I’m not going to lie. I was expecting Hackney Diamonds, the first new Rolling Stones album of all-new original material in nearly 20 years, to be a tired retread of days gone by. This despite the energetic, provocative single “Angry” that dropped in advance with a titillating video and press conference in London. The catchy new song elicited tons of debate and speculation as to what was next. Hard to say if “Sweet Sounds Of Heaven” with Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder helped or hurt to enhance that discussion. Thankfully, there’s other tracks that ring truer to what the Rolling Stones can still do after 60 years on the world’s stage.
Bringing in hotshot producer Andrew Watt to navigate the flow, play lots of bass, even nab a few co-writing credits alongside Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the songs, execution, and overall sound sports a modern and shiny sheen. There are bright and crunchy guitar riffs here and there that lift and shape the record into much more than a retro spectacle. The power chords that snap through “Get Close” will have your speakers puffing out their cones with willful pride. The song even includes a sizzling sax break reminiscent of the great Bobby Keys. “Bite My Head Off” barks with the same intensity, plus there’s the added bonus of Paul McCartney punching out a fuzzy bass line. It only took 56 years to get a Beatle on another Stones track.
“Depending On You” sits somewhere between “Salt Of The Earth” and “Angie,” depending on you (see what I did here?) and where you sit with Stones ballads. As long as the acoustics are lazy and elegant and Jagger’s voice can shatter on the roundabouts (and adds a little harp into the mix), the sentiment usually strikes its intended target. Richards sings “Tell Me Straight” with all the emotion and soulfulness he can muster. It may be one of his better vocal treatments in recent years. He supposedly quit smoking, so that may have helped.
If you follow the Stones with any regularity, you may recognize Charlie Watts’ drumming on “Mess It Up” and “Live By The Sword” (Steve Jordan proficiently handles the beat on the rest of the album). You may even pick up on the bass playing of Bill Wyman on the latter, which would be the first song the third lineup of the Rolling Stones have all appeared on together in over 30 years. Even Elton John gets in on the action of “Live By The Sword,” doing his best Ian Stewart on the piano. Any star-packed record by a big band like the Stones has to be selective about who gets a spot. Apparently, Mick Taylor didn’t make the cut.
Getting back to “Sweet Sounds Of Heaven,” you have to wonder if the integrity of the material aligns with the star-power. Lady Gaga is obviously a respected and talented singer with a propensity of going above and beyond. Wonder undoubtedly plays some of the album’s sweetest piano and keys on the gospel-flavored intro, though a bit of vocal accompaniment from him with Gaga might have helped cool the crescendo down a notch or two. At its root, you have Jagger exuding a soulful moan, a deep clarion call for redemption. When I saw the Stones live in 1978, the croak in his voice indicated a sharp decline. Over five decades later, he sounds stronger, more vibrant, more youthful than ever.
Having guests on stage is a practice the Stones have refined since the 80s. Having guests on Hackney Diamonds, likely prompted by Watt and the label brass, is just a dab of polish on what already comprises the traits of cut, color, clarity, and carats. Whether by design or instinct, this is the Rolling Stones album a lot of fans have been clamoring for — ready-built with a beloved round of swagger and guitar basket weaving, roughly framed by a straight-ahead attack or a light step forward. What do you want from a bunch of octogenarians? Show tunes? You still get a couple bluesy pearls like “Dreamy Skies” and “Rolling Stone Blues.” You still get edgy rockers like “Whole Wide World” and “Driving Me Too Hard.” Playing it loose with some friends on a few numbers. Got live if you want it. That’s coming in 2024. For now, enjoy a fine slab of recordings that is Hackney Diamonds and celebrate the world’s greatest rock and roll band while they keep going.
~ Shawn Perry
