The Rolling Fuckin' Stones

[E.H. Ruddock]

Yeah, my first Stones music, other than what was on the radio, was Hot Rocks. I listened to that hundreds of times but never went back to listen to the full albums for decades. A few years ago I thought I should listen to the 68-78 era albums and bought them and listened nonstop. It isn’t until right now that I am starting from the beginning and working my way through. They are incredible.

I am really enjoying your reviews. I like when a user goes through an artist's full catalogue.

I am too. Thank you liebzz

Thank you! I am more glad that people haven’t asked me to shut the hell up already.

no way. These are great, keep it up. you inspired me to do this with the Cars, but I got lazy after the first album.

[liebzz]

Black and Blue - so it’s not the best Stones album by any stretch, but there is a lot to like here. In the second of what was a 2 album slide where the songs reached for a more of the moment sound maybe? But despite there being, say, Memory Motel, which seemed sort of bland, they also added a lot of interesting touches, I guess from all the guest musicians popping up. Hand of Fate was the top track and really the Stones you want and love, but I also enjoyed Hey Negrita, Melody, Crazy Mama and Fool to Cry. I also appreciate the effort on Cherry Oh Baby and Hot Stuff even though they don’t quite fit them. This is now their second crossroads in a long career where you could imagine you didn’t know quite what’s next (Their Satanic Majesties Request being the first) and I am quite glad they will answer that bell in spades on the next album, which similarly serves to redeem this little sidetrack.

[knee tunes]

I have to give a shout out to Ventilator Blues from Exile here
https://youtu.be/zwsl-SuOEXc

[liebzz]

Some Girls - I read a few notes somewhere that this was considered a return to form come back album, but I think it leaps forward and is really their raunchiest album to date. Miss You is a great single and every song on this album is great, save for Faraway Eyes, which is a weird attempt to parody country. When the Whip Comes Down and Lies are some serious rock music. My favorite song on the album may be Shattered which has some serious Stones swagger going on. This is probably the best so far outside of the four album run I mentioned above.

Oh and their cover of Just My Imagination is incredible, especially once they get into the breakdown in the second half of the song.

[spike]

faraway eyes is great!

[knee tunes]

press play and listen for just at least 29 seconds

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

"Dance" is the shit.

The only "disco rock" that does it for me.

[liebzz]

Emotional Rescue - I had to listen to parts of this twice because some of it is just not that memorable. That being said, it’s still pretty solid, even though you can hear them heading into cruise control. Some Girls was great because it was challenging and pushed some boundaries without them losing the essence of their sound. There’s less of that here but plenty of fun to be had. Dance (Pt. 1) is them at their disco best. And there’s a good run of songs from Down in the Hole/Emotional Rescue/ She’s So Cold. Nothing else is bad, but not particularly great either.

[knee tunes]

"Dance" is the shit.

The only "disco rock" that does it for me.

Agree except for also Shakedown Street

[knee tunes]

Emotional Rescue -.

^Send it to Me

[liebzz]

Emotional Rescue -.

^Send it to Me

Yeah that wasn’t a bad attempt at reggae. In terms of degree though, it still doesn’t hold up to their better stuff.

[liebzz]

Tattoo You - this album might be a collection of b-sides and castaways from the prior albums in the 70s, but it is one of their finest to date, save for the 4 album run I have noted on a number of occasions. I particularly enjoyed some the two slightly off kilter tracks Slave and Heaven, but also you get your Stones jollies in spades with Start Me Up, Hang Fire, Neighbors and Worried About You. Black Limousine was also one of my favorites with fire spitting blues licks up and down the place. Waiting on a Friend seemed like the perfect closing song and sort of hangs out there like closure to a great era of Stones music. Whether that holds up to be the case I will let you know with Undercover and Dirty Work coming next.

[liebzz]

Undercover - so I think this album starts off well and good with 3 strong tracks in Undercover (Of the Night), She Was Hot, and Tie You Up (the Pain of Love)...and then it mostly collapses. Wanna Hold You was okay, but then Feel On Baby and Too Much Blood were cringe worthy. Pretty Beat Up and Too Tough sound like a Rolling Stones songs that have been photocopied too many times and all the lines are blurred. All the Way Down was okay until the weird breakdowns. But the album I though finished strong with It Must Be Hell. So an uneven album which I guess makes sense since Mick and Kieth were feuding during this time.

[liebzz]

Dirty Work - this is the first Stones album in the run that I have actively disliked. My immediate thought was Human Touch 6 years earlier. The music is, to my ears, very generic and derivative of that bad weird 80s period it seems a lot of bands went through. The vocals are probably what remind me of Human Touch the most because they are abrasive and frighteningly upfront. It’s as if yelling into the mic with vigor makes up for a crappy record. All that being said, Had It With You is the one redeeming track. Sad when the best song is a :33 piano cover of Key to the Highway.

[knee tunes]

Pfft. Just now found out that Harlem Shuffle is a cover. LOVE that song

[LetMeSleep]

A guilty pleasure of mine is One Hit to the Body.

[liebzz]

A guilty pleasure of mine is One Hit to the Body.

When I heard this song I immediately wondered and discounted whether it was on the Rocky III soundtrack.

[liebzz]

Steel Wheels - while this album is a tremendous improvement over the prior two, I would say I enjoyed about 2/3 of it while some seemed to suffer from the same 80s decisions that mired the prior two. The entire first half to me was mostly fantastic, except for Blinded by Love, which I wasn’t feeling. But it was nice to hear the Stones, much more seemingly playing all together, busting out Sad Sad Sad and Hold On To Your Hat. The second half was not as strong, though the one song that had a lot of that weird 80s tinny artificial elements but still sounded great was Continental Drift. Break the Spell was also fantastic. In the end, this was a good effort where they clearly lived as more of a unit than they did for most of the 80s...on to the 90s next.

[oasisfan35]

Steel Wheels - while this album is a tremendous improvement over the prior two, I would say I enjoyed about 2/3 of it while some seemed to suffer from the same 80s decisions that mired the prior two. The entire first half to me was mostly fantastic, except for Blinded by Love, which I wasn’t feeling. But it was nice to hear the Stones, much more seemingly playing all together, busting out Sad Sad Sad and Hold On To Your Hat. The second half was not as strong, though the one song that had a lot of that weird 80s tinny artificial elements but still sounded great was Continental Drift. Break the Spell was also fantastic. In the end, this was a good effort where they clearly lived as more of a unit than they did for most of the 80s...on to the 90s next.

Funny that at the time this was the 'Steel Wheelchairs Tour'

[liebzz]

Voodoo Lounge - I will start off by saying despite what I remember being negative reactions to this album when it came out, this is a good album that’s really just about 20 minutes too long. In fact, if they did take the weakest 20 mins off this album it would have been their best since Tattoo You. I enjoyed from Love Is Strong straight through I Go Wild. Add in Blinded By Rainbows, Baby Break It Down, and Mean Disposition and there you have an excellent album. Granted it’s nowhere near what they were in the 70s but that’s really an impossible bar to reach.