THE ROLLING STONES - HACKNEY DIAMONDS
Amongst the groups that surely will go down as the best bands of all time lies The Rolling Stones. Leaders of the British Invasion movement of rock in the 1960s, The Rolling Stones became a world-renowned name that would bloom into an entire brand composed of not only music but also merchandise and a whole media franchise. As time has gone on, we’ve lost many of the original members but we’ve been lucky enough to keep Keith Richards (guitar), Mick Jagger (vox), and Ronnie Wood (bass, rhythm guitar). Bringing along drummer Steve Jordan (drums) in replace of the late Charlie Watts (long live the king), the band has released their 26th American studio album (24th British) titled Hackney Diamonds. Hackney Diamonds, in a nutshell, is not only a work of great teamwork but also a collection that’s representative of how far The Rolling Stones have come. Two tracks off the twelve song record that stuck out above the rest were Bite My Head Off (track four) and Rolling Stone Blues (track twelve).
In Bite My Head Off, the band brought on the esteemed Paul McCartney, former bassist of The Beatles. McCartney’s addition to the now-four piece was a surprising feature, but a great one at that. His revolutionary style on the bass gives the song a more hard-core rhythmic foundation that melds flawlessly with the other instrumental approaches, which is quite comical considering the fact that The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were huge rivals in the 1960s. Rolling Stone Blues was certainly nostalgic (even though I’m the ripe age of 19, having never witnessed their music being “new” until now). Reminiscent of works off their 1969 album Let It Bleed, this song is the essence of the band through and through. It’s bluesy (as stated in the title), intoxicating, and possesses that “honky tonk” vibe they seem to always hit on the nail.
Guitarist Keith Richards has spoken out about his arthritis and how it’s changed the way he plays, especially in regard to this new record, and that is abundantly clear when you compare the rest of their discography to Hackney Diamonds. Though different, the guitar parts given by Richards still manage to be nothing short of killer and this serves as a vital pillar of the album, just as it has all these years.
After Hackney Diamonds, The Rolling Stones in all their glory plan to go on tour (dates yet to be announced), which many are assuming will be their final go on the road before retirement. This band will (and arguably already has) go down in history as one of the greatest alongside other acts such as Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, and others due to their innovation and revolutionary impact on music and culture itself. I can only imagine what their gone-but-not-forgotten members are thinking now about the fact that their band is still kicking in 2023.
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