Posted by keef on August 04, 1999 at 15:46:26:
In Reply to: Voodoo Lounge....Again. posted by Stones Maniac on August 03, 1999 at 20:21:47:
Steel Wheels is a very good Stones' album, IMO. Voodoo Lounge is a GREAT Stones' album, IMO. Steel Wheels could've been a GREAT album if a few things had been done differently. First of all, Jagger's singing could've been better. Compared with his singing on "Dirty Work" and "She's The Boss," his vocals are terrific. But he still BARKS and GRUNTS too much of the time. This is evident on "Sad, Sad, Sad", "Rock...Hard Place","Hold On To Your Hat", and especially "Hearts For Sale." His vocals sound forced and rushed like he didn't put much into them. Secondly, the lyrics are weak in places. "Sad, Sad, Sad" had so much potential to one of the great Stones' rockers, but it suffers from some of the weakest Jagger lyrics ever. Same goes for "Hearts for Sale", "Hold on to Your Hat", and "Can't Be Seen."
Next, you've got a slicker production that works to several songs disadvantage. The horns in "Sad, Sad, Sad", "Mixed Emotions", and "Rock and a Hard Place" are buried too deep in the mix. They also sound very tiny--especially on "Rock..." where they sound artificial and synthetic. These songs are crying out for upfront, blasting horns ala "Exile on Main St." Keyboards and synthesizers also detract from several songs--including "Rock and a Hard Place", "Can't Be Seen", and "Continental Drift."
Finally, there's the inclusion of filler like "Hearts for Sale" and "Can't Be Seen" over great unreleased songs like "Fancy Man Blues" and "Cook Cook Blues."
In Short...a very good album, one of my top 10 favorite Stones' albums, but an album that could've been top five.
Keef
l;
: Ok, peeps...I got alot of feedback from people about my last message about not liking Voodoo Lounge. It surprises me that alot of people would write me back about their views about the album, but YET...not SPECIFICALLY tell me what really makes the album good to THEM. I have no friggin clue how, as one person put it, it can be said that Steel Wheels "doesn't hold up well today"...yeah, right...and Some Girls does??? Don't even get me started on THAT album. One person even had the audacity to tell me that B2B was overproduced...maybe so, but hell, it is a greater and better album than Voodoo Lounge. Sorry, guys and gals, I just cannot agree with you about Voodoo Lounge...it's too boring...my dog can make better songs than that.