After the self parody of 'It's Only Rock N Roll' we can all understand and appreciate The Rolling Stones attempts at diversification, can't we? Do you, dear reader, have any problems with their diversification? Well, let's take 'Dance Pt 1'. The music sort of carries of from parts of 'Some Girls'. You know, that disco/soul groove? Mick sings. Now, that's important. The fact of Mick Jagger singing immediately places the name Rolling Stones in the listeners mind. Ultimately, the voice of Mick Jagger both made The Rolling Stones ( in the sixites ), and held them back ( in the mid to late seventies ), simply because of the familiarity everybody has with his voice. Try and divorce the vocals this album contains from the music, for a second. Imagine this as an album of instrumentals by an unknown or little known band, that the singer has yet to lend his voice too. Try this, it works. So, the semi-reggae of 'Send It To Me'. So, the pub-rock of 'Summer Romance'. Neither backing track convinces. Both are professional and competent, but rock n roll excitement? Danger Soul Well, not for my money. Of course, put back in the Jagger vocals and especially the Jagger vocals for 'Send It To Me' and everything returns to how it should be. Well, more or less. Jagger's performance is both classic Jagger and faintly ridiculous. Pure entertainment, ultimately. Thus, 'Send It To Me' becomes family entertainment, something for everyone. Well, I gather the punk rockers were hardly impressed. They ( the punk rockers ) may have been secretly impressed by the seemingly ( and amazingly ) indesructable Keith Richards, but not likely too impressed with the likes of this 'Emotional Rescue' album. It's really deeply average work. That's whether it's a Rolling Stones album, or not. Quite frankly, unless you're a rabid fan, the fact of this being a Rolling Stones album is mostly irrelevant to its actual quality.
Oh, I quite enjoy 'Let Me Go', it sounds like The Rolling Stones. 'Indian Girl' is kind of sweet, Mick does one of his usual Mick ballad things. 'Down In The Hole' is a welcome return to gritty reality, a return to the blues. This is an interesting thing, actually. Best song here for me, it sounds genuine. Sounds like the group doing it for the right reasons, rather than out of habit, or following fashion, or whatever other myriad reasons they actually were doing it for.
Dance Pt 1 / Summer Romance / Send It To Me / Let Me Go / Indian Girl / Where The Boys Go / Down In The Hole / Emotional Rescue / She's So Cold / All About You
Oh, I quite enjoy 'Let Me Go', it sounds like The Rolling Stones. 'Indian Girl' is kind of sweet, Mick does one of his usual Mick ballad things. 'Down In The Hole' is a welcome return to gritty reality, a return to the blues. This is an interesting thing, actually. Best song here for me, it sounds genuine. Sounds like the group doing it for the right reasons, rather than out of habit, or following fashion, or whatever other myriad reasons they actually were doing it for.
Dance Pt 1 / Summer Romance / Send It To Me / Let Me Go / Indian Girl / Where The Boys Go / Down In The Hole / Emotional Rescue / She's So Cold / All About You