I like tha album, but the production is too slick. Rock and a hard place is a lowpoint, since it sounds like studio musicians playing in the Stones's style. I like Terrifying and Break the spell very much.

i think its a great album, could have been better production wise. has great songs on it.
jeroen

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DandelionPowderman
My office is right next to the best vinyl shop in town. Amazingly, there are lots of people there all the time. This is a rather luxurious shop, offering mostly 180g or 200g records, very often with mp3 rips of the album included.

So, something is indeed cooking regarding people buying vinyl again.

The bigger picture can be gauged via HMV.

Back in early 90's every other sunday I used to walk in to town and rake through the lp's in my local HMV, I knew something was up when I went in one day and the large wooden racks were empty and being dismantled with the CD section being made bigger at the same time. The cassette section was still quite sizable then too.

Fast forward to 2013 my local HMV survives near closure, the only independant local music shop died though, and similar racks are back up again, albeit in smaller space.

What of the cassette format? There is a little cult world of cassette only releases by some bands.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-10-23 15:49 by His Majesty.

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His Majesty

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DandelionPowderman
My office is right next to the best vinyl shop in town. Amazingly, there are lots of people there all the time. This is a rather luxurious shop, offering mostly 180g or 200g records, very often with mp3 rips of the album included.

So, something is indeed cooking regarding people buying vinyl again.

The bigger picture can be gauged via HMV.

Back in early 90's every other sunday I used to walk in to town and rake through the lp's in my local HMV, I knew something was up when I went in one day and the large wooden racks were empty and being dismantled with the CD section being made bigger at the same time. The cassette section was still quite sizable then too.

Fast forward to 2013 my local HMV survives near closure, the only independant local music shop died though, and similar racks are back up again, albeit in smaller space.

What of the cassette format? There is a little cult world of cassette only releases by some bands.

HMV missed a trick there.

Effectively killed off by downloads and on line music sales, they made no effort to stock vinyl when it was released and available.
Not a huge market...but still money in the till that they could have had.
I recall on a number of occasions having to have an argument with HMV staff to convince them that a vinyl album I wanted to order actually existed !
[B2B was one example of this ]

I still love SW as it's the first Stones album that I bought when it was released (I had most of their older albums at that time but DW was only 9 when DW came out).
Also, even though a lote here are hating on Rock and a Hard Place I would rather hear that live than YGMR!
I would rank their newer albums like this (depending on day and mood, haha):
1. BTB
2. SW
3. VL
4. BB

I loved it when it came out. This is the same band that made DIRTY WORK? Holy crap. Alas, a couple years go by and suddenly Rock And A Hard Place, which I liked in 1989, has suddenly become one of the worst songs they've ever written. I couldn't stand Kurt Loder with his 'like DJs turntables' album title explanation. Why the mystique of the title from these music journalists? It's a horrible LP title and cover!


Sad Sad Sad - A pretty good way to dismantle the horrible echo of DIRTY WORK, which I had worked really hard at forgetting by listening to other bands. Was great that they played it so early in the shows on the tour. So it's just Brown Sugar rearranged - it kicks. Perhaps a sign of things to come with Mick being the opening guitar - he's the boss now eh? Hilarious that after two bizarre and lame solo albums that he could still at least come up with something rocking.

Mixed Emotions - Seeing that this was the first track on the radio, plus the press conference, perhaps that is why I still like it. It was a much more tunely song than anything on DW. I thought it worked live pretty good too.

Terrifying - Slinky and all but in the end a tad too goofy. It worked live pretty good.

Hold On To Your Hat - OK so the Stones could still stomp. But generally it's boring.

Hearts For Sale - Awesome tune. The Stones doing something a little different. Nice guitar playing, some interesting sounds. I've always liked this tune.

Blinded By Love - I dunno. I like this tune. Still. Something about it that just sits right. I know it's got a goofy lyric but it reminds me of a spring day where you get that hint of warmth of the coming summer.

Rock And A Hard Place - Horrible. One of their worst. I liked it when it came out but when it got turned into a single and Mick wore those awful clothes in the video that was played too much and they had 18 remixes, well, that was it. More like the fields of shit.

Can't Be Seen - Hilarious garbage. Does he mean he can't be seen with her because she's ugly? Otherwise a totally unbelieveable lyric. As in I don't believe one word he's saying. It's a faux song.

Almost Hear You Sigh - Stones do a by-the-numbers Beast Of Burden 2 that is excellent. It was excellent to hear this one live. They're so good at doing these kind of tunes. Usually. Not so much lately. The list has grown. The only decent ballads since this one are Out Of Tears and Laugh, I Nearly Died.

Continental Drift - Jagger solo song with the best part of the song not being the Stones.

Break The Spell - A little revved up blues. Perhaps the reason this one made the LP and not Fancy Man is because it's a bit quirky. Wish I'd Never Met You is too clean, although it has a nice bridge.

Slipping Away - A hint of things to come. The Keith of All About You is starting to come out again, which we would get full tilt on BRIDGES TO BABYLON. Nice note for note lift of the bridge from Coming Down Again...


They played 6 from this record live, at least on the US tour. They played 6 VOODOO tracks on that tour. They played 6 BRIDGES tracks, eventually, on that US tour. I mean on a consistent basis. I know they eventually play more tunes as the tour goes on but they don't drop them like they did on the BANG tour, playing barely one.

Well I am one of the people that hates SW, to me this is their worst album, when it came out I really wanted to like it I mean I had thought the Stones were pretty much dead after the Jagger/Richard fueding that went on in the 80's, I had always thought that Dirty Work was not good due to the fued and was hopeful that Steel Wheels would have been a return to form as I always really liked Undercover. But the whole album just seems forced somwehow, with no real grooves or feeling, the only exception is'Slipping Away' as it has a bit of soul but even that song I would only rate as ok.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-10-23 17:31 by Ket.

<Continental Drift - Jagger solo song with the best part of the song not being the Stones.>

Whaaat? No love for the bicycle and the blade???

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Doxa

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Rockman
....don't ya hate the word hate .....

I hate it! But like the original poster hints at, it should not be taken that literally. The way I interpret the title "Why does everyone hate Steel Wheels?" is to say "why STEEL WHEELS is not appreciated very much among the die-hard Stones circles?" or "Isn't Steel Wheels a bit under-rated?"...

- Doxa

I tend to agree with your conclusion...

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DandelionPowderman
Very true, Doxa. Although I think Flashpoint was the last vinyl Stones-album I bought myself.

VL was described by Keith as their second double album. I guess he hadn't accustomed to the new cd era yet by then

Now vinyl is back, and I have bought Live In Texas, the SG release, as well as pre-ordered Sweet Summer Sun on vinyl. Heck, I bought Black And Blue the other day (someone stole my old copy at a party!).

Feels good getting the vinyls back. During the last months I have been collecting the entire Kinks catalogue and some King Crimson, too

Oh sorry, was just going to borrow it for a while! But since you already replaced it....

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2000 LYFH

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DandelionPowderman
Very true, Doxa. Although I think Flashpoint was the last vinyl Stones-album I bought myself.

VL was described by Keith as their second double album. I guess he hadn't accustomed to the new cd era yet by then

Now vinyl is back, and I have bought Live In Texas, the SG release, as well as pre-ordered Sweet Summer Sun on vinyl. Heck, I bought Black And Blue the other day (someone stole my old copy at a party!).

Feels good getting the vinyls back. During the last months I have been collecting the entire Kinks catalogue and some King Crimson, too

Oh sorry, was just going to borrow it for a while! But since you already replaced it....

Enjoy it, mate!

i don't hate it , but it is not of my favourite.
i agree with those who talk about a bad sound

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Ket
Well I am one of the people that hates SW.

Finally! I knew there must be at least one...

(But more seriously, the way you, Ket, pointed out the weaknesses of STEEL WHEELS is pretty much a spot on me thinks. But despite that I do like the album, and I think the lack of some older typical features - groove - belongs to the album, for it being different than its predecessors)

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-10-23 20:03 by Doxa.

I don't think I hate it, but I haven't listened to my official Steel Wheels for ages - I just keep burning more copies of the Monitor Mixes. This is supposed to be one CD's worth of bootleg, but on my PC it will never quite fit onto one CD - and the track I always decide to leave out is Rock And A Hard Place. The band obviously had high hopes for that one - it was a single, and they kept trying to make it work live, but no matter how hard they pushed, it just never took off - dull, dull, dull.

The rest I like. If I ever find my official copy again I'll be able to compare the sound, but it doesn't seem worth the effort - and I'd miss For Your Precious Love and Fancy Man Blues, either of which I'd much rather have had on the official release then RAAHP.

Always liked Steel Wheels it marked the beginning of a new chapter for the Stones. Continental Drift is one of those hidden gems, almost hear you sigh is great too.


John Nicholls

Being old I tend to rate Stones periods by their live shows more than their studio work. I did buy every one of the 1st several albums as soon as they came out but the real thrill was seeing this special band perform on TV.
1st show was Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in 1966. I was probably overwhelmed by the whole concert experience which was new to me but there was something about these guys that set them apart from everything else.
I can still picture Brian Jones playing the dulcimer on Lady Jane.
1969 began the MT era and several of the greatest albums ever made by anybody.
When I saw the breakfast show at MSG nobody knew who that new guy was but he could play to kill! This was a life changer. I became obsessed with this band. I must have gone to see Gimme Shelter in the theater 20 times.
1972! We all know what that was like.
I think the band faltered a bit when MT left and RW joined as there seemed to be a hole in the music that he couldn't fill. The shows at MSG were still a blast but I felt a little let down.
I thought the following 2 tours - 1978 and 1981 - were a low point. The playing was sloppy, the vocals raw, and the harmonies I knew from the recording were non existent. I know some of you like Hampton Roads but all I can think of is RW hanging off a cherry picker during YCAGWYW when he was supposed to be playing his solo. Maybe I need to check out a couple of other shows from that tour.
SW was a rebirth - a resurgence after almost a decade of inactivity. The album sounded fresh and I think the live shows were the best ever. Thank you Wolfgang for releasing a clean version of the AC show! Any of you set list complainers need to check that show out. KR and RW were dead on the whole show.
Of course VL was a letdown after that and some of the shows have been spotty. In general the highs (including 50 & Counting) are still way up there. Remember CYHMK on the Licks tour! The lows are still The Greatest R&R Band In The World even if RW or KR have an off night.
I could write a book on this but I'll stop now. I will continue to go to Stones shows until they can't wheel me in there any more.

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DandelionPowderman
<Continental Drift - Jagger solo song with the best part of the song not being the Stones.>

Whaaat? No love for the bicycle and the blade???

Absolutely stupid, that sound. Yes, no love for it.

Continental Drift was a great intro for the Urban Jungle Tour in Europe at the time, have seen The Masters of Joujouka perform in The Hague Holland 2003.

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runaway
Continental Drift was a great intro for the Urban Jungle Tour in Europe at the time, have seen The Masters of Joujouka perform in The Hague Holland 2003.

Thanks for posting runaway, have not seen it for a while. I do spin my Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Jajouka album from time to time.

Another cool clip:

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2000 LYFH

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runaway
Continental Drift was a great intro for the Urban Jungle Tour in Europe at the time, have seen The Masters of Joujouka perform in The Hague Holland 2003.

Thanks for posting runaway, have not seen it for a while. I do spin my Brian Jones Presents the Pipes of Pan at Jajouka album from time to time.

Another cool clip:

I do have the Japanese vinyl "Pipes of Pan at Joujouka".

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Ket
Well I am one of the people that hates SW, to me this is their worst album...

I wouldn't go that far, but to my mind it's possibly their worst album cover. Neck and neck with Sucking in the Seventies. The Voodoo Lounge cover is pretty crap too, now that I think of it.

Good album, better than the previous two: Undercover and Dirty Work. Really like(d) the lead-off single Mixed Emotions and its non-album B-side Fancyman Blues, which should have been on the album. Also the unreleased For Your Precious Love would have made the lp even stronger. They should have left Rock and a Hard Place off the album instead. Some great songs: Terrifying, Almost Hear You Sigh and Blinded By Love are favourites. The unpolished outtakes which were discovered a couple of years ago even make a better album than the one they released.
Bad artwork though.

Pete.

steel wheels was the first album the band released since i became a fan in 1987.

it was great to find out they were going to record again as i thought they had chucked it.

didnt like mixed emotions when it came out, felt it was too bland and weak.

but i did like the album, it was refreshing compared to dirtywork, a mix of different types of songs and generally radio friendly unlike a lot of their previous 2 albums.

it was great to have the band actually still ongoing and with a tour coming up it was a great experience to be a new fan.


hold on to your hat
sad sad sad
blinded by love
rock and a hard place
break the spell
slipping away

are all good songs, not great.

continental drift and almost hear you sigh are the albums highlights.

it hasnt aged well though, and i dont listen much these days sadly.

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blivet

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Ket
Well I am one of the people that hates SW, to me this is their worst album...

I wouldn't go that far, but to my mind it's possibly their worst album cover. Neck and neck with Sucking in the Seventies. The Voodoo Lounge cover is pretty crap too, now that I think of it.

Sucking In The Seventies is an excellent cover. Classic.

It's a good team effort, something lacking since Some Girls, even though it was a bit rushed. It would have been rated higher if it had a monster single. Mixed Emotions sounded more like a followup single than something that should have kicked off an album of such importance to the band.

got a sort of Bear Bryant motif, don't it.

Steel Wheels... I was so excited. And was waiting for a one two punch to tell the world they were back. But it was........so boring. It had its moments, Continental Drift, and the writing was solid as well. But it just felt so flat. Somewhat emotionless and sterile. Again, the production just didn't do the songs justice.

I never thought it was that great ... not as bad as Dirty Works, that's for sure:

Sad Sad Sad -- decent, not great
Mixed Emotions -- many will say not great, but I always liked it
Terrifying -- probably my favorite on the album, can't really explain why, just different, i guess
Hold on to Your Hat -- never liked it
Hearts for Sale -- never liked it much but don't skip it either
Blinded by Love -- love it!

Rock and a Hard Place -- decent, not great
Can't Be Seen -- good, but still its worse than most other Keith rockers
Almost Hear You Sigh -- decent, far too overated by fans, in my opinion
Continental Drift -- decent
Break the Spell -- love it!
Slipping Away -- decent, about as good as All About You but still a far cry from Comin' Down Again

The Stones seemed to be going for that glossy INXS Kick-style production on SW, the slickness detracts from the songs, the guitars in particular have a washed out sound, except for Hold Onto Your Hat, which sounds like it came from the DW sessions (minus Lillywhite's over-production).

But personally, I've not been a big fan of the Stones studio sound since they recovened in '89. It's been too clean, and cold-sounding sterile. I blame part of it on the digital vs analog sound, everything sounds too bright. There's a distinct lack of earthy warmness and grit that helped defined their recorded sound in the past. I wouldn't say the groove was gone, but it hasn't been as deep or affecting since the early '80s. That being said, there are many outtakes since '89 that demonstrate the Stones can record music with these qualities, but for whatever reason, either choose other songs, or clean the songs up too much on final release.

Slipping Away and Almost Hear You Sigh are two latter day gems though. Fancy Man Blues a lost b-side treasure.