Featured Photo by The Rolling Stones
Story by Anna Leadingham
“Hackney Diamonds” by The Rolling Stones is their 24th studio album and the first album since “A Bigger Bang” in 2005. This is also the first album the band has put out since drummer Charlie Watts died in 2021 at the age of 80. The band’s first album in 18 years offers the listeners a series of surprise guests including Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Paul McCartney.
“Hackney Diamonds” was released Oct. 20, 2023. The album starts off great with the band’s single “Angry.” The single was released on September 6, 2023. The single was the first since “Living in a Ghost Town” (which was not on an album), that came out three years earlier. Jagger’s in-your-face attitude is alive and well just as it was in the 60’s. “Angry” sets off the tone for the whole album. It’s as if the single, just screams “We never left! We are The Rolling Stones!” It is also the first song on the album.
The accompanying music video featuring Sydney Sweeney accomplishes the same task. The video is of Sydney Sweeney riding around L.A. in a red Mercedes while the billboards show the band playing live in all different decades of their music. It’s as if the video wants you to know that “Hackney Diamonds” is just as good as anything else The Stones put out. It also causes viewers to reminisce about their favorite band and their favorite albums.
“Angry,” “Get Close to You” and “Depending on You” are the songs on the album that Mick Jagger and Kieth Richards collaborated with producer Andrew Watt. Andrew Watt has produced many pop stars such as Justin Bieber, 5 Seconds of Summer, Post Malone and Miley Cyrus among many others. This album is full of angst, but Watt gives the album a certain pop sheen to the songs that may not be necessarily needed.
“Get Close to You” has an amazing, syncopated drum beat done by Steve Jones who was personally chosen by late drummer Charlie Watts to play with the band he left behind. The saxophone fits perfectly in the track “James King” and is what makes the song so great. Elton John also plays piano on the track. Despite its weaker lyrics, the song is definitely a Stones tune.
“Depending On You” is more of a ballad. It kind of reminds me of “Wild Horses”. The lyrics are some of the best and it is definitely a highlight on the album. The slide guitar and melancholic sound create a mournful feeling within the listeners, and I think this would be a great next single. With “Now I’m too young for dying, and too young to lose,” I feel like some of this track embodies mortality and legacy. The acoustic guitar played by Keith Richards and Mick’s vocals are both on point. This is what you expect from The Rolling Stones. The magic that can be made between two strong creative forces.
The fourth track on “Hackney Diamonds” may be the most interesting. “Bite My Head Off” has the bass played by The Beatles Paul McCartney, which is so exciting to classic rock listeners everywhere. This song is the most ‘in your face’ song on the album. A bit of a punk song. The constant guitar riff demands attention, and the fact that McCartney plays on the track makes it an instant classic.
“Whole Wide World” is the weakest track on the album. There is nothing like a group of rich late 70 and 80-year-old rock stars telling you how hard the world is. This track sounds as if it should be on a Good Charlotte or Simple Plan album from the 2000’s. As older adults, it’s okay to experience angst, it’s not okay to express that angst the same way a 15-year-old would. It sounds too generic and force-fed.
“Dreamy Skies” sounds a bit country-like with Ron Wood playing slide guitar. A bit of a forgettable track about escaping from city life. The only thing that makes it a Rolling Stones song is Mick Jagger’s instantly identifiable voice. I do quite enjoy the harmonica playing done by Jagger.
“Mess It Up” is one of my favorite tracks on the new album. More of a pop song and something you could easily dance to while brushing your teeth and getting ready in the bathroom mirror. We can thank producer Andrew Watt’s pop-dance tune, as he has a very credible list of authentic pop hits. The drumming on this track comes from the late Charlie Watts who laid the drums down for this song back in 2019. Jagger sounds youthful here- and in a different way than he did in the song “Whole Wide World,” this is the vibe that the song needed.
“Live By the Sword” is also a song that Charlie Watts laid a drum track for. This song features Sir Elton John and Bill Wyman, who is The Rolling Stones’ former bass player. Elton John has an amazing electric piano performance that adds to the depth of the song, which is great but lyrically, the song sounds lazy. The lyrics here hardly matter- one could argue- with Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and Elton John, what more could you want?
“Driving Me Too Hard” is rather endearing. For most of the album Jagger is sneering and growling with attitude, here he swoons and lets his guard down a bit. The song is rooted in pop, but Keith Richard’s rawness does peek in allowing for some darkness to the light. The song sounds like one of those where Mick and Keith sat down in a room with an acoustic guitar and wrote it out together.
The last three tracks tie “Hackney Diamonds” up in a tight beautiful bow.
“Tell Me Straight” is the only song Keith Richards does main vocals for and yet it is by FAR one of the best songs on the album. Keith has such a bluesy tone to his voice. He sounds so vulnerable and sincere, and the melody of the song is top-notch. Richard’s vocals sound less polished and more natural and aged than Mick Jaggers, but isn’t that what we love about Keith Richards? We love the raw passion coming from the guitarist.
“Sweet Sounds of Heaven” features the gospel playing of Stevie Wonder and the vocals of Lady Gaga. The song is soulful and makes you want to restart the album just to get to this point. The harmony between Jagger and Gaga is perfect. The 7-minute and 22-second version is worth the listen. The song sounds like vintage Rolling Stones and will be an instant classic. If Church sounded like this, you wouldn’t miss a single Sunday!
“Rolling Stone Blues” is the perfect song to end the album on. Brian Jones named the band after the song before dying in 1969 at the age of 27. It’s everything the Stones were ever built on. This is the only cover on the album. Done originally by Muddy Waters, this song is downright sexy and dirty. The acoustic guitar played by Richards and Jagger’s soulful harmonica blowing brings you right back to the rhythm and blues songs men that The Rolling Stones were emulating back in the 60s and now.
These last few songs prove The Rolling Stones are timeless and that they are still relevant now and will be after they are all long gone.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Destiny Mizell, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, or follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines or on X at @MTSUSidelines.
