Yeah even Tattoo You is pretty rootsy. What a band. Very Americana. Country, blues, rock and roll, gospel. It's all there, very well executed.
Printable View
Yeah even Tattoo You is pretty rootsy. What a band. Very Americana. Country, blues, rock and roll, gospel. It's all there, very well executed.
The first half, apart from 'Dance' and 'Let Me Go', is pretty ropey IMHO. If you were asked which was the album of leftovers you'd think it was this but it was actually Tattoo You! After 'Where The Boys Go' it does improve greatly.
I think Wood did give them a boost when he joined full-time. I think It's Only Rock N Roll, the last one with Taylor, was mostly bloated and tired. They also didn't tour it with Taylor- I get the feeling he was pretty burned out. Some Girls and Tattoo You are amongst their biggest selling proper albums (as opposed to compilations)...quite an achievement for what even then were fairly late-in-the-game albums!
Some really great, more soul-influenced stuff on the second half like 'Heaven' and 'Waiting For A Friend'. I have a soft spot for much of 1989's Steel Wheels (dated production aside) but at the same time, I wouldn't argue with anyone who feels Tattoo You is their last great album.
Yeah I either forgot or wasn't aware that Woody played steel guitar. Impressive.
I don't have an issue with any song on ER. Down in the Hole is a great track. All About You, She's So Cold...great album, to me.
Bill
The title track was one of those Mick songs that was kinda fun to sing along to - I will be your knight, in shining arrrrrrrrmooour. But other than that, the first side was dismal to me. Overall, it seems slighter and less focused than its predecessor, not much of an edge to it.
Before this period we have 1976's Black And Blue, which Richards dismissed as something along the lines of 'auditioning guitar players'. It's not a bad album and it sounds great in terms of its production. The only dud track for me is the weak cover of 'Cherry Oh Baby'. But it's not particularly focussed compared with Some Girls. Perhaps it is down to how it was made (three 'new' guitar players) but it's just a bunch of songs, really, with no real ebb and flow. I think it also needed another rocker to give the album more weight.
As with 'Emotional Rescue', I really love 'Fool To Cry' but Richards likes to say that he fell asleep when they played it live...which wasn't often.
You had mentioned Dance, Pt. 1 and another song from the first half that I like to. Indian Girl is the weakest track on the record to me, but I like the atmosphere of it. Where the Boys Go is just a fun song.
Bill
Funnily enough I don't think they ever played much from Emotional Rescue live. They didn't tour in 1980 anyway but on the 1981/2 tour, from memory only 'Let Me Go' and 'She's So Cold' made the set-list. 'Dance' and the title track appeared in later years but were far from set regulars.
'Down In The Hole' is one of their best blues tracks and 'All About You' set the template for Richards' various later ballads. So the album is still worth having.
Listened to Steel Wheels this morning. First time in years. It's overall a good Stones album, I guess. There's a good handful of songs I like. When the Stones do guitar rock, blues, and country with horns and harmonica they're great. When they get too Yacht-rocky I skip it.
Check out Keith's solo record Crosseyed Heart - less of the production gloss that Mick prefersQuote:
When the Stones do guitar rock, blues, and country with horns and harmonica they're great
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_btCZWi1jkg
I have a playlist called Stones Post WWIII that culls the highlights off those later albums. Its pretty listenable. Not as intense as the glory years but they're not phoning it in like the 80s. Then there's the Blue and Lonesome album from a couple years ago. Nothing but covers of blues songs, with rough production and the bulk of it was supposedly cut in three days. Some of those tracks kick like a mule in a stall.
I've started listening to Undercover. About 3 songs in. Sounds good. Classic guitar-weaving Stones. I'll check out that Keef video later.
Undercover is not one of my favourites. Apart from the almost-title track and maybe Keith's 'Wanna Hold You' (the only songs from this album ever played live...right??), IMHO the material was fairly mediocre. I think they were forcing an 'edgy' album with some of the song-titles and subject matter on this one...a midlife crisis album, perhaps? Certainly this was the point where the Jagger/Richards relationship started to sour.
I like most of Steel Wheels* but I have to admit the reverb-laden production and keyboard sounds have aged very badly. Nevertheless, 'Mixed Emotions', 'Almost Hear You Sigh', 'Slipping Away' and 'Continental Drift' hold up very well as songs. The former is their last great single IMHO.
*A few fillers for me in 'Hold On To Your Hat' and 'Hearts For Sale'.
I love Hold On To Your Hat, cannot stand Continental Drift.
That was good. :upQuote:
Check out Keith's solo record Crosseyed Heart - less of the production gloss that Mick prefers
It's not bad, no. But it didn't connect with people like Some Girls and Tattoo You did and rightly so, IMHO.
The album which followed, Dirty Work, seems to me their weakest. They were barely functioning as a band by then. Ron Wood once said that you can tell by the amount of songwriting credits he had on it! (Jagger/Richards were not usually benevolent in that department...) Jagger snarls all over it. Then again it's worth having for 'One Hit To The Body' and Richards' songs. The cover of 'Harlem Shuffle' is OK but always gets used as the album's sole representative on collections...I prefer 'One Hit...'.
The rescheduled dates have been announced...
June 21 – Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field
June 25 – Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field
June 29 – Ontario, Canada @ Burl’s Creek
July 3 – Washington, DC @ FedExField
July 7 – Foxboro, MA @ Gillette Stadium
July 14 – New Orleans, LA @ Mercedes-Benz Superdome (Tickets on sale May 31st at 10am local time)
July 19 – Jacksonville, FL @ TIAA Bank Field
July 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Lincoln Financial Field
July 27 – Houston, TX @ NRG Stadium
August 1 – East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium
August 5 – East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium
August 10 – Denver, CO @ Broncos Stadium at Mile High
August 14 – Seattle, WA @ CenturyLink Field
August 18 – Santa Clara, CA @ Levi’s®️ Stadium
August 22 – Pasadena, CA @ The Rose Bowl
August 26 – Glendale, AZ @ State Farm Stadium
August 31 – Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium
Well most of the recent tours have been scheduled like this plus look at that schedule...lots of dates in the South in the heat of summer. That's gonna be tough.
Undercover I love, great record. Dirty Work really had the wrong producer. Steve Lillywhite was not the right guy for the band but I find much of the album worthy. One Hit, Dirty Work, Sleep Tonight, Had It With You, Winning Ugly and Too Rude make the album a keeper.
Bill
I've heard 3 tracks from Dirty Work so far ( One Hit....,Harlem Shuffle, Fight). Shit those are cool, rockin' tracks. The guitars are tough.
I forgot that 'She Was Hot' has also been played live; it's in that Shine A Light film. Don't think anything else from Undercover (beyond what I mentioned above) was though, and Dirty Work, even less. Didn't help that neither was toured, for various reasons!
'One Hit' is very good, 'Harlem Shuffle' OK. 'Fight', not so keen- Jagger snarls all over it. 'Winning Ugly' is the worst track for me- horribly dated.
I've heard all of Dirty Work. Well damn, I like it. Sue me...:lol. Great sounding guitars, great R&R vibe, love Mick's snarling, gravely vocals. There were a couple songs I didn't care for but the majority of it kicks. What's the problem with it? It's worth buying (if I see it at a store one day).