Voodoo Lounge

by

The Rolling Stones

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The Rolling Stones are a victim of their own magnitude. It has long been far hipper to dismiss them as aging, wealthy dilitantes than it has been to admit to liking their work. And too, The Ronnie Wood years do not have the cache that the Mick Taylor early 70s work or the Brian Jones Britpop 60s work had-- even though Wood has been a Stone for 30 of their 42 years. Voodoo Lounge is, I think, unchallenged as the high point of their output post-1980, and it is a strong album from start to finish.

The best thing about Voodoo Louge is that is doesn't have a "sound"-- which is to say, it sounds like the Stones. Ronnie Wood is an outstanding guitrist and the perfect foil for Richards, and this is a guitar album first and foremost (well, it is a song album, but then a guitar album.) "Love is Strong" and "You Got Me Rocking" are radio-ready (or iPod-ready) classic riff-rockers in the best Stones tradition. "Brand New Car" is snaky and groovy and beguiling, with Jagger's nasty vocal implying far more than he actually puts in the lyric, and Woody and Keef dancing their magic weave together. "Sweethearts Together" is reminiscent of "Indian Girl" from Emotional Rescue (another underrated album with which this shares some groove and spirit.)

As is the case on most of the last 7 or so Stones albums, the Keith songs are highlights. "The Worst" is one of those poignant anti-ballad ballads he does, his ravaged and coarse voice belying the sentiment of the lyric and the quality of the songwriting. And "Thru and Thru" is just simply outstanding; used to great effect to conclude season 2 of the Sopranos cable series, it is a snarling, gritty rocker that by itself makes this album noteworthy.

The Voodoo Lounge sessions were productive ones, and there are many bootlegs floating around of outtakes, demos, and alternate versions. It is worth noting that one of these bootlegs contains an alternate version of the album, in sequence-- supposedly "Keith's mix"-- that actually surpasses the released version.

If you want to check out a later-period Stones album, this is the one. Every one has at least one or two or three tracks that make it worthwhile, but this is clearly the strongest and most consistent. From here, Bridges to Babylon is good too, less consistent but worth the effort, especially the deeper you get into the record (past the radio hits and into the art.) Steel Wheels sounds tinny to me, although there too the last few songs are worth the effort (especially Keith's gorgeous "Slipping Away.") Undercover and Dirty Work are probably the last post-1980 studio releases you need, although there again, each has a gem or three.

After waiting five years for "Voodoo Lounge", I was both pleased and disappointed; pleased by the Stones musical return to form, and disappointed by Mick Jagger's sad attempts to appear bad and dangerous at the age of 51. This album contains more profanity per song than any other Stones album, like they were trying to compete with the '90's grunge and rap acts. Worse than that were the sleazy, gratuitous, and downright crude sexual references on "Sparks Will Fly", "I Go Wild", "Suck on the Jugular" and "Brand New Car". "Sparks Will Fly" could have been a hit single without it's blunt sexual reference; does Mick realize this? The Stones could use a hit nowadays. And "I Go Wild" contains Jagger's most vicious and vulgar reference to women yet. I know that some Stones fans just eat this stuff up, and it makes their day, but I think it's getting pathetic. Their best work in the 60's wasn't this graphic; it didn't need to be. OK, now the positive review: this album rocks hard. The first 3 songs are tough, ferocious Stones, especially "Sparks Will Fly" (sigh). "The Worst" is a great Keith country ballad, a return to his outlaw image, but in a poignant manner. "New Faces" is a lovely harpsichord-laced ballad a la "Lady Jane", and Mick lets some real emotion out on "Out of Tears" (don't believe the critics: this guy sometimes DOES put his feelings into songs, especially on the '90's LP's). "I Go Wild" is a powerful rocker, in spite of the unredeemable lyrics at the end. And "Blinded By Rainbows" seems to be about the spiritual fate of those immersed in violence; it's a powerful song. Other than that, "Brand New Car" slips up on it's greasiness, "Suck on the Jugular" is tiresome funk, "Moon is Up" is pleasant but strangely incomplete-sounding, and "Thru and Thru" is tedious, wasting it's best melody ("Any minute, any hour")by not developing it enough. "Mean Disposition" is just hard on the ears, as far as I'm concerned; they can rock better than this! Ultimately, this was a better Stones album than "Steel Wheels", but it lacked that LP's feeling of goodwill and maturity. Stones will be Stones, I suppose.