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Doxa
One more thing about "Undercover of the Night". It is sometimes claimed to be a "dance track", a'la "Miss You" or "Emotional Rescue", or then "Harlem Shuffle" I was too young to enter the hot clubs at the time when it was a (minor) hit, but does anyone rememebers dancing to it in the disco? I haven't ever. Actually, I find its rhythm such hectic that I can't really think of function very well in dancing surroundings. The thing that th track is fulled with drum machines/synths and all that current hip production stuff, gives it a certain clothing, but to me it basically is more of straight forward rock number than any dance track.

- Doxa

Funny you should ask....in about 1988 I heard it play as I walked into a night club...dance floor was packed. I was shocked as this was already the Rolling Stones way past their 'prime' vis-a-vis' dance clubs.

I realize it was 5 years after it had come out but it definitely 'rocked' the dance floor.

I actually think the title track is BRILLIANT.

It's underrated and it's a Stones classic.

Subject matter is perfect and something I wish the Stones engaged in a bit more.

The rest of the album is sort of OK.

Undercover...in my top 3 albums of all time......GHS, Black & Blue & Undercover....in no particular order..all sweet.......................+ all the remixes, Feel on esp.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-23 15:51 by EddieByword.

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treaclefingers

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Doxa
One more thing about "Undercover of the Night". It is sometimes claimed to be a "dance track", a'la "Miss You" or "Emotional Rescue", or then "Harlem Shuffle" I was too young to enter the hot clubs at the time when it was a (minor) hit, but does anyone rememebers dancing to it in the disco? I haven't ever. Actually, I find its rhythm such hectic that I can't really think of function very well in dancing surroundings. The thing that th track is fulled with drum machines/synths and all that current hip production stuff, gives it a certain clothing, but to me it basically is more of straight forward rock number than any dance track.

- Doxa

Funny you should ask....in about 1988 I heard it play as I walked into a night club...dance floor was packed. I was shocked as this was already the Rolling Stones way past their 'prime' vis-a-vis' dance clubs.

I realize it was 5 years after it had come out but it definitely 'rocked' the dance floor.

and they kept the lights on?

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StonesTod

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treaclefingers

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Doxa
One more thing about "Undercover of the Night". It is sometimes claimed to be a "dance track", a'la "Miss You" or "Emotional Rescue", or then "Harlem Shuffle" I was too young to enter the hot clubs at the time when it was a (minor) hit, but does anyone rememebers dancing to it in the disco? I haven't ever. Actually, I find its rhythm such hectic that I can't really think of function very well in dancing surroundings. The thing that th track is fulled with drum machines/synths and all that current hip production stuff, gives it a certain clothing, but to me it basically is more of straight forward rock number than any dance track.

- Doxa

Funny you should ask....in about 1988 I heard it play as I walked into a night club...dance floor was packed. I was shocked as this was already the Rolling Stones way past their 'prime' vis-a-vis' dance clubs.

I realize it was 5 years after it had come out but it definitely 'rocked' the dance floor.

and they kept the lights on?

I was as shocked as anyone!

I've always been intrigued with the Undercover album; it will never be mistaken for one of the Stones' best of course but it has some of the most addictive grooves; the title track, 'Feel on Baby', the unique & brilliant 'Too Much Blood', and the funky 'Pretty Beat Up' a quartet of inspired, eclectic sounds with some wonderful rhythms.

'All the Way Down', 'Tie You Up' and even 'She Was Hot' a trio of hugely enjoyable Rhythhm and Blues rave up's.

The album just has that indefinable spark, the sound of a band inspired and experimenting. Even if the results don't put it up with the greatest of Stones' albums, it certainly has some of the band's most unique tracks.

It suffers from a handful of fillers (the generic Stones rockers like 'Wanna Hold You' and 'Must Be Hell'), even'Too Tough', just another Stones rock track though the band sounds wonderful playing it here.

The dark, sleazy atmosphere of the album; the experimental nature; it's a very worthy addition to the band's catalogue and even though ultimately a flawed experiment, when it works it works fantastically.

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Doxa

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seitan
The version of Undercover of The night in Beacon Theatre (Shine A Light footage) is FAR BETTER THAN THE ORGINAL STUDIO VERSION - you can actually hear dirty guitars on this. The album version sucks - the whole album is the worst thing they ever did.

If "dirty guitar" is that a key player does not even know what the song is or what supposed to do in it, there you have it. That's very "punk" I guess...

- Doxa

At least there is a guitar..and not synth. I mean really..this is a rock n roll band, Undercover album dont rock at all - it´s dead as a doornail. Beacon theatre aint all that great, but at least it´s far more rockin that that radiofriendly whimpy crap of an album.

And at least there is beautiful tits on the Beacon video.

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seitan

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Doxa

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seitan
The version of Undercover of The night in Beacon Theatre (Shine A Light footage) is FAR BETTER THAN THE ORGINAL STUDIO VERSION - you can actually hear dirty guitars on this. The album version sucks - the whole album is the worst thing they ever did.

If "dirty guitar" is that a key player does not even know what the song is or what supposed to do in it, there you have it. That's very "punk" I guess...

- Doxa

At least there is a guitar..and not synth. I mean really..this is a rock n roll band, Undercover album dont rock at all - it´s dead as a doornail. Beacon theatre aint all that great, but at least it´s far more rockin that that radiofriendly whimpy crap of an album.

And at least there is beautiful tits on the Beacon video.

you're obviously more 'visual' than 'auditory'...try listening to undercover while you peel off the stickers, that should get you going.

Listened to the SAL Undercover song. I feel sorry for Mick and the rest of the band having to bear that Bozos bum playing. As Doxa said, he doesn't know what song he is playing and must have slept through the rehearsals. It's not cool, it's tragic. The audience should have demanded their money back. Except for the teen models up front, who probably were Mick's personal guests...

This video is better than the album version too...actually my grandmother singin is better than that album too, and she cant sing for shit. Undercover has no balls at all, production on that album is like having mickey mouse trapped in a matchbox..it´s just pathetic sounding album - if it aint got loud guitars, it aint rock n roll. You need loud guitars to kick ass. Its simple as that. And you can see tits on this video too, so this video is much better than that crappy album.

Lisa never lets us down, does she?

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DandelionPowderman

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seitan
The version of Undercover of The night in Beacon Theatre (Shine A Light footage) is FAR BETTER THAN THE ORGINAL STUDIO VERSION - you can actually hear dirty guitars on this. The album version sucks - the whole album is the worst thing they ever did.

Whoa! I'm not putting on Cool, Calm, Collected to compare...

Yah get electric dulcimer on that one!

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seitan
This video is better than the album version too...actually my grandmother singin is better than that album too, and she cant sing for shit. Undercover has no balls at all, production on that album is like having mickey mouse trapped in a matchbox..it´s just pathetic sounding album - if it aint got loud guitars, it aint rock n roll. You need loud guitars to kick ass. Its simple as that. And you can see tits on this video too, so this video is much better than that crappy album.

After 20 odd posts I wonder in how many ways you can say 'I don't like UC'. we know it by know.

Mathijs

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Mathijs

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seitan
This video is better than the album version too...actually my grandmother singin is better than that album too, and she cant sing for shit. Undercover has no balls at all, production on that album is like having mickey mouse trapped in a matchbox..it´s just pathetic sounding album - if it aint got loud guitars, it aint rock n roll. You need loud guitars to kick ass. Its simple as that. And you can see tits on this video too, so this video is much better than that crappy album.

After 20 odd posts I wonder in how many ways you can say 'I don't like UC'.

the official vegas over/under stands at 34

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Stoneage
Lisa never lets us down, does she?

I wonder if she'd consider playing guitar?

Per DOXA and Treaclefingers - I was in a dance club when Undercover Of The Night came out and was delighted when it came booming out of this big sound system. The crowd paid no attention to it and no one got up to dance. I remembered how people did get up to dance to Miss You, and the good reaction Hey Negrita and Hot Stuff got in a club a couple years before that. (Billy's piano sounded incredible on a dance club sound system).

I loved hearing all the details in Undercover Of The Night on the big speakers. But I knew that the song didn't have an easy 1980s hook for the mass crowd. Which made me respect the Stones even more for taking a chance. It's a shame that one of their all time worst albums is associated with such a fine song. I would venture that Undercover of the Night is that last APlus Stones cut.

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Stoneage
Lisa never lets us down, does she?

No, she doesn't. Damn you Stoneage. That comment of yours make me watch the clip..

So I also noticed that Keith is hopeless. There is no any sense in his playing. He is as out there as he is in "Undercover of The Night". Probably doesn't even know the tune. And it is mixed so loud upfront that one can't escape from hearing the constant bum notes, out of tune runs, etc. Why they let this disaster to be released? And you damned Scorcese, could't you have your doc done some decade or two ago when they still were able to deliver the goods

- Doxa



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-23 20:26 by Doxa.

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Doxa

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Stoneage
Lisa never lets us down, does she?

No, she doesn't. Damn you Stoneage. That comment of yours make me watch the clip..

So I also noticed that Keith is hopeless. There is no any sense in his playing. He is as out there as he is in "Undercover of The Night". Probably doesn't even know the tune. And it is mixed so loud upfront that one can't escape from hearing the constant bum notes, out of tune runs, etc. Why they let this disaster to be released? And you damned Scorcese, could't you have your doc done some decade or two ago when they still were able to deliver the goods

- Doxa

I agree

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seitan
This video is better than the album version too...actually my grandmother singin is better than that album too, and she cant sing for shit. Undercover has no balls at all, production on that album is like having mickey mouse trapped in a matchbox..it´s just pathetic sounding album - if it aint got loud guitars, it aint rock n roll. You need loud guitars to kick ass. Its simple as that. And you can see tits on this video too, so this video is much better than that crappy album.

It's actually really funny to listen to this with headphones. Keith literally doesn't have a CLUE what song he is playing. He figures out the verse starts in G, so that's sufficient for some total obsolete noodling. But the rest of the chords? Is there a bridge? Is there a chorus? Who wrote this song? Is it ours? When did we do this? Is this two chords and an ass-hole? Who's the ass-hole? Hey, who'se the guy singing? Shall I hit him?

Mathijs



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-23 23:24 by Mathijs.

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24FPS
Per DOXA and Treaclefingers - I was in a dance club when Undercover Of The Night came out and was delighted when it came booming out of this big sound system. The crowd paid no attention to it and no one got up to dance. I remembered how people did get up to dance to Miss You, and the good reaction Hey Negrita and Hot Stuff got in a club a couple years before that. (Billy's piano sounded incredible on a dance club sound system).

I loved hearing all the details in Undercover Of The Night on the big speakers. But I knew that the song didn't have an easy 1980s hook for the mass crowd. Which made me respect the Stones even more for taking a chance. It's a shame that one of their all time worst albums is associated with such a fine song. I would venture that Undercover of the Night is that last APlus Stones cut.

I agree with you mostly on that track for sure, although PMS is definitely a contender as well. As far as the album are concerned we disagree as I do like this album.

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Mathijs

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seitan
This video is better than the album version too...actually my grandmother singin is better than that album too, and she cant sing for shit. Undercover has no balls at all, production on that album is like having mickey mouse trapped in a matchbox..it´s just pathetic sounding album - if it aint got loud guitars, it aint rock n roll. You need loud guitars to kick ass. Its simple as that. And you can see tits on this video too, so this video is much better than that crappy album.

It's actually really funny to listen to this with headphones. Keith literally doesn't have a CLUE what song he is playing. He figures out the verse starts in G, so that's sufficient for some total obsolete noodling. But the rest of the chords? Is there a bridge? Is there a chorus? Who wrote this song? Is it ours? When did we do this? Is this two chords and an ass-hole? Who's the ass-hole? Hey, who'se the guy singing? Shall I hit him?

Mathijs

It´s horrible mix - not only on this song - but in the whole movie, everytime camera turns into Mick, Ronnie or the audience - they turn the volume up - it´s a very bad mix, it´s clear that it´s either bad artistic decision on Martin´s part or the sound engineer is more used to mixing sound effects for fictional movies than doing a rock n roll concert.

That having said - it wasnt one of Keith´s best gigs, - and who cares - it´s one of their worst songs ever - so no matter how you play it or mix this - you cant really polish a turd, now can you ? No. The only consolation I guess, is that they did capture a better version of it here..then on that turd of an studio album. I mean, even Martin´s deaf of an engineer did a better job...

When I first heard the album I thought All The Way Down was the best song although it was a b-side to one of the singles off the album.

Not a bad album. About the same as Steel Wheels imo. Better than ER and DW.

"Lyin' awake in a cold, cold sweat. Am I overdrawn, am I going in debt?
It gets worse, the older that you get. No escape from the state of confusion I'm in.

I wonder if even Ronnie is hip to Keith being out there. I watch him sidling up to Ron after his latest clunker, but the 'sinister' grin says he just laid the most wicked blues riff down.
Keith got to strum chords. With a teleprompter. Quit being proud .

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seitan

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Mathijs

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seitan
This video is better than the album version too...actually my grandmother singin is better than that album too, and she cant sing for shit. Undercover has no balls at all, production on that album is like having mickey mouse trapped in a matchbox..it´s just pathetic sounding album - if it aint got loud guitars, it aint rock n roll. You need loud guitars to kick ass. Its simple as that. And you can see tits on this video too, so this video is much better than that crappy album.

It's actually really funny to listen to this with headphones. Keith literally doesn't have a CLUE what song he is playing. He figures out the verse starts in G, so that's sufficient for some total obsolete noodling. But the rest of the chords? Is there a bridge? Is there a chorus? Who wrote this song? Is it ours? When did we do this? Is this two chords and an ass-hole? Who's the ass-hole? Hey, who'se the guy singing? Shall I hit him?

Mathijs

It´s horrible mix - not only on this song - but in the whole movie, everytime camera turns into Mick, Ronnie or the audience - they turn the volume up - it´s a very bad mix, it´s clear that it´s either bad artistic decision on Martin´s part or the sound engineer is more used to mixing sound effects for fictional movies than doing a rock n roll concert.

That having said - it wasnt one of Keith´s best gigs, - and who cares - it´s one of their worst songs ever - so no matter how you play it or mix this - you cant really polish a turd, now can you ? No. The only consolation I guess, is that they did capture a better version of it here..then on that turd of an studio album. I mean, even Martin´s deaf of an engineer did a better job...

whoa whoa whoa little doggy...next you'll be saying that you don't even like the Undercover album! Oh right, that's what you've said in every post!

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treaclefingers

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seitan

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Mathijs

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seitan
This video is better than the album version too...actually my grandmother singin is better than that album too, and she cant sing for shit. Undercover has no balls at all, production on that album is like having mickey mouse trapped in a matchbox..it´s just pathetic sounding album - if it aint got loud guitars, it aint rock n roll. You need loud guitars to kick ass. Its simple as that. And you can see tits on this video too, so this video is much better than that crappy album.

It's actually really funny to listen to this with headphones. Keith literally doesn't have a CLUE what song he is playing. He figures out the verse starts in G, so that's sufficient for some total obsolete noodling. But the rest of the chords? Is there a bridge? Is there a chorus? Who wrote this song? Is it ours? When did we do this? Is this two chords and an ass-hole? Who's the ass-hole? Hey, who'se the guy singing? Shall I hit him?

Mathijs

It´s horrible mix - not only on this song - but in the whole movie, everytime camera turns into Mick, Ronnie or the audience - they turn the volume up - it´s a very bad mix, it´s clear that it´s either bad artistic decision on Martin´s part or the sound engineer is more used to mixing sound effects for fictional movies than doing a rock n roll concert.

That having said - it wasnt one of Keith´s best gigs, - and who cares - it´s one of their worst songs ever - so no matter how you play it or mix this - you cant really polish a turd, now can you ? No. The only consolation I guess, is that they did capture a better version of it here..then on that turd of an studio album. I mean, even Martin´s deaf of an engineer did a better job...

whoa whoa whoa little doggy...next you'll be saying that you don't even like the Undercover album! Oh right, that's what you've said in every post!

Dont worry - You´ll get used to it

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seitan

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treaclefingers

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seitan

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Mathijs

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seitan
This video is better than the album version too...actually my grandmother singin is better than that album too, and she cant sing for shit. Undercover has no balls at all, production on that album is like having mickey mouse trapped in a matchbox..it´s just pathetic sounding album - if it aint got loud guitars, it aint rock n roll. You need loud guitars to kick ass. Its simple as that. And you can see tits on this video too, so this video is much better than that crappy album.

It's actually really funny to listen to this with headphones. Keith literally doesn't have a CLUE what song he is playing. He figures out the verse starts in G, so that's sufficient for some total obsolete noodling. But the rest of the chords? Is there a bridge? Is there a chorus? Who wrote this song? Is it ours? When did we do this? Is this two chords and an ass-hole? Who's the ass-hole? Hey, who'se the guy singing? Shall I hit him?

Mathijs

It´s horrible mix - not only on this song - but in the whole movie, everytime camera turns into Mick, Ronnie or the audience - they turn the volume up - it´s a very bad mix, it´s clear that it´s either bad artistic decision on Martin´s part or the sound engineer is more used to mixing sound effects for fictional movies than doing a rock n roll concert.

That having said - it wasnt one of Keith´s best gigs, - and who cares - it´s one of their worst songs ever - so no matter how you play it or mix this - you cant really polish a turd, now can you ? No. The only consolation I guess, is that they did capture a better version of it here..then on that turd of an studio album. I mean, even Martin´s deaf of an engineer did a better job...

whoa whoa whoa little doggy...next you'll be saying that you don't even like the Undercover album! Oh right, that's what you've said in every post!

Dont worry - You´ll get used to it

I think I've memorized it!

Hi again IORR,
Here's my second post - a review of Undercover I wrote a couple of years ago.

Undercover – 1983 (US #4; UK#3)
Undercover Of The Night • She Was Hot • Tie You Up (The Pain Of Love) •
Wanna Hold You • Feel On Baby • Too Much Blood • Pretty Beat Up • Too Tough •
All The Way Down • It Must Be Hell

Stones Fan – ****
Casual Listener - **


After the gargantuan success of Tattoo You and its corresponding tours, The Stones entered their darkest period of their career with Undercover. MTV had become a huge force, and the band responded by producing three of their greatest videos for this album. But all was not great within the Stones camp, and it showed on what is their bleakest, darkest album. It was the last album originally issued in the US on Atlantic Records, the first to feature Chuck Leavell on keyboards, and on a certain level, the last album to actually sound like a unified 45 minute Rolling Stones album. Without any great single, ballad or major classic track, the album peaked at #3 in the UK and #4 in the US (the first US studio album not to hit #1 since Let It Bleed). Nevertheless, it’s perhaps their most overlooked album and a real pleasure for die-hard Stones fans.

The album starts off with Undercover Of The Night, which featured a great-dramatized video, highlighted by a masked Keith Richards shooting kidnap victim Mick Jagger. The song opens and is propelled all the way through by Charlie Watts’ powerful gunshot sounding, pounding drumming and overdubbed percussion. Overlayed with fierce, slashing guitar riffs throughout, the title track is literally an onslaught of sound. Jagger’s lyrical storytelling and strong delivery create a brutal listening experience (especially with the video). Jagger’s, falsetto whoo-hoo’s also help keep the groove. The Stones still play it on occasion live, but it’s never reached its potential as a live showstopper. Not a particularly commercial song, though the best shot at a single, the track did peak at a very respectable #9 US and #11 UK.

Keith and Charlie start off the next track, She Was Hot. With its metallic searing guitar lines, more powerful inter-weaving playing including Leavell’s keyboards mixing with Stu’s piano, and a wonderful melodic lead guitar solo break, this is a more powerful, full-bodied rock song than its sister She’s So Cold. Jagger’s lyrics and delivery (along with the great video) are red hot. Amazingly, never played live until the Bigger Bang tour, She Was Hot rocks hard with a cool Stones swagger. As a 2nd single, it bombed, but featured a fantastic non-album B-side I Think I’m Going Mad.

Charlie’s drums carry the raw pounding Tie You Up (The Pain Of Love). Jagger’s vocals are especially raw and mixed within the music’s drama. The hard rhythm guitar slashes in and out throughout, and another great raw lead guitar solo literally takes off. Suddenly the song virtually stops with Jagger yelling over a heavy percussive interlude, which kicks back in to the powerful finale. As Jagger sings “Don’t Hurt Me”, the whole thing weaves from speaker to speaker and increases in intensity till it ends. This is a great lost album track.

Wanna Hold You is Keith’s solo spotlight on this album, and what at first seems very generic, is another fine catchy Keith riff rocker. The chorus is actually the hookiest thing on the album and definitely stays in your head. The album version stays pretty raw in context of the album. The live version on the Bridges To Babylon tour added horn accents, adding more dynamics and creating wider appeal. The song doesn’t reach the heights of Happy or Before They Make Me Run, but few do.


So far so great as we reach the strange, unusual Feel On Baby, a difficult listen at first, but a real grower over the years. Unlike anything else in the Stones canon, this is a merging of reggae, ska, heavy overdubbed percussion and slow, drawn-out hypnotic vocalizing by Mick and Keith. The heavy phasing, haunting background vocals, yelps, harp playing and heavy percussion, create an almost scary hallucinatory experience. So what at first seems like a misstep, actually over time fits perfectly into this unique Stones album.

Which leads us to Too Much Blood, the opening track of side 2 and the definite highlight of the album. This is one of my all-time favorite “unknown” Stones tracks, which also had an amazing video going with it. The music is a first-rate mixture of dance and funk, but this time, the main riff is played and punctuated throughout by the horn section, which lifts it to an incredible height. The bass playing, Charlie’s steady drum feel, along with the percussion highlights, totally make you want to get up. Jagger’s lyrics, which he talk sings, about cannibalism, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre etc, are totally fun, though eliminated any shot at commercial radio play. I don’t know how this would work live, but I’d sure like to see it given a shot.

Similar to Down In The Hole and Slave, Pretty Beat Up is more of a groove jam than a well-put together song. But this one is much heavier and fits perfectly within the album. Jagger seems to be yelling the lyrics as they come into his head, but the background vocal “Pretty Beat Up’s” by Keith and Woody add greatly. The sax solo lifts the tune higher to an almost ritualistic heavy level transforming a basic Woody lick to a heady groove.

Keith starts off another nice opening riff into the most basic Stones track on the album “Too Tough”. At first, it sounds like they were trying for the “single” with this track, but it’s stuck in a middle ground of not being commercially slick enough, nor as savage as the rest of the album. Mick’s vocals are still very raw and as the song keeps going, the music gets rawer too. The chorus is catchy, but stays heavy, so the song never seems to peak. Too Tough is good, but lacks overall direction and is a missed opportunity.

All The Way Down also seems to be a bit confused in direction. Starting off with a sharp Keith opening into relatively clean sounding verses, the song rocks great as it enters the repeated chorus “She Went All The Way Down”. But for the bridges, Charlie plays the same tempo on the high-hat as the band cuts to half-tempo, as Mick sings slowly “ She’s There When I Close My Eyes”. Suddenly this fun fast-tempo rocker push-pulls fighting itself to a diminishing effect. At a little over 3 minutes, it’s a fun Stones rocker, but could have been more.

Another great Keith riff opens the terrific closer It Must Be Hell, a lost Stones classic. The riff is reminiscent of Soul Survivor, and Michael Jackson totally lifted it for his Black And White smash hit. Mick’s lyrics are topical about millions unemployed and kids can’t read or write amongst other world problems. As Mick sings some “whoo hoo’s”, we get a great Woody lead solo, short but spot on. As the song coalesces at the end with additional percussion, it turns into another powerful tribal groove as it fades out. This is a wonderful end to a greatly underrated Stones album.

If you’re a Stones fan, Undercover has legs. Each listen adds additional depth to the album, and the Universal remaster especially sounds really powerful. The album is filled with great album tracks, and because there are no major classic tracks, so to speak, the album never feels overplayed. The Stones have only played three of the tracks live (and rarely). It’s not an entry point, but for the Stones fan, this is a diamond, buried in the rough.

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DandelionPowderman
<"She Was Hot", like 71Tele said in his own words, belongs to their safe and sure notalgia area.>

Yeah, together with Star Star, Rocks Off, Rip This Joint, Respectable, All Down The Line and others, only with a great, great chorus that sounds nothing but contemporary - far from nostalgic.

I pick up this comment because the song deserves some rethoughts.

I stood up in my original statement that the song has a strong nostalgia vibe in it. But that is intentional which actually makes it interesting and expectational at the time. Namely, The Stones had long ago abondened the pure Chuck Berry sound. Even already in 1973 "Star Star" played with that nostalgia card, which sounded so fine alongside their contemporary sound - to things like "All Down The Line", "Silver Train", "Soul Survivor", "Heartreaker", etc. Just like the Berry covers they tended to play in their concert at the time. That was also paying homage to their roots - a reminder where it all comes from. During Pathe Marconi era - SOME GIRLS on - they simplified their sound but they created a unique sound of their own, based on that "weave" and three-guitar attack on live. Of course, there is chuckberry in there - like in everything they do - but it so deep in their DNA that you can't even think of that. It is not obvious.

But in "She Was Hot" the pure Berry templete, from the intro on, comes upfront again (okay, mixed up with that extraordinary melodic chorus - the effect of which makes one to think that is this once again a song that is combining two songs - one of Mick's and one of Keith's). And like I said, that sounds fascinating; a nostalgia card well used. Nothing wrong with that. And it needs to be an artistic choice that the song comes just after the multimodern "Undercover of The Night". The contrast between those two songs is striking, but I think it works very well. If only the rest of the album could have kept the standard so high... now they used their two best bullets first... ending up to total limbo of "It must Be Hell"...

I hope I make myself clear what I mean by "nostalgia". A different thing what took place during 'Vegas' era. Musically the connotations of "She Was Hot" belongs to that kind of nostalgia as the old cuts like "Time is On My Side", "Under My Thumb" and "Let's Spend The Night Together" during 1981/82 tour. It sounded fresh and justified in that context when they still were a contemporary act.

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-24 10:45 by Doxa.

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Mathijs

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seitan
This video is better than the album version too...actually my grandmother singin is better than that album too, and she cant sing for shit. Undercover has no balls at all, production on that album is like having mickey mouse trapped in a matchbox..it´s just pathetic sounding album - if it aint got loud guitars, it aint rock n roll. You need loud guitars to kick ass. Its simple as that. And you can see tits on this video too, so this video is much better than that crappy album.

It's actually really funny to listen to this with headphones. Keith literally doesn't have a CLUE what song he is playing. He figures out the verse starts in G, so that's sufficient for some total obsolete noodling. But the rest of the chords? Is there a bridge? Is there a chorus? Who wrote this song? Is it ours? When did we do this? Is this two chords and an ass-hole? Who's the ass-hole? Hey, who'se the guy singing? Shall I hit him?

Mathijs

He's playing the chorus, the single-stringed melody line. It sounds like it's overdubbed, but supposedly there aren't any overdubs, so... Who did it?

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DandelionPowderman

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Mathijs

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seitan
This video is better than the album version too...actually my grandmother singin is better than that album too, and she cant sing for shit. Undercover has no balls at all, production on that album is like having mickey mouse trapped in a matchbox..it´s just pathetic sounding album - if it aint got loud guitars, it aint rock n roll. You need loud guitars to kick ass. Its simple as that. And you can see tits on this video too, so this video is much better than that crappy album.

It's actually really funny to listen to this with headphones. Keith literally doesn't have a CLUE what song he is playing. He figures out the verse starts in G, so that's sufficient for some total obsolete noodling. But the rest of the chords? Is there a bridge? Is there a chorus? Who wrote this song? Is it ours? When did we do this? Is this two chords and an ass-hole? Who's the ass-hole? Hey, who'se the guy singing? Shall I hit him?

Mathijs

He's playing the chorus, the single-stringed melody line. It sounds like it's overdubbed, but supposedly there aren't any overdubs, so... Who did it?

Doesn't sound overdubbed to me. He first gets it wrong two times, then he thinks he plays it right, but it is totally wrong and it clashes with Wood's melody line, which is the correct one.

Mathijs