Hackney Diamonds. The Rolling Stones

Man, whoever wrote that all artists over 40 can better retire, is proven wrong by a bunch of senior citizens that rock as hard as in their heyday. Hackney Diamonds is the best The Rolling Stones record since it released 'Tattoo You' in 1981. Slowly but surely, with every spin of the record I'm starting to be convinced that the new album will be up there with the best of them. 'A Bigger Bang' would be far more suitable as a title then band's previous album with original material.

What strikes me most, is the fact that age doesn't seem  to get a grip on Mick Jagger's voice. Where Paul and Bob are afflicted with a voice ravaged with wear and tear, Mick sounds like he always has. He may even sing better then say 50 years ago. Having turned 80 last summer, he is at an age where most men are seriously ageing or are not around any more. Mick is rocking alright and he managed to get the band in full tow.

The second thing that struck me is the urgency of Hackney Diamonds. The album contains so much energy. In the album announcement with Jimmy Fallon the three remaining members indicated they wanted to rock hard and that is exactly what they are doing, with a relatively small team but a host of guests, all as surprising as they are famous. I mean, a Beatle on a Stones record? That is a novelty, just like Lady Gaga receiving a credit for the duet she sings with Jagger, 'Sweet Sound Of Heaven'.

The question, that I cannot answer, is what was the role of producer Andrew Watt? Besides playing and singing on several songs and receiving writing credits(!!!), what did he do to make the band stretch itself into this level of energy and urgency? The Glimmer Twins and Don Was are not in sight and this may have brought the band out of its comfort zone. With glimmering result, I may add. It is the band who decided not to self-produce and turn to Watt. It's a decision that truly paid off. The album sounds extremely good as well.

My fourth comments is on the guitar work. Keith and Ronny weave their guitars as they always do but also make their point regularly. There's no playing for the sake of it. Both play great and are in the form to deliver great work. Most of the time they play the bass as well. Keith has done this often in the past and Ronny started his career as bass player in The Birds and The Jeff Beck Group in the 1960s before surfacing as lead guitarist in The Faces a few years later.

The absolute highlight of Hackney Diamonds is 'Sweet Sounds Of Heaven'. The Stones tap into soul and even gospel once again with great result. This is the best song of the band in decades. Hits are beyond the grasp of the band, but this ought to be a worldwide number one hit. They do not come better in 2023 than 'Sweet Sounds Of Heaven' does. Lady Gaga does great, certainly, but what if a real gospel singer had sang in her stead? To think that the song could even have been better. Think 'Gimme Shelter' quality where the singer is not at the outer reach of her vocal range? The fact I'm writing this, brings to mind that I had never expected to hear a new song by this band, that, when all is said and done, is one of my favourites ever, could compete with my favourites by it. 'Sweet Sounds Of Heaven' is utterly amazing.

What is also noticeable, is that the band refrained from the use of long time associated members, Chuck Leavell, Bernard Fowler and Darryl Jones. In my opinion Jones ought to have been made a member 30 years ago. I wonder why but I'm not complaining listening to the outcome. Jones was on stage at the live presentation in NYC on 20 October I noticed. The other two were not.

Time can only tell where Hackney Diamonds will truly stand in my list of favourite Stones albums, fact is it has entered pretty high. It all ends with a nod to the band's earliest past. A mono rendition of Muddy Waters' 'Rolling Stone Blues'. Muddy's heirs will certainly profit from the band's nod to their origin and name, "I'm gonna be a rolling stone".

(The Japanese version, see my post an travelling in Japan of two days ago, ends with the band's 2020 single 'Living In A Ghost Town'. A nice single but it is an example of The Rolling Stones since 1989's 'Steel Wheels'. The contrast is huge with the rest of Hackney Diamonds.)

Can a The Rolling Stones fan be a lot more happy than with Hackney Diamonds? I doubt it. If this was it, although the band hinted there were a lot more songs recorded than are found on Hackney Diamonds, The Stones will go out with a big bang. One I did not think it had it in it any more. It does and how. Hackney Diamonds is a great album. So, please don't get angry with me!

Wout de Natris