The Retort - Wednesday, February 17, 1993 Revelations Editor Greg Chinberg - 2195 Solo Stones: Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, and Mick Jagger By S.L. Maasch the album to an immediate rousing boil as Retort Revelations Writer Jagger rages with cyclonic fury, "I'm hard as a The Rolling Stones. The mere mentioning brick / I hope I never go limp." There's the of that name brings to mind the distinctive reckless declaration of independence of the Jagger vocals, the metallic whiplash of Richards' rockin' title track and the vocal duet of Jagger and Ron Wood's guitars, and the elementary and Lenny Kravitz doing a cover of Bill bass-and-drums thunder of Bill Wyman and Withers's 1970's hit song, "Use Me". His Charlie Watts. brashness and swagger are well intact on num- Though the Stones are set to regroup later bers like "Put Me In The Trash" and the relent- this year for yet another new studio album, they lessly strutting cover ofJames Brown's "Think". aren' t ones to sit on their laurels. Recently, three The first single, "Sweet Thing", has Jagger of them put out solo albums and have proven applying a "Fool To Cry" falsetto to a danceable, that they are far from being merely three oldies "Miss You"- style track. On "Out Of Focus", a acts. It's startling to hear rock' n roll so alive and churchy piano-vocal intro segues into a kind of passionate from players whose ages hover near gospel-funk. "Don't Tear Me Up" is a sadder- fifty and who come trailing chains of history, but-wiserreflection bolstered byechoes of "You myth and cash. In fact, each artist's album Don' t Always Get What You Want." "Hang On stands proudly on its own contemporary terms. To Me Tonight" is a ballad with a very folky, Slide On This, Ronnie Wood's first solo country kind of feel, whereas "Mother Of A album in more than ten years, is classic rock'n Man" is a very intense, fiery rocker. At the roll with a strong R&B feel. He blends rock'n complete opposite end of the spectrum is "An- roll, Memphis soul and even funk together on gel In My Heart". This is a mandolin—filled this album. ballad reminiscent of the classic Rolling Stones Wood's musical background is astounding. rocks with a heavy bass-and-drums thunder, Main Offender begins with the rattling gui- Rolling Stone for whom rawness isn't just a song "Lady Jane". His band credits include The Birds, The Jeff whereas "Ragtime Annie" shows off Wood's tar-driven roadhouse raunch of "999." virtue, it's nirvana. This album has a live, on-the-edge feel to it Beck Group, The Faces and, of course the proficiency at crankin' out country music with "Bodytallks" is filled with splintered chord that Jagger's new album, Wandering Spirit, is a and Jagger rocks with a willful, desperate aban- ultimate rock'n roll band, The Rolling Stones. a fiddle. Finally, the cover of Parliament's complement the m idtempo brooders of "Ei le,en" mixed bag. It contains rock'n roll, ballads, and don. The most purposeful and assured of his Few musicians can boast a background of such rock-funk "Testify" succeeds in locking into and "Will But You Won't". "Hate I t When You some country songs that are reminiscent of the three solo outings, Wandering Spirit (excuse the great and successful bands. the strutting groove they're after. Leave" is a slow song with the feel of an R&B classic Stones in their "Dead Flowers" days. expression) rocks like a bitch. The various artists that contributed their Wood's songs are more into sheer groove ballad, whereas "Words Of Wonder" is a defi- Containing the purity, strength, and youthful- These three Stones are not anachronisms talents to this album form a guest list that's a than inventiveness. Regardless, Slide On This nite reggae track. "Yap Yap" and "Demon" are ness found on some of the great Stones albums and their albums prove it. They are still able to veritable who's who in rock'n roll. For in- proves that classic rocking with a little blues- slow ballads with a relaxed, in-the-groove feel. (like Exile On Mainstreet and Some Girls), this rock with skill and undiminished soul. They've stance, Slide On This features performances by based magic can always come across as re- Lastly, "Wicked As It Seems" and "Runnin' album features some of Jagger's best vocal become what they've always aspired to be - the Edge, Joe Elliot of Def Leppard, Hothouse markably fresh. Too Deep" are swaggering, riff-driven rock- performances ever. rockers with staying power who play the music Flowers and Charlie Watts, among others. Richards's new album, Main Offender, has ers. Jagger waited until 1985 to test the solo they love to play. Slide guitar is Wood's specialty (hence the less of an edge than his last album, Talk Is Cheap, This album is a feast of brass-knuckle gui- waters and has thus far found them icy. His last If Wandering Spirit and Main Offender tide, Slide On This) and his solos are laced with but it still provides a strong crop of house- tar riffs propelled with relentlessly churning album, Primitive Cool, stalled on the charts at have a flaw, it's that they're an all-too simple a fervor belaying his forty-five years. His is a quakin' riffs. This is trademark Richards' rhythms. Richards's singing is appealing be- number forty-one. This may be why he's sport- pleasure. Richards provides great grooves in talent honed by years of playing in the shadows swagger with whiskey-and-smoke-saturated cause it is as raw and natural as his playing. He ing a different band this time around. This band search of a vital purpose and Jagger rocks us of such giants as Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. lead vocals and repeat-the-title-like-a-slogan does nothing more or less than what he's al- includes guitarists Jimmy Ripp and Frank with some hip concepts that lack Richards's Slide On This fires off with a burst of slide backing vocals. ways done on Stones records, slicing and dic- Simes, drummer Curt Bisquera and bassist edge. If Jagger and Richards have learned any- guitar on "Somebody Else Might". "Ain' t Rock The album features Richards on guitar and ing classic blues and Chuck Berry-ish boogie John Pierce, keyboardist Benmont Tench, thing from their solo cuttings, it's that their & Roll" stomps along in a power chord groove, lead vocals, backed by the X-Pensive Winos grooves into junkyard-dog guitar growls, sing- drummer Jim Kellner and members of the, greatest assets are each other. As for wood, whereas "Show Me',, "Knock Yer Teeth Out" (guitarist Waddy Wachtel, bassist Charley ing in a ravaged, wartom croak. Jayhawks. Slide On This proves that he should spend less and "Breathe On Me" deliver the expected Drayton, drummer Steve Jordan and Overall, Main Offender proves that rock's Wandering Spirit jump-starts itself with the time in the shadows and more time in the raunch and swagger in buckets. "Josephine" keyboardist Ivan Neville). party pirate with the garage-rock heart is still a bristling "Wired All Night". This song brings spotlight. The Rolling Stones: from then to now By S.L. Goats Head Maasch Soup (1973) Rock-N-Roll found the Stones Reviews marking time as The Rolling "the world's Stones strutted greatest rock & onto the music roll band" and scene with an at- saw Mick Tay- titude in 1964 and lor leave the never looked band. back. The origi- Black and nal line-up in- Blue (1976) was cluded Mick the debut of Ron Jagger at lead vo- Wood. Wood cals, the rhythm had none of section of Bill Taylor's skill, Wyman on bass but he turned out and Charlie Watts to be more of a on drums, and the Stone, with his churning guitar devil-may-care action of Brian rowdiness, than Jones and Keith Taylor ever was. Richards. Some Girls The Stones' (1978) provided first three albums the Stones' first are best described disco attempt as"raw force". Of with "Miss the three, Out Of You" and their Our Heads (1965) last convincing provided the outlaw anthem, breakthrough "(I "Before They air ' Can't Get No ) Make Me Run". Satisfaction." Emotional Curtain up on Native Americian Not only did the Rescue (1980) Hit forecast weakly echoed Theatre Production Keith's mastery Some Girls and The curtain will rise on "49", Hanay Geiogomah's Dative American of the art of riff, but in "I can't get no Their Satanic Majesties Request Let It Bleed (1969), a summing up of was the Stones' first completely bland drama portraying many of the struggles experienced by today's Indian satisfaction," the band found its cen- (1967) was the Stones' response to the '60s Stones. (Brian Jones died album. youth, Wednesday through Saturday, February 17-20, at 730 each evening tral theme. the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely while this album was being recorded, They quickly redeemed them- in Petro Theatre. "Get Off My Cloud" and "As Hearts Club Band and was shaky at to be replaced by Mick Taylor.) selves with the accomplished rock & "The play portrays traditional aspects of the Native American culture Tears Go By" from December's best. With their best live album, Get roll album, Tattoo You (1981), but interwoven with the contemporary," explains Naomi Pierce, a Billings Children (1965) showed the growing Between The Buttons (1967) and Yer Ya-Ya's Out! (1970), the Stones faltered with Undercover (1983), senior majoring in Communication Arts and "49" student director.