CD Review: The Rolling Stones - A Bigger Bang

First posted on Mark Is Cranky:

So here's the question: just what, exactly, are aging rock musicians supposed to do as the last few calendar pages flip by? Sure, Roger Daltry sang "I Hope I Die Before Get Old". Things are getting interesting now that mother nature has begun to call that bluff.

The other day I had part of a revolving debate with a musically-inclined friend of mine. He likes to toss around the word 'dinosaur' to describe graying rockers, the implication being that they've got no business walking among us. Of course nobody ever 'wins' this debate. The approaches are just too dissimilar. I'm coming from the viewpoint of combined nostalgia and 'autobiographical content'. That is, music provides me with the same powerful memory triggers as does the sense of smell. My debate partner concerns himself with the social and historical context in which the music was first introduced. Any attempt to recreate the past (at, say, a concert) is just a cheap gimmick, profiting on musical ghosts. I point out that, like 'pretension', you've got to know a little about intent to prove any of this.

When I tried to turn the tables, asking him if thirty years from now Aimee Mann (one of his favorite artists) should be 'done', his reply was along the lines of "Absolutely, she should be home playing with the grandkids."

Ouch. On this point we'll never agree.

Now that a group of the crustiest rock dinosaurs have a new record out, we'll have to see if it's time to call the museum curator. After all, depending on whom you ask, the Rolling Stones haven't recorded anything worth listening to since: Some Girls, Exile On Main St., Let It Bleed, the day Brian Jones died.

Well, A Bigger Bang deserves to be placed right alongside the aforementioned albums. The Stones have come up with a bunch of stylistically varied songs executed with (it's about time!!) a minimalist lineup that allows the tunes to breath and let the essence of their thing to take over. There are a few extra musicians here and there, but mostly it's just Mick, Keith, Ronnie and Charlie (and Daryl Jones on bass). It's stripped down and raw. It's right there.

The opener, "Rough Justice", rocks as hard and smart as anything they've done since "Respectable". So good to hear Keith and Ronnie's guitars grinding against each other. Halfway into the chorus and you'll be twistin' that volume knob.

There's lots more grinding to be had here including the swaggering "She Saw Me Coming", "Oh No, Not You Again" (imagine that, Mick's got lady troubles!), "Driving Too Fast", "Dangerous Beauty" and the blistering "Look What The Cat Dragged In".

A Bigger Bang closes with the loping funk of "Infamy". This is the kind of song that the Stones used to own. It lives in that slide area between rock, funk and soul. Mick ties the sway together with some taunting harmonica play. Moving back through the record, there are a few related tunes including the sleazy "Rain Fall Down" and the dark & moody "Laugh, I Nearly Died".

Ballads? Would this be a Stones records without one? A Bigger Bang has two: Mick's "Streets Of Love" and Keith's "This Place Is Empty". It's nice to see the guys drop the macho front and display their thoughtful side. Does the world need more love songs? Right about now, I'd say "yes".

Much has been said about the tune "Sweet Neo Con". Is it about George Bush? Neocons in general? I'd say it's probably a little of both. Personally, I think that too much has been made of this since the true centerpiece of the whole pile turns out to be "Back Of My Hand". It's a steamin' blues rendered by the trio of Mick, Keith and Charlie. Mick plays some sweet slide guitar that conjures a nice back porch feel.

Can old dinosaurs learn new tricks? Do they even have to? On A Bigger Bang, the Rolling Stones surely revisit some old musical stomping grounds...but so what? They're playing with the passion and conviction of bands half of their age. There's no ulterior motives here, just some good old rock and roll. Gray hair and craggy faces don't diminish what this stuff is all about.

Article Author: Mark Saleski

Mark Saleski is a writer and music obsessive based out of the Monadnock region of New Hampshire. He has contributed to Jazz.com and also writes reviews for Blogcritics.org. He produces the weekly feature The Friday Morning Listen. …

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