I'm 16 and today bought 'Dirty Work' to complete my Stones collection! (it was cheap), but I haven't had time to listen to it yet all the way through. Just wondering what the general opinion on the board was about it.

Most people here hate it. I like it a lot. Ok, the '80s style production sucks (although not as bad as on Steel Wheels), but there are some great songs on there: One Hit To The Body, Dirty Work, Harlem Shuffle, Sleep Tonight. I also like Fight and Too Rude quite a bit.

The thing I've never understood is there are a lot of big Keith fans here, and this album is basically Keith's baby, but people still hate it. I thought Keith did a good job of running the show while Jagger was making an ass of himself with his embarassing solo career.

Ok, I'e heard Harlem Shuffle and it's so much better than the awful NY Mix on 'Rarities'.

Yeah, I've never cared for any of the Stones remixes, except maybe the Mixed Emotion one on Rarities, and then only because you can hear Keith's vocals and guitar much better.

ohnonotyouagain Wrote:
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> Most people here hate it. I like it a lot. Ok, the
> '80s style production sucks (although not as bad
> as on Steel Wheels), but there are some great
> songs on there: One Hit To The Body, Dirty Work,
> Harlem Shuffle, Sleep Tonight. I also like Fight
> and Too Rude quite a bit.
>
> The thing I've never understood is there are a lot
> of big Keith fans here, and this album is
> basically Keith's baby, but people still hate it.
> I thought Keith did a good job of running the show
> while Jagger was making an ass of himself with his
> embarassing solo career.


The bit about it being Keith's baby is, as I understand it true, and based
on that, you would have expected an end result much different then what was released. The Keith songs--Sleep Tonight and Too Rude are, for me, the highlights. Although I am a major Zeppelin fan I really was disappointed by his playing on OHTTB--he is in the Firm and his solo sounds like a Firm solo.

A HUGE problem, I personally have with this one is Mick's singing. During this period of time he sang like he was shouting the lyrics from a passing car.

And, the production has that '80's gloss which has not held up well over time at all.

There is also a "London mix" of Harlem Shuffle.

Play it occasionally & always like it - just not one of the classic albums

Theif in the Night Wrote:
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> There is also a "London mix" of Harlem Shuffle.


The orginal was enough.

Glass Slide Wrote:
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> A HUGE problem, I personally have with this one is
> Mick's singing. During this period of time he sang
> like he was shouting the lyrics from a passing
> car.

That's a good way of putting it. I actually like how unrestrained he is. On this album, he sounds like his face is clenched in rage throughout. I got a big kick out of it when I was 13.

I would much rather listen to this album than any of theirs since, including ABB.

I was thirteen at the time, too. I really tried to get into DW, but I just couldn't-- not like with Undercover when IT came out.

I haven't listened to DW in at least five years; don't even have a copy around right now. I do still like hearing One Hit to The Body, though.

I love DW. I think that Keith and Ron were joined at the hip on this one. Mick was too busy with his solo album (wish he had kept "Back to Zero" for it) hence, the above average number of song credits going to Ronnie. At least it had some "riffs" on it. Something ABB could have used. "Don't hold back" is IMO a over-looked classic. I've heard some out-takes from the sessions that are very good. "Strickly Memphis," "Deep Love,"and a song called "Your all invited" with the Stones backing two singers one I believe is Bobby Womack. Not sure who the other one is. Anyone know?

So, everything's turnin', you were 10 when Undercover came out, and you liked it? That's heavy, man... I remember when it came out, but I wasn't getting my own albums then. It seemed so... sleazy. I basically only knew Hot Rocks and to some extent Some Girls, which of course also seemed sleazy. I didn't really "get" that side of things yet!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-02-25 03:35 by cc.

Dirty Work: still the worst Stones album ever

The guitar riffs are good basic rock if you can isolate them but they are buried under layers of horrible production, unnecessary elements and Mick's screaming.

I believe Mick brought along the Simple Minds producer to this project.

keeper: had it with you

Check out Keith's Talk Is Cheap to get a better idea of how this album was supposed to sound.

Mick's singing is totally appropriate for the album and is far better than the manicured crap he delivers these days.

You may call it 'shouting' - but most of the lyrics are angry, protesting and full of angst. How rock vocals should be. Voicing words in a way to show he cares and is angry/frustrated/fired up.

Guitars are hot. Drums too. Lots of good chemistry.

On that basis alone this is, for me, one of their best albums.

It's not "only" Rock and Roll. It IS Rock and Roll.

You effing nancy girlies!

Get yaself a copy of High Temperature...VGP 285...sound's a lil rugged but has some great DW left overs...Some Of Us Are On Our Knees...She Never Listen To Me and even has Keith havin a go at Little Walters High Temperature..





ROCKMAN

Singer_Not_The_Song:
Lucky bastard. You still have new stones albums to buy, that you didn't hear before. I think by the time I was 16 I had them all. Enjoy it! DW is a great album. The title track for instance, is really good. And "Sleep tonight", also great. I bought DW on april 20 in 1986 when it came out. It was great. And it still is.

kienan is right on target as usual. The fact that we agree should be scary to you, my friend! (The Faces live!) I really like the title cut. One of the last great weaves. I dig the chordal lead.

I've always had a soft spot for this record. However although it was released in
the last stages of the vinyl record (Side 1 and 2, etc), I think the addition of Strictly Memphis and another outtake (pick your favorite) probably could have made it much better than the reputation it gets. Same thing with Dylan's INfidels.
If he had the room to put on both Foot Of Pride and the electric Blind Willie McTell,
that's the best album of the eighties, hands down.
However, ABB suffers for the opposite reason, I think. Too many songs, no real order
(remember side one and side two?), lousy production...etc, but that's a different post.

tomk, I miss Side 1 and Side 2 also. Most on here know what you mean when you say Side 2 of Tattoo You, for example.

Rockman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Get yaself a copy of High Temperature...VGP
> 285...sound's a lil rugged but has some great DW
> left overs...Some Of Us Are On Our Knees...She
> Never Listen To Me and even has Keith havin a go
> at Little Walters High Temperature..
>
>
>
> ROCKMAN


Honestly--although I have yet to hear it--I have no doubt I would like
it better, if for no other reason, I assume they are less glossy>

"Had It With You"---is a great song--I forgot about that one.

rubbish. utter rubbish.

I love Dirty Work. I especially enjoy One Hit, Had It With You, Dirty Work, Winning Ugly. Well, I like 'em all! It's one of my favorites at the moment. I like the production too. It's very modern yet still very Stones. The guitar work is great.

singer not the song :

well i'm 16 too and i bought DW 6 months ago !

even if it's not their greatest, i like it . harlem shuffle is great, one hit to the body should appear on 40 licks, dirty work and had it with really rock... but the highlight of the album is certainly SLEEP TONIGHT : there's a lot of emotion on this tune and the way keith sings it is much better than the way jagger screamed on the other songs of the album!

i have to say that i like some of my favorite stones' songs are you got the silver, all about you, how can i stop?, happy, coming down again, ...

Dirty Work grooves me major. it's full of great tracks, and only about one and a half misunderstandings, and my lord just listen to those guitars!
(okay, so Mick's vocals get a bit monotonous - but they don't really bother me, i just ignore 'em.)


"What do you want - what?!"
- Keith

Without any doubt the worst Rolling Stones record EVER!!!! There's One Hit and that's about it. Truly one of the suckers. Not just in the Stones' catalogue, but also in the entire music business. SW has way better songs and they're more on fire on this one than everything since TY. VL is a classic IMO. Everything is good on it. B2B is almost as good. Some missers, but all in all a good one. ABB is better than B2B but not as good as VL. IMO VL was the best since Exile....

JumpingKentFlash

i think the best songs on the album are to rude,had it with you and sleep tonight

I don't understand why so many of you are against mick's shouting on this album (he never screams, except maybe on "Hold Back"). I love it. The drum mix is another story...

It was a let down when I bought it..also sadly Stuw died...the pics of the gang are great (with the hats)the gang was at war!!!Dirty work is like the scarface of the Stones albums!!!It seems people who just discovered the gang like this album a lot..also very strange a lot of hard-rock friens of mine..like it!!!I like ''óne hit''Hold back''Fight''Dirty work'''winning ugly''Sleep''Harlem sh was crazy in concert!!!!!!Always think of Ian when I hear DW!!!!!

No one has yet mentioned that piano interlude that closes the album, a tribute to Stu. That's the highlight of Dirty Work.

Rooster loves alles from STuw!!!!God bless him!!!