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FANS ALBUM REVIEWS
Seventeen Reviews - Overall Average Rating - 6.79 Tongues
(We are accepting fan reviews for this album once again, for a limited time)
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By Craig
February 19, 2003
Rating:
A lot of critics (and Stones fans) didn't care for this album. I usually say this:
try to imagine that you've never heard the Stones before. Or imagine that the Stones put
this out in 1975 or 1980 or 1989. You might just hear a different album.
If you want the Stones hitting hard, listen to "Flip the Switch". If you want a
great Stones ballad, try "Already Over Me", or "Always Suffering".
Keith's "Thief In The Night" is one of the best things he's done. And songs like
"Out Of Control", "Saint Of Me", and "Might As Well Get
Juiced" would be considered Stones "classics" if they would have been
released at a different time. If "Emotional Rescue" made it into the Top Five
when it came out, imagine what one of these would have done. This is an underrated album
that shows that the boys still had some sparks left as recently as 1997. It'd be nice to
see a follow up.
To listen to some sound clips from
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
or to buy it click here:
Bridges To Babylon [Reissue]
More fan reviews:
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By Brandon Isaacs
February 18, 2003
Rating:
Overall, I think that Bridges to Babylon is definitely worth purchasing. Of the
thirteen tracks on the album, most are very pleasant. These songs remind us of the earlier
days such as Some Girls and Let It Bleed, but give us a taste of new
material so that we are not bored for the old stuff. The reason I cannot give this album a
full rating is because it is lacking nice packaging that many Stones fans are used to.
What is with the booklet? The entire CD only contains one group picture of the band. I
think they could have done just a little better than that. Did you also know that on the
back of the CD, it says that track number 13 is five minutes and fifty-three seconds long?
It is actually six minutes and fifty-three seconds long. They should have checked for all
mistakes before putting the record on the shelves. But with its flaws, as all records
have, I think this album is worth tapping into. This album is 'mature' Stones and may not
be appropriate for young chidden.
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By Jason Gilliand
October 22, 2002
Rating:
I have yet to understand why people don't like this album... Granted it's not Exile
or Sticky Fingers, but it still has it's moments. I would tend to agree that's
it's overproduced in area's ('Anybody Seen My Baby?') but there's some classic stuff on
here.. 'Out of Control' sounds like Goats Head Soup era Stones and Keith is
sounding pretty good. The guitar work is stellar. I think people are expecting the same
ol' Stones records... this overall is a pretty solid record with a few songs that could've
been dropped.
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By GB
September 7, 2002
Rating:
Sometimes I have to laugh. Like the guy who said he just bought B2B and Houses
of the Holy, and says B2B rocks comparatively. HA. See, that's pretty funny
because it shows just what we're dealing with is a lot of newcomers who haven't learned to
hear with their ears yet, because there is no way on this good planet that there is a 1
minute stretch on Houses that owes anything in comparison to this, wretched mess.
This is a bad album. Why? Even Keith knows it's bad. It's bad because Mick won't let the
Stones be the Stones. He doesn't want to be with the Stones, other than to make money and
be seen, so he makes the album with a bunch of other people instead. Nowhere is their the
vocal harmonizing with Mick and Keith. This is a solo album. It sounds as artificially
produced as Mick's She's the Boss.
Once in awhile Keith's tele would slash through this plastic overgrowth like a big scythe,
but the swamp is overgrown with plastic. Bernie Fowler's backup vocals, a holdover from
the noisy 80s, amount to loud shouting. There's no music here. I like Heavy D as much as
the next man, but having him sit on one of your songs isn't going to make your music cool
or current.
One must hunt, and one arrives at two or three songs. They are 'Saint of Me', 'Thief In
The Nite', and 'Always Suffering'. These are the only ones where all the pop is dropped
long enough to hear the Stones. And, "Losing Control" could have been a great
song, but the production buries it. This album was a big mistake. If Mick is so averse to
making a real Stones album, Keith should beg off. Instead of just hiring young guns, Mick
and Keith need to get back to basics. Rent a place, live there for a few months, hammer
out some really good music. As long as that isn't happening, we're going to continue to
get junk.
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By thijs den otter
August 15, 2002
Rating:
This is not the greatest Stones-album ever made. Bridges to Babylon has to many
tracks that are only 'so-so'. A song like 'Flip The Switch' is okay, but in the rich
tradition of strong opening-tracks this one just can't compete with 'Start Me Up' or even
'One Hit'. I'm not even comparing it to 'love Is Strong' or 'Rocks Off'. There are some
songs on Bridges that I just skip. I don't care much for 'Already Over Me' or
'How Can I Stop'. In fact, there are only two songs that really stand out: 'Anybody Seen
My Baby?' is a good rock song with a nice paranoia touch to it. Saint Of Me is the best
song on the album, and one of the real treats on the last tour. So, should people buy this
record? Yes, but not if they are only interested in the best that the Stones have to
offer. These people should purchase any record between 1968 and 1973, buy Some Girls
and Voodoo Lounge and leave Bridges to Babylon be.
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By t-roy
July 18, 2002
Rating:
All Stones fans know the feeling when they get a new Stones album- can't wait to hear it-
how does it stack up, etc. Inevitably, the expectations for a Stones album are so high
that it's almost impossible for the band to deliver. And this album is no exception. This
album fails to deliver.
"Flip The Switch" is the obligatory "look we're back" song but anyone
looking for a "One Hit to the Body" or "Brown Sugar" better not hold
their breath - this sounds like old men tapping their feet. "Anybody Seen My
Baby" is decent (the Biz Markie rap sample is cool) and "Saint of Me" is
the best song they've done in years without Keith (Jagger continues his reputation of
writing kick ass riffs for the Stones- he wrote Brown Sugar, ya know). But this album
feels thrown together with too many cooks. The bass playing is all over the place. I know
Bill never played on all the tracks either, but this is ridiculous. Too many producers,
too many session cats, and no cohesiveness. And since we won't be getting a brand new
album anytime soon, I suggest you pull out that Hot Rocks double CD. You'll
need it.
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By Johnathan
April 16, 2002
Rating:
This album is yet another late career disappointment. It seems the band has lost it's
musical soul. Where is the blues, country, rock&roll and funk that have been the
Stones' trademark over the years? Unfortunately, it seems to this huge fan that Mick is
way to pre-occupied with trying to sound current. The rap part on ANYBODY SEEN MY BABY
destroys a fairly interesting groove. The techno rock/slop of JUICED is an awful
experiment by Mick that could have resulted into a fine bluesy cut if kept simple with
Keith. I know he hates the track! Throwaway rockers like TOO TIGHT, FLIP THE SWITCH, and
LOWDOWN (sound's like an outtake from one of Keith's solo projects) put the boys' in a
desperate light. Tepid ballads like ALREADY OVER ME and the abysmal HOW CAN I STOP are
total shit! The only quality tunes on the whole bloody mess are SAINT OF ME, ALWAYS
SUFFERING and THIEF IN THE NIGHT. ANYBODY SEEN MY BABY is OK, but very trendy. GUNFACE
rocks hard but is very shallow lyrically. Finally OUT OF CONTROL is a good song that has
been over-produced. Would someone please bring Jimmy Miller back from the dead! The band
still kicks ass live but they have not put a high quality album since TATTOO YOU
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By Kevin
April 4, 2002
Rating:
When I first ever hear a Stones album in its entirety, it was this one. "Flip The
Switch" roared on the stereo and is one of the hardest things they have done in this
decade. "Anybody Seen My Baby" can best be appreciated on a hot summer day and
being separated from the person you love, it's got that vibe."Low Down" is a so
so rocker that feels like filler material. "Already Over Me" is their best
ballad since "Waiting On a Friend". "Gun Face" is a good drum track
with Jagger continuing his use of the word "gun" for a lyrical statement.
"You Don't Have To Mean It" is fairly disappointing and feels out of place.
"Out Of Control" is probably the most powerful statement on the album. The song
has an aura of mystery, lust and violence. "Saint of Me" is the perfect song to
follow "Out Of Control" it goes from darkness to light and rocks out. The guitar
solo sounds like a crying angel it's so good."Might As Well Get Juiced" is a
little too over produced and it's a ridiculous song. "Always Suffering" is
another good ballad that makes you choke up. "Too Tight" has Jagger playing the
role of the macho bad boy, wise with age and throwing in a little profanity to get his
point across. The last two songs are Keef -sung ballads, they aren't great but they're not
bad. Overall this is a much better album then most people say. Cut out some of the filler
and you get a modern day Stones masterpiece.
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By the chipper
March 26, 2002
Rating:
There's plenty to complain about with this one. For one thing, there are more producers
than there are boys in the band, and the Stones almost get overwhelmed by all all the
guest musicians and backup singers. Whatever happened to the days when they did it all
themselves, with occasional help from a Bobby Keys or a Nicky Hopkins? I've also got to
say there are four songs I seldom play and cannot recommend: the obnoxious techno-rocker
"Might As Well Get Juiced", the Caribbean flavored "You Don't Have To Mean
It" (which sounds too much like Blondie's "The Tide Is High" in my
opinion), and the two Keith ballads that close out the album, "Thief In The
Night" and "How Can I Stop". As for lead single "Anybody Seen My
Baby?", it's catchy and sultry, but the "rap" section spliced into the
middle of it is the Stones' most embarrassing moment since the female vocals in '80's
"Where The Boys Go". But you know what? This is the Stones' best album since Some
Girls, because the remaining songs are just plain awesome. "Flip The
Switch" and "Low Down" are scorchers, and I defy anyone not to pound along
with Charlie Watts' drum fill in the last verse of "Gunface". "Out Of
Control" conjures up that inner-city, early '70's Motown feel on the verses, then
explodes on the chorus--this was reportedly one of highlights of the "Bridges"
concert tour. The two Mick Jagger ballads, "Already Over Me" (lost love) and
"Always Suffering" (more universal in scope), are truly beautiful songs. The
atmospheric "Saint Of Me" contains Mick's greatest lyrics since "Sympathy
For The Devil", and finally there's my personal favorite "Too Tight", which
would've made a great single if not for the inclusion of the dreaded "F" word!
All in all, an incredible album, especially considering these guys were in their
mid-fifties when they recorded it. In answer to Keith's album-closing "How Can I
Stop"...you can't! Too many Stones fans are waiting for the next one
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By Anthony
September 22, 2001
Rating:
B2B got openly criticized for being and obvious Mick versus Keith disc. It is
clearly obvious which are Mick's tunes and which are Keith's. Still I think they worked in
harmony although Keith did not agree with some of Jagger's decisions as far as some of the
experimentation's that were done on some of Mick's tunes. Another low point was bringing
in Waddy Wachtel. I have much respect for him, but it was an open slap in the face to
Ronnie, who had not been on top of his game due to his alcohol intake.
We open with the Stones fastest tune ever: Keith's "Flip The Switch". Great
guitars, a typical Keithian guitar hook, Charlie's domineering Snare and Jagger urgently
doling out the lyrics. Great BU vox, but nothing the band could not have done on their
own. Instead we have too many guest musicians. But the tune kicks ass! Followed by the
midtempo, "Anybody Seen My Baby", which features a gorgeous chorus. There is an
almost embarrassing "Rap" interlude that fortunately does not include Mick
himself. A guest rapper takes over and for 30 agonizing seconds almost spoils a perfect
tune. Next comes a trademark Keith riff that ushers in "Low Down". The BU vox on
this one are astonishing.Very much reminiscent of the Winos. Keith's guitar rules on this
one. "Already Over Me" is my least fave of the bunch, even though it features
some lovely playing by Ronnie, but it is a typical Jagger ballad, where one upon first
listen can almost predict every chord change. Keith's obligatory Reggae tune follows. It
has horns, 'chakking' piano and several (too many) Reggae guitars. But Keith's vocal pulls
it all together to make it a really lovely tune. The live-in-the-studio recorded
"Gunface" that shows no mercy in it's grit and then "Out Of Control",
which is a Temptation type, intense groove that showcases Jagger at his best. The chorus
then comes in supercharged and has Jagger just letting it rip.This quickly became the
centerpiece for the "B2B" Tour. Another fave is "Saint Of Me, on this they
unnecessarily looped Charlie's drums, when he very well could have played the part. It was
part of the experimenting Mick was doing with the Dust Bros. producing, where there really
was nothing to produce Dust Bros style. This was one of Keith's peeves. Jagger wrote this
wonderful tune with a hell of a chorus and fortunately it turned out great. The Dust Bros
do come into their own on the next Synth charged "Might As Well Get Juiced". It
only features minimal guitars, mainly Slide and showcases Charlie on a great Ride
Cymbal-Snare beat. But the revolving Synths really are the stars on this one. Jagger gives
a fine vocal performance. In a typical Stones twist the intensity of the last few tunes is
followed by a gentle Country ballad. The verses sound like they were written by Mick for
Keith. Three minutes of pure Keith rock'n roll follow "Too Tight". It is one of
those grooves Keith can whip from his hat at any given moment. The disc ends on a very
surprising note. We have become used to Keith ending their latest discs with a ballad.
This time we get two! A double shot of two superb songs. "Thief In The Night"
which segueways straight into "How Can I Stop?" Really an amazing piece of
music. Keith's vocals are delivered very up close. It is very smoky and jazzy. The
highpoint is the outro with a haunting Sax solo that culminates in Blondie Chaplin's piano
and Charlie's cymbal, together with the Sax to create a gigantic finale, unlike the Stones
have ever recorded.
Why did I give this disc a 9.0, even though I seem to be criticizing a lot? Because the
songs are so damn good, no matter what the circumstances and show a new high in
songwriting maturity.
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By Alex Short
November 29, 2000
Rating:
This album doesn't have the edge of Voodoo Lounge but that isn't saying much. The
album has several nice touches in the form of some of the better songs, but god are some
of the songs bad. The worst being Keiths vocal effort on the closing track 'How Can I
Stop'. Yes please do stop Keith. The highs on this album include the opening rocker 'Flip
The Switch' which shows that although the Stones have gradually gotten worse over the past
twenty years they're still capable of producing great opening tracks on their albums.
'Anybody Seen My Baby' isn't too bad and neither is 'Gunface' or 'Low Down'. The latter
actually been a pretty good song. Then come some bad ones. I cant even remember the names
of some of them. 'Saint Of Me' is a pretty good song but not great, but 'Too Tight' is.
This proves the band have still got it, though only in patches. I think the days of then
doing truly great albums with few bad songs are over. All I think about at the moment
however is when the Stones are going to cut a new album. Come on its been three years now
boys.
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By R. Janssen
November 20, 2000
Rating:
I just don’t understand why a lot of people say that Bridges to Babylon
shouldn’t been made. Those people say that the Stones should stop these days. They
compare this album with Exile on Main Street, Let it Bleed and Sticky
Fingers. O.K., I also think that those albums are much better than Bridges to
Babylon, but it isn’t fair to compare it with the three best albums ever made,
because there will never be another band again who will make such great albums. So if you
think in that way, Bridges to Babylon isn’t a good album. But if another
band made this album, everybody would say that it’s one of the best albums ever made.
I think that Bridges to Babylon is one of the best Stones albums. Off course
Keith, Ron, and Charlie are fantastic (as always), but Mick Jagger's voice is even more
beautiful here than on the other nineties albums. That really amazed me. When I heard
'Always Suffering' for the first time, I cried for a few minutes. I just couldn’t
believe that his voice was still that beautiful. Also 'Already Over Me' was a surprise.
Mick Jagger sings from his heart and you can feel it inside you. And there are more great
songs here. 'Flip the Switch' and 'Saint of Me' have a great rock sound. Keith Richards
proves that he can sing just fine on two great slow songs, 'Thief in the Night' and 'How
can I Stop'.
Where a lot of people say that Bridges to Babylon shouldn’t be made, I want
to thank the Stones for giving me such a great
album. THANKS, YOU GUYS!!!
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By christophoros
April 11, 2000
Rating:
Why does this always get called "a failed try to buy hipness" and so on? The
albums has got loops similar to the ones on UNDERCOVER, however, it' s better, as they
have used new technologies very carefully and respectfully, so that they only give a new
freshness to the material. After having listened to the album, you will think, that it' s
another masterpiece of the Rolling Stones through and through, and that you have newly
discovered them. On FLIP THE SWITCH the new sounds move the rhythm straight forward, and
from the lyrics ("I' m not going to burn in hell I cased the joint and I know it
well" "Lethal injection is a luxury I wanna give it to the whole jury") it
then goes back to the good old times of EXILE ON MAIN STREET. Not only from the
length, they here have made an epos adequate to it. I DON' T KNOW what so many people have
against ANYBODY SEEN MY BABY?, on it again their ability to write simple pop songs shines.
LOW DOWN ROCKS magnificently. On ALREADY OVER ME you can hear for the first time the more
reflective and still unbelievably strong Stones from the album. GUNFACE in contrast is a
hardrocker with great slide inlays from Ronnie, one of the hardest songs they have ever
done. YOU DON' T HAVE TO MEAN It is a joyful reggae. OUT OF CONTROL must be the key piece
from the album, as they have the BRIDGES in the title from it. And it makes you cry, even
if you know, that who sings it there actually lies and has reached everything in fact.
Great, that the Stones as one of the few of that old and successful bands have still kept
their street credibility. No band on earth ever will be able to play songs like this
better! SAINT OF ME is 1997's SHINE A LIGHT, but it too is a song on it' s own with its
mystic, religious touch. MIGHT AS WELL GET JUICED is the most experimental number, next to
synthie sounds you even find a return to the blues roots. ALWAYS SUFFERING and THIEF IN
THE NIGHT: just beautiful, touching ballads, that show the new Stones, who are now adult
after all those years, but still full of
desi
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By Steve Cronen
January 31, 2000
Rating:
What is so bad about this album? I got it just recently, along with Led Zep's Houses of
the Holy, and this one kicks way more ass.
From the very opening of "Flip the Switch," you know that the Stones are back in
full glory. Charlie Watts and Mick Jagger rule this album with an iron fist. Watts shows
off his best drumming since I don't know when. Mick is all over the place, with not only
his best vocals in years, but with a plethora of finely-played instruments. His wah-wah
guitar on "Out Of Control" makes me cringe with delight. Almost every song is a
keeper. "Flip the Switch" is my personal favorite, and I was hooked from the
moment the riff began. "Anybody Seen My Baby?" is, without a doubt, one of the
most hitworthy singles ever put out by the boys. I don't care if it sounds like k.d.
lang... I hate her, anyway. The lyrics ring so true with me and with many people who've
lost love. I love Mick's ballads "Already Over Me" and "Always
Suffering." Keith roars in with - count 'em- three tunes. "You Don't Have To
Mean It" it my favorite, because frankly, it's downright hilarious. "Thief in
the Night" is okay, a little slow, Keef tries to pull off another "All About
You" and "Sleep Tonight" with "How Can I Stop." It doesn't quite
capture the majesty of those earlier recordings.
Otherwise, it's a kick-ass album. "Out Of Control" sounds awesome, and even
better live. "Saint of Me" is an instant classic, showing that the Stones, no
matter what people may think of them or say about them, will always keep rockin'.
"You'll never make a saint of me." Amen, Mick. "Might As Well Get
Juiced" is funky to the point of dancing.
My only main complaint? Too many freaking people on this album! C'mon, guys, if you're
gonna bring in other guys to play for you, they might as well be well-established
veterans. I was glad to see the likes of Billy Preston and Jim Keltner gracing the liner
notes, but how many songs does Waddy Wachtel have to be on? Or Danny Saber? And what's
with all the producers!? The Stones are back, nonetheless. Don't you forget it.
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By Chris
July 14, 1999
Rating:
The Stones latest release is, in my opinion, one of the best studio recordings they have
done in some time (probably since Some Girls). Needless to say, I was surprised the wrath
the recording received from Stones fans, and not surprised that the wider musical audience
has some appreciation for what the boys were trying to do (witness the Grammy nomination
for the album). Like all good Stones albums, Bridges is relatively diverse in the writing,
musical form and musicianship. The album begins with the rocker Flip the Switch, a song
which clearly highlights Keith hasn't lost his touch in laying down an aggressive, antsy
and impatient riff. When promoting Bridges, Keith told journalists that 'Switch' was the
quickest Stones song ever recorded, and it's hard to argue with him. Anybody Seen my Baby
is a soaring ballad in which Mick's vocal track is sensational, but the backing vocals
hold the song back. Fellas, dump those studio hangers and let Keith sing exclusive back-up
vocals. The result would be a rougher and more genuine ballad although 'Baby' is still a
good track. Lowdown is OK, Mick letting off some steam around a standard Richards' riff,
Already over me a song similar to 'Baby' is effect and quality. The album's fifth track,
Gunface', is, in my opinion the musical highpoint of the album. Firstly, the Stones
employed the marching drum beat and put it way out front in production. This, combined
with some fericious lyrics (I taught her everything... I taught her how to eat) gives the
song some real menace. Here the Stones are angry and dangerous- at their best. Ronnie's
slide playing, of which I am almost always critical, is spectacular on this song and
Jagger snarls the lyrics with conviction. Great song. Of the rest of the album, Thief in
the Night, Out of Control and Might as well get juiced standout. Thief is such a Keith
song, rough, musing, drifting with purpose. Out of Control is fantastic (even better live)
while Juiced really works for me, particularly Mick's harp solo. Overall, the album's very
good.
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By: D. Bowers
May 30, 1999
Rating:
Bridges To Babylon had all the right ingredients but a lack of focus. Or should I say to
much focus. If you stripe away all the Studio gimmicks, drum loops, and get rid of 90% of
the people who were hired to bring a fresh new sound to the band, you would have a decent
album. I give to band credit for attempting to have a fresh new sound but they went about
it the wrong way. I think they were trying to be so fresh and new that you get a sense
that they were holding on to tight. Being the Biggest rock and roll band in the world
comes with a little pressure. They have to live up to there name which shows they were
trying to hard on this album. This band still has the magic of making awesome music. To
achieve this they should go to some deserted island or lock themselves up in a secluded
cabin somewhere for about a month with no outside stimulation and see what they come up
with. The problem is the band members are not in there twenties anymore when there lives
completely revolved around music. They treat there albums like a job that needs to be done
to complete the contract with the record company to make another ten million off there
next album. They either should call it quits and say it was fun while it lasted or put all
of there differences aside and say "hey chaps lets say screw all of the bulls**t and
lets get down to what we really love deep in our hearts which is to make great rock and
roll." If you want to listen to Bridges to Babylon the way it should have been
recorded, listen to the new live album No Security. The tracks on that album which were on
Babylon reach a whole new level when striped down to there raw form with a little bit of
balls behind the songs. My feeling is if they would have recorded the songs in the studio
in a live setting this album would be one of there best. Next time you listen to the album
don't pass it off as a bunch of crap. Try and listen under all the studio gizmos and over
production and hear the raw elements to the songs. The hooks are still there its just sad
that you really have to concentrate to grasp them. Actually I have two ratings for this
album. The first would be 5.0 as the album sits right now. If it would of had the focus
and not the over production, I would give the album 7.5 for effort. Hey I got an idea,
next time you guys decide to record another album, take a mobile recording unit, lock
yourselves in a castle somewhere in Europe where no one can find you, bring along a few
bottles of Jack Daniels and some other assorted mind altering substances and get down to
business. They need to get together and bond like they used to. It just seems like they
are a bunch of solo artists who happen to be recording on the same album. It just doesn't
work when Mick tells Keith "hey man I can only be in the studio for about ten min.
today because I need to contribute to the next Pepsi add coming out".
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
By Rank Outsider
Dec 6, 1998
Rating:
When the Rolling Stones set out to make their latest studio album, BRIDGES TO BABYLON,
they were very clear about their intentions NOT to recreate "another EXILE ON MAIN
ST." Judging the album from this unduly restricted perspective, it may be considered
therefore to be a tremendous success. Although at 60+ grueling minutes it is the second
longest Stones studio album next to their epic EXILE, it bottoms out roundly at the
opposite end of the ratings spectrum, being arguably the Stones' worst studio album ever.
Its thirteen tracks remain an atrocity to the revivification the band experienced with
their previous studio album, VOODOO LOUNGE --- and it deservingly possesses a lackluster
sales record.
Glaringly overproduced with computer gimmickry (a la the Dust Brothers et al.), what
otherwise would be solid Stones songs are artistically comprised with newfangled
techniques, perhaps most notably drum-looping the back-beats of Charlie Watts, one of the
greatest drummers in rock. And, speaking of the rhythm section, there are more "guest
bassists" on this album than the average number of groupies Bill Wyman could seduce
on a lucky afternoon. Multiple producers, multiple bassists, multiple perspectives of how
to go about producing this album (courtesy of Mick and Keith) all contribute to a
disunified effect --- as two solo albums were fused together --- in which the whole is far
less than the sum of its parts.
While "Flip the Switch" and "Too Tight" are mediocre rockers, they
cannot atone for the embarrassment of tracks such as "Anybody Seen My Baby?" (a
veritable rip-off of K.D. Lang's "Constant Craving" --- complete with a
non-Jagger rap section), or the pointless receptiveness of twin tracks "Already Over
Me" and "Always Suffering" (perhaps a more appropriate album title), or the
anemic bathos of the Keith Richard's compositions, "You Don't Have to Mean It,"
"Thief in the Night," and "How Can I Stop?" Even BRIDGES TO BABYLON's
musical centerpiece, "Saint of Me," is condemned to an aesthetic limbo --- both
by the conspicuous absence of Keith Richards and by the ever-annoying presence of
tin-canned drums. For a more satisfying experience of the BRIDGES TO BABLYON songs, the
live versions of these tunes on the NO SECURITY C.D. are strongly recommended.
Keno's mini review, song list, lyrics and more info on BRIDGES TO BABYLON
To listen to some sound clips from
BRIDGES TO BABYLON
or to buy, click here:
Bridges To Babylon [Reissue]
