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drewmaster

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Naturalust
I must admit I'm a bit suspicious of a review that has nothing but high praise for every song on the record.

Reminds of when Rolling Stone magazine gave a 5-star review to Goddess in the Doorway ...

Drew

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gotdablouse

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drewmaster

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Naturalust
I must admit I'm a bit suspicious of a review that has nothing but high praise for every song on the record.

Reminds of when Rolling Stone magazine gave a 5-star review to Goddess in the Doorway ...

Drew

Good point and who here didn't think DW was the bee's knees upon first listen, especially after the hype surrounding it, most of it by Keith coincidentally. Nothing wrong as a fan with getting overexcited when a Stones related album drops, it's not like it happens very often and these guys can't make a "bad album" anyway. I just wouldn't call these comments/sharing the joy, "reviews" ;-)

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gotdablouse
That's not the point, read my post.

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DandelionPowderman

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gotdablouse
That's not the point, read my post.

I did. You took for granted that our reviews were merely flavoured by the excitement - I told you that I had listened thoroughly through it six times.

When you listen to the album, I'm pretty sure that there will be parts of my review you're gonna have to give a nod to...

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keefriffhards

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BILLPERKS

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keefriffhards
I can't help but think how amazing these reviews are considering the man was all but washed up in 2007'
He must have been rusty making this album, but still he comes up with this
Is Keith going to go down in history as the comeback king of all time
I wonder if this is the by product of his sobriety
Just what may have been, if he had gave the booze up 20 years earlier
And also what patience he showed in waiting for a time period to finally release it.
Sorry about keep going on about Keith all the time but he is something else

Get a grip. Where did you get that he is sober?

Its common knowledge, Patti, his wife said he was embracing a life of sobriety. She should know.
Who knows for sure but he has been sober in interviews and chat shows for a long time.
His playing since 2012 suggests he has cleaned up his act too. He hit the booze hard in 07' it was clear to see.
Although he has started drinking the odd tipple again recently by the sound of it.

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KRiffhard
Here you can find snippets:

[ukstore.keithrichards.com]

><

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Rocky Dijon
Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up as I tend to do in bed…

15.) “Lover’s Plea” recalls “How Can I Stop?” with horns right out of “Let’s Go Steady.” If you like either of those two songs, you’ll like this. A nice album-closer. Great drumming by Mr. Jordan. Keith has made songs like this his trademark over the past thirty-five years.
14.) “Substantial Damage” is another “It Means a Lot” in that it’s a similar rocking funk jam. The critical will call it unfinished. Keith diehards will love its sloppy grace. Some will think Keith shouting over the studio intercom is influenced by Tom Waits’ now-familiar antics with a megaphone. This isn’t a song in the typical sense of the word. It’s Keith chasing a riff with Steve Jordan never missing a beat. Nice understated organ by Mr. Neville.
13.) “Goodnight, Irene” is as far out there as this album gets. It’s also probably the closest we’ll get to Keith recalling the Longview Farm or Interchange Studio sessions. He makes a convincing bid for immortality on this raw, rootsy version of the folk chestnut. This one isn’t cleaned up with overdubs, but has a one-take feel to it. It may be a challenge for some, but I liked it straight off. Good for Keith for having the courage to put this out naked and honest.
12.) “Just a Gift” is yet another one that recalls “How Can I Stop?” The sheer number of soft acoustic numbers about heartbreak make me consider SMOOTH 180 would have been a better album title than CROSSEYED HEART. Strong lyrics and Keith does a nice job with the vocal. The music is tight, but just serves to underscore the vocal although it builds to a strong finish that fades out too soon. I like it, but if you’re not into Keith’s soft numbers, you might not like this one as much. It is stronger than “The Worst” or “This Place is Empty” if that helps any naysayers.
11.) “Illusion” starts off sounding like the demo for “Baby, Break It Down” before the melody line moves closer to “Demon” territory. A certain recurring line from the chorus of “Low Down” encores here before Norah Jones’ bit starts. If you’re expecting another “Love Hurts,” you’ll be disappointed. Ms. Jones is very talented and has a co-writing credit here, but her voice seems ill-matched for Keith on this one. I would have preferred Sarah Dash as the blend of Keith and Nora's vocals just doesn’t happen for me. A pity since I enjoyed their duet at the Gram Parsons tribute. Nice understated guitar solo that recalls “Locked Away.”
10.) “Something for Nothing” opens with a gospel choir from Harlem that has definite echoes of Wingless Angels before Steve Jordan’s infectious drumming starts. The opening guitar lines sound a bit like “You Got It Made.” This is a strong one. It’s not commercial in the usual sense, but its a beauty of a song. Part of the joy of this album is Keith has found the freedom to simply make music he’s proud of free of anyone’s expectations. This song is like “How I Wish” all grown up as you’ll likely think when you hear Waddy’s restrained solo. This one is truly joy to my ears.
9.) “Blues in the Morning” is a disappointment to me. There’s nothing wrong with it except that it’s the sort of clichéd rockin’ boogie Keith should be able to knock off in his sleep. Diehard fans will love the guitar work and Bobby’s all too brief solo, but the melody line is straight out of the Chess Records songbook as the title also suggests. No one drops the ball here, I just expected something special when this is just demonstrating all concerned have their chops down playing the music that inspired them. Of course as the song's punchline says, Keith doesn’t care because he’s a billionaire.
8.) “Suspicious” is another slow one in the same vein as “Demon” and “How Can I Stop?” There are a few songs like this here, but they don’t really sound like variations on a theme. They’re just the style Keith has found comfortable writing and, more importantly, delivering. A nice, but all too brief guitar solo. Very atmospheric low key keyboard work. It’s easy to overlook how good songs like this one are. It will likely grow on listeners. This is really a lovely song.
7.) “Nothing On Me” is the other really catchy rocker that seems like a nice partner to “Heartstopper.” The vocal and melody line reminds me a bit of “Baby, Break It Down” before turning into a faster-paced variation on “Demon.” Very tasteful organ work by Mr. Neville. Interesting to contrast his playing on this album and how it has matured from the style he showcased with the Winos. This song is another highlight. Keith definitely has favorite chords and even lyrics and themes he returns to time and again, but if you’re a fan, you’ll come away loving this largely mature late-period work from one of rock’s elder statesmen. This album sees an old dog enjoying his favorite tricks.
6.) “Love Overdue” is a reggae tune in the same mold as “You Don’t Have To Mean It.” More upbeat with a ska vibe and similar horns to BRIDGES TO BABYLON's lone attempt to marry Wingless Angels with the Winos. Gregory Isaac’s lyrics fit well in Keith’s vocabulary and sound as if he could have written them (especially since he raided this song's lyrics when writing “All About You” thirty-five years ago). Nothing extraordinary, but very pleasing and a nice change of pace. I haven’t heard the Lee “Scratch” Perry dub mix so I don’t know what to make of that one.
5.) “Trouble” is very familiar by now. It is undeniably catchy if a bit too clichéd and overly simple lyrically. The echo of “Too Tight” and the sheer joy Keith expresses playing this one makes all the difference. The acoustic guitar is really the highlight here along with Keith's bass playing.
4.) “Robbed Blind” is the one acoustic number here that doesn’t seem evocative of an earlier Keith number. I like it. It’s musically grounded in familiar territory, but it’s new territory for Keith. This would not sound out of place on a post-Dire Straits Mark Knopfler album with its crying pedal steel. Lyrically and in terms of Keith’s vocal, this might be the album highlight. The piano work shows the influence of Floyd Cramer. I do love this song. There’s a passage that recalls Dylan’s “Desolation Row” just as another song echoes “Like a Rolling Stone” at one point. Keith proves he can hold his own among his peers and betters and in 2015 that’s quite a miracle.
3.) “Amnesia” starts out with Keith muttering to himself and you soon realize he’s playing a character, something one usually only thinks of Mick doing in a song. The suggestion of his Fiji accident is unavoidable. The beat Steve Jordan lays down is great. Keith’s guitar work is impressive but very un-Keith-like. That isn’t a bad thing at all at this late date. Quite simply this song works. Strong vocals and melody make for a surprising breath of fresh air. This is adventurous and who expected that from Keith in 2015?
2.) “Heartstopper” is probably the one track I wish was blasting out of the radio, but this is 2015 so it isn’t. It’s a great track with driving Steve Jordan beat and similar stellar guitar work as on “Amnesia” leading to an infectious chorus (that slightly recalls “Breakin”). There are some great lyrics (“She’s a vegetarian, but me – I love my meat”) and the solo turns into pure Keith. I never expected four surprisingly fresh rockers on this album that are the highlight for Keith fans much more than “Trouble.”
1.) “Crosseyed Heart” is my least favorite track. A pedestrian blues fragment much like “Hurricane” was a folk fragment. Not a song nor a stunning performance, just a sketch of an unfinished idea. It might have better served as a hidden track at the end of the disc as this is more of an outro than an intro to my ears.

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Rolling Hansie

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KRiffhard
Here you can find snippets:

[ukstore.keithrichards.com]

><

Really ? I can't find them

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KRiffhard

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drewmaster

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Naturalust
I must admit I'm a bit suspicious of a review that has nothing but high praise for every song on the record.

Reminds of when Rolling Stone magazine gave a 5-star review to Goddess in the Doorway ...

Drew

Drew, if you read Dandelion Powderman and Rocky Dijon's reviews the Rolling Stone Magazine become unnecessary! I can tell you that CH is a honest album played with heart and soul with no filler. Enjoy it!

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DandelionPowderman

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Rolling Hansie

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KRiffhard
Here you can find snippets:

[ukstore.keithrichards.com]

><

Really ? I can't find them

Snippets of clothes...

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Lorenz
... 2 songs from the leaked CD are actually bonus tracks.

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with sssoul

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Lorenz
... 2 songs from the leaked CD are actually bonus tracks.

Which two, please?

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Lorenz
My first impression and comments may have been very emotional - but this album is really excellent and in my personal opinion superior to Keith's previous efforts. I always felt that many of his solo songs were too skeletal, ideas that often didn't evolve past a nice riff and lacked Mick's input to develop into a full song.

On this album, Keith somehow takes a different approach - the songs are more developed, more unique (meaning not all open-g variations of similar riffs) - and yet cousins to existing songs (Baby Break It Down for example). I mentioned it above and others did too, there is something Leonard Cohen-ish about the way he sings, Kent mentioned Johnny Cash - the way he uses his voice is clearly similar - sometimes more speaking than singing. It fits very well. There is more little melodies in there compared to the rough riffs we are used too.

At first I thought there were no fillers, I now feel like 3-4 songs could've been left out: the simple, sketch like Blues opener, the repetitive funk song that doesn't really go anywhere, the by-the-books blues rocker - indeed, 2 songs from the leaked CD are actually bonus tracks. But the main body of the album is, considering all things, spectacular.

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Lorenz
My first impression and comments may have been very emotional - but this album is really excellent and in my personal opinion superior to Keith's previous efforts. I always felt that many of his solo songs were too skeletal, ideas that often didn't evolve past a nice riff and lacked Mick's input to develop into a full song.

On this album, Keith somehow takes a different approach - the songs are more developed, more unique (meaning not all open-g variations of similar riffs) - and yet cousins to existing songs (Baby Break It Down for example). I mentioned it above and others did too, there is something Leonard Cohen-ish about the way he sings, Kent mentioned Johnny Cash - the way he uses his voice is clearly similar - sometimes more speaking than singing. It fits very well. There is more little melodies in there compared to the rough riffs we are used too.

At first I thought there were no fillers, I now feel like 3-4 songs could've been left out: the simple, sketch like Blues opener, the repetitive funk song that doesn't really go anywhere, the by-the-books blues rocker - indeed, 2 songs from the leaked CD are actually bonus tracks. But the main body of the album is, considering all things, spectacular.