A$# 042 Rolling Stones | A Bigger Bang

Released in 2005, A Bigger Bang came eight year's after the previous studio effort by the Rolling Stones, 1997's Bridges To Babylon. That's the biggest gap between albums in the band's long and storied career.

While Mick and Keith and company may have decreased the frequency of their new studio albums, they haven't really slowed down. They still do huge tours and, as ABB reveals, they can still rock out pretty damn well on new material.

Many have said that the Stones haven't put out a ground-breaking album in a few decades. That may be true, but A Bigger Bang is a great rocking album. It's true to their roots, showcases their strengths and is fun to listen to. Isn't that what being "the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band" is supposed to be about?

The opening track, Rough Justice, sets the tone with booming guitar playing and double entendres in the lyrics. Other cuts such as Look What The Cat Dragged In and Oh No, Not You Again smoke along too. Keith does lead vocal on the lonely sounding This Place Is Empty, as well as the bluesy closer, Infamy.

Back On My Hand, with Mick's mean harmonica and slide, seems most reminiscent of the group's early blues work. (In fact, the track features only Mick, Keith and Charlie.)

My favourite cut, Biggest Mistake, is a slower tempo number, and it sort of reminds me of Waiting On A Friend. Mick is singing about regrets having blown a good thing after having left a romantic relationship. (I assume the lyrics are not autobiographical):

I acted impatient, I acted unkind
I took her for granted
I played with her mind
She didn´t deserve it but it was too late
I walked out the door and left her to her fate

But I think I just made the biggest mistake of my life
And I think I just made the biggest mistake of my life

The sharpest bite comes in Sweet Neo Con, a sweeping indictment of W and his ilk in the White House:

You call yourself a Christian
I think that you're a hypocrite
You say you are a patriot
I think that you're a crock of shit

And listen now, the gasoline
I drink it every day
But it's getting very pricey
And who is going to pay

How come you're so wrong
My sweet neo con.... Yeah

In case you're wondering, I say it was worth the wait for this solid Stones record. No jokes about their age are necessary. The Rolling Stones can still roll, and still rock.

Track listing:
1. Rough Justice
2. Let Me Down Slow
3. It Won't Take Long
4. Rain Fall Down
5. Streets of Love
6. Back of My Hand
7. She Saw Me Coming
8. Biggest Mistake
9. This Place Is Empty
10. Oh No, Not You Again
11. Dangerous Beauty
12. Laugh, I Nearly Died
13. Sweet Neo Con
14. Look What the Cat Dragged In
15. Driving Too Fast
16. Infamy

There's also a limited edition version that comes with a DVD with some bonus tracks on it.