Hackney Diamonds

by The Rolling Stones

Overview

Sometime after the Rolling Stones wrapped up their 2022 tour -- the second they completed since the 2021 death of their drummer Charlie Watts -- Mick Jagger decided the band had spent enough time working on their first record of original material since 2005's A Bigger Bang. Jagger gave Keith Richards, the only other surviving founding member of the Stones left in the band, a deadline of Valentine's Day 2023 for wrapping up the sessions that had been dragging on for years. The ultimatum worked: by October of that year, the Stones released Hackney Diamonds, their first collection of new songs in 18 years. The album doesn't entirely consist of material the Stones cut early in 2023 -- two tracks feature Charlie Watts, including "Live by the Sword," which has original bassist Bill Wyman guesting on a Stones record for the first time in 30 years -- yet it bears the unmistakable imprint of a record delivered on a deadline. There's little hesitation, no thoughtful pondering here: Hackney Diamonds just barrels ahead with a clean efficiency. Although they're largely working with a new producer -- Andrew Watt, who came recommended by Paul McCartney -- the Rolling Stones don't attempt new tricks anywhere on Hackney Diamonds, save maybe "Whole Wide World," whose bizarre neo-new wave vibe gets odder thanks to Jagger singing in an exaggerated cockney accent. Even that is a slight nod to the band's mall-rat rock of the early '80s, one of many different guises the Rolling Stones adopt over the course of Hackney Diamonds. While a good portion of the record is devoted to straight-ahead rock & roll, they also find space for ragged country ("Dreamy Skies") and acoustic blues ("Rolling Stone Blues"), not to mention "Sweet Sounds of Heaven," a showstopping ballad featuring Lady Gaga. That track is a good indication of how Hackney Diamonds plays. At first, it seems like a solid evocation of "Beast of Burden," but it's a slow burn, a song that sounds stronger with each repeated listen. So is of the rest of Hackney Diamonds. Because it has no grand conceptual hook and because the Stones so thoroughly integrate their superstar guests -- not only are Gaga and Wyman here but so are Stevie Wonder, Elton John, and McCartney -- it doesn't overwhelm upon an initial listen the way the lengthy Voodoo Lounge or A Bigger Bang do; that small scale is its strength. At its heart, it's nothing more than the Rolling Stones knocking out some good Rolling Stones songs, which seems like a minor miracle after such a long wait. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/20/2023
Label:	Geffen / Polydor / Promotone
UPC:	0602458122565

Tracks

1. Angry
2. Get Close
3. Depending on You
4. Bite My Head Off
5. Whole Wide World
6. Dreamy Skies
7. Mess It Up
8. Live by the Sword
9. Driving Me Too Hard
10. Tell Me Straight
11. Sweet Sounds of Heaven
12. Rolling Stone Blues

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Rolling Stones   Primary Artist
Lady Gaga   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
James King   Saxophone
David Campbell   Conductor,String Conductor
Sara Parkins   Violin
Luke Maurer   Viola
Michele Richards   Violin
Ron Blake   Trumpet
Steve Jordan   Drums
Jacob Braun   Cello
Andrew Watt   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Matt Clifford   Organ,Piano,Keyboards,Wurlitzer,Fender Rhodes
Ron Wood   Bass,Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Tereza Stanislav   Violin
Alyssa Park   Violin
Tom Lea   Viola
Stevie Wonder   Piano
Paula Hochhalter   Cello
Keith Richards   Bass,Piano,Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Charlie Watts   Drums
Benmont Tench   Organ (Hammond)
Paul McCartney   Bass
Bill Wyman   Bass
Elton John   Piano
Charlie Bisharat   Violin
Mick Jagger   Guitar,Vocals,Harmonica,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Karlos Edwards   Percussion
Songa Lee   Violin
Philip Vaiman   Violin
Jenny Takamatsu   Violin

Technical Credits

David Campbell   Arranger
Richard Evatt   Assistant Engineer
Matt Colton   Mastering Engineer
Ali Tamposi   Assistant Engineer
John Costello   Assistant Engineer
Marco Sonzini   Recording
Andrew Watt   Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Producer
Dave O'Donnell   Recording
Krish Sharma   Recording
Matt Clifford   Vocal Engineer
Tommy Turner   Assistant Engineer
Muddy Waters   Composer
Lee Foster   Assistant Engineer
Keith Richards   Composer
John Rooney   Assistant Engineer
Bryce Bordone   Engineer
Carl Bespolka   Assistant Engineer
Joe Brice   Assistant Engineer
Kelsey Porter   Assistant Engineer
Dani Perez   Assistant Engineer
Cheno Wang   Assistant Engineer
Barnabas Poffley   Assistant Engineer
Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Lars Fox   Recording
Don Was   Producer
Mick Jagger   Composer
Joe Dougherty   Assistant Engineer
Paul Lamalfa   Mixing,Recording