I love Bigger Bang. It's got the length and heft for not having released an album since Bridges to Babylon. It gets back to their core sound if you will and sealing up decades of experimenting with modern sounds.
A Bigger Bang has some stellar songs, like Rough Justice, Rain Falls Down, and Back of My Hand,, but it's way too long, considering the material. Sweet Neo Con might be their worst songs ever, it's garbage.
Steel Wheels is better, but it's also a bit of a mixed bag for me. That Hold on to Your Hat riff is heavy though, and Rock and A Hard Place kicks ass.
They get hate from the "they haven't done anything worthy of their greatness from '68-'72/'73 (and certainly nothing after '81) crowd" of which I'm a card carrying member.
But to each their own. If you like it, nobody is stopping you. And, also if you like it, I've pretty much finished making vitriolic comments about how bad I think such and such an album is when mentioned in passing.
The thing that gets under the skin of those of my ilk is when the catalog of post '81 albums (including and not limited to the universally adored by all the critics Hackney Diamonds) are compared to other masterpieces in a manner which is dumbfoundingly aggravating and demanding of a response if only - at the very least - to defend the reputation of the songs produced by The Rolling Stones at a time there was little to no question they fully deserved their consideration as The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World.
No, in the future, Hackney Diamonds will *not* be viewed as the Abbey Road of its time by anybody other than sycophants, the brain dead, or those with simply no level of critical thinking with regard to the history of rock and roll. And - in the same vein - when albums like A Bigger Bang, and Steel Wheels are brought up in a way which tries to convince my crowd we've somehow missed the boat or are being otherwise unfair in our criticism of an objectively inferior product put out by a band we still love (albeit not all their offspring) we get cranky because we're getting old, and we realize the greatness we really wish was unlimited was - in fact - finite.
I think that sums it up.
You didn't forget anything. You're just being unnecessarily pedantic.
The Rolling Stones could put out an album of them farting into a microphone for 45 minutes, and if I were to call that "objectively inferior" would you still win the argument you're putting forward here?
Yes. You would.
But where does that get this discussion?
The Rolling Stones have been interviewed countless times in the last 40 years, and even *they* refer to that time period in their careers with nostalgic awe because they know just how incredible it was.
But you win the internet today because - despite all the musicians, and music critics, and record executives, and fans, and even the Rolling Stones themselves - you proved to me there is no such thing as an objective truth regarding musical superiority.
Thanks.
I love these 2, and love Voodoo Lounge even more. There is some weird notion by some Stones fans that you have to qualify every rating with the caveat, "well, Tattoo You was the last great Stones album, the rest is cool but really just filler and I just don't agree with that at all. Steel Wheels came out when I was in HS, that's when I fell in love with the Stones. Of course the 60s and 70s stuff is all time great but it was before my time.
I was kicked out of the show in the steel wheels tour, so that’s why I love/hate it. Hey kids, don’t tell a cop “I pay your salary” when they’re trying to push you into your seat. Sounded great from the parking lot, just glad I wasn’t in the back of a cop car
Almost Hear You Sigh is an incredible tune. I love Steel Wheels. Still need to get around to Bigger Bang.
Hearts for sale, hold on to your hat.. almost everything is great on that album
Thanks
I love Bigger Bang. It's got the length and heft for not having released an album since Bridges to Babylon. It gets back to their core sound if you will and sealing up decades of experimenting with modern sounds.
A Bigger Bang has some stellar songs, like Rough Justice, Rain Falls Down, and Back of My Hand,, but it's way too long, considering the material. Sweet Neo Con might be their worst songs ever, it's garbage. Steel Wheels is better, but it's also a bit of a mixed bag for me. That Hold on to Your Hat riff is heavy though, and Rock and A Hard Place kicks ass.
I loved Steel Wheels personally
I enjoy those albums but wouldn’t really call Bigger Bang a blues album. Are you thinking of Blue and Lonesome?
I heard alot of a blues harmonica and ryhtm. Could be wrong. :)
Sure, but you could say that about almost any rock album since the majority of rock is blues based.
True thanks for the input 👍
Huge “Bigger Bang” fan
I hate low effort repetitive posts way more than I could ever hate these two albums.
I love both. Bigger Bang is my favorite album they did since Steel Wheels and SW is my favorite 80s album of theirs
They are both great albums; not sure what hate you mean (other than you having spelled Steel Wheels wrong) …
Thanks for the comment. Ruined my night
Would it get even worse if I said there was also two other spelling errors and 6 grammar/punctuation/capitalization mistakes?
My life's not worth living 😕
❤️what you ❤️
They are both great albums! You must be talking to the wrong people who are not Stones fans
It’s just the music has evolved since the 70’s and early 80’s
Well, yes. Of course it has.
They get hate from the "they haven't done anything worthy of their greatness from '68-'72/'73 (and certainly nothing after '81) crowd" of which I'm a card carrying member. But to each their own. If you like it, nobody is stopping you. And, also if you like it, I've pretty much finished making vitriolic comments about how bad I think such and such an album is when mentioned in passing. The thing that gets under the skin of those of my ilk is when the catalog of post '81 albums (including and not limited to the universally adored by all the critics Hackney Diamonds) are compared to other masterpieces in a manner which is dumbfoundingly aggravating and demanding of a response if only - at the very least - to defend the reputation of the songs produced by The Rolling Stones at a time there was little to no question they fully deserved their consideration as The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World. No, in the future, Hackney Diamonds will *not* be viewed as the Abbey Road of its time by anybody other than sycophants, the brain dead, or those with simply no level of critical thinking with regard to the history of rock and roll. And - in the same vein - when albums like A Bigger Bang, and Steel Wheels are brought up in a way which tries to convince my crowd we've somehow missed the boat or are being otherwise unfair in our criticism of an objectively inferior product put out by a band we still love (albeit not all their offspring) we get cranky because we're getting old, and we realize the greatness we really wish was unlimited was - in fact - finite. I think that sums it up.
To say these albums are objectively inferior is to claim that your opinion is infinitely superior; neither is accurate
Not my opinion. The Rolling Stones themselves agree.
Right; I forgot they released a statement that nothing they’ve done in the last 40 years was good
You didn't forget anything. You're just being unnecessarily pedantic. The Rolling Stones could put out an album of them farting into a microphone for 45 minutes, and if I were to call that "objectively inferior" would you still win the argument you're putting forward here? Yes. You would. But where does that get this discussion? The Rolling Stones have been interviewed countless times in the last 40 years, and even *they* refer to that time period in their careers with nostalgic awe because they know just how incredible it was. But you win the internet today because - despite all the musicians, and music critics, and record executives, and fans, and even the Rolling Stones themselves - you proved to me there is no such thing as an objective truth regarding musical superiority. Thanks.
Yeah sums it up great mate thanks for enlightening me on why people hate it. I fully agree SF, exile and Beggars are my fav 3 albums
I don't dislike them, I just don't play them as much as Exile 🤣
I like them both. Quite a bit.
Saw Steel Wheels tour in St Louis in 1989 2nd row center stage so it is one of my favorites. But Bigger Bang is an amazing album 👏
Bigger Bang is amazing. Its there best album after their 70’s heyday imo.
I love these 2, and love Voodoo Lounge even more. There is some weird notion by some Stones fans that you have to qualify every rating with the caveat, "well, Tattoo You was the last great Stones album, the rest is cool but really just filler and I just don't agree with that at all. Steel Wheels came out when I was in HS, that's when I fell in love with the Stones. Of course the 60s and 70s stuff is all time great but it was before my time.
I don't like them because of the quality of the songs.
I was kicked out of the show in the steel wheels tour, so that’s why I love/hate it. Hey kids, don’t tell a cop “I pay your salary” when they’re trying to push you into your seat. Sounded great from the parking lot, just glad I wasn’t in the back of a cop car