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A Bigger Bang Tour 2005 - 2006
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Topic: ABB Diary Return to archive
December 8th, 2005 05:57 AM
JumpingKentFlash Hey all. This is my “A Bigger Bang Diary”.

I thought that it might be a good idea to keep kind of a diary of the time leading up to the release of ”A Bigger Bang”. Why you might ask? Well, there’s one simple reason: I became a fan of The Rolling Stones back in 1998 (Saw one concert in Copenhagen and was completely sold on The Stones from then on). I always refer to the time when I became a fan as “The worst time in Stones history to become a fan”. Think about it: In 1998 it was a year after the release of the, in my opinion, great “Bridges To Babylon”. Then came the period in Stones history that I sometimes give the title “Long, Long While”. I know. My humour is sick. LOL. Anyway, back to the reason for this diary. I never got a new studio album in my time as a fan. I was sixteen back when I saw them the first time. Now I’m 23 (I’ll be 24 as of September 23…….PRESENTS PLEASE ). In all this time I have went from teenager to a young adult. The change from teenager to a “grown-up” (Whatever that is). In all this time I always had the music of The Rolling Stones by my side. That sounds very good right? Well, there’s a catch. There’s always a catch: I never got a brand new studio album. I know for a fact that most of the members of this forum got lots of albums in their time. I’m part of the minority that never got one. The good news is that this is all changing now with the release of “A Bigger Bang”. So the reason for this diary is to simply let you all know about my experience with my first Stones studio album.
The diary is not made from day to day. That would become way too boring in the long run. So from the start date of the diary (Which is August 24.) I’ll write in it when I feel like I have something to say. Whenever I got “That special feeling” you know? When the CD is finally released I’ll make a review on which songs keep growing on me, which ones are masterpieces (If any) and which ones I don’t like (If any). I’ll use the 1-10 rating system that many people on the various forums use. Ok. Are you ready? Let’s see how this one turns out right? As Keith would say: “On with the show”.

August 24: I got the single “Streets Of Love/Rough Justice” two days ago. I got both versions. The normal jewel case edition and the cardboard sleeve version. It’s all I’ve been listening to for the past two days. So today I made a decision: I won’t listen to any Stones music before I hear “A Bigger Bang”. I’ve got this idea that the impression of the new CD will be that much stronger if you forget how they play and sound (As much as I can forget it, which is not much I guess. I’ll let you know in a couple of days). BTW: The only songs I heard from the new album is “Streets Of Love”, Rough Justice” and “Back Of My Hand”. And then I heard a few (And I do mean a few) 30 second samples. I already forgot them. All I can remember was the “Sweet NeoCon” reminded me of “Just Wanna See His Face”. The jammy feeling. I could be wrong ‘cause, as I told you before, I already forgot how it sounded.

August 27: Man oh man, it’s hard not listening to some great Stones. I miss it more than I thought I would. There’s one good thing about it though: I’m re-discovering all the great stuff I have in my CD-collection. Paul McCartney’s “Flaming Pie” is a big hit for me at the moment. I’m also digging lots of blues and old-school rock ‘n roll. I can’t listen to The Stones, but I’m keeping the roots intact. That’s always a good idea IMO. I feel that I understand The Stones better if I understand a guy like Muddy Waters, just to pick an example.
BTW: There’s this Bosnian guy named Admir at school that I’m turning on to The Stones at the moment. He really digs “Get Off My Cloud”. It’s kindda fun to see someone getting turned on by that music. Not really used to see that, except for my dad and two brothers.
BTW: The set lists on the new tour look very nice IMO. “Start Me Up” simply is the perfect opener. Some minor things about it though: Don’t play “Miss You” (Although it’s always a great groove to hear). Play “Sway”. Don’t end with “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll”. Play just a few more songs from “A Bigger Bang”. If these few things are done, this tour will be even better than Licks. The reviews on the various Stones sites around the net seem to be very optimistic about it. It all sounds great. I can’t wait to hear them live again.

August 30: It Must Be Hell. Correction: It IS Hell not to hear any Stones. Damn. But I’ll survive until Monday I hope. There’s less than a week now. I never really got if it was September 5. or 6. that was the release-date. I think I’ll go ask someone on a forum tomorrow. If I can see the time off for it. It’s kindda hectic at school at the moment. Still listening to “Flaming Pie” a lot. I also re-discovered Robert Johnson again. My brother bought “The Complete Recordings” for me a while ago, but I didn’t get around listening to it until now (For some weird reason). I love that guy. If Chuck Berry is the Godfather of Rock ‘n Roll, I’d claim that Robert Johnson is the one who started the “Rock ‘n Roll Clan” in the first place. If you talk rock, and you go backwards in time in the discussion, you pass good ol’ RJ at some point. He’s SO great.
BTW: I bought a bottle of Jack Daniels about a month ago. I bought it for the specific purpose of drinking it all when “A Bigger Bang” is released.

August 31: Well, I had to break my promise to not hear any Stones today. It wasn’t my fault though. I was in the bus back from Silkeborg. The bus was pretty packed (Which is unusual for that time of day). So I sat right up in the front and the bus driver had the radio going. Not loud at all, but I could hear it no problem. They played something that sounded like ELO (Electric Light Orchestra), which I think is dreadful music. When it was done the DJ announced “Like A Rolling Stone”. No place to run, so I just had to sit back and enjoy it, which was no problem at all. Well, another day gone and one day less waiting.
BTW: Many of the songs have been put up on WinMX or something. Some of the guys from IORR, Shidoobee and RocksOff are all over it. I think I read that The Stones put it up on their website too. I’ll stand by my decision to wait until the release day. It’s the first album in my time as a fan, so I really wanna do it all right.

September 2: I’m really starting to get that “It’s-Coming-Out-On-Monday” kind of exciting feeling. I saw the Simpsons episode from 2002 starring Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Lenny Kravitz, Tom Petty, Kenny Loggins, Elvis Costello and Brian Setzer. Funny thing is: When the commercial break was on, I was zapping through the channels and I saw the end of the commercial for “A Bigger Bang”. I only heard the end of “Rough Justice”, which was placed last in the commercial. Then I flipped on, and there it was again. I saw it almost from the start. Only songs in it were “Streets Of Love” and “Rough Justice” it seems. Pretty cool still. I also got a text message from my dad saying that Tuesday Sep. 6 the Danish programme “Smagsdommerne” (In English: Judges Of Taste) would have a Rolling Stones special. I’m gonna watch that for sure.

September 5: Ladies and gentlemen: ROCK AND ROLL!!!!!!!! Today is the day. That’s actually good, ‘cause I can’t wait anymore. The time is now 9:03 and the record shops are opening at 10:00. I’m really excited. I already started on the bottle of Jack. I hope this hour will pass quickly so I can get my hands on the album ASAP. Today’s diary entry will be broken up I think. So I’ll make an entry now, and one when I’ve heard the album in full for the first time and maybe some more will follow. To pass the time I got something interesting:
Yesterday on the Discovery channel I was watching one of my favourite shows “Mythbusters”. They had this experiment, which was fun for a Stones fan to witness. The title of the experiment was “Does a rolling stone gather moss”. They had this big round wheel that kept spinning (slowly). In it were some rocks. They made all the precautions for moss to grow on there. Next to the wheel they had some stationary rocks. Now the experiment had gone on for 6 months, and guess what: It’s actually true. A rolling stone doesn’t gather any moss. The stationary rocks did gather moss by the way.
10:00 ‘o clock: It seems that the record shop opened a bit earlier. I GOT IT!!!!!! I FUCKING GOT IT!!!!! When I slammed it in the disc-tray I jumped around and sang along. I was completely out of it (And out of tune too). You gotta love that Stones-effect.

First impression (1 is 80s metal and 10 is the warhorses class):

Well, the first impression is: Who the @#$%& needs Exile On Main Street. That will probably change later. But the first-hand impression is: AWESOME!!!!!!!! (If there’s a better word than “awesome” just put that in there).

21:30 ‘o clock: This has been a great day. I have now downed the whole bottle of Jack Daniels. I don’t feel so good anymore. I feel like I gotta puke. I must say that I need some sleep now. I have school tomorrow. I turned off the CD-player now. I heard the CD so many times it’s all I can think about. It’s really good. I can’t wait to get home tomorrow and hear it again. It’s so cool and crisp.

(This bit is from October 23. It took that long to get over the hurdle. I’m not even sure that it’s over yet. It’s just that today was the first time I heard something else than A Bigger Bang. The stuff I have heard today was Exile On Main Street, Out Of Our Heads, Voodoo Lounge, Tattoo You and Some Girls (Along with a few run throughs of AB. The reason for the long delay of this review is that I wanted the CD to come over the first hurdle where everything is awesome on it).

Rating system: 1-10.
10. – Warhorse. (Think: JJF, BS, SFTD).
9. – Very good track that stands out. (Think: Live With Me, All Down The Line).
8. – Good track that stands out a bit. (Think: Beast Of Burden).
7. – Good to OK. (Think: Hot Stuff).
6. – OK track. (Think: Winter (Which I think is merely OK).
5. – Not so good. (Think: I’m Free from Stripped).
4. – Could be better. Kindda disappointing.
3. – Almost sucks. (Think: Yesterday’s Papers).
2. – Sucks. (Think: Might As Well Get Juiced).
1. – “We Built This City” by Starship or everything by Christina Aguilera (Except for her body of course, which is a clear tenner). (Think: Anything worse than Back To Zero).

After A LOT of listens:

Rough Justice: We already knew it before it came out. Great, great x 12433422223467755. Cool Stones at it’s best. Maybe they actually can write 40 of these songs in a single night, but WOW is this one of the stand-outs of those type of songs. I really think so. Ronnie’s all over the place, Mick is cocky, Keef is riffing like mad and Charlie bangs away like a lion. Boy this one’s great. 9/10.

Let Me Down Slow: OK song. Not the best, but still good. The problem with this is that the Stones often stumble and fall flat on the nose on an album’s second track (ASMB anyone?). And they do it here too. A bit easy for the Stones. 6.5/10.

It Won’t Take Long: I like this one a lot. This is simply a great mid-tempo rocker. And damn does Keef have the mojo. I was very pleased that they put a song like this one on the album. You always see this type of song on the latter day Stones albums, but out of all those, this is the one working the best I think. I hope it will get played live. Sounding as dangerous as ever. 8/10.

Rain Fall Down: That groove. Oh damn that cool groove. Great song. I think it’s a NON-filler. Reminds me of Miss You in a way. The lyrics serve a purpose of making the music stand out as cold and grey. Yet you still hear some loving/caring in the text. So it’s all in good synergy. 8.5/10.

Streets Of Love: A song that grows on me. I’m not used to hear The Stones making “sweet” songs, but I must say that this one is good when you hear it enough times. At first I thought “Oh balls, cock, crap and bollocks. Mick has done it again”. But then it actually grew on me. Does JKF like Beatles too??? YES I DO!!! LOL. 7.5/10 for this one.

Back Of My Hand: Again it’s Stones at their best. Very great, and in my honest opinion it’s maybe their best blues track ever. It’s either this one or The Storm. This is one of those tracks that shows that the Stones got the mojo. Muddy Waters is howling along to this tune in his grave for sure.
9.7/10

She Saw Me Coming: I like this one. It’s very good. I didn’t take much notice of it at first, but it grew on me pretty fast. Love the riff. It makes me think about Cherry Oh Baby for some reason. And “Right on the grid, right on the grid” is cool as hell. 7.8/10.

Biggest Mistake: This is the only throwaway on the disc. Nah, I wouldn’t say throwaway, but this is the only thing that doesn’t fit in with the whole disc. But they (almost) always have such tunes. Like Let It Bleed doesn’t fit in on that same record. And Sympathy For The Devil and Street Fighting Man doesn’t really fit in on Beggars Banquet. This one just ain’t so good. But some good things in it. It doesn’t entirely suck, but it does sound like a Mick outtake from one of his shit records (With the exception of Wandering Spirit of course). I’ll give it 4.5/10.

This Place Is Empty: Not Keith’s best, BUT. This one is better than Losing My Touch. Mainly because of his great guitar work. It reminds me of Losing My Touch in a way. It’s just better. LMT was a great song, but Keith Richards is not Tom Waits (He’s better. LOL). This one is better mainly because the songs Keith write today are best when he puts in that romantic feel (rather than that barroom feel). Best of the two Keith songs on this album surely. 8.3/10.

Oh No Not You Again: Best on this great CD. I was completely blown to smithereens by this. I love the chaos-ending on it. One of the rockers in the top league. I like the chaotic ending. And yes: I think it’s better than Flip The Switch. Not much though. Only by a centimetre. 9.9/10

Dangerous Beauty: ……And they just keep on rolling. Great song once again. Great tempo and all. I love the darkness of this one. Great riff. Completely cool. Great subject to sing about too (Lynndie England I believe). 8/10.

Laugh, I Nearly Died: Another cool one. I can’t find the words. I’m speechless by Mick’s vocal. Surely one of the best tracks on here. That cool chanting “Been travelling far and wide, wonder who’s gonna be my guide” is maybe the best idea on a Mick-song ever. And I suspect that the chanting thing may have come from Keith (Listen to some Winos stuff and you’ll catch my drift). This one ranks very high in my book. 9.5/10.

Sweet NeoCon: Not as bad as people say at all. Very good groove IMO. This record, as a whole, holds some great grooves, and this is surely one of them. If it had been on Black And Blue or Some Girls nobody would’ve complained about it. Back before this CD was released someone said that there was a song that had a Dance Pt. 1 like groove. I think this is it. And I like the lyrics too. Good song. Not the best, but good. 8.2/10.

Look What The Cat Dragged In: Once again they throw an awesome rocker at us. Great one indeed. Not as good as Rough Justice or Oh No Not You Again rock-wise though. I think maybe it’s about either Lennon (Lost weekend, Sgt. Pepper) or Keith (Remember the interview where Keef said that Mick wanted to throw them out of his house at one point during the sessions)? 8.3/10.

Driving Too Fast: Keef using his awesome skills. I can’t understand why some people say that this one is a filler. It’s one of the best rockers on here. I can imagine driving jus for the sake of driving while listening to this one. That must be great. The cool riffing solo is very great. Third best rocker on here. Very cool. IORR’s Rutger was the guy who turned me on to this one. 8.2/10.

Infamy: Oh Keith. That’s simply one great song you got there. In the same rating-class as “The Worst”, which I always saw as one of his very best. Nice to close it down kindda slow, but funky. It’s with great music as with great sex. You don’t just run out to the bathroom after sex. You just lay in bed with the old lady (Hey Lorenz. Remember her??? You know that hideous old lady. LOL) and relax for a bit first. As with this tune. Very good choice as the closer. But I’d prefer a rocker where Mick sang really. 8/10.

Overall rating and impression: Let’s start with the artwork. I like that it’s very simple. Back to basics like this record is. And I really love that it’s black all over. It’s as motherfuckin’ black as The Rolling Stones themselves man. But maybe a picture here and there wouldn’t hurt. The ones from their websites (The ABB promo shots) would have done the artwork a world of good. Still I like it though. OK, on to the actual music: A VERY cool disc here. Some people say it’s the best since Tattoo You. I’d like to rephrase that. It’s the best since Voodoo Lounge (Voodoo Lounge wins by a pubic hair). And Voodoo Lounge was the best since Exile On Main Street. The songs compliment each other in the BEST WAY POSSIBLE. The lyrics ain’t bad either. They’re actually pretty good for Jagger’s standards. He was never an amazing word-smith (In the sense that The Beatles and Pink Floyd were). People who say otherwise just got used to singing “I got nasty habits”. Give this album 20 years and you’ll see. I was surprised when I heard it. I heard that most of the songs were rockers. I’d rather call it great grooves. The grooves is the dominant factor on this disc. That’s why it reminds me of Steel Wheels mixed with Black And Blue with a touch of Voodoo Lounge and a half teaspoon of Bridges To Babylon and Undercover. It wins A LOT by the overall impression. Also very great to see a Stones disc that gets better and better as it progresses, rather than it going a bit stale at the end like Bridges To Babylon does and also Voodoo Lounge.
My rating is 9.2/10. I know that the result of the songs put together would be 8.11, but this CD wins very much by the overall impression (With Exile On Main Street, Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers as 10 and 1 is Dirty Work or worse: Bon Jovi’s Crossroads compilation. BTW: Thanks to Gazza for inspiration to this note). I can’t understand why some people make their own “A Better Bang” and shit like that. The Stones put this out, and this is what they want you to listen to. And DAMN is it great. To give an impression of how much I like it here’s a scale of what it’s better than and what it’s worse than:

Better than:
- Anything from the sixties (Except Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed, and MAYBE Out Of Our Heads. But that’s a VERY BIG maybe).
- Bridges To Babylon.
- Steel Wheels.
- Dirty Work.
- Undercover.
- Tattoo You.
- The four new songs on Forty Licks (Just to get that in there too).
- Some Girls (FUCK OFF. It’s true).
- Black And Blue.

Not better than:
- Exile On Main Street.
- Let It Bleed.
- Sticky Fingers.
- Beggars Banquet.
- Voodoo Lounge.
So there you have it. That’s my humble opinion. And I stand by it. Best of all time, except those 4 golden era albums + Voodoo Lounge (And maybe Out Of Our Heads). I FRIGGIN’ LOVE THE ROLLING STONES!!!!!! SUCK ON THAT!!!!! AI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI!!!!!!!!!

JumpingKentFlash has left the building…..
December 8th, 2005 07:28 AM
glencar Dirty Work is better than Voodoo Lounge & this far surpasses either of those efforts. Otherwise, a fine diary.
December 8th, 2005 10:25 AM
Gazza Kent - are you a mathematician or something?

how can you rate a song "7.8" or "8.3" out of 10?
December 8th, 2005 10:28 AM
VoodooChileInWOnderl
quote:
Gazza wrote:
Kent - are you a mathematician or something?

how can you rate a song "7.8" or "8.3" out of 10?



Rounding to one decimal as the original rating was 7.7694 and 8.3056
December 9th, 2005 07:52 AM
JumpingKentFlash
quote:
Gazza wrote:
Kent - are you a mathematician or something?

how can you rate a song "7.8" or "8.3" out of 10?




I knew someone would ask me about that.

It's just that if a song is strong, take ONNYA for example, then it must score high. But if ONNYA is not as good a song as, say, Rough Justice and RJ ain't as good as LIND then I get in trouble with saying that all three will score 8. That's why I have to use decimals. If I like one better than the other and they both have to score high then I have to do it. Cryptical I know, but I hope you understand.
December 9th, 2005 08:31 AM
gustavobala better than tatto you?????????

no, no....

better than steel wheels, worst than voodoo lounge!
December 9th, 2005 12:16 PM
BILL PERKS I DONT KNOW WHY PEOPLE JUST CAN'T APPRECIATE IT AS THE STONES IN 2005.I DONT COMPARE IT TO ANYTHING.
December 9th, 2005 08:16 PM
Soldatti
quote:
gustavobala wrote:
worst than voodoo lounge!



I think that ABB has more good songs on it, Voodoo Lounge is great too, but ABB is a bit better IMO.
December 10th, 2005 05:02 AM
JumpingKentFlash
quote:
gustavobala wrote:
better than tatto you?????????

no, no....

better than steel wheels, worst than voodoo lounge!




Oh yes. WAY better. Tattoo you is very overrated IMO. And Some Gilrs too even though it's good. ABB is better than both of these.
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