When the last Rolling Stones album landed, I described the somewhat unexpected offering as a gift to fans and that sentiment carries over to Foreign Tongues. It seems, with music revenues continuing to decline that now more than ever, a band such as the Rolling Stones could quite happily sit amongst their laurels, and never worry about writing another note – except, of course, that for musicians and artists, writing is what they do and the potential revenue (or lack thereof) is a secondary concern. Indeed, rumours have already emerged to the effect that the band, seemingly on fire, have another ten songs ready for recording.
Anyhow, let us not get ahead of ourselves. Produced, once again, by Andrew Watt, Foreign Tongues picks up where the gloriously explosive Hackney Diamonds left off. It finds the band offering up twelve original tracks plus a pair of covers – from Amy Winehouse and Chuck Berry – while a whole bunch of mates drop in to lend a hand, including Benmont Tench, Robert Smith, Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, and Chad Smith. The band’s much-missed drummer, Charlie Watts, even turns up on one track, Hit Me in the Head, which provides a powerful emotional centre to the record.
Having been blown away by the rough ‘n’ tumble charm of Hackney Diamonds, my first thought when the Delta stomp of Rough and Twisted lands is that lightening does indeed strike twice. With Andrew Watt leaving the band to do what they do best, imbuing the mix with both a grittiness and space, the Stones deliver a masterclass in blues rock. It’s followed by In the Stars, a solid rocker that feels like a spiritual sequel to the last album’s Get Close with its whip-crack drums and wiry riffs.
If the opening tracks feel a touch like business as usual, even if that business is very good indeed, Jealous Lover comes as something of a surprise, harking back to the falsetto vocals and loose funk of Black and Blue, the slinky verse giving way to a surprisingly addictive chorus, once again underscoring the fact the Stones have lost none of their skill when it comes to crossing genres at will.
The band change things up again with Mr Charm, which has a wiry post-punk sensibility reminiscent of Shattered, even throwing in a touch of Adam Ant along the way. Like its immediate predecessor, it builds to one hell of a chorus and, aided by vocalist Naarai Jacobs, the Stones display a vitality that, frankly, would shame a band half their age. Keeping things moving swiftly along, Divine Intervention (which features The Cure’s Robert Smith on guitar) is built around a stabbing riff, while Mick struts out front, throwing shapes and dripping with attitude.
With the album having already delivered a number of surprises, Ringing Hollow finds the band throwing another sonic curveball into the mix, delivering the sort of countryfied ballad that defined some of their greatest moments of the late 70s. In contrast, Never Wanna Lose You is a classic Stones rocker with a taut beat, brilliantly funky bass line (think I Miss You), and strong performance from Mick.
Right at the heart of the album lies Hit Me in the Head. A track left over from the productive Hackney Diamonds sessions; it features Charlie Watts behind the kit and it’s absolutely fantastic. Left deliberately raw, you hear Mick count in before the band explode onto the scene, nailed down hard by Charlie’s rolling thunder. It’s one of those rare moments when you can feel that amazing chemistry fizzing away and the result is one of the heaviest tracks to which the Stones have ever put their name. Pump it up loud and celebrate the life of one of rock’s great drummers – Hit Me In The Head is one hell of a testament to his enduring strength. It’s followed by a cover of Amy Winehouse’s You Know I’m No Goodwhich is delivered as a breezy soul number, lacking only a contribution from the wonderful Lisa Fisher to really push it over the top.
Every great Stones’ album needs a Keith vocal and here we get the lovely, Dylan-esque Some Of Us, Keith’s world-weary tones set against a subtle, bluesy piece that provides a moment of calm at the heart of this frequently thrilling record. Next up, the band wrongfoot the listener, presenting Covered in You as a similarly paced ballad only for a stinging riff to send it spinning off in a wiry, proto-funk direction, a cheery Paul McCartney once again lending a hand on bass.
With the album racing past, the mid-tempo rocker Side Effects (one of two Watt co-writes) is a pop-rocker in the 80’s mould (circa Steel Wheels), and it’s got a real energy to it. The flip side is the gorgeous, heartfelt ballad Back In Your Life, which feels like a natural extension to Hackney Diamonds’ equally nostalgic Depending On You and it’s remarkable how the band still have that rare ability to slip under your emotional armour after all these years.
Where Hackney Diamonds wrapped with a Muddy Waters number, Foreign Tongues comes to an end with a slide-soaked acoustic cover of the Chuck Berry track, Beautiful Delilah. With Mick and Keith sharing the mic, it’s an intimate finale, reminiscent of the excellent Stripped, and it wraps up another unexpectedly brilliant outing from the Stones.
Hackney Diamonds was no fluke and here’s the proof. Even more than its predecessor, Foreign Tongues finds the Stones exploring all of the facets that have made their career so interesting over the years. From the Delta blues stomp of the opening track through the loose funk of jealous Lover to the blistering rock of Hit Me In The Head, Foreign Tongues find the band firing on all cylinders. Once again, the pairing with Andrew Watt feels inspired, with the latter proving both respectful and innovative in his production, bringing the Stones up to date without compromising the loose magic that has made them so enduring. Another excellent effort, Foreign Tongues has it all. 9/10
