I am generally against reboots. I have yet to witness a reboot of any of my all-time favorite shows that didn’t at least slightly disappoint me, and I have rarely listened to a comeback album that was completely satisfying. So as someone who has been listening to the Rolling Stones since my dad used to blast its songs on road trips when I was 4, I was skeptical of the band’s new album.
This is not the first time the Rolling Stones have attempted to make a comeback. The band tried, largely unsuccessfully, with “Blue & Lonesome” in 2016 — not that those songs were bad, but none of them became a hit for the band. Most people have never even heard of them. So I was understandably biased against “Hackney Diamonds” even before it came out on Oct. 20.
To me, the Rolling Stones will always be who its members were in their prime. There didn’t really seem to be a point to them extending their music career into the 21st century if it wasn’t going to be the same as it was before. I also thought that the publicity of the album seemed forced — if the music was actually that good, what was the need for rumors of Elton John and Paul McCartney features?
When I first listened to the lead single, “Angry,” my first thought was that it was no “Gimme Shelter.” The lyrics were a bit basic, the guitar riffs were overdone and the guitar solo wasn’t up to my expectations. However, the music video starring Sydney Sweeney changed my mind about the new song — and the album as a whole. It is a trip down memory lane, leading seamlessly into the rest of the album.
Listening to the other tracks is like witnessing a therapy session from Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. They describe pent-up emotions in past relationships and yearning for another life. The passage of time is central throughout the album, with lyrics like “the streets I used to walk on / are full of broken glass and everywhere I’m looking / there’s memories of my past,” in “Whole Wide World.”
The band highlights the most influential sounds of classic rock, while still giving themselves space to explore a wide range of genres. There’s folk in “Dreamy Skies,” gospel in “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” and blues in “Rolling Stones Blues.” The last song on the album, “Rolling Stones Blues,” references back to the band name’s origin, “Well my mother told my father / just before I was born / she said, ‘I got a boy child coming, he’s gonna be / he’s gonna be a rolling stone.’”
The lineup of stars from several generations of rock ‘n’ roll who came together in its creation is integral to the sound of “Hackney Diamonds.” The classic Rolling Stones sound is still present, partially as a result of the return of bassist Bill Wyman. Wyman, one of the band’s founding members, who left the group in 1993, was key to bringing back the Rolling Stones’ old sound which had been missing since “Steel Wheels” — Wyman’s last album recorded with the band in 1989.
The album also features original drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away in 2021 but whose drumming is still used in two songs: “Live By The Sword” and “Mess It Up.” Watts’ spirit especially shines through these songs, but also in the drumming of Steve Jordan, whom Watts personally recommended before his passing.
Two solos battle for the standout on the album: Keith Richards’ soul-shaking guitar on “Bite My Head Off,” which features Paul McCartney on bass, and Stevie Wonder’s honey-like piano on “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” which features vocals by Lady Gaga. While the more old-school rock stars on the album retain their own style, Lady Gaga sounded different on this track than her own music, easily taking on the role of an old jazz singer. On “Live By The Sword,” Elton John plays a less prominent role in the album as the backup pianist.
“Hackney Diamonds” is an album about nostalgia. The songs themselves contain layered-voice choruses, catchy guitar riffs and, in several tracks, the classic Jagger falsetto. It’s so much more than a collection of songs about heartbreak and anger — it is a resurrection of rock.
Contact Camryn Loor at [email protected].
