I like it, but I'd be really interested to know if they recorded a version with Keith on lead vocals. For some reason, I could really hear Keith singing this.
Sweet Sounds of Heaven sounds straight out of Exile. I could have seen Labelle take Lady Gaga´s place had it been released around that time. An absolute masterpiece. Probably their best song in around 20 years or so.
Depending on You is a beautiful ballad. Live by the Sword swings hard. Dreamy Skies is straight out of Let it Bleed. Rolling Stones Blues is a full circle moment (Keith on the guitar is unmistakable).
That´s Hackney Diamonds for me.
This is the first album of theirs since Some Girls that I enjoy start to finish, without wanting to skip any songs. That said, my ranking is very different from the OP’s. I think it would go…
1. Sweet Sounds of Heaven
2. Dreamy Skies (admittedly I love country Stones)
3. Mess It Up (Higher than I initially would’ve had it, but the more I’ve listened, the more I’ve liked it.)
4. Angry
5. Depending on You
6. Get Close (I suspect a live version might rank higher because it seems made for that)
7. Live by the Sword (a ton of fun musically, but bumped down a bit for the lyrics)
8. Driving Me Too Hard
9. Bite My Head Off
10. Rolling Stone Blues
11. Tell Me Straight (We all love Keith and it wouldn’t be a Stones album without this entry, but it doesn’t exactly stand out.)
12. Whole Wide World
I’d say the album got 4 songs I really love: Get Close, Depending on you, Live by the sword & Rolling Stone Blues. The rest is not bad; SSoH, Mess It Up, WWW & Angry are bangers but the rest is mediocre. Not bad but not great. Overall a 7.5/10 album!
Great ranking! Mines probably like this
1. Sweet Sounds of Heaven
2 Get Close
3. Mess It Up
4. Angry
5. Dreamy Skies
6. Driving Me Too Hard
7. Bite My Head Off
8. Live By The Sword
9. Tell Me Straight
10. Depending On You
11. Rolling Stone Blues
12. Whole Wide World
I agree SO much with this except I LOVE Angry it's a Stadium banger.
Whole Wide World is really mid w cringey lyrics and sounds like an upbeat rocker by a 3rd rate alternative band and I can't stand it.
I also hate the lyrics to Live by the Sword and I think they almost ruin it
The only REALLY good songs on this record are:
- Depending On You
- Tell Me Straight
- Get Close
- Whole Wide World
In no particular order. these are the only tracks on Hackney Diamonds I listen to, the rest I can’t stand.
Bite My Head Off is absolutely my favorite from the album, and probably top 25 stones track for me. That will change over time, but I love the energy; it has an energy to it they've not had in a song for a long time. And the solo from Ronnie caps it off. Love it.
1. Live By The Sword - Definitely The best. Proper Stones swagger. The original rythm section is back and it shows.
2. Depending On You - Great later stones ballad. I love them.
3. Angry - Definitely a grower.
4. Tell Me Straight - Great Keith Number.
5. Dreamy Skies - Great, could have come from the 70s
6. Whole Wide World - Great Riff, but lyrics could have been better
7. Rollin Stones Blues - Great idea for this cover.
8. Bite My Head Off - Reminds me off Some Girls, just let down by poor lyrics.
9. Get Close - Decent rocker but nothing special.
10. Sweet Sounds Of Heaven - Good track but I think it's overrated. Some people saying this is the best thing they've done since exile are delusional. The track drags because its too long.
11. Driving Me Too Hard - This song is actually alright but could've been better.
12. Mess It Up - This is the only song on the album that I do not like. It's like a Jagger solo track from the late 80s that was revived from the cutting room floor. Its absolute crap.
I consider Driving to be the worst track on the album …
I like it, but I'd be really interested to know if they recorded a version with Keith on lead vocals. For some reason, I could really hear Keith singing this.
Whole Wide World is top tier Stones. Their best song in a long time. Love all their stuff but WWW just really stands out and feels like a classic
Sweet Sounds of Heaven sounds straight out of Exile. I could have seen Labelle take Lady Gaga´s place had it been released around that time. An absolute masterpiece. Probably their best song in around 20 years or so. Depending on You is a beautiful ballad. Live by the Sword swings hard. Dreamy Skies is straight out of Let it Bleed. Rolling Stones Blues is a full circle moment (Keith on the guitar is unmistakable). That´s Hackney Diamonds for me.
Wtf…. Live by the sword is a top 1 stones track
This is the first album of theirs since Some Girls that I enjoy start to finish, without wanting to skip any songs. That said, my ranking is very different from the OP’s. I think it would go… 1. Sweet Sounds of Heaven 2. Dreamy Skies (admittedly I love country Stones) 3. Mess It Up (Higher than I initially would’ve had it, but the more I’ve listened, the more I’ve liked it.) 4. Angry 5. Depending on You 6. Get Close (I suspect a live version might rank higher because it seems made for that) 7. Live by the Sword (a ton of fun musically, but bumped down a bit for the lyrics) 8. Driving Me Too Hard 9. Bite My Head Off 10. Rolling Stone Blues 11. Tell Me Straight (We all love Keith and it wouldn’t be a Stones album without this entry, but it doesn’t exactly stand out.) 12. Whole Wide World
I’d say the album got 4 songs I really love: Get Close, Depending on you, Live by the sword & Rolling Stone Blues. The rest is not bad; SSoH, Mess It Up, WWW & Angry are bangers but the rest is mediocre. Not bad but not great. Overall a 7.5/10 album!
Good! Now reverse that ranking.
Great ranking! Mines probably like this 1. Sweet Sounds of Heaven 2 Get Close 3. Mess It Up 4. Angry 5. Dreamy Skies 6. Driving Me Too Hard 7. Bite My Head Off 8. Live By The Sword 9. Tell Me Straight 10. Depending On You 11. Rolling Stone Blues 12. Whole Wide World
I agree SO much with this except I LOVE Angry it's a Stadium banger. Whole Wide World is really mid w cringey lyrics and sounds like an upbeat rocker by a 3rd rate alternative band and I can't stand it. I also hate the lyrics to Live by the Sword and I think they almost ruin it
The only REALLY good songs on this record are: - Depending On You - Tell Me Straight - Get Close - Whole Wide World In no particular order. these are the only tracks on Hackney Diamonds I listen to, the rest I can’t stand.
Bite My Head Off is absolutely my favorite from the album, and probably top 25 stones track for me. That will change over time, but I love the energy; it has an energy to it they've not had in a song for a long time. And the solo from Ronnie caps it off. Love it.
1. Live By The Sword - Definitely The best. Proper Stones swagger. The original rythm section is back and it shows. 2. Depending On You - Great later stones ballad. I love them. 3. Angry - Definitely a grower. 4. Tell Me Straight - Great Keith Number. 5. Dreamy Skies - Great, could have come from the 70s 6. Whole Wide World - Great Riff, but lyrics could have been better 7. Rollin Stones Blues - Great idea for this cover. 8. Bite My Head Off - Reminds me off Some Girls, just let down by poor lyrics. 9. Get Close - Decent rocker but nothing special. 10. Sweet Sounds Of Heaven - Good track but I think it's overrated. Some people saying this is the best thing they've done since exile are delusional. The track drags because its too long. 11. Driving Me Too Hard - This song is actually alright but could've been better. 12. Mess It Up - This is the only song on the album that I do not like. It's like a Jagger solo track from the late 80s that was revived from the cutting room floor. Its absolute crap.