Rock’n’Roll from a tidy junk room.
The only thing that could be criticized about the furious lead single “Angry” was its hit production. After all, the Stones were always at their best when their songs turned into skyscrapers, even though the building should have collapsed. Above all, drummer Charlie Watts’ sophisticated jazz moves and Keith Richards’ instinctive guitar playing gave the band’s sound something unpredictable, improbable and often dangerous.
These elements are largely absent from HACKNEY DIAMONDS, their 24th studio album. The Stones were rarely as clean as on “Whole Wide World” and, of all things, a song called “Mess It Up”; Only the outro jam of “Angry” and the western number “Dreamy Skies” breathe the spontaneous spirit of self-indulgence of EXILE ON MAIN ST. Watts, who died in 2021, can still be heard on two pieces; Steve Jordan takes over his job powerfully, but without any major risks. The pop touch, carried out by regular producer Don Was and new addition to the controls, wunderkind Andrew Watt, is at Jagger’s behest.
The songwriting is tighter than it has been in decades
He is also, vocally unimpressed by his 80 years, heading towards the desired mass appeal with explicit lyrics like “You think I’m your bitch, I’m fuckin’ with your brain” and “If you look to be cruel, gonna fuck you in the ass”. After all: the songwriting is tighter than it has been in decades. The Stones have long since proven that they don’t need new material to legitimize a tour. HACKNEY DIAMONDS therefore sounds like a record that they wanted to make, not had to.
It’s an all-star album whose all-stars are Jagger, Richards, Wood (and a bit of Watts) – you only hear the numerous guests like Paul McCartney, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Bill Wyman when you want to hear them; The exception is the powerful-voiced Lady Gaga in a duet with Jagger on “Sweet Sounds Of Heaven”. Has the circle now been closed with the final “Rolling Stone Blues” by Muddy Waters that gave the band its name? Nothing there – according to Mick Jagger, the next album is already three quarters of the way done. Good thing, because we’re still a long way from having Satisfaction, but at least it’s a surprisingly solid album for the rest of the way.