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Posted by Mr. Ventilator on November 16, 1999 at 15:13:00:
In Reply to: Stones Next Studio Album posted by Keno on November 16, 1999 at 14:27:32:
: 1) Get back to basics. Take a hint from Paul McCartney's new album. The Stones don't need 25 takes for one song. Two or three takes should be the limit, if they can't gel by then go on to something else.
I disagree completely..the Stones need to take chances with their next album. They need to break new ground. B2B was a step in that direction, but too timid. I don't mean electronic synth-based stuff necessarily, but something new..Maybe a big-band sound, or some Celtic stuff, or..
: 2) Use only ONE producer. Better yet, just let the Glimmer Twins do it unless they can bring Jimmy Miller back from the grave. The biggest problem with B2B was way to many cooks in the kitchen.
: 3) Get rid of the session people! Some of their best albums have had very little outside help. Lets have Mick, Keef, Ronnie and Charlie go it alone. Keef & Ronnnie can handle all the bass and guitars, Mick & Keef all the keyboards. Ok, if the need for a sax player comes by, go back to Bobby Keys then.
Neither Mick nor Keef are particularly able keyboard players. Yes, I know Keef played electric piano on Memory Motel, but if you listen, you'll hear that it's basically a one-finger melody. Contrast that song with Nicky Hopkins' work on Loving Cup, or even Billy Preston's on Melody, and you'll hear what I mean. There's nothing wrong with bringing in first-rate session men.
: 4) Keef needs to play his guitar like its 1969 again. Why not? Don't tell me I'm hung up on the "old days", I already know this and back then Keef was at his best. Why not another Let It Bleed? It can be done if they want to do it and we need that good old Keith Richards lead guitar. Let Keef sing lead on just one cut, let him get back to his great guitar riffs of yesterday. He still has it in him, I know it!
Now you're talking! The question is: can Keith still cut it? I'd like to think so, but his recent playing leaves this an open question. And I agree that the trend towards Keith singing multiple songs is distressing.
: 5) They got to want to do it. You really gotta want to play the blues for it to
happen. I think Keef does. But what about Mick? I say forget about these young kids you
were trying to impress on B2B. These kids do not buy Rolling Stones albums. Think about
your true fans, who do. I think most of us want the Boys to get back to the way it was. VL
was an ok album and in
: pointed to the right direction, but it was not the whole deal, just part of it.
: 6) No more than nine or ten songs on the next album. For the most part the best all time rock albums have had 8 or 9 songs on them. Same thing with the Stones LPs. Look at LIB. Or Beggars Banquet. We don't need 16 new tracks if six of them are only so-so. I think this is a big key to the next album.
Here I agree with you again. Sort of. The problem is, of course, that tastes differ as to which 8 or 9 songs out of 16 are best. If they include them all, you can always skip the ones you don't like. But if they leave them out, you might miss out on one you really like. Plus, I would wager that the length of these LPs was determined more by what was techinically feasible on a 2-sided vynil LP than by artistic considerations. If they could have crammed 6 more songs onto these records they may well have done it.
: 7)Ron Wood needs to be a big part of this album. We need his slide guitar all over it.
Any record that Ron Wood needs to be a big part of is in big trouble right from the get-go.
: Well, there you go. I really believe they could pull off one hell of an album if they did this. Do you think this is asking to much?....Do you think the Stones just can't put our another great album again?.....Do you think going back to the way they used to record is really that bad?.......I don't.
Look, there's been one thing that's been conspicuously absent from the Stones recent
efforts - great lead guitar work. If Keith won't put aside his grudge against Mick T for
bailing from the bankd, maybe they could hook up with Carlos Santana, who clearly still
has the chops. Now THAT would be a memorable album!