"Sad Sad Sad" - 2/10
"Mixed Emotions" - 5/10 (I like it, the groove is a 9/10, the intro is great but the bridge is a horrible 80s bridge to babylon and the lyrics suck)
"Terrifying"- 7/10
"Hold On to Your Hat"- 1/10
"Hearts for Sale"- 1/10
"Blinded by Love"- 1/10

"Rock and a Hard Place" - 1/10
"Can't Be Seen" - 1/10
"Almost Hear You Sigh"- 8/10
"Continental Drift"- 5/10
"Break the Spell" - 4/10
"Slipping Away" - 5/10

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Redhotcarpet
"Sad Sad Sad" - 2/10
"Mixed Emotions" - 5/10 (I like it, the groove is a 9/10, the intro is great but the bridge is a horrible 80s bridge to babylon and the lyrics suck)
"Terrifying"- 7/10
"Hold On to Your Hat"- 1/10
"Hearts for Sale"- 1/10
"Blinded by Love"- 1/10

"Rock and a Hard Place" - 1/10
"Can't Be Seen" - 1/10
"Almost Hear You Sigh"- 8/10
"Continental Drift"- 5/10
"Break the Spell" - 4/10
"Slipping Away" - 5/10

Good to see some love for Terrifying. A brilliant track!

Steel Wheels will always have a special meaning for me. The days it was released there was this certain mood of change in the air in East Germany which evolved into the political change and Berlin wall tear down a couple of weeks later.
I was 16, was getting into the Stones and did not expect to just go to a record store to buy a Stones album. That was just impossible in the former GDR. A West German friend of my parents bought "Steel Wheels" and sent it to me. What joy and pride having a 'real new Stones album' the days it was released. Normally, East German record collectors paid lots of money for Western music records on the black market. Hence, I had something precious. That's why, "Steel Wheels" is till something special to me, although it's not one their best album - but much better than Emotional Rescue, Undercover, or Dirty Work. Tattoo You's better as most of the songs are from the 1970s ;-)

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Meise
Steel Wheels will always have a special meaning for me. The days it was released there was this certain mood of change in the air in East Germany which evolved into the political change and Berlin wall tear down a couple of weeks later.
I was 16, was getting into the Stones and did not expect to just go to a record store to buy a Stones album. That was just impossible in the former GDR. A West German friend of my parents bought "Steel Wheels" and sent it to me. What joy and pride having a 'real new Stones album' the days it was released. Normally, East German record collectors paid lots of money for Western music records on the black market. Hence, I had something precious. That's why, "Steel Wheels" is till something special to me, although it's not one their best album - but much better than Emotional Rescue, Undercover, or Dirty Work. Tattoo You's better as most of the songs are from the 1970s ;-)

VERY cool story... the real deal

the worst things about the album are the cover, and the production. there are some very good songs.

Hold on to your Hat and Can't Be Seen didn't need to be written, certainly didn't need to be recorded.

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Swayed1967
I wish it were as easy as knocking glasses and saying 'Rock N Roll, man!' to forgive the Stones for trashing their legacy. Their earlier work is just too powerful for me to praise Steel Wheels with a straight face. It's mediocre at best.

Sad Sad Sad – Should’ve called this one Open G Open G Open G or maybe Autopilot Autopilot Autopilot or maybe just Really Sad or Really Really Sad...

Mixed Emotions – Best song on the album but already heard most of it on Keith’s solo record. There are times during the chorus when Mick sounds more canine than human. I like dogs but I have mixed emotions about hearing them woof on records.

Terrifying – Mick in the skin of a lion, snake, dog, goat, bird, fox, cat, ox (to rhyme with fox), rat, deer, swan, bat, bear, mare and of course the horny hog: 15 animals, one stinking zoo of a song. Mick, Mick, Mick...the greatness of many a Stones classic is thanks to your fine lyrics. Can you explain why you’ve become such a hack?

Hold On To Your Hat – Keith obviously didn’t hold on to his and Mick crapped in it. This rollicking uptempo number had potential – it should be more memorable than it is – but Mick didn’t give a sh*t or crap about the lyrics (again).

Hearts For Sale – This could be one of the better tracks – can’t say I remember it though.

Blinded By Love – ‘Love’ is not a seven-syllable word, Mick! Apart from that the song is so bad it really doesn’t merit discussion. If you like this song all I can do is envy you.

Rock And A Hard Place – If I have to say something positive about this song, I guess like Mick’s hair in the video and the way he moves his elbows. It was released as a single...because there wasn’t much to choose from. Few people like it. Those are the sad sad sad facts.

Can’t Be Seen – Boring as hell and yet it’s one of the least offensive songs on the album.

Almost Hear You Sigh – Somebody said this should’ve been released as the first single...as if that would’ve made an iota of difference to anything. Average ballad. I remember the cringe-worthy video with Keith straining to look cool whereas in the past it had been so effortless.

Continental Drift – Hated it upon it’s release, still don’t love it but acknowledge it’s the most interesting track.

Break The Spell – This could be one of the better tracks – can’t say I remember it though.

Slipping Away – Probably my favorite cut on SW, a solid 7 out of 10.

Overall I don’t understand how anyone can call this a good album. Some people say certain songs bring back memories which I get – one guy said RAAHP reminded him of an ugly woman with a nice figure and (don’t ask me why but) this is a precious memory for him. Good for him, but it still doesn’t make it a good album. If Brown Sugar had be playing when he met that girl, and if she were pretty and he had banged her, then it would probably be an even better memory.

I love the Stones but the quality of their music has dropped precipitously since Tattoo You. Undercover was worse than Tattoo You, Dirty Work was worse than Undercover, Steel Wheels was just as bad as Dirty Work and the post-SW albums aren’t to be taken seriously. It’s not the Stones anymore IMO, it’s a brand and cheap knock-off of the original.

lol; can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy your posts. jeeze louise; some classic stuff...

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hopkins

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Swayed1967
I wish it were as easy as knocking glasses and saying 'Rock N Roll, man!' to forgive the Stones for trashing their legacy. Their earlier work is just too powerful for me to praise Steel Wheels with a straight face. It's mediocre at best.

Sad Sad Sad – Should’ve called this one Open G Open G Open G or maybe Autopilot Autopilot Autopilot or maybe just Really Sad or Really Really Sad...

Mixed Emotions – Best song on the album but already heard most of it on Keith’s solo record. There are times during the chorus when Mick sounds more canine than human. I like dogs but I have mixed emotions about hearing them woof on records.

Terrifying – Mick in the skin of a lion, snake, dog, goat, bird, fox, cat, ox (to rhyme with fox), rat, deer, swan, bat, bear, mare and of course the horny hog: 15 animals, one stinking zoo of a song. Mick, Mick, Mick...the greatness of many a Stones classic is thanks to your fine lyrics. Can you explain why you’ve become such a hack?

Hold On To Your Hat – Keith obviously didn’t hold on to his and Mick crapped in it. This rollicking uptempo number had potential – it should be more memorable than it is – but Mick didn’t give a sh*t or crap about the lyrics (again).

Hearts For Sale – This could be one of the better tracks – can’t say I remember it though.

Blinded By Love – ‘Love’ is not a seven-syllable word, Mick! Apart from that the song is so bad it really doesn’t merit discussion. If you like this song all I can do is envy you.

Rock And A Hard Place – If I have to say something positive about this song, I guess like Mick’s hair in the video and the way he moves his elbows. It was released as a single...because there wasn’t much to choose from. Few people like it. Those are the sad sad sad facts.

Can’t Be Seen – Boring as hell and yet it’s one of the least offensive songs on the album.

Almost Hear You Sigh – Somebody said this should’ve been released as the first single...as if that would’ve made an iota of difference to anything. Average ballad. I remember the cringe-worthy video with Keith straining to look cool whereas in the past it had been so effortless.

Continental Drift – Hated it upon it’s release, still don’t love it but acknowledge it’s the most interesting track.

Break The Spell – This could be one of the better tracks – can’t say I remember it though.

Slipping Away – Probably my favorite cut on SW, a solid 7 out of 10.

Overall I don’t understand how anyone can call this a good album. Some people say certain songs bring back memories which I get – one guy said RAAHP reminded him of an ugly woman with a nice figure and (don’t ask me why but) this is a precious memory for him. Good for him, but it still doesn’t make it a good album. If Brown Sugar had be playing when he met that girl, and if she were pretty and he had banged her, then it would probably be an even better memory.

I love the Stones but the quality of their music has dropped precipitously since Tattoo You. Undercover was worse than Tattoo You, Dirty Work was worse than Undercover, Steel Wheels was just as bad as Dirty Work and the post-SW albums aren’t to be taken seriously. It’s not the Stones anymore IMO, it’s a brand and cheap knock-off of the original.

lol; can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy your posts. jeeze louise; some classic stuff...

Yeah, it's really funny post, and on top of it, it is all true.
But the one line that sticks with me, is the last one. It's one of those things where I have heard it countless times, and today it hit home: "It's not the Stones anymore, it's a brand" now.

I could not spot Dandy's old album threads, so had to start a new thread for post.

When the 'Steel Wheels' topic comes up I always mention that it used to be way down on my list of favorite albums until the raw tapes showed up. It made all the difference to me, because aside from a few real clunkers SW is a solid Stones album. It's thaT late 80's digital sheen that they plastered all over it eventually that ruins it IMO.
I was checking to see what it is specifically that makes the outtakes so much more appealing to me.
"Sad Sad Sad" - right away that opening guitar sounds dirty; Jagger's vocal stands alone. That is something that almost all the songs have in common: no backing vocals. Back in the day Stones backing vocals were one of the high lights. You had Keith doing his high harmonies, one of the best things about the Stones, period. On 'Exile' we had Claudia Lennear,Vanetta Fields, Clydie King, another highlight. But in late era Stones we get these clinical, anonymous stacked clips flown in which take away a great deal of personality. The BEST part of "Sad Sad Sad" is the Charlie';s cymbals; the Hi Hat and crashes. They are blue collar.
"Mixed Emotions" was always good; was always a Keith song through and through. You can sing "Take it so Hard" over it. It doesn't have all the harmonies, and I can't recall if the organ is mixed up in there yet. It goes on a good bit longer, but it is just the one chord vamp on outro.
"Terrifyin" is a Jagger song; his minor key grooves, with questionable lyrics It has that "Hideaway", "Rain Fall Down" "Running out of Luck" thing that all seem to be born of "Miss You". The percussion is already in there, which is actually good because it shows that it was part of the original feel, and not some overdubbed glitz. This song benefits from the no softening of raw tapes.
"Precious Love" - stellar. Not only should it have remained ion the album, but it is sequenced perfectly in this spot. You can hear Keith in those backing vocals.
"Hearts for Sale" - I have been lobbying against these BU stacks, but on the official mix of this song, that choir is actually my favorite part. I love the sound of the 'ho Ho bottle of rum' type singing on that chorus, when they come in with 'Hearts for sale'. On the outtakes we don't get this yet; we go straight into the riff w/o the "Have you seen your mother baby" type intro guitar. Ron Wood's rhythm guitar is in there, but not near as chorus/ flanged the way it will eventually end up.
"Blinded by Love" - This is one of the very, very few Stones songs that I really do not like. I hate the lyrics, and it sound much like "Sweethearts Together" to me. I do think that Keith may be the culprit with these cuts. These are great Country tunes. They do not need much. Both of them are weighed down by over the top instrumentation. Where one acoustic guitar was enough we get three; we get every Country-ish sounding flavor. One fiddle maybe, one mandolin, one banjo, one slide. Less is definitely more. Like "Sad Sad", "Terrifyin" this song sounds so much better here.
"Ready Yourself" - Keith all the way it seems, and it would have been good I think.But it could have been a Jagger song too. ??
"Rock in a Hard Place" - this song was always going to suck. You can hear it from Day 1.
"Cant Be Seen" - it sill drives me crazy: this tune sounds so much like some other song. Nothing much here.
"Almist Hear you Sigh" - I normally don;t think this but with this song I believe Keith would have sung it better. It flows way more. When Jagger took over they started chopping parts up too much. Also we dont get that silly Nylon string solo.
"Continental Drift" - I do think if they were going to do this song, they needed to go all the way. So I prefer the official version.
Edit - I relistened, and now I think it is only that Jagger doesn't have the words for a strong vocal yet, and that the mix is a bit off. The synth hits are too far back. Otherwise this is great.
"Break the Spell" what can you say? On the final mix they seem to do anything to make it sound like this here. Why not just use the rough and ready recording? It has a great outro. Reminds me much of "Parachute Woman". Or of Led Zeppelin.
"Fancy Man Blues" - again they spend much effort trying to recapture the rawness of these outtakes in final mixes. This sounds so much hotter. Jagger's vocal is thousand times better.
"Slipping Away" - we know so many live versions by now. It was always a beautiful tune. The one part in the song that has always sounded forced to me is that small Jagger part. It actually surprised me when I hear it in early versions because I would have bet it was some edit that they spliced in there. But it mAKes a LOT more sense as a musical interlude than with shouted Jagger-isms.

[iorr.org]

The flanged guitar on HFS is Mick, Palace.

Great write up, though

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DandelionPowderman
The flanged guitar on HFS is Mick, Palace.

Great write up, though

You sure Dandy? I always saw it that Mick is playing the basic riff. I.e.The first guitar we hear. And Ron comping the higher register chorused guitar. His solo is much in that sound. It is very much Ron's style. Especially from that era. "Somebody Else Might", "Fear for your Future" "Josephine", "Thinkin", "Must Be Love" they all sound so much like that. Especially 'Joesphine".

PS and where is that index? I know I have accessed it in the past.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-05-03 13:10 by Palace Revolution 2000.

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Palace Revolution 2000

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DandelionPowderman
The flanged guitar on HFS is Mick, Palace.

Great write up, though

You sure Dandy? I always saw it that Mick is playing the basic riff. I.e.The first guitar we hear. And Ron comping the higher register chorused guitar. His solo is much in that sound. It is very much Ron's style. Especially from that era. "Somebody Else Might", "Fear for your Future" "Josephine", "Thinkin", "Must Be Love" they all sound so much like that. Especially 'Joesphine".

PS and where is that index? I know I have accessed it in the past.

That's the flanged guitar. Ronnie's guitar sounds pretty dry to me?

Well, we don't disagree, then

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DandelionPowderman

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Palace Revolution 2000

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DandelionPowderman
The flanged guitar on HFS is Mick, Palace.

Great write up, though

You sure Dandy? I always saw it that Mick is playing the basic riff. I.e.The first guitar we hear. And Ron comping the higher register chorused guitar. His solo is much in that sound. It is very much Ron's style. Especially from that era. "Somebody Else Might", "Fear for your Future" "Josephine", "Thinkin", "Must Be Love" they all sound so much like that. Especially 'Joesphine".

PS and where is that index? I know I have accessed it in the past.

That's the flanged guitar. Ronnie's guitar sounds pretty dry to me?

Well, we don't disagree, then

Haha,! I KNEW you were going to say that. I went back and listened to Jagger's intro, and I was saying "I bet Dandy is calling this one the flanged guitar".

Have been listening to Steel Wheels on headphones quite a lot recently, loving every minute of it and finding new details at every listen.

Is it me, or is Ronnie quoting Cissy Strut's riff on Hold on to Your Hat?

First time you hear him is under the "Get out of my face" part 0.55 min into the song.

C

Utilizing Redhotcarpet's post, I suggest the following

"Sad Sad Sad" - 6/10
"Mixed Emotions" - 5/10
"Terrifying"- 6,5/10
"Hold On to Your Hat"- 2/10
"Hearts for Sale"- 4/10
"Blinded by Love"- 5,5/10

"Rock and a Hard Place" - 2/10
"Can't Be Seen" - 3/10
"Almost Hear You Sigh"- 4,5/10
"Continental Drift"-10/10
"Break the Spell" - 6,5/10
"Slipping Away" - 4,5/10



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-25 20:22 by Witness.

I like "Sad, Sad, Sad" though I wish it had more fire to it. I like what it tries to be more than what it is. Cut with Bobby on sax and with the band on something other than auto pilot and this could have been special. Every live version has the dreadful keyboard intro and should be avoided like the plague.

I enjoy "Mixed Emotions." If ever there was a marriage of latterday Mick and Keith, it's this song. A riff to build the song upon would have helped, but at least it's a nice groove. Chuck's organ is gorgeous though you need the extended mix to truly appreciate it.

I really like "Terrifying" musically. Pity about the lyrics. Much as it pains me to admit, kudos to Matt for the percussion arrangement. Luis Jardim's work is underappreciated starting with his music for the film, RUNNING OUT OF LUCK.

I have never got into "Hold On To Your Hat." It just sounds forced.

I have always found "Hearts for Sale" dull and generic.

I enjoy "Blinded by Love." The historical references are corny and it would have been a better song without them, but the playing is gorgeous.

I really like "Rock and a Hard Place." It would be better if it sounded more classic and timeless, but I'm quibbling. A strong single that shouldn't have been dropped from the setlist.

I don't mind "Can't Be Seen" though I still enjoy the wag here who titled it "Shouldn't Be Heard." Hard to believe there was a meeting of the minds between Keith and Matt, but it exists. Keith is trying hard for lead guitarist status. The results aren't terrible.

I love "Almost Hear You Sigh." Leaving the lyric "feel your lips on mine" would have been classier, but Mick generally goes for trash over class. Lovely playing. The production doesn't bother me at all. Matt and Bernard did a beautiful job arranging the vocals.

I love "Continental Drift." Best track on the album. Matt deserves tremendous credit for his orchestration. The synthesizers blend with the pipes and drums beautifully. Hypnotic trance-inducing bliss.

I love "Break the Spell." Matt and the blues seem like an odd mix, but it works and works well. Were it not for the dull thud of most of GODDESS IN THE DOORWAY and most everything since, I'd probably be a fan of his.

I adore "Slipping Away." Keith's best latterday ballad. Again, Matt and Bernard do lovely things with the vocal arrangement.

"Fancy Man Blues" is too good to languish as a B-side. I would have put this on Side One in place of "Hearts for Sale." Chuck's piano playing here is the best he ever did with the band and highlights the biggest flaw on BLUE AND LONESOME. Well that and not getting Ben Waters to do the job.

"Cook Cook Blues" is okay. The playing is nice. This is strictly filler though.

"Wish I'd Never Met You" is pretty good for a B-side. I wouldn't mind having this pinch-hit on the album. Probably best where it was, though.

"For Your Precious Love" is sublime and should have made the album proper. Great version. Soul songs are ideal for Mick as he has proved again and again over the last 30 years. Once more, Matt and Bernard's vocal arrangment is a highlight. Keith's playing shows his love of the form. The only outtake I've heard that should still see release. I know for a fact Don Was agrees and he didn't even have a hand in it.

Cook Cook is from 1983, no?

It is, but it was released as a B-side to STEEL WHEELS.

Sad Sad Sad - I've always liked this one, even if it's the type of song the Stones can probably literally write in their sleep. To me it's just nothing fancy meat and potatoes, and sometimes that manages to hit the spot.

Mixed Emotions - And never really liked this one. Sorry to admit it. It's not terrible, but I'd leave it off a mix tape. I do like the nostalgic buzz it brings back. Even though I wasn't crazy about it, at the time it was The First Single Off The New Album, so there was some genuine excitement around it at the time.

Terrifying - I don't love it like I do some other tracks on the album, but it's okay, and it doesn't sound like the Stones trying to sound like imitation Stones.

Hold On To Your Hat - I've always loved this one a lot. I think the antiseptic sound contrasts nicely with this nasty rocker.

Hearts For Sale - Definitely yes. One of the better tracks on the album. Great singing by Mick. I love it when he gets growly on a few of those lines.

Blinded By Love - No. I gravitate toward the rockers. I also think the Stones have done this type of song better, like "Blinded By Rainbows" on Voodoo Lounge.

Rock And A Hard Place - Boy, I hated this song when I first heard it back in 1989, and was annoyed that it was a single. I guess the remixes that came with the single somehow made the original version eventually grow on me. Now, I like this song. Go figure. I certainly understand why other people wouldn't like it, and I would never argue that it's a great song.

Can't Be Seen - A Keith mid-tempo rocker. I don't really like it, to be honest. Listenable, but just sort of sub-par.

Almost Hear You Sigh - No. Maybe my least favorite track here. I feel compelled to skip it immediately.

Continental Drift - I remember a review when the album came out that called this track the worst thing the Stones ever recorded, but I love "Continental Drift." To me it's one of the few times the Stones really tried something different. It has the "Paint It, Black" vibe of course, but it sounds nothing like that song. My favorite track on this record.

Break The Spell - Yes x1000. I absolutely love the smoldering bluesy intensity of this song. I think they got a great sound on Mick's harmonica. It almost bleeps like a keyboard at some points.

Slipping Away - An above-average ballad from Keith, I think time has proven this to be a fairly durable and enjoyable song.

-

So, the keepers for me are:
Continental Drift
Hold On To Your Hat
Break The Spell
Hearts For Sale
Sad Sad Sad
Rock And A Hard Place
Slipping Away

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jahisnotdead
I think they got a great sound on Mick's harmonica. It almost bleeps like a keyboard at some points.

Oddly enough, during the tour the harmonica came out of Matt's keyboard.

Just curious, are there also Album Talk threads for Voodoo Lounge and A Bigger Bang? I tried to search for them using the search bar, but didn't get very far.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-09-26 01:50 by jahisnotdead.

[iorr.org]

[iorr.org]

Yes, Bard is the culprit.

- Sad Sad Sad - 3/10 Predictable open G by numbers

- Mixed Emotions - 6/10 Compared to their greatest hits it's nothing. Compared to their later output it's at least acceptable

- Terrifying - 4/10 Nice idea but it lacks something. Also: bad lyrics.

- Hold On to Your Hat - 3/10 Dumb rock

- Hearts for Sale - 3/10 Dumb rock

- Blinded by Love - 2/10 Weak kitsch country song.

- Rock and a Hard Place - 6/10. At least, it's an original idea, what with all the breaks and climaxes and stucture. Unfortunately, the production sucks. Too polished and sterile.

- Can't Be Seen - 1/10. One of the few Keith songs I really don't like. "Baby baby yeah" sounds especially lame.

- Almost Hear You Sigh - 6/10. I didn't like it first, but compared with almost any ballad they have made since, it's the best. (Of course, compared with almost any balled they have made before, it's no good)

- Continental Drift - 1/10. If you wanna go experimental, go all the way. This is like someone putting a toe in the swimming pool but not daring to dive in.

- Break the Spell - 4/10. Fake blues. ZZ-top meets Robert Cray.

- Slipping Away - 8/10. The only really good song on the album although it isn't the best version of it.

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jahisnotdead
Just curious, are there also Album Talk threads for Voodoo Lounge and A Bigger Bang? I tried to search for them using the search bar, but didn't get very far.

Jah,

Here is the index of all the album talks. There are also live album talks and compilation talks, btw.

[iorr.org]

"Sad Sad Sad" - 3/10. Bland, Bland, Bland
"Mixed Emotions" - 8/10. loved it then, love it now
"Terrifying"- 8/10. Love this. It's as unusual as Continental Drift to me.
"Hold On to Your Hat"- 2/10. Gruesome
"Hearts for Sale"- 4/10. Could have been, but isn't.
"Blinded by Love"- 7/10. I quiet like this. Suffers from production woes.

"Rock and a Hard Place" - 2/10. Gruesome II
"Can't Be Seen" - 6/10. I try to skip this. Yet never do.
"Almost Hear You Sigh"- 9/10. Outstanding ballad.
"Continental Drift"- 8/10. Different and it works.
"Break the Spell" - 5/10. A slightly different pace that seems to d-r-a-g
"Slipping Away" - 9.5/10. I LOVE this. Beautiful.

Just shy of 6/10 overall. 5.92/10 really. Misses out because the rockers are too generic and ordinary and the production is too thin and trebly.

Rod

I feel like I have to say this in every SW thread. I bet I have already posted this in this very one; but I always try to point out to SW haters that I was one too Until I traded the official release in for the "Steel Wheel Sessions" or "Training Wheels". Made a world of difference to me for this album.

I was 18 years old when STEEL WHEELS came out. I had just graduated from high school. I was a freshman when DIRTY WORK came out. It seemed like an eternity getting from PRIMITIVE COOL to TALK IS CHEAP to there. There is much to love even on the finished album. Production is "all just crazy fashion" and "so much flotsam and jetsam." I still hear many songs I love.

I was very happy with the album in 1989. That hasn't changed, actually.

Some old favourites might be more boring today, but others are getting closer to my heart.

Today's sitz:

Sad Sad Sad - 7/10
Mixed Emotions - 6/10
Terrifying- 10/10
Hold On to Your Hat- 3/10
Hearts for Sale- 9/10
Blinded by Love- 8/10

Rock and a Hard Place - 7/10
Can't Be Seen - 7/10
Almost Hear You Sigh- 10/10
Continental Drift-10/10
Break the Spell - 9/10
Slipping Away" - 10/10

There's a thread at the moment about double LP vinyl albums/

Steel Wheels is a good example of an album that should have been on 2 discs.

It's too long for one disc so the dynamics & quality of sound were always compromised on vinyl.
That's largely why the production sounds pinched and doesn't "breathe".

I don't get all the hate for Hold On To Your Hat. No, it's not much of a SONG, but the guitar work is so scorching and thrilling that I enjoy listening to it.