The Rolling Stones are back with their 26th studio album, ‘Hackney Diamonds,’ which is out today. The album is their first collection of original songs since 2005's ‘A Bigger Bang,’ and features 11 new tracks written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
The Rolling Stones had been working on an original album since 2016, when they released Blue & Lonesome, a tribute to their blues roots that they recorded in just three days at Mark Knopfler's British Grove Studios in London. However, they struggled to find the right sound and vibe for their new songs, and decided to take a break from the project.
In late 2022, they resumed the recording sessions at Henson Studios in Hollywood, with producer Don Was and engineer Krish Sharma. They had a tight deadline to finish the album, as they wanted to release it before their 60th anniversary tour in 2023.
Mick Jagger talks about how they managed to complete the album in a few months. He said, "We did like two, three songs a day and we'd come back to them and then when we selected them we went in and did the overdubs and then it was Christmas. Then after Christmas I went and finished all the vocals in Nassau, Bahamas. There's no mucking about. No messing around. You know, just go from one song to the next one and the sessions went really pretty smooth, you know. Because my whole thing was that we gotta get in there, I mean Keith and I agreed, we gotta get in there, we're gonna cut the record, we're gonna finish it, and I said it's gonna be done by Valentine's Day and it more or less was."
The album showcases the diverse musical influences of The Rolling Stones, from rock and roll to country, reggae and soul. Some of the songs are inspired by their personal experiences, such as "Living in a Ghost Town", which reflects on the pandemic lockdown, or "One More Shot", which pays tribute to their late drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away in August 2022.
Two of the songs on the album, "Mess it Up" and "Live By the Sword", were recorded in 2019 with Watts on drums, while the rest feature Steve Jordan, who replaced him on the tour. Jordan also co-wrote one of the songs, "Trouble's Coming", with Richards.
Hackney Diamonds is a testament to the enduring creativity and vitality of The Rolling Stones, who have been making music for six decades. The album is expected to be a hit among fans and critics alike, and will be followed by a worldwide tour that will celebrate their remarkable career.
Listen to our iHeartRadio ICONS with the Rolling Stones:Celebrating the release of ‘Hackney Diamonds’ tonight at 7pm on BIG 95 KBGO and streaming everywhere on our free iHeartRadio app.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]