Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Sad Sad Sad
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

Air Studios, Montserrat, West Indies, March 29 - May 5, 1989 and
Olympic Sound Studios, London, UK, May 15 - June 29, 1989

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals, electric guitar
Keith Richards - electric guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Ron Wood - bass
Chuck Leavell - piano, organ
Bernard Fowler - backing vocals
Kick Horns - brass
(Simon Clarke,
Roddy Lorrimer,
Tim Sandres,
Paul Spong)

Fling you out into orbit, no one's gonna hear you shout
The fool ain't gonna follow, you don't need to sleaze about
Now you're sad sad sad
Sad sad sad, sad sad sad
But you're gonna be fine

The elephant's in the bedroom, throwing all his weight about, yeah
And I'm locked in the bathroom, your screams are gonna drown me out, oh yeah
Now you're sad sad sad
Sad sad sad, sad sad sad
But you're gonna be fine, oh yeah

I get a cold chill, I get a cool thrill
Are you ready for the gilded cage
Are you ready for the tears of rage
Come on baby, don't let them drown you out, oh yeah

Now you're sad sad sad
Mad mad mad, sad sad sad
But you're gonna be fine

Now you're sad sad sad
Sad sad sad, sad sad sad
But you're gonna be fine
You're gonna be fine, you're gonna be fine
You're gonna be fine, fine, fine, you're gonna be fine, fine, fine…

Produced by Chris Kimsey & The Glimmer Twins

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Steel Wheels” LP
(CBS 465752-1) UK, August 28, 1989

A good latter day rocker.

Mick's open G-playing is a bit too generic to my liking, though.

A very nice bridge, and a good solo from Keith. I wouldn't mind them picking this one up again.

bought steel wheels the moment it came out. they had to open the crate the LPs had come in to fish out a copy for me. rushed back to my dorm room to give it a listen.

it was when "sad sad sad" came on that i convinced myself the stones really were back. i was excited.

the song hasn't aged particularly well, although it's much more inventive than derivative stones-trying-to-sound-like-the-stones stuff like "doom and gloom" and i do savor that memory.

Good Song! Very nice singin from Jagger...

2 1 2 0

I first heard this track as a 16 year-old, circa 1999. It was my introduction to the ‘modern-era’ Rolling Stones and I had no real idea as to how they sounded post early-70’s. To put it bluntly: I wasn’t disappointed. I thought it to be magnificent then; and still do now. The recording gallops along at breakneck speed and the ferocity and energy really excite. I was particularly impressed – and surprised, actually – by Keith’s soloing. The song worked terrifically well during the Steel Wheels and Urban Jungle Tours. It’s a latter-day classic to my ears; and if a track like You Got Me Rocking can clamber it’s way into the set-list on a regular basis, then Sad, Sad, Sad really warrants – and deserves – a little more attention from casual-listeners, fans and the group alike.

Ouh, it sounded so fresh at the time. So straight-forward, simple, straight to the point with no any extra gimmicks or anything. A statement that good old Stones are back. So effortless, so natural. Still remember that feeling when put a brandnew STEEL WHEELS on. Like UNDERCOVER, DIRTY WORK or Mick and Keith's solo albums never happened, and we are in a dry land now.

Of course, "Sad Sad Sad" never turned out to be any big, memorable Stones album opener, but it had the mentioned function at the time, and it did it well. In today's standards thd song is a victim of 80's production, and it is I guess rather difficult to understand why it did sound so 'basic' back then. They have done so many simple pastishe-rockers ever since with much more 'earthy' sounds. The term 'retro' was not even invented then in regards to Stones music (even though, in retrospect, we were getting there).

I have actually started to appreciate STEEL WHEELS more lately, after years of ignoring it cruely, and along with that, "Sad Sad Sad" as well. Or is it just nostalgia - bringing so many happy memories? But it has that nice fresh spark in it - a bit generic in many ways, but it works on me.

I never liked, and still not do, the live versions of it during 1989/90 tours, though - sounded too forced, and especially Jagger had difficulties in his delivery.

- Doxa



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-02-24 11:59 by Doxa.

Actually, it's not quite 'breakneck speed' What am I on about?? It's more of an aggressive mid-tempo.

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Big Al
Actually, it's not quite 'breakneck speed' What am I on about?? It's more of an aggressive mid-tempo.

It is one of Stones' secret weapons that they easily make songs sound faster and more 'rocking' than they actually do. Maybe it is that 'roll' element, the groove.

- Doxa

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Doxa

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Big Al
Actually, it's not quite 'breakneck speed' What am I on about?? It's more of an aggressive mid-tempo.

It is one of Stones' secret weapons that they easily make songs sound faster and more 'rocking' than they actually do. Maybe it is that 'roll' element, the groove.

- Doxa

it's the two guitars, one playing a killer groove and setting the rhythm, and the other playing fills on top, that make them sound faster.

Full throttle rock and roll bliss. Those brash, gloriously crunchy, take-no-prisoners chords at the beginning announce that the Stones are back, baby, and do they ever mean business. Then Charlie barrels in, syncing up perfectly, and then Mick swoops down, belting out those marvelous, hallucinogenic lyrics that catapult the listener into the stratosphere. The energy level in this song, man … friggin’ unbelievable!! Those punchy horns just ratchet it up even further, taking the listener to ecstatic heights. Even the delightfully sloppy guitar solo fits perfectly.

By flinging me out into orbit and reminding me that I’m gonna be fine, Sad Sad Sad has seen this fan through a lot of heartache and despair. One of the countless reasons I love the Rolling Stones.

Drew

The title says it all. One of my all time least favourite Stones' songs. Stones by numbers. Autopilot rock with no soul.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-02-24 12:40 by Silver Dagger.

I was surprised! Ten positive posts in a row before the first thumbs down. I was expecting it to be the opposite for some reason, because it's post-Tattoo You. It's a great way to open an album--a big, bold opening--just like their shows. Perhaps they'll surprise us one time and open a show with Sad Sad Sad.

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stonehearted
I was surprised! Ten positive posts in a row before the first thumbs down. I was expecting it to be the opposite for some reason, because it's post-Tattoo You. It's a great way to open an album--a big, bold opening--just like their shows. Perhaps they'll surprise us one time and open a show with Sad Sad Sad.

Then we will just moan about MICK @#$%& up the intros

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Doxa
Still remember that feeling when put a brandnew STEEL WHEELS on. Like UNDERCOVER, DIRTY WORK or Mick and Keith's solo albums never happened, and we are in a dry land now.
- Doxa

This nails it.

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DandelionPowderman

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stonehearted
I was surprised! Ten positive posts in a row before the first thumbs down. I was expecting it to be the opposite for some reason, because it's post-Tattoo You. It's a great way to open an album--a big, bold opening--just like their shows. Perhaps they'll surprise us one time and open a show with Sad Sad Sad.

Then we will just moan about MICK @#$%& up the intros

Charlie will keep him on track.... Besides, messed-up intros, I believe that's Keith's area.

I first wanted to write: "mediocre song" but then I decided that maybe I should first listen to it again. Now I am listening to the entire Steel Wheels and in fact both the song as the album is much better than I remembered.
When it came out, I was disappointed because I had still been hoping they would come up with something of the quality of Exile or Let It Bleed, or at least Tattoo You or Some Girls. This clearly didn't happen. But of the "post WW III albums", this albums holds up surprisingly well.
"Sad Sad Sad", of course, is one of the zillion I/IV open tuning songs (they almost deserve an award on how many songs they can write with exactly the same basic riff), but it's not unpleasant to listen to. In a list of post-WW III songs, it would rate rather well. In a list of pre-WW III songs, it would be like "Hang Fire", "Lies" or "Crazy Mama": a nice filler song, no more no less.

Time capsule song.
To me, there is a lot more to this song than just the song itself.
I could go on for paragraphs and paragraphs, but...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-02-24 15:54 by Max'sKansasCity.

Like others have said, a good track from SW. SW is wildly uneven, but with Mixed Emotions, Sad, Sad, Sad, Slipping Away, and Almost Hear You Sigh it's highs are quite good.

I really can't see the need for keyboards in the intro at all...

There was a bit more punch in the guitars on the american leg of the tour, though.

Live, it made for decent filler on the set lest in 89-90. It does absolutely nothing for the album. Disposable track...NEXT!!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-02-24 22:15 by ryanpow.

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ryanpow
Live, it made for decent filler on the set lest in 89-90. It does absolutely nothing for the album. Disposable track...NEXT!!

The album is a whole is disposable not that i don't like the album its just no dirty work

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Godxofxrock9

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ryanpow
Live, it made for decent filler on the set lest in 89-90. It does absolutely nothing for the album. Disposable track...NEXT!!

The album is a whole is disposable not that i don't like the album its just no dirty work

for the most part yes, and Sad Sad Sad is a perfect example of why. I think the only 2 things I like on it are AHYS and Slipping Away, which both come from Keith.

Great latter day rocker. Feels a bit dated now, but so does a lot of Steel Wheels - 25 yrs old? Wow that was fast.

I enjoy it after all these years. Heard it when they played the Tower in 2002 -- I would have enjoyed something else more but oh well.

A fine rocker. Nothing special, but it is delivered with passion and power. The whole premise with this song seems to be: The Stones are back! Viewed as such, it works perfectly.

the chorus kind of sounds like No More Words by Berlin.

Simply awful

Absolute stinker and a terrible way to start what was the last great Stones album.