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.
Article comments
1 - Bruce
I start off by saying I'm a huge Stones fan, but this is by far the best right on piece I have heard about the new album, everyone seems to love it, but needs trash some aspect of it. This album is a great listen start to finish and will be in my car CD player for some time.
Kieth and Mick finally got the magic together one futher time.
2 - Mark Saleski
thanks....also: good to know that i'm not the only one who has trouble spelling "Keith"!
3 - Vern Halen
Loved your line, "Can old dinosaurs learn new tricks? Do they have to?" That pretty muich summed up the Stones' as they reach their old age. The new album is decent, and I hope they continue to do whatever the hell they want until they call it quits or die of natural causes (even though I suppose Keef shoulda died a long time ago of unnatural causes).
4 - DJRadiohead
Mark, your review reads much like the one I still plan to write. I think you summed it up well- especially "Infamy." You are so right on there.
"Look What the Cat Dragged In" is not one of my favorites on the album but I do like it.
Overall, I think this is some of Jagger's best vocal work ever. He sounds much less self-conscious. This is a really good album and an excellent review.
5 - Mark Saleski
yea, i did notice that about Jagger's voice. pretty good for an old guy. he even sounds great on the slower material.
and hey, thanks for the kind words.
6 - Matt
This has been syndicated to Advance.net, a place affiliated with about 10 newspapers around the country.
Also please let your contact know, if you had one, that this article, is published at another place.
Thank you.
Matt Freelove
7 - godoggo
Not interested, but I would like to hear sometime what people think are the best Stones covers by people who can, like, sing and stuff.
8 - sammykins
the stones could record an argument at a rehearsal and it would be more "real" than all the green day/alicia keys songs put together-----great sounding recording too------very different from the effect laden [which i still like } Bridges to Babylon --- --- ---
9 - Temple Stark
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