me Rocking is WAY better than the Security version. Any live bootleg of the Mick Taylor era has a better version of Gimmie Shelter than the version presented on Security (and Ron Wood played this song far better on the 89 Live in Atlantic City bootleg) Respectable sounds like a cover band (and a bad one at that) and in general, this album lacks the punch of a Ya's Ya's or even a Flashpoint. If you can get ahold of any Stones bootleg during the Mick Taylor years or even Live Licks, the party just seems more lively than the slow, boring and generally inferior live versions presented on No Security. Sorry but on this one, they missed the mark.
31 - WanderingSpirit
Since my last post, I have heard three more songs in their entirety.
1 - It wont take long.
2 - Rain Fall Down.
3 - This place is empty.
I love all three tunes but particularly, the first two. Rain Fall down is classic modern day solo Jagger (reminescent of Hideaway from his Goddess album). I am sick and tired of the losers who just dont know how to appreciate Mick Jagger and start instinctively criticizing his solo efforts. As much as he panders to the commercial aspects of rock'n'roll, Mick's brilliance as a song writer, musician, showman and artist is obvious if you're willing to go beyond the first level. This song reminds us that Mick is the adventurous one and the creative one.
It wont take long is a classic mid tempo rocker with Mick's singing and Keith's rhythym guitar in perfect harmony. The playing is tight and I continue to marvel at the brilliance of the Glimmer Twins when they actually work together.
This place is empty is another predictable ballad from keith BUT it works this time around and I am happy with the outcome. (Keith has his dozens of minions but objectively, his singing is quite pathetic; his limited repertoire and imagination make the Keith ballads very very "hit" or "miss". His songs on Voodoo Lounge (The Worst and Thru and thru) were stunners according to me BUT ALL THREE of his ballads on Bridges to Babylon were aweful and should have been canned.
6 out of the 6 songs that I have heard are top notch. I cant wait to hear the whole album.
32 - tephe
My heart has been hooked to the rolling stones and no other band could simply replace them up. In Indonesia is very hard to find their old albums and its price will be double/triple than a new one. I'm so happy they have released their bigger bang and sounds so differently if we compare to their's No Security or even Bridges to Babylon. Rough Justice is sounding like Brown Sugar and You Got Me Rocking Now. I almost don't believe Streets of Love was Stones music, its more alike mick's solo album. Actually i was expecting classic rock n roll style on their new album..i'm really miss that kind of stuff. Anyway its great, its been a long expectation for me to hear a better songs than theirs No Sec OR Bridges to Babylon.
33 - jamari franca
Ill probably get shot here, but i think the stones have lost much of their power on stage and on record. i see them play in DVDs and keith is much more concentrated on everything but playing, ron is not better and Mick has to carry the burden almost by himself. Mick and Keith are comparing the new record to exile on main street and some critics said its a very rough record that resemlbles their best efforts in the sixties. lets hope theyre alright.
jamari franca
rio de janeiro - brasil
34 - Vern Halen
"DJRadiohead: I think Exile could have been shortened to a single disc- most double LPs really could.
I'd do a remix, so we could hear the actual tunes behind that muddled mess of horns and keyboards and shit. That mix is almost as bad as All Things Must Pass"
No no no no - you're missing the point - it's SUPPOSED to sound like that. All jumbly and crazy and long. Clean it up and cut it to one slice of vinyl and it sounds like..... I dunno - the Killers? Green DAY? SOmething that doesn;t sound much like the Stones' anyways.
ATMP by ex-Beatle George - yes, this is a weak mix, which doesn't help to cover up generally weak songs & arrangements.
Hmmm.....I wonder how Jimmy Page came up with that big bottm end before anyone else did?
35 - tony baker
I agree with jamari franca. "The Human Riff" made him/them famous. He's gotta stop stuffing around and trying to be "Keith Richards" on stage, and start just playing his guitar. The only other thing they could possibly do, is put the worst lead in rock (Ron) on bass and bring back Mick Taylor.
36 - Jumpin Java
The Real Deal, true bluesmen, still bangin yer head after 35 years, Bigger Bang delivers the expected, full rocking blues. As for Ron Wood, there is more of his slide magic on this album than ever before, his full body riffs fill the gaps making the music stick to your ribs. Keith still has the open-ended, single-handed lead in blues music with strangling, soul stretching chords topped off with short, sharp, to-the-point leads.
Mick exhibits his growling blues vocals, and mind-bending lyrics, and ruffed up rocking attitude that has made him a legend. The Stones continue to set the pace with Bigger Bang for those that are niether too young, or too old, but true Stones fans.
37 - JPGR
In an online interview with guitarist Dave Navvaro from Jane's Addiction he's quoted in Guitar World from 1991 and 1996 saying it surprises people when he says he always hated The Rolling Stones and he always will! There is also an online interview with guitarist Frank Marino of the hard rock Mahagony Rush where he says he can't stand The Rolling Stones and calls them the worst hoax ever! He said many people are suckers for The Rolling Stones! In several recent online interviews he says he likes and listens to The Beatles,Jimi Hendrix,The Doors and The Allman Brothers Band,
38 - RogerMDillion
I just read an online interview where someone said they never heard of Frank Marino.
39 - hailah
Am I the only one who hears echos of Lynyrd Synyrd on this record? One of those odd twists of history...
40 - Mark Dandrea
While surfing on Amazon, an interview of Jagger and Richards with the Bigger Bang producer asking the questions (whatever his name is with the dreadlocks and all) just started playing automatically. I have since tried to find these interviews again with no luck. Anybody have a clue where to access these? He sure did ask some poignant questions, he did!