Steel Wheels

by The Rolling Stones

Overview

The Stones, or more accurately the relationship between Mick and Keith, imploded shortly after Dirty Work, resulting in Mick delivering a nearly unbearably mannered, ambitious solo effort that stiffed and Keith knocking out the greatest Stones album since Tattoo You, something that satisfied the cult but wasn't a hit. Clearly, they were worth more together than they were apart, so it was time for the reunion, and that's what Steel Wheels is -- a self-styled reunion album. It often feels as if they sat down and decided exactly what their audience wanted from a Stones album, and they deliver a record that gives the people what they want, whether it's Tattoo You-styled rockers, ballads in the vein of "Fool to Cry," even a touch of old-fashioned experimentalism with "Continental Drift." Being professionals, in the business for over two and a half decades, and being a band that always favored calculation, they wear all this well, even if this lacks the vigor and menace that fuels the best singles; after all, the rocking singles ("Sad Sad Sad," "Rock and a Hard Place," "Mixed Emotions") wind up being smoked by such throwaways as "Hold on to Your Hat." Even though it's just 12 songs, the record feels a little long, largely due to its lack of surprises and unabashed calculation (the jams are slicked up so much they don't have the visceral power of the jam record, Black and Blue). Still, the Stones sound good, and Mick and Keith both get off a killer ballad apiece with "Almost Hear You Sigh" and "Slipping Away," respectively. It doesn't make for a great Stones album, but it's not bad, and it feels like a comeback -- which it was supposed to, after all. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	06/26/2020
Label:	Interscope / Polydor
UPC:	0602508773310
Rank:	38706

Tracks

1. Sad Sad Sad
2. Mixed Emotions
3. Terrifying
4. Hold on to Your Hat
5. Hearts for Sale
6. Blinded by Love
7. Rock and a Hard Place
8. Can't Be Seen
9. Almost Hear You Sigh
10. Continental Drift
11. Break the Spell
12. Slipping Away

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Rolling Stones   Primary Artist
The Master Musicians of Jajouka   Guest Artist
Bill Wyman   Guitar (Bass)
The Kick Horns   Horn,Brass,Ensemble
Luis Jardim   Percussion
Matt Clifford   Piano,Strings,Clavinet,Harmonium,Keyboards,Piano (Electric)
Ron Wood   Guitar,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Bernard Fowler   Vocals (Background)
Tim Sanders   Brass
Simon Clarke   Brass
Keith Richards   Guitar,Vocals,Sound Effects,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Classical),Vocals (Background)
Charlie Watts   Drums
Phil Beer   Fiddle,Mandolin
Chuck Leavell   Organ,Piano,Keyboards,Wurlitzer
Paul Spong   Brass
Sarah Dash   Vocals (Background)
Lisa Fischer   Vocals (Background)
Mick Jagger   Guitar,Shaker,Vocals,Harmonica,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Louis Jardine   Percussion
Roddy Corimer   Brass,Trumpet

Technical Credits

Tony King   Art Coordinator
Stephen Marcussen   Mastering
Ted Jensen   Mastering
The Glimmer Twins   Producer
Chris Jagger   Literary Editor
The Kick Horns   Orchestration,Horn Arrangements
Chris Kimsey   Mixing,Producer
Christopher Marc Potter   Mixing,Engineer
Matt Clifford   Arranger,Orchestration,Percussion Programming
Rupert Coulson   Assistant Engineer
Michael Brauer   Mixing
Tim Sanders   Horn Arrangements
Alan Dunn   Logistics
Al Stone   Mixing Assistant
Simon Clarke   Horn Arrangements
Keith Richards   Composer
Tony Russell   Band Technician
Paul Spong   Horn Arrangements
Mick Jagger   Arranger,Composer
Stewart Whitmore   Mastering
Michael Butterworth   Mixing Assistant
John Warwicker   Design,Art Direction
Enrique Badulescu   Photography
Mark Norton   Logo Design
Pierre de Beauport   Band Technician
Roddy Corimer   Horn Arrangements
Chuch Magee   Band Technician
Steve Jordan   Composer