Rolling Stones Hackneyed Diamonds

[The Knize]

Another rabbit hole I have promised myself not to go down.

But I was somewhat curious as to what others thought of this first album of new material in 18 years. To me, Jagger is in good voice, although there seems to me more manipulation of it, and the musicianship seems good. The songwriting does not seem very good to me much less relevant. I guess Jagger is annoyed. There is a song named Angry and one named Bite My Head Off.

This is not an original thought of mine, but the production seems odd and bad for the Stones. Someone seems to have polished away any grit/funk. I do not think that serves the Stones well at all.

Maybe it will grow on me. Seems like a footnote of an album.

 

[njpaddy]

I sampled a few songs off the Stones new album, but wasn't impressed. I had the early Stones LPs in the 60s and still think SATISFACTION is one of the top 5 R&R songs of all time. But like the Beatles with Sgt Pepper, the Stones lost me as a fan after Satanic. I will say that the Stones look they still put on a heck of live show.

 

[The Knize]

But like the Beatles with Sgt Pepper, the Stones lost me as a fan after Satanic.

You are truly not the standard Stones fan. You actually cut the Stones off before Brian Jones was pushed aside, but not much before, and definitely before Mick Taylor joined and they had one of the best series of albums ever by any group, at least Let It Bleed, Sticky Finger, and Exile, but arguably also Goat's Head and/or Ya Yas. I would argue that Beggars is in that series, although Brian was still around for a bit of that album. Also, for you, no Some Girls and no Tattoo You, two of my favorite Stones albums, but from the Ronnie Wood years. I, too, continue to really like the early, 60s Stones albums--in part because I really like Brian Jones--up through but not including Satanic, way more, for instance, than the guys in that Tastes Like Music view ranking all the Stones albums do.

It has been a long time since I have seen them live. I have seen videos, of course. I guess I have never been that big a fan of Jagger's on stage antics. Keith and Ronnie seem fun to watch. They never struck me as as good a live show as, say, Zep, the Who, or Springsteen. But even back in the day, I think they were a good live band. Satisfaction is a great rock and roll song. If I never heard it again, I could live with that though, at this point!

 

[Rushman2112]

So far I have only heard Angry, and I liked it - and the video. I have yet to get around to trying any more but the reviews in the UK press were generally ok. I've never got to see them live: we had tickets in 2002 or 2003 to see them in Bangkok when I was working there, and on the morning of the show it was cancelled as the plane with their gear on it from the previous show in India had some problem and they could not get there in time. Grrr!!!

 

[huck1680]

I like the album. After almost 20 years for these guys to put out another album of new material is amazing and also p***es me off. Think about all the other music they might have done had Jagger decided to "push" the others like he did this time.

 

[The Knize]

I like the album. After almost 20 years for these guys to put out another album of new material is amazing and also p***es me off. Think about all the other music they might have done had Jagger decided to "push" the others like he did this time.

Thanks for reporting in. I have yet to really get into it. I am a big Stones fan for the most part and probably like some of the more recent, if one can call albums issues over the last few decades recent! albums more than a lot of folks do, but this album has not grabbed me so far.

 

[njpaddy]

You are truly not the standard Stones fan.

I agree that I'm not a standard Stones fan, although I do like a lot of their older material. I always got bored with AM/FM stations in the 1960s playing the same groups/songs over and over. I always looked for music that wasn't as popular or played on top 40: folk, Zappa, Dead, punk, Celtic punk, Brubeck. Even in college in the 60s, I could put on music that would clear a room.

 

[TexLaw]

I haven't listened to the whole album. I've liked what I've heard, but I don't love it.

It kicks the heck out of "the last Beatles song," though.

 

[The Knize]

I haven't listened to the whole album. I've liked what I've heard, but I don't love it.

It kicks the heck out of "the last Beatles song," though.

I agree with that! And the video that goes with the latest Beatles exercise in AI seems hideoua.

I still need to listen to Hackneyed Diamonds more. I have just not been drawn into it, at all. which is unusual for me for a Stones album. I was going to say that I was more drawn to Bridges to Babylon and Bigger Bang, but when I look at the cut lists, all I really recognize is Has Anybody Seen My Baby, a cut I do not like much. I think I was drawn to virtually every album before that with the exception of Dirty Work. I liked Blue & Lonesome okay. I should force mysefl to listen to more HD.

 

[Tirvine]

@The Knize, I had a similar take on Hackneyed Diamonds, agree with you on the stretch of best Stones' albums (including Goat's Head Soup AND Ya-Ya's), and actually love two totally different sorts of the Stones, the aforementioned streak and early stuff more funky than pop. I love Spider and the Fly and Under Assistant West Coast Promo Man. I used to sing my kids to sleep with them.

 

[The Knize]

@The Knize, I had a similar take on Hackneyed Diamonds, agree with you on the stretch of best Stones' albums (including Goat's Head Soup AND Ya-Ya's), and actually love two totally different sorts of the Stones, the aforementioned streak and early stuff more funky than pop. I love Spider and the Fly and Under Assistant West Coast Promo Man. I used to sing my kids to sleep with them.

I do like that Mick Taylor stretch the best, with the exception of Goat's Head, but fopr "Coming Down" and "Angie," but I love the early stuff, too. I liked when Brian Jones still had input, except I do not love Satanic Majestis, for the most part. Things like "Spider," "Red Rooster," and more obscure things like "Can't Be Satisfied," "Blue to Gray," and "Singer not the Song" never get old to me! I think I would say that the Stones were a better blues band--as oppoosed to rock band--back in the day than they were on Blue & Lonesome. I am guessing that that was a lot Brian, but that Mick Jagger has probably lost something when it comes to pure blues.

<I used to sing my kids to sleep with them.>

You are a man after my own heart!

 

[Tirvine]

Blue Turns to Grey and It's the Singer Not the Song are so fine. Now I need to dig them out.

 

[The Knize]

From December's Children, to me an underrated album. Modern critics seem to love Aftermath, and dis the earlier albums. I love Aftermath, too, but I do not know that I need to hear "Goin' Home" ever again! And even though December's Children cuts were not all written by Jagger and Richards (actually, I think at the time it was "Richard"), I am not sure that affects how good the album is. I think the song selection on DC is great and the cuts all well-executed.