It’s been ages since we last heard from The Rolling Stones. Of course, the legendary blues rockers haven’t gone anywhere, with their continuous tour schedule and constant pop culture presence keeping us all abreast of what Mick Jagger happens to be doing at any moment. But we haven’t heard any new music from the Stones in quite a while. In fact, you might be surprised to know that it’s been almost 20 years since the last studio album of original material from the band.
In that time, the band underwent some major changes, including the sad loss of drummer Charlie Watts in 2021. With lucrative stadium shows at their disposal and the constantly fluctuating relationships between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it seemed all but certain that the Stones were done writing original songs. And yet here we are, in the year of our lord 2023, gifted with a new Rolling Stones album.
First things first, there’s nothing on Hackney Diamonds that you haven’t heard before. The Stones have a formula, and the days of genre experimentations, wild producer choices, and self-conscious reinvention are over. With just Jagger, Richards, and Ronnie Wood left standing, the Stones are eager just to make a goddamn Rolling Stones album again.
If that’s the only bar that they set out to pass, well, it’s a job well done. Hackney Diamonds is 48 minutes of pure Rolling Stones, nothing more and nothing less. If you’re slightly jaded, chronically online, or just a bit down on the group of elderly men, you could say that Hackney Diamonds is pretty much what an AI would spit out if you fed it all of the band’s 24 (British) studio albums.
That’s certainly the case with the album’s lead track and first single, ‘Angry’. A generic riff rocker that winds up being more bark than bite, ‘Angry’ is exactly what the Stones should have been avoiding with Hackney Diamonds – pastiche. Richards’ bassline is the song’s best element, with everything else feeling very much like generic Rolling Stones bluster and bravado.
Once you get past ‘Angry’, however, plenty of fascinating music can be found on Hackney Diamonds. ‘Get Close’ has a sprightly pop-rock energy, while ‘Depending On You’ leans into the band’s history with country music. ‘Whole Wide World’ give Jagger an opportunity to get as uniquely British on his vocal delivery as his heart pleases, while ‘Dreamy Skies’ is another lilting country number featuring some impressive slide guitar from Wood.
‘Bite My Head Off’ features perhaps the most anticipated collaboration in The Rolling Stones history: for the first time since 1967’s ‘We Love You’, Paul McCartney contributes to a Stones song. His overdriven Höfner bass adds plenty to the already high-energy track, but when McCartney takes the lead on the song’s bridge, it’s a moment of pure bliss.
One of the other highly anticipated participants was Watts himself, who managed to record two drum tracks before his death. One of those songs, ‘Live By The Sword’, even features longtime Stones bassist Bill Wyman, bringing together the band’s longest-lasting lineup for one more go around. It’s a shame that neither track is particularly memorable – ‘Mess It Up’ and ‘Live By The Sword’ only seem live in the area of mid-album filler.
But then we get the blissed-out tones of ‘Driving Me Too Hard’, proving that the Stones should really be a country rock band if they want to push their boundaries toward their strengths. A true moody piece, ‘Tell Me Straight’, Richards’ sole lead vocal, comes out of the ether. A key component to Hackney Diamonds, ‘Tell Me Straight’ is Richards searching for answers in a world that just won’t give them to him. Every Richards lead vocal is a highlight on any Stones album, and even though it’s no ‘Happy’ or ‘Before They Make Me Run’, ‘Tell Me Straight’ is one of the most fascinating moments of Hackney Diamonds.
The album’s highlight track is easily ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’. A pure gospel number from start to finish that finds Jagger’s voice in pristine condition, the track follows in the grand tradition of songs like ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ and ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking’ by having a killer coda section. There, Jagger squares off with Lady Gaga in a vocal gymnastics meet. Gaga might be more flexible than Jagger – the man’s voice is in great shape, but he’s still 80 – but it’s actually Jagger who pushes Gaga to reach greater heights. It all peaks before coming back down and pushing for more once you think it’s all over, giving the album its most climactic moment.
Then, a surprise finish: the Stones bring things to a charmingly ragged end with a take on Muddy Waters’ ‘Rolling Stone Blues’, the same track that gave the band their name more than 60 years ago. Make no mistake – this is a full-circle moment. It might be a bit too cute on paper, but the Stones are still able to wrangle some surprising emotions out of their version of the blues. Jagger’s harmonica and Richards’ distorted guitar are perfect pairings, bringing Hackney Diamonds to a strangely satisfying close.
Somehow, The Rolling Stones managed to bridge a gap of nearly two full decades with an album of wonderfully straightforward rock and roll. It might not be anything truly seismic, especially when put up against one of the most astounding catalogues in the history of popular music. Still, it’s a loose, fun, and joyous affair that keeps the Stones moving and grooving without any indication that the end of the line is near.
So what about the question we’re all thinking: what if this is the last Rolling Stones album? If there’s another 20-year gap, the members will literally be 100 years old and maybe (but not certainly) retired. Well, Hackney Diamonds is certainly better than A Bigger Bang. It’s also better than Bridges to Babylon, although it’s far less interesting with its choices. It’s probably on par with Voodoo Lounge, and all told, it sits comfortably in the middle of the band’s overall discography.
That means we can technically say that Hackney Diamonds is the best Rolling Stones album in 30 years, even if it is a slight misdirection. In reality, it’s a perfectly fine album with some cool guests and some inspired songs, none of which actually stack up against any of the group’s greatest hits. That being said, it’s impossible not to get a kick out of these elder statesmen of rock and roll putting their best collective foot forward to see what remains of their creativity. You can call Hackney Diamonds whatever you want, but you have to call it a success.
