Published on Nov 11, 1998
After more than a decade of subpar albums and huge tours, the
“greatest rock’n’roll band in the world” decided to get together
and forego the sampling of new musical tastes in favor of returning
to their earlier, stronger material. While
Voodoo Lounge cannot replace
Beggar’s Banquet or
Exile On Main Street, it is perhaps the strongest that Mick,
Keef, Ron and Chuck have been in a while.
The first single, “Love Is Strong,” features some nice wordplay
from Mick. “You Got Me Rocking” is a straight rocker that shows the
band can still do it–as does “Sparks Will Fly.” “I Go Wild” is
probably the raunchiest the Stones have been since they sang about
a certain young black girl. It’s like they decided to return to the
small bars and play the stuff parents would hate unless drunk.
(Meaning it’s fun.)
On the slower side, you got the basic ballad (“Out Of Tears”)
which is good as ballads go. Better still are Keith’s two songs,
“The Worst” and “Thru And Thru.” They gain a stronger level of
emotion from his raspy, destroyed-by-everything-he’s-put-in-there
voice. There’s also “Blinded By Rainbows” (a social statement that
isn’t half bad) and “Baby Break It Down” (which is also good).
There are a few missteps. “Sweethearts Together” is so sappy
it’s not funny. (The fact that both Mick and Keith sing it together
doesn’t make it funnier either.) “Suck On The Jugular” sounds like
they were trying to test their new bassist Darryl Jones–while the
wordplay is good, it’s not that great. Then there’s those mediocre
songs (“Moon Is Up” and “Brand New Car.”) While they might be
making a statement on growing old, it’s better if you either accept
it or deny it completely.
By the way, the CD does end with an extra track, “Mean
Disposition.” While some may feel a need for it, it isn’t something
to fret about. It’s alright.
If you’re a diehard, pay-300 bucks-a-pop, Stones fan, you’ll
appreciate the album for trying to return the Stones to their
bluesy roots. If you’re a new fan, it’s a nice starting off point.
But the band has done better and if they tried harder, maybe they’d
release their magnus finale opus and not fade away with
middle-of-the-road albums. (I just noticed I used a lot of
hyphenated terms, sorry).
Voodoo Lounge is a good album. But if you’re the “greatest
rock’n’roll band in the world,” expect the bar to be a lot higher
than just “good.”