The Rolling Stones: A Bigger Bang - 2005
"They played with a strength and swagger they hadn't had in years" - Stephen Thomas Erlewine - AllMusic
While 1994's Voodoo Lounge and 1997's Bridges To Babylon were, somewhat unfairly, (particularly in the case of the former) panned by critics, this one, nearly ten years later, was given the cliche-ridden "return to form" praise. Why was this? Maybe it was the considerably stripped down, back to basics backing, no horns or saxophones, just organ and piano plus the core of The Stones.
Also, the fact it included a blues track for the first time in years caused many people to go a bit over the top in their "back to their roots" panegyrics. Just as the previous two album had been, this was, in the age of the CD, an album that was several tracks too long. Fifteen or sixteen tracks now seemed to be the average for an album, using up the full 78 minutes available. To be honest, it was too much for me and all these three albums are difficult to listen to all the way through. Twelve tracks would be much more preferable.
Anyway, all that said, there are still some good tracks on here, although the sound is unfortunately typical of the year it was released and the others immediately either side of it in that the album's production is overloud and clashing. The sonic bombast tends to override some of the subtleties that earlier recordings possess. But, as Keith would say, "on with the show" - and the first six tracks are certainly of a high standard.I think I've crossed the Rubicon....
Rough Justice is a vibrant rocker in the Voodoo Lounge style with some leery Jagger vocals and a somewhat corny line in "once upon a time I was your little rooster, but am I just one of your cocks...". A nice reference to Little Red Rooster, though.
Let Me Down Slow is one of those Stones mid-paced rockers that successfully merges rhythmic acoustic guitar with typical Keith chugging riffs. As with so many of these later-era Stones songs, despite many saying they are formulaic, they don't half boast some killer hooks. I like this one a lot. There is something vaguely country rock about its twanginess in places too.
It Won't Take Long has a grinding, bluesy aspects to it and once more employs archetypal Richards interjections throughout. It exemplifies effortless cigarettes, Bourbon and axle grease Stones at their best, smouldering and simmering on medium heat. "It'll all be over by Christmas" is a good line, hidden away near the end.
Rain Fall Down is a typical Jagger, slowish and highly atmospheric number. It is ever so slightly disco-ish. Just check out that corker of an opening riff and that throbbing, coal-mine deep bass line. It summons up the spirit of Fingerprint File for me and delivers a fine verse too in "It was all the usual crap, all the usual sleaze, for two thousand quid some bimbo spilled the beans...". The song is packed full of atmosphere as Jagger tells us that as the rain fell down the phone kept ringing but he carried on making sweet love. Sometimes he is underrated as a songwriter (I'm sure this is largely his work). Whatever, it is up there with the next track as one of the album's best. You can't tell me this is just The Stones going through the motions.
Streets Of Love continues in that positive vein, even more appealingly, with an addictive chorus that gives us an "ahh, ah ahhh.." hook and some sweet vocals. Possibly the best track on the album here. The line where Jagger says a couple watch him from a bar (or something like that), gives an interesting insight into what it must be like knowing people are idly watching you all the time, knowing who you are. I also love the "I think I've crossed the Rubicon" line. Really good song. Yes, a really good song. I'll say it twice. Then comes the blues that had so many gushing their praise.
Back Of My Hand is indeed one of The Stones' finest copper-bottomed, grinding, greasy blues rockers for many a year, but it doesn't make the whole album. Indeed, it is pretty much on its own, compared to the rest. No need to exaggerate the importance of one track. It was this one, though, with its genuine blues vibe, that got the journalists all of a frenzy. "I see Goya's paranoias" is the track's best line, by the way.
She Saw Me Coming is appealingly riffy and with a catchy chorus, but otherwise fairly homogenous. Biggest Mistake is an attractive yearning number, however, full of vocal Jaggerisms and a really catchy chorus that sticks in the mind (or ear). This Place Is Empty is laid-back to the point of being almost comatose, here we have a typically hoary, croaky Keith ballad of the sort we have now become very used to. As with all of them, however, it has a strange lovability about it, pleasant enough in its 1930s sort of way. "Come on, bare your breasts and make me feel at home" groans old Keith. You tell her like it is, Keith.
Oh No Not You Again rocks hard and convincingly with a filthily addictive riff. For some reason, I had to smile at the wry "oh no not you again, fucking up my life" line too, just something that screamed "Keith" about it. I don't know if he wrote that line or not, but I'd put my money on it. On the other hand it has a sneery Mick-ness as well, so who knows? The glorious "staring down your tits" line must have been Mick's, mustn't it? Once again, so many have criticised songs like this for their musical and lyrical homogeny, but there's homogeny and there's Stones homogeny. It's a different thing. I like this - so bollocks to the critics.
Dangerous Beauty has a sort of rough and ready Goats' Head Soup appeal to it. Once more, it is very hook-laden and has that typically Stones looseness about it. Sleazily infectious. It goes without saying that the riffs are the dog's bollocks. Laugh, I Nearly Died is another in the list of not quite so memorable numbers, it is still mysterious and slow-burning enough to stick in my mind more than it might. Sweet Neo-Con is, though, an embarrassment, even though I agree wholeheartedly with the anti-conservative political sentiments. It has no place here, really, does it? It never quite fits when The Stones do politics, even though they have every right to do so should they see fit, as they obviously did here. Jagger's cod-American accent is awful on here as well.
Let's be honest, despite its intrinsic punchiness, Look What The Cat Dragged In should probably have remained on the cutting room floor too. Driving Too Fast sounds like a leftover from Voodoo Lounge and it possibly is. It certainly brings that album to mind in both its sound and lyrical content.
We had to end with a Keith number, didn't we? Actually, Infamy is ever so slightly more upbeat and catchy than much of his output. Lyrically, it plays on the old "infamy/in for me" thing, as in "they've all got it in for me".
The album certainly gets stuck in a bit of a rut as it gets near the end, I have to admit, with some run-of-the mill tracks knocking around amongst some better ones. Some of these are a bit indistinguishable from each other, to be honest. Look, I don't dislike any of them, not at all, but they don't give me any "wow" moments. Actually, I've just played them again and they all have their merits. The thing is, you either like The Stones or you don't as far as I'm concerned.
Of the (thus far) three latter-day Stones albums, I'll say that Voodoo Lounge is by far my favourite and gets played the most. I know that is a contrary view to most, but there you go. I still like the others, though, and this one has many good points.
