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bakersfield
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..
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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.
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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.
Are you serious?!!
OMG
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padre69
[...]
Are you serious?!!
OMG
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treaclefingers
Winning Ugly is worse than I remembered. That whole intro is brutal.
THANKS! This will now end up an 'earworm' and I'll wake up at 3 in the morning with, "WE'LL BE WINNING...WINNING...WINNANNG...UGLY!".
Just bloody great!
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padre69
[...]
Are you serious?!!
OMG
Just listen to the first 20 seconds and try to imagine it without the 80s sound: groovy bassline, cool guitarlicks and Jagger entering the song confident and cool.
Unfortunately, the 80s sound ruins it.
[www.youtube.com]
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ProfessorWolf
also slightly off topic how many of you would pay for a remixed dirty work with the dated 80's stuff toned significantly down?
and do you think if the remix was well done that it would change in any major way your view of the album?
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ProfessorWolf
also slightly off topic how many of you would pay for a remixed dirty work with the dated 80's stuff toned significantly down?
and do you think if the remix was well done that it would change in any major way your view of the album?
I'd be for it.
Although some of the songwriting is poor the mix alone could improve the songs overall. But that could be an issue in terms of what all was recorded - and not mixed into that we are aware of - that could improve whatever.
But, as an example, if a majority of DIRTY WORK's songs had something similar to TALK IS CHEAP mix and EQ wise... who knows. This is literally shining a turd but if it could be shined, well, why not.
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James Kirk
This song is the low point of the Stones career from a generally underrated record.
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treaclefingers
Winning Ugly is worse than I remembered. That whole intro is brutal.
THANKS! This will now end up an 'earworm' and I'll wake up at 3 in the morning with, "WE'LL BE WINNING...WINNING...WINNANNG...UGLY!".
Just bloody great!
Blame yourself, treacle! We were here discussing a non-disputed classic from DIRTY WORK, and you went and picked up a wrong song from the album...
- Doxa
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frenki09
Back To Zero is a catchy tune. Yes, it's more like Jagger's solo stuff and it's very much of its time, but compared to Goin' Home, Send It To Me, Sad Day or Indian Girl (Where is your Mama?), Back To Zero is an inspired song.
I get a kick out of seeing how much some of you are driven mad by your hatred towards Dirty Work. You don't miss a chance to voice your opinion, that's for sure.
It was a great album to play air guitar to in my teenage years in front of the mirror. I wish they'd release a new album this year with songs as memorable and as catchy as the ones on Dirty Work. Bigger Bang! Now that's an album that tries to impress only with its in-your-face loudness...
To me, One Hit or Fight does not sound worse or less driven than Ghost Town.
Gotta hate Mike Love, Phil Collins, Robbie Robertson... All this nonsense about musicians we don't even know in person. I don't hate any musicians, any albums, any songs.
So now it's it's time for more hate-filled comments related to Dirty Work.
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ProfessorWolf
also slightly off topic how many of you would pay for a remixed dirty work with the dated 80's stuff toned significantly down?
and do you think if the remix was well done that it would change in any major way your view of the album?
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treaclefingers
Winning Ugly is worse than I remembered. That whole intro is brutal.
THANKS! This will now end up an 'earworm' and I'll wake up at 3 in the morning with, "WE'LL BE WINNING...WINNING...WINNANNG...UGLY!".
Just bloody great!
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treaclefingers
Winning Ugly is worse than I remembered. That whole intro is brutal.
THANKS! This will now end up an 'earworm' and I'll wake up at 3 in the morning with, "WE'LL BE WINNING...WINNING...WINNANNG...UGLY!".
Just bloody great!
Treacle, seriously...if we didn't have "Winning Ugly," we could never have "Ruthless People."
Now go and dig up the 1985 interview where Keith brags about his opening riff to "Winning Ugly" and how his peers are coming up to him asking him how he came up with it. And this before the album was even released.
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Rocky DijonWinning Ugly was chosen as a third single off the album after Harlem and One hit, so they must’ve really liked that song. Or at least someone did. Haven’t seen that single a lot on Stones compilations…Quote
treaclefingers
Now go and dig up the 1985 interview where Keith brags about his opening riff to "Winning Ugly" and how his peers are coming up to him asking him how he came up with it. And this before the album was even released.
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padre69Quote
Rocky DijonWinning Ugly was chosen as a third single off the album after Harlem and One hit, so they must’ve really liked that song. Or at least someone did. Haven’t seen that single a lot on Stones compilations…Quote
treaclefingers
Now go and dig up the 1985 interview where Keith brags about his opening riff to "Winning Ugly" and how his peers are coming up to him asking him how he came up with it. And this before the album was even released.
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padre69Quote
Rocky DijonWinning Ugly was chosen as a third single off the album after Harlem and One hit, so they must’ve really liked that song. Or at least someone did. Haven’t seen that single a lot on Stones compilations…Quote
treaclefingers
Now go and dig up the 1985 interview where Keith brags about his opening riff to "Winning Ugly" and how his peers are coming up to him asking him how he came up with it. And this before the album was even released.
Admitted, the opening riff to Winning Ugly sounds promising and original. In view of what other singles could have been released from DW, there wasn't a better choice for a 3rd single other than Winning Ugly and maybe Too Rude.
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ProfessorWolf
also slightly off topic how many of you would pay for a remixed dirty work with the dated 80's stuff toned significantly down?
and do you think if the remix was well done that it would change in any major way your view of the album?