And now an analogy....
Where the mail is anything the Stones released after 1972... and the dog is certain self appointed on critics on IORR who LOVE to hate anything the Stones released after 1972... at this point is a Pavlovian reaction.

BTW- I happen to like songs on Steel Wheels... it is has several good cuts... some OK cuts and a couple of duds... like most Stones albums....

...but of course we understand that some self appointed critics need to go on and on and on and on posting paragraph after paragraph about their examination of every teeny tiny detail about the albums, ripping them to shreds until they have killed the artistic beauty of it. I doubt The Stones themselves thought that much about it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-10-23 00:52 by Max'sKansasCity.

One feature in the freshness of STEEL WHEELS, compared to both DIRTY WORK and UNDERCOVER, is that it is a return of melodic song-writing and more strict song structure. Where had been their ballads or carefully structured songs been since TATTOO YOU (or actually SOME GIRLS or even BLACK AND BLUE)? UNDERCOVER does not differ much of a Ronnie Wood solo album: who cares about well-crafted songs if there is a good riff going on, and the boys having fun... and DIRTY WORK didn't much help either; "Sleep Tonight" started to have that Keef 'ballad feel' in which the whole song is just a template to express occuring feelings. But then we had songs like "Almost Hear You Sigh", "Blinded By Love", "Can't Be Seen", the refrain of "Mixed Emotions" and even songs like "Terrifying" or "Rock And A Hard Place" had certain surprisingly well-crafted melodic elements... it was their 'poppiest' album since, what, BETWEEN THE BUTTONS?

It seems to be one of the features from his solo experiments that Jagger takes the 'classical' song format more seriously in STEEL WHEELS than he had done for ages in Stones records.

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-10-23 00:53 by Doxa.

There are some really good tunes on that record.
'Almost Hear You Sigh" and 'Slipping Away' are two of their best ballads.
(And 'Blinded By Love' is one of their worst.)

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Munichhilton
Production?

Yes.

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DandelionPowderman
That was probably the case with GHS as well, Doxa, all "empty" after Exile...

Yer right protective of the 80's stones eh?

I agree with yer above probable though.

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His Majesty

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DandelionPowderman
That was probably the case with GHS as well, Doxa, all "empty" after Exile...

Yer right protective of the 80's stones eh?

I agree with yer above probable though.

Me too, actually. Probably differing in quality, but still.

- Doxa

Cool video:

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24FPS
Their last great album. Far better than ER/UC/DW combined. Can't Be Seen is not up to snuff, Sad Sad Sad is not strong enough to lead off an album (although an okay rocker), and Rock and a Hard Place doesn't quite go anywhere. The rest of the album is first rate and the last great contribution by Bill Wyman. He was much more engaged with the album than he was by the time the tour rolled around. I think he said his goodbye with Slipping Away and walked through the tour with his head somewhere else.

I think if you combine Dirty Work with anything, Let it Bleed for example, you have a problem.

No need to throw the other two albums in there.

I don't hate Steel Wheels.
Can you change the thread title ?

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Keep On Rolling

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24FPS
The rest of the album is first rate and the last great contribution by Bill Wyman. He was much more engaged with the album than he was by the time the tour rolled around. I think he said his goodbye with Slipping Away and walked through the tour with his head somewhere else.

In Mandy Smith.

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Max'sKansasCity
self appointed critics need to go on and on and on and on

Max, I agree. But also I'd rather simply say Cheers

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Keep On Rolling

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Rolling Hansie
I don't hate Steel Wheels.
Can you change the thread title ?

Come on Hansie, admit it, you hate it. There's no one around.

I won't tell. Just admit it.

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treaclefingers

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Rolling Hansie
I don't hate Steel Wheels.
Can you change the thread title ?

Come on Hansie, admit it, you hate it. There's no one around.

I won't tell. Just admit it.

I don't hate Steel Wheels. Why should I ? There is no fun in hating something.
So, since I don't hate Steel Wheels, the thread title is wrong

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Keep On Rolling

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Rolling Hansie

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treaclefingers

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Rolling Hansie
I don't hate Steel Wheels.
Can you change the thread title ?

Come on Hansie, admit it, you hate it. There's no one around.

I won't tell. Just admit it.

I don't hate Steel Wheels. Why should I ? There is no fun in hating something.
So, since I don't hate Steel Wheels, the thread title is wrong

DAMN! You're using logic...very sneaky!

OK, I also don't hate Steel Wheels, I like it very much. Only a couple of duff tracks....and, if I can put my mind back to 1989...after Dirty Work, WWIII, no Stones tour for 7-8 years (depending on where you lived), She's The Boss, Let's Work! we FINALLY get a legitimate Stones album.

It was fantastic...I even liked Mixed Emotions (at the time...a bit weak at the end of the day, but most of the rest of the album is great).

I don't, I've always liked the album.

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Rolling Hansie

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Max'sKansasCity
self appointed critics need to go on and on and on and on

Max, I agree. But also I'd rather simply say Cheers

I honestly hope, and look forward, to someday meeting up with you Hans, and your wonderful wife, and we will drink some beers, have a great time, lots of laughs and partying as we prepare for The Stones show that night... it will be an awesome day and night!!




STONES!!

I think Steel Wheels is great...

About an album like this, I dont grow old and grumpy and start hating everything and over examine the songs and start whining about it being blah blah blah.....

...instead when I put on the CD.... it takes me back to a very exciting time.... THE STONES WERE BACK!!!! AND WE GOING GOING FULL FORCE!!!! and we did...and it was a blast... the songs on Steel Wheels remind of those times... and even after listening to it a 1000 and another 1000 times (maybe sometimes skipping the songs I dont like as much, if I am motivated) it still feels really good and happy memories...

...like I remember walking into the Royal York hotel in Toronto, when I won us our very own contest to see The Stones in Toronto, and seeing the HUGE GIANT Christmas tree in the lobby... and I recall how fkg cold it was... and how we ate at the Hard Rock cafe as we surveyed the situation at the Sky dome... and how we met some new friends at the Hard Rock and they invited us to come to their room at the Sky Dome after the show... and we did... and to this day he is still a friend of mine... Steel Wheels not only has a bunch of good songs, it also takes me back to much better days. Hold on to your hat.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-10-23 02:39 by Max'sKansasCity.

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Max'sKansasCity
BTW- I happen to like songs on Steel Wheels... it is has several good cuts... some OK cuts and a couple of duds... like most Stones albums....

...but of course we understand that some self appointed critics need to go on and on and on and on posting paragraph after paragraph about their examination of every teeny tiny detail about the albums, ripping them to shreds until they have killed the artistic beauty of it. I doubt The Stones themselves thought that much about it.

They stab it with their steely knives Max, but they just can't kill the beat!

Hey Max! You're only two posts away from your 15000th post! Are you aware of that?

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Stoneage
Hey Max! You're only two posts away from your 15000th post! Are you aware of that?

15,000 posts? whoa I had no idea... Thanks Stoneage!!! LETS HAVE A PARTY!!! ><





STONES!!!

(Ok, I had somewhat of an idea ... THANKS TREACLE!!)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-10-23 02:41 by Max'sKansasCity.

I used to like it - at the time. But even then - not too much.
Now looking back its among the albums I like and still listen to at least.

Love the album. Best album since Black and Blue.

Just imagine if they released Steel Wheels to day--it would be their best album since, oh, I don't know, Tattoo You?

I always liked it. My only issue was the production was a little slick. I even liked Continental Drift.

I think it's Dirty Work that people really hate.

Here's my review of Steel Wheels:


Steel Wheels – 1989 (US #3; UK#2)
Sad Sad Sad • Mixed Emotions • Terrifying • Hold On To Your Hat • Hearts For Sale • Blinded By Love • Rock And A Hard Place • Can’t Be Seen • Almost Hear You Sigh • Continental Drift • Break The Spell • Slipping Away

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


Steel Wheels was truly the beginning of a new Rolling Stones era. It had been much more than simply three long years since the last studio album. Mick Jagger had released two solo albums, but also Keith Richards had released his first solo album and toured the US as a headliner and band leader, as well as spearheaded Chuck Berry’s Hail Hail Rock & Roll movie project. His profile and power within the band, would change forever, ultimately reaching an almost caricature level. These two significant changes within the Stones leadership would have both good and bad influences in the new Rolling Stones.

The Rolling Stones would take live touring to a level never seen before, changing the industry as well as perhaps shifting the band’s key focus and priority from studio music to the live show. It did come together amazingly well in 1989 though. From Mick and Keith reuniting to write songs in Barbados in January to the tour starting in August was an amazingly quick timeframe. And what a tour it was, the most massive in history at that time. Over three million people in the US alone attended, including a mind-boggling six sold out shows at New York’s Shea Stadium. The live show was heavily influenced by Jagger’s Japanese/Australian shows, including back up singers and an additional keyboard player to help fill out the sound. The biggest change was how tight the band was live and Jagger focusing more on his singing abilities. It was an historic success for The Stones.

Steel Wheels was the first Stones album in the new CD age. Co-produced by Chris Kimsey, it has a very clean, slick sound for The Stones, but it fit within the new digital realm. Sad Sad Sad starts the album off in a bright upbeat rock fashion. The band still comes through with its rough interweaving guitars (including Jaggers) and Mick’s vocal is hard and powerful. The lead guitar break is a basic, typical Stones break that is becoming rote. Overall the song rocks along well, and was featured in the live show.

The debut single Mixed Emotions flows with a nice driving rock feel. It’s a bit cleaner and smoother since it’s a single, and the chorus, where Mick and Keith sing in nice harmony exposing their honest feelings regarding their mixed emotions with the reunion and previous disharmony is genuinely heartfelt. Mick’s vocal throughout is powerful and warm. The bridge where Mick sings “You’re Not The Only One” loses some steam and the song can really use a nice melodic guitar solo to lift the intensity, but by now The Stones are pretty much a rhythm guitar band. Live, Woody would do a guitar solo, but it only made me long for a more disciplined lead player. The single was their last major US hit peaking at #5, though only peaking at a disappointing #36 in the UK.

Terrifying is a real treat on the album. Charlie and Bill lock in along with a classy rhythm guitar lick that interweaves but never gets boring throughout the whole song. It’s a fantastic groove highlighted with added percussion, keyboards and Mick on shakers. Even the guitar solo shows some effort and is clean and melodic. The trumpet solo and vibe/percussion fills at the ending are the icing on the cake. It’s a terrific album track and was a wonderful live treat on its occasional outings.

Hold On To Your Hat is an absolute raver in the style of Rip This Joint. The Stones hadn’t sounded like this since then and it’s fun to hear them bash away with just the four of them (Woody plays bass on this). Keith does a nice guitar solo and Jagger sings with a fun abandon. It’s not classic Stones, but it adds nicely to the variety on the album.

Opening with cool guitar fuzz into a sinewy strong bluesy guitar riff repeated through the track, Hearts For Sale is a great track. Here the digital sound mixes perfectly with the distorted echoey guitar sound. The band sounds incredibly on and powerful. Jagger’s vocals are terrific as he sounds like he’s giving it his all. As the song tails off at the end, Mick comes in with some wonderful harp fills, you realize The Stones are really working here and this is not some paint by numbers work.

The Stones continue to prove they can play virtually any style so well. Blinded By Love is a magnificent mixture of country and soft rock (semi-similar to Party Doll on Primitive Cool though more upbeat and lively) that Mick does so well. Mick’s vocals are more upfront and clear but he’s really singing here. Charlie’s drum sound is perfect and all the background touches including fiddle, mandolin and beautiful piano fills create a magnificent sound. The digital sound clearly shows all the great little touches, including Chuck’s organ sound on the bridge. And it’s wonderful to hear Mick and Keith in harmony on “Don’t mortgage your soul to a stranger”.

Rock And A Hard Place was the second single peaking at US #23 and UK #63. I actually prefer it to Mixed Emotions. Bill Wyman’s bass is the highlight here plucking out some great funky notes over Charlie’s steady beat and Mick’s tasty guitar rhythm licks. The bridge is wonderful as it builds into the lead guitar solo section which itself builds itself up to the percussion break with bass plucking into the stop / start “Rock And A Hard Place” give and take. It’s a build up after build up and it’s very effective both on the album and live. Perhaps slightly too slick for The Stones, but it’s a really good track.

Keith takes his first solo song on Can’t Be Seen and it’s good to hear him rocking again since Wanna Hold You on Undercover, which this is very similar too. The background vocals on “Can’t Be Seen” are a nice touch and make the song more powerful. The bridge where Keith seems upset “They set us up so they can shoot us down” is effective. Overall, it’s a great production on a good song that was also featured live.

Buried down in the album is Almost Hear You Sigh, the highlight of the album and one of the Stones greatest tracks. Obviously a sister track similar in feel to Beast Of Burden, and originally put together by Keith and Steve Jordan for his solo album, Mick shaped and sings the song into the masterpiece it is. From it’s tasteful funky groove, soulful background vocal touches, Keith’s inspired classical nylon string guitar solo, and Mick’s tremendous vocal, this song is damn near perfect. Heartbreaking when a song this fantastic is forgotten in time.

Continuing with the wide scope of this album is the experimental soundscape of Continental Drift. This is an intoxicating amalgamation of the Stones with the Master Musicians of Jajouka creating wonderful Middle Eastern background vocals and sounds with a strong pulse. The bridge of the song truly becomes a hypnotic experience as the percussion, swirling Moroccan sounds and vocal chants ever expand (this was used to open the live shows) to an almost hallucinatory power. Mick with the help of Matt Clifford did an amazing arrangement and production job as they weave the multiple sounds into a cohesive extremely powerful track. At over 5 minutes, the song actually feels too short.

After that explosive effort, the bluesy sound of Break The Spell comes on strange. Jagger’s vocals are purposely rough and edgy and his harp work is strong and powerful throughout the track. Although slightly out of place in the sequencing, this is genuine barroom blues with a steady shuffle beat.

The album ends on what is becoming a Keith trademark, his solo-crooning finale. Similar in feel to Sleep Tonight on Dirty Work, Slipping Away has a steadier more upbeat feel and more melodic powerful groove. The background harmony vocals throughout are tastefully strong. And as the brass comes in at the end, over the recurring harmony vocal coda, it sounds so good to have the Stones back.

Steel Wheels seems to be forgotten over the years. Not only was it crucially important in getting The Stones back, but also it shows the tremendous versatility the band has and how they can play so many different types of music so well. The album may be lacking in true classics, the cover of the album is fairly dreadful, and the production may be a bit too slick, but with an open mind, it’s a pretty great adventurous listen. Steel Wheels was not only a new beginning, but also an ending, as it was Bill Wyman’s last studio album with The Stones.

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His Majesty

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24FPS
The rest of the album is first rate and the last great contribution by Bill Wyman. He was much more engaged with the album than he was by the time the tour rolled around. I think he said his goodbye with Slipping Away and walked through the tour with his head somewhere else.

In Mandy Smith.

Post of the weeek!

"No Anchovies, Please"

Quote
Max'sKansasCity
I think Steel Wheels is great...

About an album like this, I dont grow old and grumpy and start hating everything and over examine the songs and start whining about it being blah blah blah.....

...instead when I put on the CD.... it takes me back to a very exciting time.... THE STONES WERE BACK!!!! AND WE GOING GOING FULL FORCE!!!! and we did...and it was a blast... the songs on Steel Wheels remind of those times... and even after listening to it a 1000 and another 1000 times (maybe sometimes skipping the songs I dont like as much, if I am motivated) it still feels really good and happy memories...

...like I remember walking into the Royal York hotel in Toronto, when I won us our very own contest to see The Stones in Toronto, and seeing the HUGE GIANT Christmas tree in the lobby... and I recall how fkg cold it was... and how we ate at the Hard Rock cafe as we surveyed the situation at the Sky dome... and how we met some new friends at the Hard Rock and they invited us to come to their room at the Sky Dome after the show... and we did... and to this day he is still a friend of mine... Steel Wheels not only has a bunch of good songs, it also takes me back to much better days. Hold on to your hat.

Nice Max!

IMHO- Mixed Emotions was the last great commercial rocker they ever released. Other highlights of Steel Wheels: Terrifying, and arguably two of their best ballads in the last 20+ years- Almost Hear You Sigh and Slipping Away.

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2000 LYFH

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Max'sKansasCity
I think Steel Wheels is great...

.... Hold on to your hat.

Nice Max!

Thank you 2000 LYFH