Not a really bad song, although sub-standard especially on the great great DW album. (I am not kidding...) Jugular is much better IMHO. Could have been one of the halfway strong tracks on She's The Boss. By the way: one of the many songs without halftime member Bill Wyman.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2019-09-27 17:41 by Monsoon Ragoon.

I agree "Suck on the Jugular" is far superior. As Bard (I believe) pointed out to me years ago, the bridge on "Back to Zero" is the same bridge he used on the title track to SHE'S THE BOSS.

Calling Bill Wyman a halftime member will likely earn you death threats. You're among people who believe Stu was a fully-functioning member of the band for nearly 25 years because of Keith's public remarks since his death.

"The great, great DIRTY WORK album?" Wow, I like about half the album and still think it's weak.

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Rocky Dijon
I agree "Suck on the Jugular" is far superior. As Bard (I believe) pointed out to me years ago, the bridge on "Back to Zero" is the same bridge he used on the title track to SHE'S THE BOSS.

Calling Bill Wyman a halftime member will likely earn you death threats. You're among people who believe Stu was a fully-functioning member of the band for nearly 25 years because of Keith's public remarks since his death.

"The great, great DIRTY WORK album?" Wow, I like about half the album and still think it's weak.

Well Wyman played ca. on 60, maybe 70 % of the album tracks in the 70's and 80's.
He wasn't really a full member of the band. See www.nzentgraf.de. By the way, I DON'T think that Stu was a band member, at least not after 1963. And yeah, I really like the hard-rocking Dirty Work album. I can't help it, but IMHO Back To Zero is the only weaker track on there.

Bill talked about this to Bill German. He generally wasn't present for mixing and overdubbing unless called in for a week of touch-ups or something (same with Charlie). His original bass lines were sometimes edited down so much that they had to be re-cut. If he was in the South of France and mixing was being done in New York, Keith or Ronnie would end up playing bass.

I knew what you meant and it made me laugh, but it's a bit like saying Keith was a part-time band member on GOATS HEAD SOUP despite the songwriting credits or that he's only on 70% of STICKY FINGERS.

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buttons67
if the beatles had released winning ugly in 1964 the beatlemania brigade would have lapped it up as a great song. because there are folk who cant be objective as they let bias get in the way. no one ever criticises a beatles song, its just not allowed.

theres nothing like perception.

if someone tries to like certain songs they may just convince themselves, i tried to like dirtywork, and put a lot of effort in, but i gave up, and will never stick up for anything on the album.

Uh... you drink Kookaid a lot?

One of the worst stones tune.

This song is the low point of the Stones career from a generally underrated record.

Not one of the best songs even of this highly moderate Stones album, I still find it strongly exaggerated how weak this song is considered to be by many posters.

Love this song. In my opinion there is only one bad Stones song: Streets Of Love. It is utterly ugly and has nothing to do with the Stones sound.

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Rockman
Dreadful song from a dreadful album


….heck slew ...reads like a line from Streets Of Love …..

that's awful accurate Rockman.

should have bee titled "Down To Zero"...

I would REALLY like to hear someone to make a good cover version of this. And Winning Ugly, too. To show me I've just been stupid all these years and haven't heard the brilliance that lies deep down in the core of these songs.
And while we're at it, the same for Sweet Neocon and Infamy, please.

I like it!

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padre69
I would REALLY like to hear someone to make a good cover version of this. And Winning Ugly, too. To show me I've just been stupid all these years and haven't heard the brilliance that lies deep down in the core of these songs.
And while we're at it, the same for Sweet Neocon and Infamy, please.

I am with you on Winning Ugly. It really is a good song but it gets ruined by the awful 80s sound. Especially - of course - the bass and the drums. With a Exile on Main Street approach, this song would have been wonderful.

But for the other songs you mention, there's just no solution. Back To Zero suffers mainly from the 80's sound too, but without the 80's sound (keyboards, and other gimmicks) there's nothing left. It's just elevator-Mel-and-Kim-supermarket-80's-muzak. Sweet Neocon suffers so badly from the lyrics that it's impossible to listen to. And the same goes for Infamy/In-for-me. Both are very very very terrible, but not as bad as Back To Zero.

And while we're at it, two other classical "awful" songs: Gomper is much better for the first part (I am still not sure, did they nick the melody from Velvet Underground's Lady Godiva or is the other way around?), quite nice actually, before it becomes a trainwreck and Streets of Love isn't so bad really.

The only other song that can really compete with the abysmal awfulness of Back To Zero is Sing Together (See What Happens). And since I am not able to listen to either of those songs entirely in one go, I call it a draw.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023-01-02 12:38 by matxil.

Back to Zero and Suck On the Jugular are both dreadful.

If this is the worst track on about 25 lps then that says a lot about what a great band the Rolling Stones are

Strip off the synth, and the track isn't that bad at all, imo. Great playing.

It’s ok. Heard worse

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Doxa
Almost as good as "Gomper".

- Doxa

What a stupid statement! Shame on you. "Gomper" is actually a great piece of music. "Back to Zero" not so much.

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023-01-02 17:31 by Doxa.

Best song that Chuck co-wrote.......

The boys had done some incredible songs with social commentary/message before. But the lyrics, music, vocal delivery on this were just a very very weak effort - a throwaway song. Recently married, and with my very first CD player, my wife surprised me with the brand new CD the day it was released. I fell in love the CD player technology that I could instantly skip to the next song as I listened to this album. Back To Zero was an instant skip (and the CD became the first disc or vinyl I ever sold - thrilled to get $1 for it). Was Keef out of it during these sessions? Was Mick trying way too hard to sound 80s?

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buffalo7478
The boys had done some incredible songs with social commentary/message before. But the lyrics, music, vocal delivery on this were just a very very weak effort - a throwaway song. Recently married, and with my very first CD player, my wife surprised me with the brand new CD the day it was released. I fell in love the CD player technology that I could instantly skip to the next song as I listened to this album. Back To Zero was an instant skip (and the CD became the first disc or vinyl I ever sold - thrilled to get $1 for it). Was Keef out of it during these sessions? Was Mick trying way too hard to sound 80s?

Just a bad overall time for the band - Charlie's abuse problems, M & K at odds, Mick wanting solo career, Keith stuck in 1958/64, Ronnie wasted, Stu dying, Bill looking for young love, etc.

The worst song, the worst album, the worst artwork.
I love only sleep tonight and the STU tribute
Sici

I can't for the life of me see what's wrong with it...

Good groove, decent hook.....one of the few songs on the album where some of the production elements help the song...allowing that it was the 1980's....

I like the words too- especially the 'I prefer to rot, I don't wanna pop' couplet. Concise and witty. Compared to the 'yellow and jello/wits and tits' rhyme we got 2005 it's practically Shakespeare.

'Back to Zero' would have improved Side 2 of Undercover..

Just listened to it. Sounded as i never heard it before. Must have erased it from my memory due being horrible.

The lyrics are dumb, but the sentiment is fine. Mick revisits Monkey Man with his op-op-op noises. The track swings nicely with a good funk groove. Not horrible by any stretch of the imagination.

In no way a classic, but solid filler.

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LOGIE
Great track!

Always loved it, and still do.

Same here.

I can say i thought it was, back in 1986, my favorite track on the album !!
And now, many years later, i still love it.

Terrible.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Haha, why is that terrible ?
Everybody is entitled to it's own opinion.

I also love Hold back from the same album.

Both songs are far from "typical" Stones songs, i suppose that for me is a reason to like them. But when you think they are terrible, that's your right.