A A Bigger Bang [PA]

Performer: The Rolling Stones
Engineer: Krish Sharma
Producer: Don Was; The Glimmer Twins; Ryan Castle (Compilation)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger (vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboards, vibraphone, bass guitar, percussion); Keith Richards (guitar, piano, bass guitar, background vocals); Ron Wood (guitar); Darryl Jones (bass guitar); Charlie Watts (drums). Additional personnel: Chuck Leavell (piano, organ); Don Was (piano); Matt Clifford (keyboards, vibraphone, programming); Lenny Castro (percussion); Blondie Chaplin (background vocals). In 2005, given their advanced age and the seemingly endless trajectory of their rollercoaster career, it is hard to believe that the Rolling Stones would have energy enough to remain standing, much less create an album of new, inspired, and vital material. But the World's Greatest Rock Band have been challenging assumptions since their earliest days, and with 2005's A BIGGER BANG, their first studio record since 1997's BRIDGES TO BABYLON, they surprise yet again by returning to classic form with all guns blazing. For starters, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are writing together again, and the album's 16 songs show a return to the revved-up, bluesy sound of the immortal STICKY FINGERS and EXILE ON MAIN STREET. Like those albums, this one bears potent doses of raw Chicago blues ("Back of My Hand"), honky-tonk balladry ("This Place is Empty"), mid-tempo melodic rock ("Let Me Down Slow"), simmering soul ("Laugh, I Nearly Died"), and barnstorming rock ("Rough Justice"), but what impresses most is how energized and fierce the band sounds, with churning rhythms, rollicking guitar riffs, and Mick yowling like it's 1971. A BIGGER BANG is the Stones' best and most cohesive effort since 1981's TATTOO YOU.

Rolling Stone (No. 983, p.101) - 4.5 out of 5 stars - "...A BIGGER BANG is just a straight-up, damn fine Rolling Stones albums, with no qualifiers or apologies necessary..." Uncut (p.92) - 5 stars out of 5 - "What makes A BIGGER BANG so terrific is the Stones turning the clock back to the raw bravado of their prime and partying like it's 1972." Mojo (Publisher) (p.100) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[A]rguably their most satisfying work since 1978's SOME GIRLS....[With] more spontaneous-sounding numbers that thrive on Charlie's authoritative tub-thumping and Keith and Ronnie's raucous, dovetailing guitars."

Originally part of the early 1960s British blues/R&B scene, the Rolling Stones rapidly ascended the heights of fame with a perfect combination of hit singles and media-grabbing scandals. By the '70s, Keith Richards had become a bona fide guitar hero, and Mick Jagger an unlikely sex symbol. The world became the Stones' stage, and their music continued to walk the line between blues, rock, and whatever lay around the next corner, be it reggae, funk, or disco. Despite the ravages of changing fashion, solo albums, and plain old age, the Stones persevered through the decades to become a venerable institution, refusing to relinquish their title as "The World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band."

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