Just got through the DW album and must say that I am pretty turned on. Every song I am sying to myself "Well this is still one of the better nuumbers; too bad it all goes downhill after this one..." But except for BTZ it all cooked. Even my probably least fave song ever by them "Hold Back" was hot. There is this lead guitar that I had never really given enough credit to. At around the 2 minute mark to 2:15 that guitar is excellnt.
I have a Q for some of the guys who also do studio work etc. On "Wining Ugly" do you think that is a keyboard playing the second bassline underneath the chorus? You know when the "Winning Ugly" part comes a Slap-Bass kind of sound starts walking very powerful down in the basement.

"...no longer shall you trudge 'cross my peaceful mind."

please - I'm trying to eat my lunch here and I'm afraid it might be "revisited"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-05-02 21:48 by T&A.

Dirty Work is definantly my least favourite Stones album, but I don't think it's quite as bad as some make out. It'd certainly be a lot better if Back To Zero wasn't there. That song alone, brings the album down a peg or two. I really do like Sleep Tonight and One Hit (To The Body) is'nt bad either.

Haven't revisited the album in some time, though I am a big fan of it. As for the basslines on "Winning Ugly," I wouldn't be surprised if it were doubled on keyboard. If I get a chance later tonight, I'll check it out. It's an odd sound, definitely doesn't strike me as being bill.

T&A Wrote:
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> please - I'm trying to eat my lunch here and I'm
> afraid it might be "revisited"


HAHAHAHA - Does it have that effect on you? A bit early for lunch isn't it?

Chelsea,

There are many DW admirers out here. However, due to our much-maligned status among Stones fans, we must lurk in the shadows in the dark of night. Someday we will arise and walk among the living. Until then, keep on rockin.....

Always thought it was underrated, & imo holds up better than Steel Wheels.

john r Wrote:
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imo holds up
> better than Steel Wheels.


come again?!?

I like Dirty Work and listen to it occasionally. Best songs are One Hit, Harlem Shuffle, Too Rude, Dirty Work and Sleep Tonight.
Don't forget the classic opening lyrics on Had It With You - "I love you, dirty f ucker". LOL!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-05-03 16:14 by The Stones.

nikkibong Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> john r Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> imo holds up
> > better than Steel Wheels.
>
>
> come again?!?

Absolutely. SW in fact might be their weakest album. DW blows it away.

Love One Hit but can't stand the rest...

Nikkibong, I kind of see it like John R on those al;bums. Steel Wheels is the other album I don't like too much. Tried that on for size too and found that it on the other hand got worse. "Mixed Emotions", "Hold on to yer Hat", "Hearts for Sale", "Slipping Away",'Almopst hear you Sigh", "Break the Spell" and "Continental Drift" all are pretty good. But "Sad Sad Sad" has those canned horns adn forced speed to it. "Terrifyin" I used to love but the words are hoaky and the guitars sound like they belong on "Hide Away"from Goddess, "Blinded By Love" has got to be one of the alltime wrost ever. Lyrics are laughab;le and the country flair is ruined by over-countryfying. RAAHP is Jagger forcing a hit. Itis like a thesis in Funk/Rock Hit 101 class. Keith's Can't be Seen doesn't save much.

"...no longer shall you trudge 'cross my peaceful mind."

Yes, I was surprised at how poorly SW fared when I "revisited" it--for the first time in over 10 years--recently. Even some of the songs I think are fairly well written just don't sound at all powerful. It got good reviews and has a happy face, but it's hardly the stones. DW on the other hand really takes some chances... does its own dirty work, you might say.

I agree too, if it matters....
Dirty Work has some lowpoints, but there are also 5 magnificent songs, and some pieces in the not-so-good-songs are really cool too. Like the guitar-part of Hold Back as someone pointed out.
5 of the songs though, are really really top-notch.
Steel Wheels is to me kind of flat all the way, apart from 2 songs.
And even though the drumsound is bad on DW, the guitars are mean. The worst guitarsound they've ever had, was in 89/90 with that piano-feeling when Ron and Keith played.
Mick snarls in great way in 86.

SW is the Stones' most underrated album. Mixed Emotions, Terrifying (if we just ignore the 'horny as a hog' line), and RAAHP are all solid rock n' rollers. (RAAHP has some imaginative lyrics do - 'the fields of eden are full of trash' is nice) The two Keith songs are excellent, as is Continental Drift. And for goddsakes, SW is the album that gave us Almost Hear You Sigh - a classic that's up there with the best of the late '60s/early '70s.

As for criticisms: Sad Sad Sad is just that. Hold on To Your Hat will only make you hold on to your stomach. And Blinded By Love is pretty bad, too - too bad they did a much better 'remix' of it as Sweethearts Together on VL.

But, still, DW really has only three good tracks: One Hit, Harlem Shuffle, & Fight. The rest far from 'works.' So really, there's no contest between SW and DW - those Steel Wheels roll on over it!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2006-05-02 23:17 by nikkibong.

NO!
But yes, some of what you wrote is true, like Almost Hear You Sigh, Keith's songs and C Drift.
But the 3 last songs on DW must be missing on your tape, Nikkibong. Buy a new, complete, one.

CindyC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> T&A Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > please - I'm trying to eat my lunch here and
> I'm
> > afraid it might be "revisited"
>
>
> HAHAHAHA - Does it have that effect on you? A
> bit early for lunch isn't it?


yeah, I got hungry a little early - that'll teach me. It's truly a wretched album, overall.

Erik_Snow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
.
> But the 3 last songs on DW must be missing on your
> tape, Nikkibong. Buy a new, complete, one.

point taken, erik - Had It With You rocks. sorry i forgot that one. how can you stand sleep tonight though? it's down there with Losing My Touch as one of keith's worst . . .

I would love to hear Had It With You or the title track Dirty Work played live. Overall I think Dirty Work is a better album. They toured behind Steel Wheels and those songs got more air play so critics will always say its a better album it seems.

Hold the phone. Here's my review of the so-called "horrible" album.Dirty Work is amazingly rocking out with it's cockout.

I can listen to One Hit all day and not get bored (already have). "Oh your love is a sweet addiction I can't clean you out of my veins, It's a life long addiction That has damaged my brain."

Fight is an alright rocker, although I think the drumming intro could have a little more power.

Harlem Shuffle, the whole reason I got DW. I totally think it should've been on Forty Licks. I can do the Harlem Shuffle and sing along for the whole song.

Hold Back: what a powerful, angry rocker. Love the Ronnie solo in the middle. I love it.

Too Rude is too FUN. Hey little girl, don't you realize this is a god-dam disgrace. pow pow POW, good job Charlie!

Winning Ugly hm, normally I would skip this and put on it's London Mix instead.

Back To Zero: I don't understand why 95% of Stones fans hate this song. I think it's fine. Is it because Mick ooh ah's like a monkey? I just don't know.

Dirty Work: Man this should be mentioned alot more. It's my 3rd favorite song on the album. Classic lyrics as well, "Let somebody do your dirty work, find some loser find some jerk."

Had It With You: um can't say much about this one, it is what it is. They could've done a more powerful take though. And more angrily said had it with you's.

Sleep Tonight: Good song to fall asleep to (as well as Losing My Touch), and I don't mean that in a negative way.
Stu's piano playing at the end of the album is nice nice nice. "Thanks, Stu, for 25 years of boogie-woogie."



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2006-05-03 00:07 by TatteredTongue.

TatteredTongue Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hold the phone. Here's my review of the so-called
> "horrible" album.Dirty Work

the word is "wretched."

nikkibong Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SW is the Stones' most underrated album. Mixed
> Emotions, Terrifying (if we just ignore the 'horny
> as a hog' line), and RAAHP are all solid rock n'
> rollers. (RAAHP has some imaginative lyrics do -
> 'the fields of eden are full of trash' is nice)
> The two Keith songs are excellent, as is
> Continental Drift. And for goddsakes, SW is the
> album that gave us Almost Hear You Sigh - a
> classic that's up there with the best of the late
> '60s/early '70s.
>
> As for criticisms: Sad Sad Sad is just that. Hold
> on To Your Hat will only make you hold on to your
> stomach. And Blinded By Love is pretty bad, too -
> too bad they did a much better 'remix' of it as
> Sweethearts Together on VL.
>
> But, still, DW really has only three good tracks:
> One Hit, Harlem Shuffle, & Fight. The rest far
> from 'works.' So really, there's no contest
> between SW and DW - those Steel Wheels roll on
> over it!


I am mostly of the same mind as you except it would not be the end of the world if I never heard Mixed Emotions, Rock And A Hard Place and Terrifying again.

Also, I can do without Fight but would substitute Too Rude in its place (although I much prefer the Winos version on the Hollywood Palladium record).

TatteredTongue Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
.Dirty Work is amazingly rocking
> out with it's cockout.
>

looks like Keef wasn't the only one to get hit on the head.

john r Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Always thought it was underrated, & imo holds up
> better than Steel Wheels.


ohmygoodness; that's little comfort

come on folks - having to read about both SW AND DW in the same thread is too much. Managed to keep my lunch down for awhile, but it could go at any point if this doesn't stop.

I've always thought that, but for Mick sceaming though 90% of the lyrics, its a good album, musically. There is some really good guitar playing, its just tough to listen to with Mick's awful singing. I read where he came in and blew through all his vocals in just 2 weeks, because he was so busy with his solo record, and this really pissed off Keith, who put a lot of time and efort into it.

T&A Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> come on folks - having to read about both SW AND
> DW in the same thread is too much. Managed to keep
> my lunch down for awhile, but it could go at any
> point if this doesn't stop.

It takes just one hit...

Jed Clever Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've always thought that, but for Mick sceaming
> though 90% of the lyrics, its a good album,
> musically. There is some really good guitar
> playing, its just tough to listen to with Mick's
> awful singing. I read where he came in and blew
> through all his vocals in just 2 weeks, because he
> was so busy with his solo record, and this really
> pissed off Keith, who put a lot of time and efort
> into it.

2 weeks for 10-12 songs? I would have thought mick could have "blown through" that number in 2 hours.

I enjoy Crushed Pearls, a compilation of Dirty Work outtakes, a lot. While I have always considered Dirty Work to be one of the boys' weaker efforts, most of the tracks on this CD would have brightened it up considerably.

The outtakes on this CD are Going to Memphis, You're Too Much, Treat Me Like a Fool, She Never Listens to Me, Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever, Deep Love, What Am I Going to Do with Your Love and Crushed Pearl. They are not all gems, but they're generally better than Back to Zero, Hold Back and Fight.

Many of the outtakes are Keith vocals. One interesting way to construct Dirty Work would have been to have a Mick side and a Keith side. (Dirty Work was released in the LP era.)

Well regarding DW, a couple posts used the word "angry", and that's it: Jagger's vocals sound angry and real, even if some of the words on the Keith/Ron songs aren't all his...Like he has something to sing about, the state of the world and the state of the Stones, most likely: the band fractious, Charlie strung out (but playing great on 8 or 9 trax anyhow), Keith & Mick barely speaking, Bill all but absent. And while on the outs with Mick, Keith forges a solid guitar alliance with Ron Wood, just as he did in the early-to-mid '60s with Brian. 'Sleep' is marred by the extra backing vocals, but the album overall hits hard. SW for me has a canned sound even on the good songs, and Charlie sounds like a drum machine half the time. RAAHP musically just cant compete with 'Undercover' (especially the long 12 inch version of the latter); Wyman (and Wood on 4 songs) play some nice bass but thanks to the digital production it's soft, lacks impact. The recording is cheesey sounding, and even though I like 'Mixed Emotions' (made the top 5, their last big US hit) it really kicks ass live, a highlight for me on the '89-90 tours. 'Slipping Away' is a superb autumnal ballad, but again the overly slick production lessens its impact for me. And though 'Continental Drift' is a great idea, musically superb, the way it's mixed - and Matt Clifford's contribution - almost ruins it: the Jajouka Musicians are normally (check, for one example, 'Brian Jones Presents...') hard, in your face, loud. But here their impact is blunted, like why did the Stones bother going to Morocco if they were going to bury those guys in the mix like that?