It must have been difficult being The Rolling Stones in 1983. You know, The Beatles were gods, because they stopped making music in 1970. You just carried on, facing and fighting the turning fashions, etc, etc. Carrying on for god knows what reason. Well, i'm glad they did carry on. Their critical standing may have been improved totally, if they had split up after 'Exile On Main Street', but then we would have been deprived the good material they did manage after that time. A decline, yes. Anybody would have faced to such a decline. Do you suppose The Beatles would still have been cutting edge in 1983? No, of course they wouldn't have been. So, neither were The Rolling Stones, yet they did produce music that was contemporary of sorts. This 'Undercover' album compares very favourably with the kind of music mainstream artists were producing in 1983. I'm old enough to remember what music was like in 1983. And, a test of any good album is simply to put it on random play and see what comes up. When nearly every song that does come up proves to be enjoyable, you know you're onto a winner. You see, me personally, i've little time for judging an artist against their past work, if I can help it. Rather, I judge them against every other album ever made, that I've actually heard. So, how does 'Undercover' compare to a Eurthymics or Duran Duran or Soft Cell or ABC of Depeche Mode album, circa 1983? Or, to make it clearer, circa any year since music began in stone age times and people were simply banging rocks together. Like, hey yeah, let's get it on guys with those groovy rhythms those rocks create! Bang, bang, bang. Etc, etc. Those guys were the REAL innovators!!!
Well, in such a spirit, 'Too Much Blood' is a disco monster, times ten. You might not want The Rolling Stones to produce a six minute long disco monster, but they did, and it's huge fun. Every song on this album is huge fun. Every single one. In fact, somewhat controversially, I think this is one of my favourite Rolling Stones albums simply in terms of how much FUN it is to listen to. Fun is important, music is meant to be entertainment, after all. Let's face it, if 'Undercover Of The Night' had been recorded in 1969, we'd all be hailing it as a masterpiece right now. Same for 'Start Me Up' from 'Tattoo You'. The fact is, play 'Undercover Of The Night' at top volume, at any kind of social event whatsoever, and people will dance and be happy to be hearing 'Undercover Of The Night'. That's fact!! Try it and see! True, there are a few songs on this album I could happily live without, yet equally, none of them are irritating or truly spoil the flow of this excellent album that is just fun to listen to. That's all this album is. It's fun to listen to. The songs are well constructed, well played. We've got rock music, pop music, disco music. Everything flows by very pleasingly.
Undercover Of The Night / She Was Hot / Tie You Up / Wanna Hold You / Feel On Baby / Too Much Blood / Pretty Beat Up / Too Tough / All The Way Down / It Must Be Hell
Well, in such a spirit, 'Too Much Blood' is a disco monster, times ten. You might not want The Rolling Stones to produce a six minute long disco monster, but they did, and it's huge fun. Every song on this album is huge fun. Every single one. In fact, somewhat controversially, I think this is one of my favourite Rolling Stones albums simply in terms of how much FUN it is to listen to. Fun is important, music is meant to be entertainment, after all. Let's face it, if 'Undercover Of The Night' had been recorded in 1969, we'd all be hailing it as a masterpiece right now. Same for 'Start Me Up' from 'Tattoo You'. The fact is, play 'Undercover Of The Night' at top volume, at any kind of social event whatsoever, and people will dance and be happy to be hearing 'Undercover Of The Night'. That's fact!! Try it and see! True, there are a few songs on this album I could happily live without, yet equally, none of them are irritating or truly spoil the flow of this excellent album that is just fun to listen to. That's all this album is. It's fun to listen to. The songs are well constructed, well played. We've got rock music, pop music, disco music. Everything flows by very pleasingly.
Undercover Of The Night / She Was Hot / Tie You Up / Wanna Hold You / Feel On Baby / Too Much Blood / Pretty Beat Up / Too Tough / All The Way Down / It Must Be Hell