The Toy Box: Rolling Stones

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Retro Spins: The Rolling Stones - Steel Wheels

By 1989, the infamous Jagger / Richards feud had been full fledge for six years. This all began during the recording sessions for 1983's Undercover, spawned by disagreements in musical directions. It blew up even further when Mick opted to focus on a solo career, kicking that off with 1985's She's The Boss, and then opted to work on his second album, instead of tour with the Stones for their 1986 released, Dirty Work (though he would later state this decision was based on the at the time state of drummer Charlie Watts). Keith in turn would launch his own solo career in 1988, releasing Talk Is Cheap.

The two would finally come to terms in "peace talks" in May of '89, deciding that the legacy and brand of the band was more important, and that they needed each other to stay relevant in the industry. Especially Richards, who's solo career didn't take off as he expected. Despite this, the two didn't fully bury the hatchet until around 2013, after Richard's published 2010 memoires, where he apologized for his behavior towards his longtime bandmate.

Steel Wheels needed to be a hit record and serve as comeback for The Rolling Stones. To support this, the Stones kicked off a massive world tour, consisting of three legs, and one hundred fifteen shows. The album would spawn the Billboard Hot 100 number nine hit, Mixed Emotions, and be followed by Rock And A Hard Place, which peaked at number twenty-three. While they would continue to chart over the following years, the latter would be the last top forty hit from the band to date.

Critics would be mildly supportive of the record, stating it was certainly a return to form, and the Jagger and Richards had returned to the element they thrived in. Others would claim it does its job, serving as the comeback the band needed. It's even gone on to be listed among Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.

I guess "return to form" is code for more of the same. For me, it just sounds like a continuation of the four releases that came before it. There are okay songs, but mostly nothing really worth jumping up and down for. I'm to the point where the Stones are like the Beatles. Wherein, I guess you had to be there to really understand the hype. I just don't hear anything special from them. I'll elaborate more on that below.

When Mixed Emotions kicked on, I did get a little treat in the form of, "Oh yeah, I know that song!" I do love when that happens. I would definitely say that this one, and Rock And A Hard Place are the standout tracks, but I suppose that's no surprise considering they were the charting singles from the album.

At the end of it all, I still find myself not necessarily a fan of The Rolling Stones, but at the same time, I can't necessarily say this is their fault. I think the biggest thing the band have working against them at this point is that they've influenced so many people that in turn have ripped their sound and style off thousands of times over the past several decades. As a result of me listening to these albums thirty plus years later, the impact is gone because at this point it's been (re)done a lot. With that said, I will definitely agree that the band can and do deliver a solid rock and roll sound.

While I would normally use this portion of my post structure to talk about where the band has gone since, and what they're up to now, much like their history, this is kind of irrelevant. At this point, they're beyond a legacy and iconic act. There's not much I can really fill in that millions of people don't already know. So, instead, I'll just head off on the hunt for my next Retro Spins series.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

Retro Spins: The Rolling Stones - Undercover

Times were changing when The Rolling Stones entered the studio to record what would become their 1983 album, Undercover. While Mick Jagger was keenly aware of these new styles, and was eager to keep adapting, in turn keeping the band relevant in the changing landscape of music. However, Keith Richards wasn't so much on board, wanting instead to focus on traditional rock and rhythm and blues. This would lead to a lot of turmoil in the studio between the two and laid the foundation for what would become the infamous Jagger / Richard's feud which lasted all the way through May 1989, necessitating a formal piece talk before heading into the studio for their final album of the decade.

Upon its release, the album would underperform, breaking the consecutive streak of number ones in the USA when it peaked at number four. Despite falling a bit from grace, it did spawn two hits, the first being the title track, which peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. This was followed by the minor hit, She Was Hot, which landed at number forty-four.

An interesting aspect of Undercover is that the cassette, and forthcoming CD version featured a different mix of the song Wanna Hold You. These versions included the verse, "You sure look good to me, so what's it gonna be, it's up to you to choose, I'll make you an offer you can't refuse," which of course also alters the runtime of the track.

Beyond that though, there's not much to say. So, let's get into it.

It starts off with the aforementioned hits, which are okay, but certainly nothing amazing. Personally, I don't see how the title track made it so high up the charts. Take a look at the top twenty from this week above. In comparison to other tunes on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time, I don't see it as all that comparable.

I did, however, really enjoy Too Much Blood, Too Tough, and All The Way Down. These were surprising hidden gems, especially since they were tucked near the end, and by this point I had reserved myself to receiving yet another generic Stones album.

Still, I wouldn't say I'm necessarily becoming a fan. Rather, I'm seeing the potential, not that my opinion impacts their legacy in any way. While it does intrigue me to dig into their next album, technically, I'm skipping over 1986's Dirty Work because I've already played through it. Instead, I'll be going to the end of the Jagger / Richards feud and finishing off their 80's discography with 1989's Steel Wheels.

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Retro Spins: The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You

Today, I'm continuing my way through the Stone's 80's discography. As I sit here thinking about it, I can't honestly pinpoint the first time I heard one of their songs. What keeps popping into my head is a high school buddy I hung out with a lot after we graduated. Between him and his brother, they pretty much had everything The Rolling Stones (and Led Zeppelin) released. It may have been from him, but at the same time, I don't recall ever listening to any of their music with him. So, back to square one of I don't know.

Regardless, here we are today, picking up with 1981's Tattoo You. When The Rolling Stones began work on what would become 1980's Emotional Rescue, Richards and Jagger would have so much material leftover that tracks would spill into what would become this record.

Much like their preceding albums, it would perform incredibly well, becoming their eighth consecutive release to peak at number one in the USA. Critics would generally be favorable of it, stating it was a return to form for the band, and ranking it among their finest work. Though that opinion didn't necessarily translate across the board, as some critics called it sexually vulgar, and mean spirited in its lyrics.

The album would spawn the band's first Grammy Award for Best Album Package. Unfortunately, this would also come with some faults. It would be the last album to peak at number one in the USA, and the last to have a single that would chart as high as number two on the Billboard Hot 100. On the horizon was also the infamous Jagger / Richards feud, a falling out that would last almost the entire decade and risked destroying a legacy built over the past fifteen years. However, that starts taking us a bit to far ahead. For now, let us pause, and hear today's Retro Spin.

This one hit my want list for the tune, Start Me Up, which happens to be the (appropriate) opening track on the album. From there, things fall, for me, into that "standard" Stones category. Basically, it sounds like what I would expect from the band, and nothing more (or less).

What threw me for a loop in yesterday's post, and what continued to do so with Tattoo You, was the songs where Jagger digs deep into a falsetto style. It just doesn't work for me.

I am really surprised that for a band as touted as the Stones that their albums aren't better. Candidly, I'm not seeing where all the hype is coming from. It feels like they're a band that's built a legacy around longevity versus actual material worth getting excited about. I still have two more albums to get through, and maybe that perspective will change, but for now, I'm not really into it.

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Retro Spins: The Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue

It's ironic, yet timely that I would be starting a series of Rolling Stones playthrough leading up to my birthday. This is because I actually got several of these albums from my brother for my birthday several years ago. It has taken me this long to get to them.

As a band that's been around since 1962, there's a lot of history to go through, and candidly, I'm probably not the best person for that task. I mildly know of the band, and to date have only listened to their 1964 self-titled debut, and 1986's Dirty Work. Further, to go back through a sixty-four-year legacy would take well me time and posts than I'm going to dedicate to it. So instead, I'll just make up my own version based on my 80's child self-who's knowledge was limited to the then and now as it happened, or the rumors on the playground.

Michael Jackson was introduced to an already aged Mick Jagger through his friend, Freddie Mercury. The Queen lead singer let the guy crash at his house periodically, often times using him as an errand boy. It was at a recording session for the track State Of Shock, which would be included on The Jackson's 1984 Victory album, that the two would send Jagger out for sandwiches. However, two events would unfold from this seemingly every ordinary lunch run. The first is that the chicken salad sandwich which Mercury ate would see him in the bathroom the rest of the day with rolling pains and other unwanted side effects. This would lead to Jagger racing out of the studio to find more toilet paper, only to bang his toe on the doorframe. The bellowing howl he gave immediately caught the attention of Jackson, who put him in front of a microphone.

While conducting a wellness check on his friend later that week, David Bowie would get the opportunity to meet Jagger, who was also at Mercury's home, and once again serving chicken salad sandwiches. In a bizarre history repeating itself moment, the Queen singer would once again fall ill. Directed again to obtain more toilet paper, Jagger would head out, but Bowie would offer to accompany him. Rather than take a car, the two instead began skipping down the road, and dancing in the streets.

Across the road at the Twin Pines Mall was a young Marty McFly, who had come out in the night to meet his friend, Doc Brown. He happened to have a video camera with him, and when he saw the two, became fixated on them, filming the whole event. Angered by the unwanted voyeur, they would grab him and attempt to strongarm the cassette from him. It was only from a passing van of concerned Libyan nationalists who called the police that the cops arrived on-site, and the video footage eventually shared with the local news.

Despite the events, Doc Brown would take a keen interest in Jagger, taking him back in time to 1685, where they meet a young pirate named Keith Richards. They'd bring him back to 1980, form a band, and release their debut, Emotional Rescue. To ensure its success, after recording tracks, they'd travel ahead in time, confirm that the album was well received or not, make tweaks back in 1980, and craft the perfect record which would reach number one in the UK, Canada, USA, and other countries. Thus, The Rolling Stones were born!

It's ironic how I can know little to nothing about the band, yet at the same time, playing through 1980's Emotional Rescue, it sounds exactly as I would have expected. Heavily rhythm and blues influenced, with straight up rock and roll weaved in.

On one hand, the music is generic, and kind of uninspiring. At the same time, you still want or perhaps must respect it because it's The Rolling Stones. It puts one in quite the conundrum and honestly makes it difficult to differentiate between what the good songs are, and what really aren't, but that you'll never admit lest the mob come for you.

Instead, I'll turn to the critics and let them take the flak. It turns out, in comparison, I'm not alone in my initial thoughts of the album. Ariel Swartley of Rolling Stone, the magazine, would call it formulaic, and that there was hardly a melody you hadn't already heard from them. Others would simply label it just another ordinary album from The Rolling Stones and even go so far as to say it was comprised of nothing but filler tracks. But ultimately it sold and performed well, going back to what I said earlier. It's generic, but at the same time you must respect if for who it came from.

With that said, there was actually a song on the album that prompted me wanting it. This wasn't just a checklist want. That tune was She's So Cold. I will also be flat out blunt about the title track. It's horrendous. I don't know if Jagger is channeling his inner Prince with his high falsetto vocals, but it's awful. Like actually had to skip it awful.

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Retro Spins: The Rolling Stones - Dirty Work

Rolling Stones aren't my favorite band in the world, but they do have hits that I like. While I've only reviewed one album in the past here, their 1964 debut, this is officially my first venture into a full album from the 80's.

I covered a lot of ground in the overall history of the group in my above noted post, so I won't retread their inception. Instead, let's head to 1978 where the band re-established themselves with the release of, Some Girls, which featured the hit Miss You. This led to a series of tours, as the band continued to record and release new material into the early 80's.

However, by 1983, rifts between Jagger and Richards were peaking. This led to the two band members focusing more on their solo careers, with Richards even stating he was losing interest in the Rolling Stones. Which is odd, because when it came time to work on their 1986 album, it would be Richards and Wood who would drive the record to completion, with Jagger being mainly absent from the studio. The singer would also refuse to tour to promote the album, and instead set out for solo shows.

This is where the train stops for today's Retro Spin, where we spin up Dirty Work, and see just how it was. Before doing so, I will remind everyone that Rolling Stones really aren't that big to me. Do I like their hits? Sure. Are they the greatest band in the world? Not to me.

I did enjoy hearing the opening song, One Hit (To The Body). However, beyond that, Harlem Shuffle, the song I got the album for, and Sleep Tonight were the only other tunes I nabbed for my shuffle. Mind you, the latter was a toss up, and one that I'll have to listen to again later to see if it does indeed make the cut.

I think what surprised me the most about the overall album was the heavy use of backup singers, and lack of lead vocals from Jagger on a handful of tracks. This isn't what I expected from such an established band. Though with that said, it's also no surprise considering the above noted history of Dirty Work's recording sessions.

It's a decent album, but it by no means blows me away, or makes me feel like I absolutely have to hear more from them. That in and of itself was unexpected.

In 1989, the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and with this honor, both Jagger and Richards set aside their indifference, returning to the studio to record and release their final album of the decade, Steel Wheels. They followed this up with a massive tour of the world, their first in seven years.

While this was followed by a long break, the band has since released a handful of additional albums. However, with band members now in their 80's, though they could release a new album, I would doubt they have it in them to endure any further touring, at least on any grand scale.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
January 17, 1981

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
January 17, 1987

Retro Spins: The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones

Who would have thought that one of the most influential bands of the sixties and seventies would get there start as a glorified cover band? The Rolling Stones self titled 1964 debut features a slew of classic hits, none of which were written by any of the members. While they contributed one original track, Tell Me (You're Coming Back), this song failed to make any major impression.

The main focal point of the album is very rhythm and blues oriented. A love letter to artists such as, Bobby Troup, Willie Dixon Chuck Berry and Rufus Thomas. It's not terrible by any means, but it's also not the legendary band that would come to be. It wouldn't be until the group's 1966 album, Aftermath, that The Rolling Stones would achieve the breakthrough they were looking for. The album is also notable for being the first where all the tracks were written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

In terms of my listen, I was a bit disappointed. It was nice to hear the early singing and instrumentation of the group. However, it wasn't the powerful punch I was looking for. While I'm trying to stick closely to debut albums for this particular era of Retro Spins, I can't help but think I should have started my Rolling Stones journey with Aftermath. If I were to base my interest in this group solely on this debut album, I honestly wouldn't bother going any further into their catalog.

Again, this is not a bad album. I get what it is. A love letter from a group to an era of rhythm and blues that inspired them to want to be musicians. However, at the end of the day, it's also not the iconic group they would become.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

The Rolling Stones (MediCom)

The Rolling Stones
MediCom
2006

Want to spend a ton of money on a non articulated set of six inch action figures? Then look no further than MediCom's The Rolling Stone line from 2006. Sadly, you won't find the whole band present. Rather just Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Not being a big fan of the Stones myself, I have to be honest and admit I have no clue which era these outfits come from. Google searches all came up in vain. Then again, when you're typing things such as Mick Jagger blue outfit and Keith Richards white shirt, you don't tend to get much help.

6" Mick Jagger

For what it's worth, the figures look good. Personally speaking though, I'm not a fan of action figures with zero articulation and frozen poses. Even if it's simply for display purposes, I think companies such as Sideshow and SH Figuarts have proven articulation to be somewhat of a necessity in this day and age. These 2006 figures get no pass in that regard.

6" Keith Richards

Hidden behind a cardboard cover were two twelve inch versions of the same figures. The only difference was that these actually got a touch of articulation. On these, the heads swiveled, the shoulders, elbows and wrists had joints as did the top of the legs and knees. The clothing was also fabric vs. the plastic used for the six inch versions.

12" Mike Jagger

Overall, the entire line came and went in the blink of an eye. This probably wasn't helped by the fact it was limited to exportation from Japan. This meant very few sources were available for buyers overseas. These were the kind of pieces you would walk past at places such as Otakon, and do a double take because you never knew they existed.

12" Keith Richards

Between their overall limited nature, and their overseas distribution, these figures are not cheap. The carded six inch figures can sell for as much as eighty dollars a piece. Meanwhile, the twelve inch boxed versions are going to wallop your bank account at two hundred fifty dollars or more. To make matters worse, even with the aid of ebay, they're still incredibly scarce.

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