<< Did the creative spirit stop in 1977/1978? >>

Pretty much,, yeah... Stones 2.0 is mostly about touring and nostalgia. Marketing the brand, as it were...

I'd have to say Steel Wheels was the last album that mattered not only because it was their "comeback" album, but also because "Mixed Emotions" was their last hit single, and because of that song, a lot of young kids in 1989 got into the Stones; look: at videos from US SW shows: the audience is a lot younger and a lot more alive than what we've seen since.

Undercover was the last that mattered to mainstream society, music charts, etc. They were still on top in everyone's book...

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mtaylor

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georgelicks
The last Stones album that mattered was Tattoo You, in 1983 everyone was into the Thriller-mania, MTV, heavy metal, etc.
Now, 26 years later, it's all the same but with hip hop and post Nirvana bands, and no Stones album since then mattered anymore.

Tattoo You was left overs from previously recordings.
Then the last album in sense of new recordings that matters is Some Girls.
That would mean - no serious new recording worth anything is since SG.
Is that really so - that's basically 30 years ago. Did the creative spirit stop in 1977/1978?

Tatoo You might have been mostly left-overs, but the most important work was done in summer of '81. About all songs where transformed from mediocre outtakes to the fantastic songs as released. Listen to the original Waiting OAF, and Jagger's lyrics and Rollins' sax really worked magically. The same with Slave.

Mathijs

All stones albums matter!!
how can you not like Steel Wheels?

Tattoo You is good, but in places the production is way to slick. Hang Fire and Neighbors are not too well produced. Ain't No Use in Crying is very cool, as is Tops, but Slave from the B and B sessions is better.
Steel Wheels another that suffers from the lackluster production with some really cheesy 80's over production. Some good songs though and I prefer the boot versions.