Published on Jun 6, 2005
Comeback albums have a way of introducing an artist to a new
generation, even if they don’t replace the older generation’s
memories of great material.
For example, Aerosmith, America’s answer to the Rolling Stones,
came back in 1987 with
Permanent Vacation and began Phase II of their career,
although many old fans still pine for
Toys In The Attic.
The Stones, however, have the sort of illustrious history that
could lend itself to any number of comebacks, since each album had
its own personality and the band never really entered a
slump.Ttherefore,
Steel Wheels is not the Stones comeback album some hail it
as, but rather a return to the elements that made the band so
popular in the first place.
Coming as a reunion of sorts between Mick Jagger and Keith
Richards, who had been feuding for part of the ’80s, the 11 songs
here show the two working together again to re-create their early
’70s glory days of
Sticky Fingers. Like any good Stones album, this has
balls-out rockers, meaningful ballads and a touch of
experimentalism – meaning nothing here is new but most of it is
great.
“Sad Sad Sad” and “Rock And A Hard Place” are the hardest
rockers here, on par with anything on
Exile On Main Street, while the ballads have less sugar and
more urgency than in the past, as evidenced on “Almost Hear You
Sigh” and “Slipping Away.” Mick even lets Keith sing on a few tunes
here, making this feel like a true group effort – this is
particularly for the album tracks “Hold On To Your Hat” and “Can’t
Be Seen.”
“Continental Drift” is the oddest song the Stones have tried in
some time, with a weird Middle Eastern hybrid that recalls 1967’s
Satanic Majesties album. “Mixed Emotions” is a good
mid-tempo tune that wears out its welcome eventually, but “Break
The Spell,” the funkiest tune the band has recorded since “Hot
Stuff”, redeems it.
As stated above, this is an affirmation of everything the Stones
do right, even if some of it is boring (“Hearts For Sale,”
“Terrifying”). But then again, for the band that co-wrote the book
on rock, a few missteps are allowed once in a while. There is
enough here to qualify this as the best Stones record of the ’80s,
and while it may not win over any new fans, it will be a pleasure
for the old ones.