Hackney Diamonds is the first album from the Rolling Stones since 2016 and the first of new material since 2005. The 2016 release and this new one were both released by Polydor.
Given how long it’s been since the group released an album of original material and how long in the tooth these crusty veterans are, this is an excellent album. The album consists of only one cover and primarily of songs written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, with the first three tracks written by Jagger, Richards, and Andrew Watt, who is also credited with production. And it’s the songs that make this album so good. Regarded as one of the greatest live groups of all time, sometimes the rich catalog of songs the group (primarily Jagger and Richards) have written is overlooked.
The album eschews any overtly modern studio production or stylistic influences or enhancements. While in the past, those sorts of contributions did occasionally aid the band in moving forward, at this time in their careers and given the state of today’s pop music, it’s completely unnecessary. The songs and production have a distinctly mid-’70s feel, reflecting the albums the group recorded after Exile on Main Street and before Some Girls, as well as some tracks that appeared on 1981’s Tattoo You, which included outtakes from sessions between 1972 and 1981.
The album opens with “Angry,” the kind of muscular, yet simple guitar rock that has typified the group’s sound for decades. “Get Close” features some nice rhythmic turns and Elton John on piano. “Depending on You” feels like a track from Goat’s Head Soup and includes keyboards from Benmont Tench. The group’s punkier side is on display on “Bite My Head Off,” including bass by Paul McCartney, and there is an almost new wave vocal feel on “Whole Wide World.”
“Dreamy Skies” shows Jagger lyrically in a very reflective mood, with Benmont Tench again contributing keyboards. “Mess It Up” is distinctly pop with a Stonsey edge, and “Live By The Sword” is classic Stones rock and includes piano by Elton John and bass by Bill Wyman. Both songs feature Charlie Watts on drums. “Driving Me Too Hard” is another classic and will make many listeners feel like they’re hearing the group for the first time all over again.
“Tell Me Straight” features Richards lovingly growling in the sweetest way. “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” is a tour-de-force, with Stevie Wonder on keyboards and piano and featuring Lady Gaga tearing it up on a vocal duet with Jagger. The album closes with “Rollin’ Stone Blues,” a reworking of the Muddy Waters song “Rollin’ Stone,” which the group used for creating its name.
It’s a fitting end to the album, but not the group. They will tour in 2024 and word is they already have enough material for another new album. This will be the last album from the group to feature Charlie Watts on drums. Steve Jordan plays drums throughout, on the tracks that do not include Watts, and he has replaced Watts as the group’s drummer in concert.
This is quite a moment for ’60s survivors and ’60s music fans, as we have a new single from The Beatles and a whole new album from the Stones. It’s only old rockers, but we like it.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
B
