Rolling Stones Hackney Diamonds is the first original album in eighteen years, proving there is Still Life to the greatest pub rock band in history.
Down to a Crucial Three of Mick Jagger, Keith Richard and Ron Wood. Three tracks have Charlie Watts on drums, and Bill Wyman on bass also gets an invite. The great rock’n’roll rhythm section appears on at least one track.
The album tends to borrow from great Seventies work predominantly. But Rolling Stone Blues, placed at the end, brings it all back home to their origin legend.
Their debut album from 1964 had I Just Want to Make Love to You. Written by the great Willie Dixon and performed by Muddy Waters, it was a slow Blues with Jazz overtones, a little salacious and menacing.
The Stones sped up the tempo and aimed for a Power Pop take which laid down one foundation for Garage and Frat Rock that followed in America. Almost immediately the cries of appropriation and stealing of Black music arose.
But Muddy and music friends, including Buddy Guy and Howlin’ Wolf, recognised the innovative brilliance. They were openly grateful for the recognition that the Stones and Beatles gave to them. Careers were resurrected and recognition finally came back.
Waters lived in the Mississippi Delta area, the home of the Country Blues. He listened to Robert Johnson and was equally shocked and enlightened. From the Delta, he made his way to Chicago and the studio of Phil Chess and Leonard Chess. The classic Urban Blues was developed.
This social movement of Blacks also meant they turned their backs on the Blues as they shifted North. It reminded them of the poverty and oppression of the heavily racist South.
Rolling Stone Blues sits in the middle, between the Delta and Chicago. The menacing tone and anguish are there in the original, along with a powerful spiritual presence. It was Muddy’s greatest Robert Johnson homage.
Two middle-class English schoolboys who collected Black American music album imports, and a musical genius with a difficult personality recognised their secret name to fame, success, women and adulation. A Faustian pact was made.
Jagger sings this close to Muddy’s original phrasing, and he is superb. Like Prodigal Son from Robert Wilkins where the band plays the original version. Not the ones after he became Reverend Wilkins
Angry is where they open with a call to arms. They are famous for that. Brown Sugar (sadly self-cancelled now), Jumping Jack Flash, Rocks Off, It’s Only Rock’n’Roll. Falls a little short of those and is closer to Start Me Up.
Jagger has his exaggerated working-class drawl full of vitriol. Yeeeeeeou! / Don’t spit in my face. The riffs are His Majesty’s reliable British pub Rock. Completed by a testosterone fuelling video featuring a wonderful performance from Sydney Sweeney.
Jagger has a similar vocal approach to Get Close. I bargained with the devil/ I need heaven for one night. The band lays into this with a harder Exile on Main Street edge and a tasty R’n’B saxophone break.
Depending on You is a great ballad with some nice soul phrasing but would be properly classed as Country Rock. Jagger drops any cynicism and plays it heart-broken and contrite. Now I’m too young for dying and too old to lose. Reminding me of the soul-drenched ballads of Black and Blue.
Those three songs are given some co-writing credits to producer Andrew Watt. Must take some credit for the sterling sound on this album. Has one Grammy award under his belt. A working musician as well, he played in the Earthlings band backing Eddie Vedder’s last solo album most recently.
Sweet Sounds of Heaven appears to be an instant classic. The closest to Black Gospel on this album. Lady Gaga dominates throughout this seven minute plus epic. Easily matches legendary backing singers like Merry Clayton and Lisa Fischer. Sweet scents of heaven/ Tumblin’ down, tumblin’ down. Stevie Wonder unleashes some church piano and Gaga continues to radiate spiritual heat on the refrain.
Driving Me Too Hard is of a similar vein, with a misdirection on the guitar intro as it sounds uncannily like the opening to Tumbling Dice. Both songs have the atmosphere of the magnificent Exiles album. Rollin’ and tumblin’ guitar riffs which juxtapose the Gospel church and the bar room.
Dreamy Skies starts with a nice slide guitar or dobro, and Jagger has his heart on his sleeve as he sings another Country Rocker, drenched in reverie and ennui. Plays it straight and sincere. An old AM radio station is all that I’ve got/ It just plays Hank Williams and some bad honky-tonk.
Bite My Head Off is straight Punk Rock’n’roll with the snarl of the Some Girls album. Paul McCartney gives a brief but punchy bass solo. The old guys have a lot of music power left in them.
Live by the Sword is similar, and it’s the guitars that power this one as they put the riff machine through its paces. Elton John is here somewhere, probably on keyboards. If you live like a whore/ Be hardcore.
You must have one Keith solo vocal at least, and it’s Tell Me Straight. A ballad, and the voice is sincere and soulful. Not too far from Happy really, in the quality of his singing
And so, the Rolling Stones will head out on another mega tour. They may have Steve Jordan to replace Charlie. Without Jagger they will not have their distinctive sound.
This album is surprisingly strong and will improve with age. Like good wine but not whiskey. Hackney Diamonds is close to their peak period artistically, from Beggars Banquet 1968 to Exile on Main Street in 1971. Also throw in Some Girls 1978.
Too young to die and too old to lose.