The Rolling Stones' Studio Albums

[Slim]

20: Voodoo Lounge (July 1994)

Surprisingly, after a five year hiatus, a pretty decent album. Starts off with a couple of spirited rockers in the trademark style - nothing as murky or satisfying as a '70s classic, mind - but nicely energetic with the archetypical Keef telecaster sound and a bit of blues harmonica.

Fascinatingly, there's a tune called New Faces that sounds like one of their mid '60s tunes - it's got a hint of Ruby Tuesday about it. Really very listenable. If you close your eyes and imagine the music video (I didn't try this, I was riding a bike) you can probably imagine Brian Jones strumming a Gretsch at the back.

Elsewhere - more rock'n'roll, a bit of funk. And two really, really good tunes that deserve a special mention - A Keith vocal tune called Thru and Thru that's understated, wistful and very elegant, although it does veer off into more traditional rock territory after the drum and pass kick in. Really good stuff.

And a remarkable, intense ballad apparently about the Troubles called Blinded by Rainbows. Here, Mick invokes Jesus' pain on the cross, Semtex explosions going off, screams, limbs being torn off and the smell of fear. Fucking hell!

Keef also sings lead on a folky ballad with steel guitar, called The Worst. It's not as interesting or affecting as his other vocal tune, but it sounds heartfelt and sincere.

There isn't a classic tune on here; no Tumbling Dice or Sympathy for the Devil. But we've entered the CD era now, there are 15 tracks, and there isn't a bad tune on here either. It's well recorded, properly produced and everyone concerned has put in a decent shift.

I'd say this is their best album since It's Only Rock'n'Roll.

[Thenop]

I've never given this listen other than the Love is Strong single. But I'll give it a go shortly. Sounds interesting enough. 15 tracks is maybe a bit steep so we'll see how far I get 

[Slim]

21: Bridges to Babylon (September 1997)

Again, a decent album. Well produced, commendable energy. I especially liked Gunface, which has a nice, typically Keef-esque ballsy rhythm guitar part.

Keith has a lead vocal on a song called You Don't Have To Mean It, which despite being reggae, didn't annoy me at all. Plenty of horns, nice beat, rolls along nicely. The following tune Out Of Control also has a bit of a reggae feel, but it's a bit smouldering and intense with a heavy chorus. Nice.

Saint of Me is the standout - a really good song with a catchy chorus and typical Jagger swagger.

Keith has two other vocal tunes. Thief In The Night is the only tune not written by the Glimmer Twins - except that they had to give a credit to KD Lang and Ben Mink for Anybody Seen My Baby to avoid a court case, it sounds a bit like Constant Craving in the chorus) and a bit of a plodder. The other one, How Can I Stop is a nice, low key Dylan-esque ditty with piano and a bit of country guitar in the background.

Overall - good effort. They clearly don't have the same inspiration and edge that they had 25 years earlier but they're not resting on their laurels, either.

[Slim]

22: A Bigger Bang (September 2005)

Another eight years pass, along comes another Rolling Stones record, their most recent album of original material to date (but not for long!). I don't actually remember this one coming out eighteen years ago. I guess there wasn't that much hoopla about it.

It's much the same story as Bridges to Babylon - well recorded and produced, decent material, a few catchy hooks, light and shade, a bit of funk, some ballads, some rock'n'roll. They'd been going for over four decades at this point, but they definitely still had it.

The guitar riif in Look What The Cat Dragged In is very strongly reminiscent of the INXS tune Suicide Blonde.

There is one stinker though, Sweet Neo Con which is aimed at Big Money, the George W Bush government and US foreign policy. I have a degree of sympathy with the sentiment but lyrically and musically, it's crass and awkward in the extreme. You'd think that it had been written by fifth formers, or Rik from The Young Ones. Actually come to think of it a few of my chums formed a band in the sixth form at the school I attended, can't remember what they called themselves but they had a song with a similar theme called Sister America that was less juvenile than Sweet Neo Con.

Still - overall it's a good record.

[Thenop]

This morning while working on some admin I gave Voodoo Lounge a spin, well digitally that is, and I actually quite enjoyed it. To me the first half of the album feels more appealing, it's easy on the ears and that's not half because of the open and honest sound the album has.
The second half might need another listen, it could be that 15 songs is just a bit much.
Apart from the first 3 tracks, that are very good and fly by, Thru and Thru stands out. It felt familiar and now I know why: it's one of those 'deep cuts' raised to a cult status by being in the Sopranos series. I believe it closed out a strong episode, one of those sum bigger than it's parts situations.

Anyway, very nice listen. Will return to it I would imagine.

[Slim]

23: Blue and Lonesome (December 2016)

Eleven years later, another Rolling Stones album appears. I do remember when this one came out, it was only eight years ago (although I'd have guessed about four years ago, time flies eh?).

My assumption, on learning that it consisted entirely of blues covers, was that they'd finally run out of ideas, which in my opinion is the usual reason for releasing an album of songs written by other people on the old "paying homage to our influences" pretext. See also: Feedback

Anyway for what it is, it's not bad at all. It sounds to me like Keith is playing the prominent guitar parts here - they have that distinctive Keith tone and approach, with the usual hint of cack-handedness, but I must say he does have a feel for the traditional blues style. There's lots of really tasty blues harmonica, played by Mick.

My favourite tune one here by a long way is the old Willie Dixon tune I Can't Quit You Baby, probably best known for the version recorded by Zeppelin on their debut album. The Stones' version, while still an electric blues of course, has none of the brooding, heavy power of the Zeppelin rendition; it's much more authentic and traditional. My ears pricked up during one of the guitar solos - it sounded very much like Eric Clapton and as it turned out, it was. Eric also plays some lovely slide guitar on Everybody Knows About My Good Thing. Really nice to hear the old man rolling back the years like that.

And that concludes my journey through the Rolling Stones' studio catalogue, although of course another, presumably final album is out in three weeks' time.

[Thenop]

I remember listening to the blues cover album when it was released. Quite nice, and a bit like the way they started out, full circle kind of thing.
I need to listen to it again to bring it back, cannot remember a stand out tune.

No live albums then?

[Slim]

No live albums then?

There are so many of them that I just can't be bothered to listen through them all. But the real purpose of this exercise was to get a feel for the way the band developed (or degraded) over all that time. Nearly six decades from the first album to the next one.

I may pick a couple of live albums to do anyway. Always fancied a listen of the one with Charlie on the cover brandishing a Les Paul. I did have the one from the early '80s, quite liked that. I think I bought it after seeing them in 1982.

[Thenop]

No live albums then?

There are so many of them that I just can't be bothered to listen through them all. But the real purpose of this exercise was to get a feel for the way the band developed (or degraded) over all that time. Nearly six decades from the first album to the next one.

I may pick a couple of live albums to do anyway. Always fancied a listen of the one with Charlie on the cover brandishing a Les Paul. I did have the one from the early '80s, quite liked that. I think I bought it after seeing them in 1982.

Get Yer Ya-Yas On is the Charlie cover and it's well worth it. I have it, it's one of the few RS albums I own and it is a proper live album.
I has Flashpoint which I did no rate very high on CD and what I have heard from the latter day ones, the Stripped ones are good.
Now if you really want to treat yourself (and I did download them at some point): there are some archival shows they released not too long back and they are really really good. I'd highly recommend The Brussels Affair, even I as a casual Stones listener would consdier this essential.

[Slim]

"Hackney Diamonds is 45 concentrated minutes of peak-level Rolling Stones"

https://theartsdesk.com/new-music/album-rolling-stones-hackney-diamonds

I strongly suspect it isn't, but - I should be able to get a copy tomorrow. Must say I hate the cover art.

[The Picnic Wasp]

How does Mick do it?

https://youtu.be/eiAGIJgahBU?si=7x7oWkYXAdU7KPAn

[David L]

How does Mick do it?

I think sc***ing 'young' women has helped him

[Slim]

24: Hackney Diamonds (October 2023)

Well - it's really not bad at all. I was right though, it's not "peak-level" Rolling Stones.

The first three tunes are co-written with Andrew Watt, who part-produces the album. These, including the single Angry are pretty creditable, but the quality of songwriting seems to take a dip after that. It does pick up though in a big way for the penultimate tune Sweet Sounds of Heaven that has a bluesy gospel feel and features Lady Gaga on additional vocals (she does a terrific job) and some lovely piano from Stevie Wonder. Best of all the last couple of minutes of it seems to have been jammed in the studio spontaneously (albeit it's had a few overdubs after the fact, I'm sure).

Pretty amazing considering their ages, and the amount of time since they last released an album of originals.

Touchingly, the album finishes with a very authentic, traditional cover of the Muddy Waters tune that gave the band their name. Just guitar, harmonica, vocal. I suspect it's Ronnie, not Keith and I do wonder how much Keith really plays on this record. There is a solo on one of the tunes that's very identifiably played by The Walking Laboratory but the time feel is right out.

Paul McCartney plays bass on Bite My Head Off, and it's right on the money. Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman both play on Live By The Sword and Bill, despite being in his 80s and retired, seems to play better than he did in the 1970s. I wonder if there's some studio trickery going on, maybe throughout the album actually.

Anyway overall I didn't think it was great but it's surprisingly good.

[captainkurtz]

I'm loving the new record, absolutely fantastic.  The Keith track just floors me.

Whoever cleared the artwork needs to be sacked immediately - it's shockingly poor.

[Slim]

.. which makes me think of something. Keith gets a solo piece, or sometimes two or even three on every Stones record. Ronnie, never. He's co-written a few songs, he plays guitar, he plays bass sometimes, that's about it.

One thing that this exercise of listening to all the Stones albums has made me realise is that Ronnie Wood sold out his career. He's been a part of the band since 1976 and a proper financial partner since 1990 but he's never been an equal member.

Of course he's had some solo projects but he deserved a much more prominent place in the musical landscape of the last four or five decades than he settled for. But he must have made a truckload of money.