Rolling Stones Hackney Diamonds

December 22, 2023

In my opinion, the Stones’ golden age (the 70s) ended in 1981 with Tattoo You. I have measured each studio album released over the last four decades (AKA late-period Stones) against their golden age and they have all fallen short. My reaction to each new album, over the last four decades is:

Likable – I can’t think of a late-period Stones album that I have hated, I have liked them all
Grateful – just happy they are still alive and capable of producing new material
Disappointed – although I like the new material, it never lives up to their best work
Forgettable – after a few weeks of listening it gets put on the shelf and rarely (if ever) listened to again
Surprising – on the rare occasion I have gone back to a post Tattoo You album, I have been surprised that it is much better than I remember

I like Hackney Diamonds. It is a grower: each rotation sounds a little better and I hear something new. It is as good, if not better than anything in their late period. I took the effort to listen to the six studio albums of new material released between Tattoo You and Hackney Diamonds to verify this was not recency bias – I confirmed it is better than some and about even with others. The late-period is better than I remembered, but not golden, it isn’t fair to compare late-period albums to the 70s masterpieces.

The Stones are giving their all to promote Hackney Diamonds. That being said, I bet only about 1% of the people who attended a Stones stadium show will give a shit about this album. This is a gift to hardcore fans.

The most remarkable thing is that Mick’s voice still sounds excellent and Keef and Ronnie still have some tasty riffs in their fingers. This is a respectable Stones album. Although, it lacks their classic danger (that has been the case for a long time), it is fun, and at least one song, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” belongs on my list of 50 best Stones songs (that is an aspirational list – I have yet to make it). This album sounds contemporary without pandering.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are is 80. Despite their age, as recently as 2021, when I last saw them live, they remained the greatest live rock band I have ever witnessed. Can the band pull off a late-career recording masterpiece the same way Dylan did at the age of 79 with Rough And Rowdy Ways? Hackney Diamonds is not a masterpiece and won’t overshadow the best in their catalog, but it is a solid Stones album.

My first listen to Hackney Diamonds didn’t hit me. It sounded like an AI version of the Stones with the “make it sound current” dial turned up to 10. But with each subsequent listen it sounds less contrived and is an excellent late-career artistic statement. There are a handful of songs that really resonate with me. It may not be their best since Tatoo You, but it is very satisfying to this old fan. Here is some track-by-track commentary:

“Angry” on the first listen evoked that AI-Stones reaction in me, but with each listen it sounds more naturally Stones to me. Plus it has an epic video.

“Get Close” has a nice contemporary Stones riff. Lots of guitars here. Wonderful sax solo from James King of Fitz and the Tantrums. Elton John is on piano, but he is really buried in the mix – I had to listen very carefully to hear him.

“Depending On You” is a gorgeous acoustic(ish) ballad – a little country. This is an amazing soulful rock vocal from Jagger – his pipes sound amazing (freakish for an 80-year-old rock star). Someone from Nashville needs to cover this.

“Bite My Head Off” is raunchy rock and roll riffs – almost punk rock. Sir Paul McCartney lays down the bass line throughout and has a wonderfully distorted bass solo during the bridge. Again, Jagger’s vocals are amazing. Keef and Ronnie are in a raucous guitar conversation, old dudes proving they still got it. The Replacements would be proud of the old coots.

“Whole Wide World” WTF Mick? What is this? At first, it sounded like a pop song, but the more I listen to it, it is a very clever rock song – damn Gaga should cover this. Lyrically, it has proletariat frustration, but it is also kind of a party anthem. This song that I first dismissed is pretty good.

“Dreamy Skies” is classic country Stones. Just a rock star who needs a break: “I just need some peace from the storm/I got to break away from it all.”

“Mess It Up” the song starts with what I assume is the Charlie Watts (drums) demo tracks – then it kicks into gear as the remaining members flesh it out. When you hear Charlie’s drums for the first time on this album with this song you realize how important he was to Stones’ sound. Interestingly, this is not a rock song but more of an R&B number.

“Live By the Sword” is graced by Bill Wyman (bass), Elton John (piano), and Charlie Watts (drums). You can hear Elton on this track and he sounds badass. But overall this is the least interesting track on the album.

“Driving Me Too Hard” is kind of country. This is a great example of the band sounding contemporary without embarrassing themselves.

“Tell Me Straight” is a gorgeous Keef ballad. He sounds beautifully vulnerable.

“Sweet Sounds of Heaven” is my favorite song on the album. It is classic gospel Stones and includes Lady Gaga on vocals and Stevie Wonder on piano. Below is an epic live performance promoting the album. Hot take: this is a top 50 Stones song. Magnificent.

“Rolling Stone Blues” – The Stones are the original Black Keys/White Stripes. It is easy to forget what a unique and genius interpretation of the blues the Stones are capable of. We are officially reminded of their special gift on this track.

If this is the band’s last studio album, it will be a beautiful goodbye.

Postscript: About 2 months after the release of Hackney Diamonds, the Stones have reissued the album on streaming services with bonus live tracks from their release day promo gig (10/20/23) at the celebrity-studded Racket NYC (e.g.: Christie Brinkley, Elvis Costello and Trevor Noah). It is a short show, seven songs: 3 classic and 4 from Hackney Diamonds. The band sounds fantastic: Keith and Ronnie have epic snarling guitar duels and Jagger sounds as good as ever. I have seen the Stones live several times, for me, Jagger is the greatest rock frontman of all time (sorry Prince and Bruce, you have your virtues too). The fact that he still has it at 80 is freakish. The voice has actually gotten sweeter. The live Hackney Diamonds songs rival the studio cuts. This is an energetic band – the Stones are the best.