To borrow a line from Public Enemy, don’t believe the hype. The new Rolling Stones album is not their best work since their 1968-72 Salad Days, or Some Girls for that matter, but Hackneyed Diamonds is their best in decades. That’s a remarkable feat, given their octogenarian status and the loss of drummer Charlie Watts in 2021 -- pretty high praise from someone who’s not the biggest Stones fan. That would be my sister, Donna, but that’s her story.
With guest slots by Sirs Paul McCartney and Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Lady Gaga, those bad ole boys have delivered a quality recording rooted in trademarked riff-based songs with driving rhythms and superb vocals and snarls by 80-year-old Mick Jagger. Sobriety has served Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards well; their playing is spot on. I believe Keef quit smoking also, and his backing vocals and lead on his solo number are equally impressive – rough and ready.
Having listened to HD more than a few times now, it’s clear the band put a lot of work into making this, digging into their blues/rock/pop roots to make a modern-sounding recording. It’s vintage Stones but far from dated and there's not a bad song on it.
Much of the credit for that goes to 32-year-old Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt — who has worked with artists ranging from Post Malone and Justin Bieber to Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, and Eddie Vedder. For instance, the tune Mess it Up sounds like a danceable number you’d hear on the Spotify Top 100, and the melody on Driving Me to Hard also sounds fresh.
Watt's an accomplished guitarist as well and his thumbprint is all over this, lending bass, guitar, keyboards, and vocals (obvious on Mess it Up) and sharing writing credits on three tracks -- Angry, Get Close, and Depending on You. I read somewhere he’s also a Stones fanatic and wore a different RS tee in the studio every day.
Talk about a dream gig. It’s akin to Jimmy Iovine being called into engineer one Easter Weekend in the 70s only to find they were recording Bruce Springsteen's landmark album, Born to Run, but I digress.
By now, most of you have heard the first song, Angry with Me….give it a few more listens to appreciate the guitar work here – it’s good chit. Meanwhile, Live By the Sword features a cameo of Watts and former bassist Bill Wyman and EJ on piano and a classic Stones riff that will kick in some memory cells.
Other highlights include the bluesy acoustic “Dreamy Skies” and the strongest Richards vocal in decades on “Tell Me Straight. While “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” with Wonder and Gaga shoots for gospel ballad status, her over-singing and lack of nuance are the only blemish on this overall excellent recording. But then, it’s only rock-n-roll.
Charlie’s absence is huge, but his presence looms large as his death prompted Mick and Keith to get back to the studio after the Stone’s last tour. Meanwhile, drummer Steve Jordan, having played with Richards extensively in the past and filling in for Watts on that tour, steps into the rhythm, faithfully preserving the Stones' distinctive beat.
The album comes full circle with "Rolling Stone Blues," Jagger and Richards pay homage to their roots, giving it that bluesy, rough-around-the-edges vibe, interchanging notes on guitar and harmonica. It's a nod to where it all began, and if this is the Stones' grand finale, it's a good way to go out.
But don't get too sentimental. They recorded enough tracks for a follow-up album. And the Stones will likely keep rolling til the last wheel falls off.
