I've been listening to this Mick solo album a lot lately and it has grown on me. I remember that there were poor reviews when it came out, and consequently, I didn't bother to check it out. But I gave it a chance and I find it to be very good. I'm just curious what other people's opinion on this album are.
I have always liked this album. I think it is good that when he does solo albums he moves away from the Stones sound/style. Why bother to do solo albums if not.
I don´t like it! I think it has neither got the quality of a Stones album nor is something really different! For me, Jaggers solo stuff is not very good with one big exception: Wandering spirit is great, wih a lot of great songs! From the rest, I don´t know which I prefer: She´s the boss or Primitive Cool - i think lest I like Goddess (thoug God gave me everything is ok).
Wandering Spirit is the best record any Stone did since the late seventies. To me, it could well be the best record of the nineties, with a few competitors. Songs like Don't Tear Me Up, Evening Gown, Wandering Spirit, Hang On To Me Tonight, etc are all classics in my book. Evening Gown is a country masterpiece with the same class as any Dylan song. Mick's voice sounds fresh and inspired. It just doesn't get better. It's Mick's exile.
I am really fond of Goddess. As a matter of fact, God gave me everything is one of the tracks I didn't like at first - but now the intense vocals has grown on me so much that I eventually can do with the 'riff' (which was what I hated at first).
I think two are three marvels on the album: Hide away Brand new set of rules
And a lot of near-marvels, attempts which have not totally paid off but were well worth the try:
Lucky day has a fantastic sound, with harp and great production. Gun mixes dance and rock in a very original and powerful way* Goddess has something Indian to it which flirts with current Baliwood trends and merges well with the dance
Too far gone is one of these truly personal Mick statements, a great country ballad with a modern sound
Dancing in the starlight is OK as well and Everybody getting high is fun.
A very very good album, which adds much more to Mick's legacy than Wandering Spirit IMO. The latter sounds simply stonesich. If I was to keep all my Stones records and 1 Mick solo album, it would certainly be Goddess.
With the only exception of primitive cool, which is almost impossible to listen to, I like quite all of them, with a slight preference for she's the boss.
Spirit is very good, strong songs, Sweet thing is one of my all time absolute favs, but exactly like keith's main offender, it never truly grew on me.
Goddess is all in all not as good as Spirit, but it has some goodies. Absolutely love hide away.
It is weird how different everyone differs re Jagger's solo stuff. IMO the first two albums sucked bigtime. Boss is SO EIGHTIES. Once I actually listen to it, it is not that bad then, it's more the thought of it. There are good tunes but the singing and production leaves you wanting. Cool is the abomination. The lowest point in Stones world. Terrible! Then came Spirit. Great great, no doubt. And Goddess I really like. I think Jagger wrote some really fine songs and put them out well. The song that all seem to like is the one I absolutely hate. "Hideaway". It reminds me of the guy who does Margaritaville. J Buffett, it's so ...pink tropical umbrella daquiri, cruise ship love captains.. The song I love is "Dancing in the Starlight". And for some reason I also like "Gun".
I love all his solo stuff except for PC. Goddess is outstanding to me. Songs like Brand New Set of Rules, If things had been different and Too far gone are just classic for me. It does have an adult contempoary feel but..then again..I am getting older as well so I guess it fits.
If things had been different has outstanding lyrics "If things had been diffferent...all of your children would look just like me." hehehe.
Goddess is a fine album. If anyone else had made it, most people would love it. Theres a ridiculous anti-Mick bias with some Stones fans who cant accept that the guy can make a record outside the Stones 'bubble'. For the most part, I'm glad the songs are on a solo album because they wouldnt fit on a band album, but thats the whole point of solo projects. The guy's talented enough to create work in more than one genre, and as is clearly evident from what he's brought to the table on the new Stones album, he has still got enough gas in his tank to write excellent Rolling Stones songs too.
the only one of Jagger's albums that I think is below par is Primitive Cool. Even that has a couple of gems, ("Party Doll" for example, the sort of country ballad style that he has absolutely excelled at in recent years - a la Evening Gown, Too Far Gone, Biggest Mistake etc). Shes The Boss has dated but theres some fine stuff on it too.
Wandering Spirit is his best one, but Goddess is pretty good too.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2005-09-21 14:53 by Gazza.
JumpingKentFlash Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The best song is the B-side from the single. I > think it's called "Blue". > > > "Better than suicide"
Agree. Blue is the best of Jagger's 2001 efforts. The album itself sounds a bit forced. jagger writes records nice country ballads, like Brand New set Of Rules, but atempts to sound modern are bad. Everybody getting high is just a really sad song...
Agree with everything Gazza says. You have to listen to it without thinking about the ROLLING STONES. Whereas Spirit had a very Stones-ish sound, this album is completely independent of the band. A good listen.
Seems like with the solo albums you get a little more of Mick the person while with the Stones you get more of Mick the Image.
Wandering Spirit is a truely great album...but I have to stand up for Primitive Cool. I didn't think it was that bad at all...."throwaway" was a great tune...perhaps they should work that into the current set..!
I love Goddess; in fact I put it right up there with Wandering Spirit. It sold poorly, at least in the UK, but so what. The reviews were mixed rather than bad: Rolling Stone gave it a rave review.
Gazza Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Goddess is a fine album. If anyone else had made > it, most people would love it. Theres a > ridiculous anti-Mick bias with some Stones fans > who cant accept that the guy can make a record > outside the Stones 'bubble'. For the most part, > I'm glad the songs are on a solo album because > they wouldnt fit on a band album, but thats the > whole point of solo projects. The guy's talented > enough to create work in more than one genre, and > as is clearly evident from what he's brought to > the table on the new Stones album, he has still > got enough gas in his tank to write excellent > Rolling Stones songs too. > > the only one of Jagger's albums that I think is > below par is Primitive Cool. Even that has a > couple of gems, ("Party Doll" for example, the > sort of country ballad style that he has > absolutely excelled at in recent years - a la > Evening Gown, Too Far Gone, Biggest Mistake etc). > Shes The Boss has dated but theres some fine stuff > on it too. > > Wandering Spirit is his best one, but Goddess is > pretty good too. > > > > Edited 2 times. Last edit at 09/21/05 14:53 by > Gazza.
Gazza, couldn't agree with you more. Besides Ronnie's great solo albums I think Mick does very well. Yes the 80's sucked with that production and all but like you said there are a few gems on those albums as well. Keith should have used his solo songs as Stones tunes and done a country or blues album. Something different than the usual Stonesy sound. I think that is why everyone likes Wandering Spirit, because its Mick's most Stonesy sounding solo album. I think (and Mick probably does now too) if either of them are going to make an album like that then it might as well be a Stones album.
I think the reason both Wandering Spirit and Main Offender are so good is that they just got off the Steel Wheels tour and had both figured out it was ok to do solo stuff (Well, Keith figured it out).