I think STB fails on more than just the terrible 80's sound. Nile Rodgers...how did he ever get that great rep as a producer? The songs on STB just are not any good.
Lonely at the Top is...okay. It gets by on the overall attack and volume. But Side 2 sucked. I loved "hard Woman". Album version was tops. Did not understand why Jagger felt like he had to recut it. Witht eh Hooters! He wanted so badly to get recogniozed as a hip happening 80's star. The vox on the album version is so much better. I also like "Tunr the Girl Loose" which everyone else here seesmt o loathe. The huge synth sounds allo over the album are just terrible though. Why doesn everybody like "lucky in Love"? It has a lame chorus and (I have said this beofre) the ending rap is one of the worst, comical, faux-pas EVER by Jagger. That crap about "royal flush.."

"...no longer shall you trudge 'cross my peaceful mind."

It's Jagger having a bit of fun. It's tongue in cheek. As on the track Some Girls, or on Send It to Me.....

Or, for example, "ever heard about the texas chainsaw massacre.....horrible wasn't it..."(!)

Oh, don't cut off me arm... don't cut off me leg.....

ps, I've nothing against synths, as long as there's some strong Geetar goin' on.

Jagger was keen on making an album that sounded different from the Stones and he succeeded...........He went for Nile Rodgers who was the hottest thing going at the time.....I never understood that choice but for others it worked.......the Dave Stewart connection is more understandable......I can respect Jeff Beck but he like the music of that era sounds dated...........

Mick's choice of Rick Rubin as a producer for WS was a cross roads in that he was challenged and he delivered a great album..........Lenny Kravitz I'm on the fence with; he has his great moments and then well........he just gets lazy and does a lot of re treads..........having said that his collaborations with Mick on "Use Me" and "God Gave Me Everything" are HOT!!

re: Some Girls...there is an element of tongue in cheek certainly ..but it's in the delivery.....not the sentiment..........look at the lyrics throughout the record...and if that doesn't give you a hint of what was motivating them, then the angry cords of key songs certainly will drive the message home........the Stones were lean, mean a fighting machine on Some Girls and seemed very focused.......that's the "edge" that's been missing on recent Rolling Stones records......that I think you might be referring to.....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-05-25 20:24 by Rip This.

Rip This,

Good thoughtful comment.

I was referring to Mick's tongue-in-cheek approach to the lyrics on the TRACK Some Girls, (not the album). Not to be taken too seriously. (Apparently he scribbled them out in about five frivolous minutes).

(You won't be surprised to learn that I think "God Gave Me......" is just garbage!)

By "edge" I meant something visceral, something raw. I get that in Jeff Beck (and in KR ofcourse), but I don't get it in all the session guitarists that Jagger has used subsequently.

There are good songs on WS but they are just too tidy and somewhat clinical. In STB the I feel there is more adventure;songs are more "open" and experimental. But against that you have to like an 80s sound, Sly and Robbie, heavy use of synths, Nile Rodgers.......and this all seems like a tall order to most people here. But, despite all those factors, I do think it is his freshest and most creative solo work.

A song like Sweet Thing is just dull as ditch-water in comparison to anything on STB. It's a troll!
The opening to Half a Loaf grabs you instantly, (courtesy of JB mainly), and the song builds and progresses through different shifts and moods. The vocals are excellent throughout ... and the lyrics.

I don't find JB dtaed. He has a trade-mark style. I think it was used to full affect on those songs and he seems to be having a blast. (Not at all the case on the PC).

With historical hindsight (!) it's the synths which are the 'main offenders'.

I'm wibbling on a bit here.

This discussion would be more fum in a bar, over a few beers or whatever.

(My favorite on 'Goddess' is Hideaway. Just a tad more interesting than the standard 'fodder')

One thing is for certain; we can agree to disagree bar or no bar beers or tequilla.

The entire album (ST is an indictment of Jagger’s inability to reconcile himself with the fact that he is famous (infamous) for a certain kind of music/sound/vibe. Beck and Rodgers were hired to affect a new sound and it failed for Jagger.
I will admit that he needed to get through this debacle in order to make Goddess.

Wandering Spirit however, is without a doubt a magnificent record. It’s producer, (Rick Rubin) was intent on getting Jagger to accept and embrace his strengths and notoriety; for Rubin this ultimately led to a somewhat acrimonious ending of that relationship.
“Sweet Thing” is as great a song as “Miss You”; the beat, the falsetto the groove, it doesn’t get more visceral than that when a song makes you leap out of your seat and onto the dance floor. Better even still is that the music is as current today as it was 15 years ago

I'm speechless, almost! I'll be very surprised if Sweet Thing makes anyone else want to leap onto the dance floor. Miss You does do that. It also has great Harmonica, and it changes direction. it has a superb bass-line. Sweet Thing plods along on one level, it slows down, almost stops, then starts again, at the same plod. Wow, that's really gut-grabbing stuff, that is!

we would now by baptising each other with beer

ps don't you think that "is without doubt a magnificent record" a bit, well, a bit mmmmmmm ....... dogmatic. I, for one, drenched in beer, have plenty of doubts about that.

pps just off to leap about to Half a Loaf.

A great album. But that's no surprice, it's made by a Stone.

Mr. Wibble..............I doubt you are ever left speechless...I didn't throw the beer (I'm not the type.........perhaps another board member did) but here's a towel to dry off with in the meantime...........by the way, I suppose Half a Loaf is better than none...........(so much for dogma).........but WS is brilliant..........and this time try drinking the beer.

"you want breakfast in bed?"

[guitar] wah-wah-wah-wah-wah

"i'll give you breakfast in bed"

"you want me to hold all calls?"

"i'll hold all calls"

Pretty frickin lame if you ask me.

Wandering Spirit would have been hailed as a masterpiece if it had been released by the Stones. As it is, it is largely forgotten.

Sometimes I watch the video(Brazil!!!).Hard Woman is a stand out track..very good..loaf to...Shes the boss is terror for the ears..His worst solo effort..back than non-stones fans I knew seem to like it!You used to be my party doll.

drbryant Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "you want breakfast in bed?"
>
> wah-wah-wah-wah-wah
>
> "i'll give you breakfast in bed"
>
> "you want me to hold all calls?"
>
> "i'll hold all calls"
>
> Pretty frickin lame if you ask me.
>
> Wandering Spirit would have been hailed as a
> masterpiece if it had been released by the Stones.
> As it is, it is largely forgotten.

Forgotten by who??????maybe you.......... the genius of the record and Rick Rubin was that he especially succeeded in making a Rolling Stones record with Mick only....and it was/is a great record.

Of course Wandering Spirit is not forgotten!
And of course She's The Boss is not a good album.

I think...hide away...is the best Jagger tune.

Rip This,

I did get to play Half A Loaf. Not quite as good as I remembered, but the lead guitar still did the trick. And it wasn't Jeff Beck, it was Eddie Martinez and it's sharp and raw and............ visceral.!

In your honour I then played Sweet Thing. It was even lamer than I remembered. And there's quite a strong use of keybords on that one too, and Jagger's Lyrics are certainly no better than the stuff on STB. The middle percussive section is utterly predictable and unexciting. The best bit is perhaps the sax at the end.

No, the best bit is the end.

The End.

.....OK I agree..........you have wibbled on too long.

PS...glad you are enjoying the tunes



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-05-26 19:50 by Rip This.

wow mick made an album about brooce!!??
that's so cool...

but why so bitchy about the gender thing?
oh well, u know the ol' mickster...always 'dancin' in the street' so to speak.

or is about some girlfriend that reminded him of the boss...
i don't get it...
sorta like "she's" the boss???

i'll figure it out...
anyway, way cool...