Immediately before spending my listening /reviewing time on 'Bridges To Babylon' I listened to some of the classic Stones hits to get myself some perspective on this release. It had me yearning that even just one song on this latest stones LP had one of those great simple Keef riffs on it. I do realise all The Rolling Stones are now 60ish, grandads, etc. Of course I realise that but with a band like The Stones it's tempting to imagine your own ideal new Stones release and how it would sound. Personally, i'd like a couple of songs based on a single Keef riff. I'd like them to really go down that blues route on other songs, make a concerted and serious artistic effort that sounded different to other stones LPs. Well, either that or a silly, dirty and playful Stones LPs where Mick, Keef and co comes across as deliberately taking the micky out of themselves and having fun with peoples expectations of them. Oh, and i'd also like this imaginary Stones album to come in at around 50 minutes playing time maximum rather than the hour plus of 'Bridges To Babylon'. We can all dream, you will have your own idea of what kind of album these latter day Rolling Stones could make. Let us know, it'll be fun! Anyhoo, 'Bridges' gets off to a fine one-two start with the energy of 'Flip The Switch' and the great if entirely unoriginal stones balladry of the fairly swoonsome 'Anybody Seen My Baby'. Other highlights abound such as the guitar of the aggressive 'Gunface', the nice 'Always Suffering', Mick sings well and it's a good Stones song, no question of that. Love the country style harmonising on this number! Still, too many other songs here are, in a word, merely tasteful. Since when were the stones supposed to be that?
The beginning moog type sounds during 'Might As Well Get Juiced' briefly threaten to turn the song into 'Who Are You' by The Who. Sadly it turns into a Stones by numbers piece where Mick tries to sound dangerous and dirty and spectacularly fails to do so. The song drags by for a near five and a half minutes without any particular inticing melodic themes and it's some relief when the song finally ends. 'Might As Well Get Juiced' is one of an astonishing 6 songs on the album that top five minutes in length. Get back to basics, guys! Get your songs down to a snappy three or four minutes. Or, go the whole hog and do a ten minute, multi-part epic. Show some ambition!! Goddamit. Do something interesting!! In summary then, 'Bridges To Babylon' has its moments but has much needless filler too. An album lasting 62 minutes may well be perceived as providing value for money, especially three years since the previous Stones LP. But, but, BUT! Cutting off a good three songs, fifteen minutes would have made this a much tighter and more enjoyable overall listen. Oh, final note. The closing 'How Can I Stop' is simply dreary. My panel of three children I dragged in off the street varying from ages four through to eleven found it alternately, "boring", "not hip hop" and "too slow". Two of the three hadn't even heard of The Rolling Stones. I leave you with those thoughts ringing through your mind. Or, possibly not. You've already switched off and stopped reading? You're reaching for your Usher CD already. Lets start a campaign to get Dr Dre to produce the next Stones LP!
Flip The Switch / Anybody Seen My Baby / Low Down / Already Over Me / Gunface / You Don't Have To Mean It / Out Of Control / Saint Of Me / Might As Well Get Juiced / Always Suffering / Too Tight / Theif In The Night / How Can I Stop
The beginning moog type sounds during 'Might As Well Get Juiced' briefly threaten to turn the song into 'Who Are You' by The Who. Sadly it turns into a Stones by numbers piece where Mick tries to sound dangerous and dirty and spectacularly fails to do so. The song drags by for a near five and a half minutes without any particular inticing melodic themes and it's some relief when the song finally ends. 'Might As Well Get Juiced' is one of an astonishing 6 songs on the album that top five minutes in length. Get back to basics, guys! Get your songs down to a snappy three or four minutes. Or, go the whole hog and do a ten minute, multi-part epic. Show some ambition!! Goddamit. Do something interesting!! In summary then, 'Bridges To Babylon' has its moments but has much needless filler too. An album lasting 62 minutes may well be perceived as providing value for money, especially three years since the previous Stones LP. But, but, BUT! Cutting off a good three songs, fifteen minutes would have made this a much tighter and more enjoyable overall listen. Oh, final note. The closing 'How Can I Stop' is simply dreary. My panel of three children I dragged in off the street varying from ages four through to eleven found it alternately, "boring", "not hip hop" and "too slow". Two of the three hadn't even heard of The Rolling Stones. I leave you with those thoughts ringing through your mind. Or, possibly not. You've already switched off and stopped reading? You're reaching for your Usher CD already. Lets start a campaign to get Dr Dre to produce the next Stones LP!
Flip The Switch / Anybody Seen My Baby / Low Down / Already Over Me / Gunface / You Don't Have To Mean It / Out Of Control / Saint Of Me / Might As Well Get Juiced / Always Suffering / Too Tight / Theif In The Night / How Can I Stop