Since 1989, the Stones have recorded only 4 albums (over last 21 years). Not exactly a prolific era (Vegas era) for the band. Which album is your favorite of these four?

Steel Wheels
Voodoo Lounge
Bridges to Babylon
A Bigger Bang

My fave is A Bigger Bang. I tend to play that one the most. I hardly ever play Steel Wheels (my least fave of the four). I like parts of Voodoo and Bridges. But I hardly ever pull them out or play much from them.

Mark

voodoo and bridges.
SW is unlistenable due to its horrible production (i quite like the outtakes...)
ABB has it's moments but theres alot of crap on (too much).

probably easy to rate, given there are only 4. From top to bottom:

ABB,

VL,

SW,

B2B (some nice cuts on this though overall I don't like).

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guitarbastard
voodoo and bridges.
SW is unlistenable due to its horrible production (i quite like the outtakes...)
ABB has it's moments but theres alot of crap on (too much).

Agree on the production. I would love to hear some of the better songs on SW redone.

Steel Wheels, but Voodoo Lounge is not much worse. A Bigger Bang is the worst of them.

Good point... I started a thread some time ago saying the 2000's was the stones worse decade musically... Stones best album since 89' is probably Stripped. Original music, I have to say Steel Wheels... Bridges close second and very far behind Voodoo and probably the worst album title and cover in the history of music A bigger bang...

this band is creatively dead. The Exile thing has its coolness, however listening to Mick vocals is like putting black spray paint on my third eye - what happened to mick's vocal cool , frasing? It really sucks and it kills every tune on the bonus tracks... they should ve invited someone to sing those...

I think you could also ask which was the last great tune they wrote. One that is fresh and new and classic not a song with the vibe of trying to reprodice older great ones (rough justice...yikes) for example How Can I Stop is a great song.

I think jagger missed the point since 89'... giving up his cool persona and kneeling down to suck money's cock.

The Stones are done.

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Loudei
Good point... I started a thread some time ago saying the 2000's was the stones worse decade musically... Stones best album since 89' is probably Stripped. Original music, I have to say Steel Wheels... Bridges close second and very far behind Voodoo and probably the worst album title and cover in the history of music A bigger bang...

this band is creatively dead. The Exile thing has its coolness, however listening to Mick vocals is like putting black spray paint on my third eye - what happened to mick's vocal cool , frasing? It really sucks and it kills every tune on the bonus tracks... they should ve invited someone to sing those...

I think you could also ask which was the last great tune they wrote. One that is fresh and new and classic not a song with the vibe of trying to reprodice older great ones (rough justice...yikes) for example How Can I Stop is a great song.

I think jagger missed the point since 89'... giving up his cool persona and kneeling down to suck money's cock.

The Stones are done.

Agree on "Stripped" being the best release over last 21 years.


Mark

I think we'd have a pretty strong (double, perhaps) album if the best songs from each of those 4 albums were put onto 1.

Steel Wheels followed by a Bigger Bang. I don't particularly care for Bridges or Voodoo Lounge, though the VL tapes that were bootlegged offer a great insight into what goes on in the studio.

Its a pity "Hold On To Your Hat" from Steel Wheels was never done onstage, it would have made a great live track. I think its mentioned in Bill Germans book they planned to do it onstage on that tour but never did.

Bridges to Babylon
A Bigger Bang
Steel Wheels
Voodoo Lounge

Bridges to Babylon is my favorite top to bottom. May not have the high points the others have, but doesn't have the low points either.

In order

B2B

SW

VL

BB

I really felt VL was their best since Tattoo You. Apparently I am in the minority there.

ABB was the worst I thought.. only thing I found good was "Rain Fall Down".

One thing to consider looking at their later part of the legacy is that Mick and Keith put good effort (and sometimes got good results) from all those solo projects.. what is it now.. 2 for Keith and 4 for Jagger? Putting into the context of "Rolling Stones" proper it really dilutes what we might've had and helped make the tours into oldies shows, since entire years are lost creatively.

An interesting, though not commercially, idea might've been for the Sones to cover about 10 or so the best of the solo songs and let Woody have a couple of his numbers as well. Interspersed with a handful of classics of course..

Tom

I think ABB is the best, and I love the cover. Why all the hate for the artwork?

Bridges to Babylon
Voodoo Lounge
ABB
Steel Wheels

Stripped would be no.1, but it is live with only one new song, and its a cover.

Voodoo Lounge is my fav of the 4. I'm sure I've played it more than the other 3.

thankfully there's Dirty Work, which makes the last 21 years look not quite so horrific by comparison....

I might have to give VL another listen this weekend.

Mark

(quote) I think we'd have a pretty strong (double, perhaps) album if the best songs from each of those 4 albums were put onto 1. (unquote)

- - - true, but then again that isn't saying much for 21 years of work

Bridges!

"Well my heavy throbbers itchin' just to lay a solid rhythm down"

It's 'Bridges To Babylon'. Lots of splendid ballads on it, and a couple of rockers mixed with ordinary pop-music...def. underrated!

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Loudei
probably the worst album title and cover in the history of music A bigger bang...

Did the front cover from No Security escape your mind? Or the recycled live tracks spliced on Live Licks?

Amen 9195

"Well my heavy throbbers itchin' just to lay a solid rhythm down"

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chenry9195

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Loudei
probably the worst album title and cover in the history of music A bigger bang...

Did the front cover from No Security escape your mind? Or the recycled live tracks spliced on Live Licks?

I think you're both right...worst studio album cover, ABB
worst live album cover, No Security.
But shouldn't Bridges to Babylon deserve honourable mention? A neutered lion?
WTF??

The best is Voodoo or Babylon.
Steel Wheels is shit.

#1 - Voodoo Lounge. There's some genuinely good tracks on this album. In fact there's only 3 that I dislike out of the 15. I have fond memories of that summer (94) and Voodoo Lounge was a part of it. Thru and Thru is my favourite Keith song.

#2 - Bridges to Babylon. While I found this a weaker, unfocused collection of songs over-all than Voodoo Lounge, the songs Mick gave from his unfinished follow-up to Wandering Spirit (Out of Control, Saint of Me and Gunface are great, the first 2 being better than anything off of Voodoo Lounge). I did enjoy Thief in the Night best out of Keith's songs. I felt a few songs were a bit lame and re-hashed sounding though.

#3 - Steel Wheels. Terrifying, Slipping Away and Almost Hear you Sigh are the only tunes that I still really love from this album. This album does make me miss Bill Wyman. They did some decent rocking, but the lyrics over-all felt too... well they didn't really feel like anything. I think it could have been better if Mick didn`t play it so safe - he lacked swagger here big time.

#4 - A Bigger Bang. I didn't mind Rain Fall Down and Infamy.

[thepowergoats.com]

In order:

Voodoo Lounge
Steel Wheels
A Bigger Bang
Bridges To Babylon

Bridges to Babylon - IMO some of the best songs of the late era; Out of Control, Saint of Me, Anybody seen my baby, Flip the Switch, Lowdown, Thief in the Night, How can I Stop, Might as well get juiced are very good.

Steel Wheels - this was maybe my lest favorite Stonesalbum ever; lower than DW - until I heard the rough mixes. I consider that the actual Steel Wheels album. The songs are mostly good; what ruins the album is that late 80's clinical sheen.

A Bigger Bang - while elated that they did an album at all, ABB should have NOT stayed a Jagger-solo-pre production tape. It sounds like a disc of what Jagger should have brought to the eventual sessions. A couple months of sessions with the whole band would have made this album, so much better. And "Under the Radar" of course.

Voodoo Lounge - I don't know why I dislike this album. I see Don was trying too hard, but maybe the Stones too. I think "Moon is Up" is silly. Like it, but now what they are trying to say with it; I get the feeling that Ronnies' solo - Slide/WahWah/phased is all that for the wrong reasons. Jugular, Sweethearts, Blinded by Rainbows, Sparks, are lousy songs.

ABB

Steel Wheels: The album has strong songs, but the production was not good, Terrifying, Continental Drift, AHYS, BTS and SA are really good.
Voodoo Lounge: Some great songs, but too many fillers.
Bridges To Babylon: Maybe the best album from that era (apart from Stripped), an ambitious and courageous record, at times it is a little overproduced. A solid nineties record, and a very underrated one.
A Bigger Bang: This album was not ambitious at all, it has good moments, but it is a little monotonous. ABB seems like a workout for the Stones to get on road, so it is a good album to do a workout to.
Conclusion:
1.BTB
2/3: Steel Wheels/ABB
4:VL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-05-28 13:06 by windmelody.