No use in crying? I dunno, does me good sometimes, but nevermind that. The Stones reach into the eighties by doing 'Start Me Up', a Stones song with a classic Stones riff that bar the recording quality, could have been released in 1965 for all the difference it made. That it was released in 1981 means it isn't quite given its due satisfaction, to loan a phrase. It's use by Microsoft to launch, what was it, Windows 95, hardly helps. "You make a grown man cry"? Most Microsoft software does! Anyway, ignoring my career vaguely related to computing for a moment, how about this Rolling Stones album? Well, it's a lot more enjoyable than many of their other albums. Even 'Hang Five', very eighties, very 'late period stones', manages not to embarrass and manages to be decently catchy and 'stuff'. And, if this review isn't informal and chatty enough for you, then what review is? Hey, I pride myself on this kind of crap! Three songs in, 'Slave' being very listenable too, you start to wonder? You know, have the Stones hit upon something here, a way forward through the 80's - but sadly they didn't. Just a moment here and there. Still, 'keef' sounds good throughout as does Mick. That's most of the battle won. Even ridiculous material such as 'Tops', some kind of semi-preacher, semi-pleading, semi-love song performance from Mick, sounds very listenable. That's enough for me. If I can sit through an album, even an album where material such as 'Tops' is hardly 'Gimmie Shelter', yet enjoy myself throughout? That's enough for me.
'Worried About You' opens with very 80s synth sounds. Mick does a high falsetto, silly vocal. 'No Use In Crying' is fake Eighties soul, but we can't have everything. 'Neighbours' isn't actually a Stones version of the popular Australian soup, sorry, soap opera - rather a little dumb rock song that's very simple. So simple, so much of Mick shouting ridiculously, that you can't help yourself but like it despite yourself. 'Heaven'? Oooh, bland middle of the road! 'Little T&A'? Oooh, guitar! To be truthful, a lot of the material here IS average, but all of it is infused with something, a belief. They coast, but the sound they achieve here is more pleasing to Stones fans than some of their attempts at diversification. Yeah, 'Start Me Up' is a classic. Yeah, 'Black Limosine' is a super fine blues work-out. You know, this is mostly nearly all decent stuff. That doesn't sound entirely positive, I realise, but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. An '8'.
Start Me Up / Hang Five / Slave / Little T&A / Black Limosine / Neighbours / Worried About You / Tops / Heaven / No Use In Crying / Waiting For A Friend
'Worried About You' opens with very 80s synth sounds. Mick does a high falsetto, silly vocal. 'No Use In Crying' is fake Eighties soul, but we can't have everything. 'Neighbours' isn't actually a Stones version of the popular Australian soup, sorry, soap opera - rather a little dumb rock song that's very simple. So simple, so much of Mick shouting ridiculously, that you can't help yourself but like it despite yourself. 'Heaven'? Oooh, bland middle of the road! 'Little T&A'? Oooh, guitar! To be truthful, a lot of the material here IS average, but all of it is infused with something, a belief. They coast, but the sound they achieve here is more pleasing to Stones fans than some of their attempts at diversification. Yeah, 'Start Me Up' is a classic. Yeah, 'Black Limosine' is a super fine blues work-out. You know, this is mostly nearly all decent stuff. That doesn't sound entirely positive, I realise, but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. An '8'.
Start Me Up / Hang Five / Slave / Little T&A / Black Limosine / Neighbours / Worried About You / Tops / Heaven / No Use In Crying / Waiting For A Friend