The Rolling Stones- Foreign Tongues
Label: Capitol
Producer: Andrew Watt
When The Rolling Stones emerged with their first long-player of original music in 2023 with Hackneyed Diamonds, it represented what many considered a return to the same legendary form that the band exhibited during the Classic Rock era; one of those truly special late-career triumphs that music critics and long-time fans nervously hope will accompany a release from a band well into their silver years. Naturally, there was also plenty of speculation that Diamonds would stand as the Stones’ final album, a notion that presented its own dilemma once the record was met with so much acclaim. Would Mick Jagger and company play it safe and end things on a high-note, without risking a disappointing ending for fans if they pushed the limits of time and age by releasing something that was subpar? Or was there greater risk in abandoning what felt like an ongoing creative reawakening, by leaving that potential promise unexplored? Of course, with the release of Foreign Tongues, their twenty-fifth studio recording, we know that the Stones decided to roll those dice.
And, upon one mere listen to the results, it’s quite clear that this gamble was a smart one. Foreign Tongues proves to be a suitable follow-up and fitting companion album to Hackneyed Diamonds, not only because it extends the rejuvenated spirit and vibrancy of its predecessor, but because it likewise illustrates just how seemingly timeless the rock & roll magic of this band truly is. Not the vocal chops, swaggering confidence, or the inimitable charisma so central to Mick Jagger’s reign as a timelessly entertaining bandleader show any signs of his 83 years of rockstar living. The same can be said for the crackling, diverse musicianship and stylist of core-Stones members Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. And like Diamonds before it, the timing of the recording sessions allowed long-time drummer Charlie Watts to once again appear on a handful of tracks, despite his 2021 passing. The insatiable grooves, guitar riffs, rock showmanship, and diverse stylistic flexibility of the Stones remains in a classic class all its own, but it’s truly the collaborative spirit at the core of their identity as a classic band that remains perhaps the most impressive quality of their staggering longevity.
Speaking of collaborations, like Diamonds before it, Tongues also boasts its own impressive roster of guest appearances, further exemplifying the aforementioned band spirit that a Rolling Stones record remains a definitive standard for. Both Benmont Tench and Steve Winwood provide piano and organ support throughout. Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer, Chad Smith appears behind the drum kit for a track. The Cure’s Robert Smith lends his guitar and vocal talent on “Never Wanna Lose You”. And, Paul McCartney himself revisits his own British rock band-roots with a sizzling bass solo on “Covered In You”. (Oh, and let’s not forget that crucial cowbell contribution from Bruno Mars on “Never Wanna Lose You”, either). On an album that was in no way wanting for pure rock chops, these contributions only heighten the rich musicality, not to mention its buzz as a latter-day rock & roll touchstone. And returning to the producer’s helm that he occupied last album is Andrew Watt, who once again captures all of this with both a fresh, modern sensibility, coupled with a reverence for the signatures of the Stones’ classic sound.
In another musical era longing for unapologetically true-blue, guitar-based rock anthems, Tongues generously delivers. This unsurprising fact is nevertheless emphatically established out of the gates, with the rollicking energy and groovy tension of opener “Rough & Twisted”. These are qualities that boldly linger in welcome fashion through further highlights such as the nostalgic lead single, “In the Stars”, the cheeky “Jealous Lover”, the sardonically humorous “Mr. Charm”, the apocalyptic rave-up, “Divine Intervention”, and the bitterly bawdy, “Side Effects”. As always, their blues roots are always at the center of even their most straight-forwardly rowdy rockers, but this stylistic core also gets plenty of its own prime spotlight in between, with a deliciously raw interpretation of Amy Winehouse’s 2006 gem, “You Know I’m No Good”. Furthermore, the album’s only other cover, the finale rendering of Chuck Berry’s “Beautiful Delilah”, sounds like it could have been just as easily cut during the group’s primitive early years.
Despite all of the celebratory nature of the music itself, there’s also plenty of social and political commentary lingering lyrically underneath these proceedings, even on the anthemic highs referenced above. But on tracks like “Ringing Hollow” and “Some of Us”, they address the sorry state of the world head-on. The former finds the group struggling to understand the toxic status of American culture, an assessment that has its own unique sting given the wide-eyed optimism that followed them upon their arrival to the country decades ago. The latter is a cutting and stripped affair that turns the lead vocal duties over to Richards, with a rustic plea of suffering that doubles as a metaphor for the economically down-trodden as much as it does for a broken heart. And when setting the political concerns of the world aside, matters of a broken heart will always serve as essential to the power of the rock canon, all on their own. This is best demonstrated on this record by Jagger’s delivering of the penultimate track, “Back In Your Life”. It reaffirms Jagger’s skills as a passionate pure vocalist, and his knack with a yearning ballad.
It’s rather mind-blowing when you really stop and think about the fact that this ensemble arose in the same era as long-gone groups like The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and others that are time-capsuled to that untouchable golden era. Sure, McCartney and John Fogerty remain vital living legends alongside the Stones today. But to think that their group’s run couldn’t even sustain a decade, while the Stones’ has extended more that six is both sobering and stunning. As much as one could argue that the efficient prolificacy of those counterparts earns them recognition as the greatest rock band of all time, you could cite the Stones’ enduring activity as their claim to such regard. And no, they’re not the only group from that era still gracing us with new material in today’s day and age, but the impressive quality of these latter-day records once again makes their enduring survival story once again feel like rock & roll’s most significant.
Track Listing:
- “Rough and Twisted” (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards)
- “In the Stars” (Jagger, Richards)
- “Jealous Lover” (Jagger, Richards)
- “Mr. Charm” (Jagger, Richards)
- “Divine Intervention” (Jagger, Richards)
- “Ringing Hollow” (Jagger, Richards)
- “Never Wanna Lose You” (Jagger, Richards, Matt Clifford)
- “Hit Me in the Head” (Jagger, Richards)
- “You Know I’m No Good” (Amy Winehouse)
- “Some of Us” (Jagger, Richards)
- “Covered In You” (Jagger, Richards, Clifford)
- “Side Effects” (Jagger, Richards, Andrew Watt)
- “Back In Your Life” (Jagger, Richards, Watt)
- “Beautiful Delilah” (Chuck Berry)
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