Undercover - a huge disappointment after Tattoo You and a great tour
Dirty Work - even worse than Undercover if possible (there's not a highlight like She Was Hot for example)
Steel Wheels - a turningpoint with all that so much better done rock&groove&ballad style they earlier tried on Dirty Work.

Mid-80'ies was horrible and Dirty Work that way ATL...

It sucks!!! Nothing more than overproduced 80`s crap...

It`s better to burn out than just to fade away....


http://www.feelinggood24.de/page-rauchstop.html';]

[/url]

the question is, though, Stike, not that it sucks but WHAT does it suck?

Strike............now that's a name....!



ROCKMAN

I HATE Harlem Shuffle. One Hit is pretty good. You can tell the band was at an emotional low. It just doesn't sound like the Stones to me. I think Lillywhite's production wasn't a good match for the Stones either. He was kind of "flavor of the month" at the time. I think the album sounds too much like Mick's lousy solo records of the same period.

IMO the last album Keith and Ronnie worked together on the guitar parts. Some great guitar on Dirty Work. Unfortunately Mick's yelling makes most hard to listen too.

If they remixed it and got Mick to re-sing most of it, it would be better.

I do agree with an earlier post that the best of Undercover and Dirty Work would make a good album especially if they could get rid of that 80's sound. (lets make a real snare drum sound like a drum machine - great idea ...NOT!)



As for Steel Wheels, I would rather listen to Undercover since I prefer listening to Ronnie play then Waddy.

brokenhands Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I HATE Harlem Shuffle. One Hit is pretty good.
> You can tell the band was at an emotional low. It
> just doesn't sound like the Stones to me. I think
> Lillywhite's production wasn't a good match for
> the Stones either. He was kind of "flavor of the
> month" at the time. I think the album sounds too
> much like Mick's lousy solo records of the same
> period.


whoever was responsible for the awful drum sound on this album should have had their ears removed with a red hot poker

Hurriganes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Undercover - a huge disappointment after Tattoo
> You and a great tour
> Dirty Work - even worse than Undercover if
> possible (there's not a highlight like She Was Hot
> for example)
> Steel Wheels - a turningpoint with all that so
> much better done rock&groove&ballad style they
> earlier tried on Dirty Work.
>
> Mid-80'ies was horrible and Dirty Work that way
> ATL...

Ah come on!!!One Hit is so good!!!

One Hit is a superb song, but with the exception of 'Sleep tonight' it was pretty much downhill for the rest of the album after that promising beginning

Well, I, at least, appriciate that. That's the 2 best for me too. Those aren't just best songs of mid 80s or something, they are brilliant on their own. Sleep Tonight is for me the best Keith song on a Stones album.

(..but there are other rockers on DW I like)

The album as a whole just drags....
Songs start ok but go nowhere with endless repetition of the same basic groove.
It has it's moments but overall it's nothing special.

I almost agree, Elmo. But I think 'Silver' is the best. Then Can't Be Seen or Coming Down Again, depending on mood. Sleep Tonight is a damn good closer.....

.....just as One Hit is a damn good opener. It hardly gets any better really. The guitars are fresh, sharp and urgent.....and all very well constructed.

Far more work and care went into the guitar parts on this album than on UC or ER. (TY never was a 'real' self-contained, period album). Much graft and craft went into DW.

Between the opener and closer there is a lot of life and a great mix of styles, some superb musicianship, but without over-production, a la Jagger or al Don (wish he wasn't) Was.

And for those who complain about an 80s production......In the 60s the Stones had a sixties sound, in the Seventies (incl TY and ER, which are recorded then) they had a 70s sound. Surprise, surprise......in the 80s they had an 80s sound.
But it was always a Stones' sound. Personally I'd rather have something brash and ballsy, with echoey drums, than something smooth and polished with characterless drums, (Voodoo Lounge).

The more that people complain about DW, the more glad I am I like it and the more I think that it's truer to their original ethos. Adult rock with adult attitude. Nothing fake. It's an album that Keith is right to be proud of. I think that it was bold, and it breaks out of the 'rut' of ER and UC. It 'means a lot', in a way that they didn't really mean very much, although they are fum-time records.

(Similarly, Some Girls broke out of the mould of the relativley lack-lustre mid-seventies recordings - again, Jagger singing with renewed vigour and commitment).

Personally, I can't fault DW. Elmo, we're rebels! They are a bunch of Wimps!

Gazza Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One Hit is a superb song, but with the exception
> of 'Sleep tonight' it was pretty much downhill for
> the rest of the album after that promising
> beginning

What don't you like about Dirty Work (the song) and Harlem Shuffle?

Never a fan of One Hit - sounds forced and fake to me. The Page solo is the only redeeming aspect for me....

Harlem Shuffle works okay, ditto for Too Rude, but when the two best songs are covers, that's not a good sign...

ohnonotyouagain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gazza Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > One Hit is a superb song, but with the
> exception
> > of 'Sleep tonight' it was pretty much downhill
> for
> > the rest of the album after that promising
> > beginning
>
> What don't you like about Dirty Work (the song)
> and Harlem Shuffle?



I didnt actually say I "dont like" them - I said the album is 'downhill' compared to the first and last song

Harlem Shuffle is a solid enough cover (although it isnt as good as Bob & Earl's original). Dirty Work is Ok but nothing special, although the solo is pretty good

My third favourite song on the album is actually 'Fight', even though I think its marred by a bad drum sound

I prefer the mix on many of the outtakes. Listen to the drums on the outtakes of 'Too Rude'. terrific stuff. 'Baby Youre Too Much' would have been a highlight of the album had it been included and "What am I Gonna Do" sounds promising as well.

Gazza Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I prefer the mix on many of the outtakes. Listen
> to the drums on the outtakes of 'Too Rude'.
> terrific stuff. 'Baby Youre Too Much' would have
> been a highlight of the album had it been included
> and "What am I Gonna Do" sounds promising as well.


Apart from Too Rude, I wrote the same post at page 1, in worse English, though...good calls Gazza!

once in a while I can listen to it without cringing at the drum sound, but it's rare and usually alcohol induced.

The odd thing for me about the drum sound is based on a memory... I brought my new cassette of Dirty Work with me to summer camp, during my middle school years. My roommate was a real @#$%&, who taunted me for listening to the old Rolling Stones, while he monopolized our boombox with the Top Gun soundtrack--"Danger Zone" over and over. When I finally had the room to myself, I cued up DW again, and realized it had the same drum sound as "Danger Zone"! The twerp's criticisms were nonsensical, as the Stones had basically made an au courant record, in terms of sound anyway. The songs are unusual and some are quite good.

Had It with You is great R&R!
I agree about comment about intentionally coming up with guitar oriented rock to differentiate with Undercover disco sound. It worked but lack of tour and promotion and it never caught on. As described by many above several of these songs are pretty damn good and are just overlooked. I've listened several times in last few days. Now I am pulling out Undercover to hear that again too

i think we can all agree its the worse stones album cover ever...

stoned_in_dc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i think we can all agree its the worse stones
> album cover ever...


no, we can't. ABB is.

nikkibong Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> stoned_in_dc Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > i think we can all agree its the worse stones
> > album cover ever...
>
>
> no, we can't. ABB is.

I LIKE the ABB cover. The Dirty Work cover is pretty terrible, I must admit.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-06-19 07:52 by ohnonotyouagain.

Flashpoint.


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

stoned_in_dc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i think we can all agree its the worse stones
> album cover ever...


I can give you plenty that are worse

No Security (in fact any live album from Love You Live onwards apart from Stripped)
all studio albums after Some Girls up to and including Voodoo Lounge (apart from Tattoo you)


the best thing about the cover of DW is that it looks like Keith is trying to kick Jagger in the balls. Maybe its a deserved reaction to the lack of songs he brought to the sessions

The Flashpoint cover is good! When did understated become a bad thing?

For the record, I also like the No Security cover. Nothing says "buy me" like some trailer trash!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-06-19 12:16 by nikkibong.

The sales of No Security would indicate that, if anything, that cover actually said "stay away from me"

The tone of Nikkibong would indicate that he was joking.

Mr. Wibble! One knows the dog by his bark! I hope all is well North of Hadrian's Wall. Your pointed observations and singular wit shine out like a shaft of gold when all around is dark!

ChrisM Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mr. Wibble! One knows the dog by his bark! I hope
> all is well North of Hadrian's Wall. Your pointed
> observations and singular wit shine out like a
> shaft of gold when all around is dark!


I suppose I should take that as an insult . . .

None intended nikkibong. I was responding to an earlier post by the redoutbable Mr. Wibble.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-06-19 18:34 by ChrisM.