To Georgelicks' comments above: Baby You're Too Much and What Am I Gonna Do With Your Love were both alternates for Sleep Tonight. Likewise Strictly Memphis for Harlem Shuffle or She Never Listens To Me for Too Rude. We were never likely going to see such similar songs on the same 10-track album. As for Bashlets' remark, I'm glad so many people love A BIGGER BANG. I wish I cared for it more than I do. I think there are a few excellent tracks as noted and it's miles ahead of SHE'S THE BOSS which I actually detest, but to paraphrase a great song, it doesn't move me. Me not loving an album you love, shouldn't piss you off. Its not like I said my opinion was law. This is our favorite band and we all love writing about what we thinks works or doesn't. That's why we're fans.

A Bigger Bang pales into insignificance to anything the Stones released pre Undercover. I don't think it's a good album, it's just the Stones role playing their former selves mainly but it's not the genuine article - it's insincere. Horrible embarrassing juvenile lyrics litter the album as well as Jagger's overaccentuated vocals, which ruins one or two of the more promising songs. More palatable than i anticipated, admittedly, but that's really not saying a lot.

It's the Stones, how bad can it be?

I like it and love it and would've changed some things and wouldn't have touched others.

Rocky Dijon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the post-TATTOO YOU period, generally thought
> of as the point where they lost something
> creatively, I would rank Stones discs and solo
> Glimmer Twins as follows:
>
> 1. VOODOO LOUNGE
> 2. BRIDGES TO BABYLON
> 3. WANDERING SPIRIT
> 4. MAIN OFFENDER
> 5. TALK IS CHEAP
> 6. PRIMITIVE COOL
> 7. UNDERCOVER
> 8. DIRTY WORK
> 9. STEEL WHEELS
> 10.A BIGGER BANG
> 11.SHE'S THE BOSS


Maybe if Mick and Keith did not need to made these solo albums we would haven gotten classical Stones albums in this period too. Just a thought

ABB = best since Tattoo. NOT EVEN CLOSE.

Very great album

Voted #2 for the year by Rolling Stone (though that's because of that idiot wenner)

I heard that Fancy Man Blues was recorded for ABB, is that true?

no

aslecs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ABB = best since Tattoo. NOT EVEN CLOSE.
>
> Very great album
>
> Voted #2 for the year by Rolling Stone (though
> that's because of that idiot wenner)


Every Stones' album since Dirty Work was called the best since...
I don't think ABB is better than any album released post TY, let alone pre TY.

Jochem Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe if Mick and Keith did not need to made these
> solo albums we would haven gotten classical
> Stones albums in this period too. Just a thought

think so too. seems to me that the best tracks from Wandering Spirit together with the best ones from Main Offender represent the lost classic Stones album between Steel Wheels and Voodoo Lounge...however the Stones just 'forgot' to record it.

Unlike say Bob Dylan, for example, the Stones are very rarely very intimate or revealing about themselves in their music/lyrics. Bob, (and a few other veteran artists) has managed over the years to incorporate a great deal more depth and meaning into his music, even if at times slightly ambiguously which has given his music more credibility and meaning. He makes music which goes beyond plugging in his guitar and playing the role of some raunchy juvenile obsessed guy he'd likely to have grown out of a good thirty years ago, his music is credible to who he is now, and so is in turn that much more believeable. The Stones meanwhile were perfectly in sinc with themselves up to their mid thirties but post Some Girls or at best post Tattoo You the gap has widened between their credibility and simply role playing.

Tracks such as Rough Justice and On No Not You Again may be Stones like in their style, but lyrically they seriously make me cringe. It wouldn't be so bad but when the Stones were genuinely young and virile they were never so blatant anyway, they were always far more elaborate and ingenious in their approach,putting their own unique spin on things.

'Staring down your tits' - give me a break!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-01-05 10:14 by Edward Twining.

i know its only a bigger bang but i like it!

I'm really happpy with the existence of the album, but I do have doublesided feelings about it.

On the downside (always end positive ;-)) there is indeed a question of relevance, as described by Edward Twining. I'm not aiming at very thoughtful midlifecrisis retrospect trauma-lyrics, but time is something that could add meaning, and that, in turn, could be reflected in songs. But on the other hand, the Stones are a fun band too, tongue in cheeck, humour, agressive, plain ignorance and shallowness... it's part of them, of their quality (a GREAT qualty). They don't require literary quality-lyrics. I mean, who cares what the lyrics to Out Of Control are? The song, the music, THAT is literaly out of control already!

But, I just don't feel that Rough Justice and Oh No Not You Again have the lightheartedness and humour to be added to the fun-category: it all sounds a bit forced, lyricswise, and the way the songs are sung. I think that for the first time ever, they thought about what to do, instead of just DID what they felt like, instinctwise. And if you already CAN do something, why think about how you should do it?

I miss the sincerity of No Expectations, the despair of Worried About You, the sinful pleasure of She's So Cold, the pain and anger of All About You... just that a song has a theme, and no matter what that theme is, that this theme is consequently and thoroughly worked out to the point that everything in the song breathes what it is about...

Not all songs on ABB lack this, but there are not enough songs on the album that really, really grab me, songs that make me want to tattoo them into my mind next to Let It Loose and How Can I Stop. FEELING. All Stones albums have songs that are the reason that at certain moments, I just HAVE to play the album because of somehting I feel, saw or experienced. ABB does not, not until now anyway, and therefor to me does not have relevance yet. But I sinceryly hope that this is my mistake and due to change.

But then, on ABB there are many songs that are far enough above par, that really are more than good enough to enjoy fully and intensely: Laugh, It Won't Take Long, This Place, Radar, We Don't Wanna Go Home, Back Of My Hand, Let Me Down Slow and so on...

Well, that last bit was the positive side, but what can I say? It's a great thing to listen to. Not any words needed for that! I'll play it next, after Bruce/Magic, I promis!

Jelle

Edward Twining Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Unlike say Bob Dylan, for example, the Stones are
> very rarely very intimate or revealing about
> themselves in their music/lyrics. Bob, (and a few
> other veteran artists) has managed over the years
> to incorporate a great deal more depth and meaning
> into his music, even if at times slightly
> ambiguously which has given his music more
> credibility and meaning. He makes music which goes
> beyond plugging in his guitar and playing the role
> of some raunchy juvenile obsessed guy he'd likely
> to have grown out of a good thirty years ago, his
> music is credible to who he is now, and so is in
> turn that much more believeable. The Stones
> meanwhile were perfectly in sinc with themselves
> up to their mid thirties but post Some Girls or at
> best post Tattoo You the gap has widened between
> their credibility and simply role playing.
>
> Tracks such as Rough Justice and On No Not You
> Again may be Stones like in their style, but
> lyrically they seriously make me cringe. It
> wouldn't be so bad but when the Stones were
> genuinely young and virile they were never so
> blatant anyway, they were always far more
> elaborate and ingenious in their approach,putting
> their own unique spin on things.
>
> 'Staring down your tits' - give me a break!

Totally agree.... i know, i KNOW that it was 30 years ago, times have changed etc etc but hell...play Rocks Off, Casino Boogie, Moonlight Mile, Dead Flowers, Torn and Frayed, Midnight Rambler etc etc over Rough Justice, Driving Too Fast - i mean, i can't write lyrics for toffee but what the hell happened? Jag and Rich used to write such witty inventive and authentic lyrics and now they write stuff like 'once i was your little rooster, now i'm just one of your cocks'!? - boybands can't even make stuff like that up!!

casinoboogie Wrote:
> Jag and Rich used to write
> such witty inventive and authentic lyrics and now
> they write stuff like 'once i was your little
> rooster, now i'm just one of your cocks'!? -
> boybands can't even make stuff like that up!!

Personally, I think that is one of the better lyrics "the Jag" has come up with in quite a while, a playful reference to his/their own past and present age. IMHO.

And you're right - boybands can't even make stuff like that up ;-)

>> a playful reference to ... their own past and present age. <<

same here - i'm not so sure it's Mick who wrote it, but i like it!
i don't have any problem with the Stones staring down my tits either :E

I listened to it straight for the first month or two it came out then never listened to it again. Seems to have dated real quick once the excitement of having a new Stones album wore off. Little thought or effort went into it, just to have new product to tour. The fact that it was so poorly represented live compared to Voodoo Lounge or Bridges To Babylon shows how little the band itself must think of it.

> If ABB had been the debut release of a young 20
> something band it would have been hailed as the
> next big thing, Grammy Award, etc..

And the people on this group would be using it as an example of how bad popular music is today.

<2.Fight [worst song on the album; guitar solo repeated from Too Tough]>

Personally, I like Fight. Great in-your-face rock´n´roll. But you´re right about the little bridge, which has rythm guitars awful similar to Too Tough (but not the stellar guitar solo by Keith?). Great vocals and great playing IMO.