Although alot of folks on this list have slammed this album for one reason or another I think it's an outstanding album. What separates this album from anything they've done in decades is the rockers. The rockers, imo, all have great sounding guitars and nice hooks in the melodies. And there are so many of them on the album. Rough Justice, It Won't Be Long, Oh No Not You Again, Driving Too Fast, Look What The Cat, She Saw Me Coming, etc..., are all great rockers to me.

Think about past albums and tell me how far you have to go back to find so many quality rockers on a Stones album.

A long time...

Roger

you have to far back just find a Stones album, Roger....

I LOVE this album, pure & simple. I have no detailed track-by-track critique, because it flows as a complete and seamless ALBUM. It is everything that Keith in particular now strives for --it is meant to be taken in its entirety, NOT dissected and broken down into individual parts. In that, I believe it succeeds. What more could we ask for?

the rockers all passed the heartbeat test....the first time i heard "oh no,not you again" i was caught off-guard (it was a snippet from the press conference live version)...my heart started racing immediately...same with "rough justice" & "driving too fast".. no forced listening...just grabs ya by the ears...GREAT!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-10-22 03:17 by Leonard Keringer.

Rock and roll, no excuses.

I LOVE this album, pure & simple. I have no detailed track-by-track critique, because it flows as a complete and seamless ALBUM. It is everything that Keith in particular now strives for --it is meant to be taken in its entirety, NOT dissected and broken down into individual parts. In that, I believe it succeeds. What more could we ask for?

Bassplayer you just wrote your greatest piece...damn nice words.



ROCKMAN

imo its one of the best albums of the decade ´00

-----------------------------------------------------
Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Yes ABB is a really good album yet it has only sold 1.5m copies worldwide.
Does anyone know why the sales in the UK & USA are so dismal?

>>Yes ABB is a really good album yet it has only sold 1.5m copies worldwide.
Does anyone know why the sales in the UK & USA are so dismal?

Easy answer: the fanbase in both, UK & US, is very old.
The fan base in Italy, Germany, Argentina or Netherlands is full of young Stones fans, the album is #3 in Argentina and Italy after 6 weeks, while the current position in UK is #121 and #63 in US.
Sadly, the Stones new music is not relevant in UK or US since 1981.

Two things:

I thought the board's general opinion of the album was already very high?

On the number of rockers -- I don't necessarily see this as a positive. How many "rockers" are on Sticky Fingers? Maybe 3.5. Not many on Beggars, Let it Bleed, or Exile, either, proportionally. Some Girls does have a lot of rockers, but on ABB they start to seem like filler pretty quickly, as they did on B2B. I don't understand the enthusiasm here for Drivin' Too Fast or She Saw Me Coming.

cc

georgelicks Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The fan base in Italy, Germany, Argentina or
> Netherlands is full of young Stones fans, the
> album is #3 in Argentina and Italy after 6 weeks,
> while the current position in UK is #121 and #63
> in US.

I've noticed that. What is the reason for their popularity in these places -- any ideas? E. Europe as well... why are the Stones so big there?

driving too fast kicks ass.

john scialfa

>>I've noticed that. What is the reason for their popularity in these places -- any ideas? E. Europe as well... why are the Stones so big there?

I'm talking about my country here, Argentina:
The most popular music on this country is the rock, the Stones is the image of many local bands and they're very important and relevant among kids and musicians. You can hear the Stones on hit radios, pop radios, TV... they get many exposure on the media. You can see the SOL video almost hourly here on three music channels. I've seen the video more than 5-6 times in two days.
It's something strange, but the people here is not interested on rap/R&B or European pop, we're a ROCK country.

Amen John!!! I honestly don't understand how someone who likes rock n roll music can't tap their foot to Driving Too Fast!!!! It rocks!!!

Roger

Some points and thoughts:

(a) In my opinion ABB is a marvellous album.

(b) The fact that ABB has sold already 1.7 million copies, beeing on it's 6th week at #12 of the worldwide chart (a very good position), proves that the sales are strong or very strong everywhere except the US, of course.

(c) Great sales especially in Europe, before the european leg of the tour. So we can hope that will be something like "second round".

(d) Actually, even in the UK the sales are not so bad. ABB has sold more than 80,000 copies (georgelicks, correct me if i'm wrong)- the unusual element is that more than 50% had sold during the first week! MMmmm. 80,000- 85,000, decent number if you think that B2B had sold about 125,000 TOTALY. Let's see what will happen when the Stones 'll perform in the UK.

(e) "Sadly, the Stones new music is not relevant in UK or US since 1981", says georgelicks. I don't agree totaly. Remember the sales of Steel Wheels (1989) and Voodoo Lounge (1994). To me the big difference is that ABB has (for the time beeing, i don't know what 'll happen during the pre-Christmas period) the worst promotion i can remember for a Stones album! This situation affectes the sales in US and UK much more than in the rest of the planet, because the two countries are the "capitals" of the music industry. Without a good marketing you can't do so much in the "capitals" of the music marketing. So simple.

(f) OK with the explanation of the so weak promotion, but even so.... Even so the fact that the US market (295,000 copies) represents ONLY the 17% of the wirldwide number (1,711,900) still remains UNNATURAL to me!! Man, is 17% not 25% or 30%... Have we something like "Clear Channel takes revenge on the Stones for "Neo-con"? Just a thougt...

How do you rate the fast rockers of ABB?

I say ONNYA 10/10, Driving To Fast 9.5/10 and Rough Justice 9/10.

Driving To Fast growns in me...

PS ABB in my country, Greece: #1, #1, #3, #5. Great sales in Italy too, so we as Stones fans can call Mediterranean Sea as MARE NOSTRUM...

the new lp is amazing...stop comparing it to BB or LIB----that is of course ridiculous.....how many rockers on sticky fingers?....come on!----that was 35 years ago !! this lp has twice as many tracks on it and if you had to cut it down to 8 or 10 songs like the lps of old, it would be pure dynamite.....plus when you heard all the outtakes left off the lp you'd say "oh those are so good,... why were'nt they on the album...moan moan moan .....sheesh....nothing the band does is good enough anymore....

STONES JAM!! MICKEYS RULES!!! (burp) NADER IN 2016!!!!! GO GIANTS!!

I don't think you understood what I said: I don't think the # of rockers per album is a marker of its quality either way. For Stones albums, anyway -- I could see AC/DC or Metallica fans feeling otherwise. Several of the rockers on ABB sound tossed off to me... "Driving Too Fast" is a good example. Yawn... The Stones' best music has often been of the non-rocking kind. See side 2 of Sticky Fingers or Tattoo You. Some Girls is an exception, I think.

That said, standard-issue ballads like "Already Over Me" are total crap. I'd rather hear the connect-the-dots rockers on ABB than a song like that.

cc

I made a compilation of my favorite material of the Stones from 1989-2005. A Bigger Bang brought the most songs in this collection. Only Streets Of Love, It Won't Take Long and Sweet Neo Con didn't make it to my compilation.
I tried to make a compilation for in the car. With hard rocking and blues songs to dance in the car. Ballads to get my feet back on the gas.

A Bigger Bang rocks!! And it's got the best Stones ballad ever: Laugh, I Nearly Died.

cc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> georgelicks Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The fan base in Italy, Germany, Argentina or
> > Netherlands is full of young Stones fans,
> the
> > album is #3 in Argentina and Italy after 6
> weeks,
> > while the current position in UK is #121 and
> #63
> > in US.
>
> I've noticed that. What is the reason for their
> popularity in these places -- any ideas? E. Europe
> as well... why are the Stones so big there?

Well....in germany the Stones get a lot of respect as the worlds greatest Rock`n Roll band...
Fans say that the music history of Rockmusik started with the Rolling Stones.
They love them for still being around
They love them for still delivering such high energy shows
They love them because the number of historical hits they had
They love them for looking so cool these days.
They love them for making real music...without all that technical stuff these days around
They love them for being a character band.
They love Mick jagger for being a great performer
They love Keith for being Mr sex & drugs& Rock`n Roll
They love Charly for being so a "different" gentleman
They love Ronny....cause he fits so well with Keith
They love their music in its entirety cause it always has a groove and it hits you right in the belly.
They love them cause they( the fans) understand much about music and about how a Superstar Rockband should be like.
They love them because they are the Original inventers of sex&drugs&Rock`n Roll
They love them for NOT being a nostalgic act...
They love them cause there is nothing better up to now.

Sice the 82 tour evry Stones tour in germany has been the best
in ticket sales, number of attendance,
Each tour has been judged as the act of the year.
Babylon has been number 1 for a month
Bang has been Nr.1 for two weeks...still number 16 today.
germany gets an average of 10 stadium shows each tour...with an average of 60.000.

Yes....you can say without any doubt that GERMANY is Stonesland indeed.
Cheers.
salar

salar - i didn't realize you spoke for the entire nation of Germany! Congratulations!

salar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well....in germany the Stones get a lot of respect
> as the worlds greatest Rock`n Roll band...
> Fans say that the music history of Rockmusik
> started with the Rolling Stones.
> They love them for still being around
> They love them for still delivering such high
> energy shows
> They love them because the number of historical
> hits they had
> They love them for looking so cool these days.
> They love them for making real music...without all
> that technical stuff these days around
> They love them for being a character band.
> They love Mick jagger for being a great performer
> They love Keith for being Mr sex & drugs&
> Rock`n Roll
> They love Charly for being so a "different"
> gentleman
> They love Ronny....cause he fits so well with
> Keith
> They love their music in its entirety cause it
> always has a groove and it hits you right in the
> belly.
> They love them cause they( the fans) understand
> much about music and about how a Superstar
> Rockband should be like.
> They love them because they are the Original
> inventers of sex&drugs&Rock`n Roll
> They love them for NOT being a nostalgic act...
> They love them cause there is nothing better up to
> now.
>
> Sice the 82 tour evry Stones tour in germany has
> been the best
> in ticket sales, number of attendance,
> Each tour has been judged as the act of the year.
> Babylon has been number 1 for a month
> Bang has been Nr.1 for two weeks...still number 16
> today.
> germany gets an average of 10 stadium shows each
> tour...with an average of 60.000.
>
> Yes....you can say without any doubt that GERMANY
> is Stonesland indeed.

Very well said. And it's exactly the same in Switzerland. A BIGGER BANG has also been two week #1 and it's also #16 at the time. Since we only have 7 million people (Germany has about 80) we only get 1 stadium show each tour though. Besides DIRTY WORK and VOODOO LOUNGE have also been #1 albums in 1986 and 1994 resp.

Switzerland is Stonesland too. Keith even had his teeth corrected over here, hehe.

salar Wrote:
------------
> Well....in germany the Stones get a lot of respect
> as the worlds greatest Rock`n Roll band...
> Fans say that the music history of Rockmusik
> started with the Rolling Stones.
> They love them for still being around
> They love them for still delivering such high
> energy shows
> They love them because the number of historical
> hits they had
> They love them for looking so cool these days.
> They love them for making real music...without all
> that technical stuff these days around
> They love them for being a character band.
> They love Mick jagger for being a great performer
> They love Keith for being Mr sex & drugs&
> Rock`n Roll
> They love Charly for being so a "different"
> gentleman
> They love Ronny....cause he fits so well with
> Keith
> They love their music in its entirety cause it
> always has a groove and it hits you right in the
> belly.
> They love them cause they( the fans) understand
> much about music and about how a Superstar
> Rockband should be like.
> They love them because they are the Original
> inventers of sex&drugs&Rock`n Roll
> They love them for NOT being a nostalgic act...
> They love them cause there is nothing better up to
> now.
>
> Sice the 82 tour evry Stones tour in germany has
> been the best
> in ticket sales, number of attendance,
> Each tour has been judged as the act of the year.
> Babylon has been number 1 for a month
> Bang has been Nr.1 for two weeks...still number 16
> today.
> germany gets an average of 10 stadium shows each
> tour...with an average of 60.000.
>
> Yes....you can say without any doubt that GERMANY
> is Stonesland indeed.

Very well said. And it's exactly the same in Switzerland. A BIGGER BANG has also been two week #1 and it's also #16 at the time. Since we only have 7 million people (Germany has about 80) we only get 1 stadium show each tour though. Besides DIRTY WORK and VOODOO LOUNGE have also been #1 albums in 1986 and 1994 resp.

Switzerland is Stonesland too. Keith even had his teeth corrected over here, hehe.

I speak for the entire nation of Germany, and I say stop arguing and go to Oktoberfest!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-10-23 01:57 by ohnonotyouagain.

I appreciate the descriptions of how people like the Stones in other lands... but they don't explain _why_. The things you point out are about the Stones themselves, which are true wherever they go. I wonder what are the demographic/sociological aspects of the fans that might explain it.

It's time to move to Germany. Can I get a job drinking beer for a living?

A Bigger Bang is a top notch Stones album, in any era. Forget age, comparisons and all that crap.......it stands on its own. It will hold the test of time like Some Girls and Tattoo you because "Bang" has a certain energy and fresh sound that reminds me of SG and TY.

The only criticism I have is that in my opinion "Neo-Con" should have been left of the album. I could care less what MJ's political views are. I feel that it should have been left off the album because # 1: I am enjoying great music, which is a great break from reality for me and then all of a sudden Neo-Con comes on and its just like a downer. I also don't think the music on the song is good, one dimensional. The only real weak song on the album, IMO

Milo, NYC
Flying like a bat out of hell

I've never seen the stones as an escape from reality. That sounds like a calgon bath or something, like muzak or the jackson 5. Good art gives you a new perspective on reality and allows you to see it in a new way.

That said, "Sweet Neo Con" will certainly date the album for future listeners (although it's hardly a timeless album anyway, IMO). And it's not very good, though pretty funny.

cc