We’ve all known very well for over two decades which is the longest-running rock band on the planet. A band in a league of its own in every respect, a brand synonymous with the top. What we didn’t know and probably couldn’t have imagined is that, having turned 80, these guys would continue doing what they’ve been doing so well for the past 65 years. And of course, those of us who believed that “Hackney Diamonds,” released just three years ago, would be their swan song were sorely mistaken.
“Foreign Tongues” isn’t just even better than its predecessor, it’s a release that could have come out during the Rolling Stones’ heyday; personally, it transports me somewhere in the mid-to-late ’70s. One would expect, at this stage in their career, to hear something dominated by blues elements, for example (not that they’re absent, of course), but here the dominant elements are pure rock/rock and roll, boogie, and, of course, the wonderful compositions of the inexhaustibly inspired Jagger and Richards. I’m not just referring to the excellent “In The Stars,” which was released as the first single, nor to the equally impressive “Jealous Lover” that followed, but also to “Never Wanna Lose You,” where Jagger literally sings like a 20-year-old, and “Side Effects,” tracks that can rightfully stand alongside the British legends’ massive hits from the past though I don’t mean to downplay the rest of the tracks, each of which, in its own way, contributes to a truly great album. Among them, we’ll find a very interesting cover of “You Know I’m No Good” by the unforgettable Amy Winehouse and “Beautiful Delilah” by the great and legendary Chuck Berry.
On “Foreign Tongues,” the drums are once again handled by the great Steve Jordan, with his incredible resume, except for “Hit Me In The Head” and the iTunes edition’s bonus track “Bad Luck Hideway,” where we hear the unique drumming of the late Charlie Watts.
The guest musicians on the album are numerous and prominent, the most notable of whom are Sir Paul McCartney, Robert Smith, Steve Winwood, and Darryl Jones though all the others, too, have their own rich musical histories.
I won’t go so far as to say that “Foreign Tongues” is the Rolling Stones’ swan song. When I listen to music like this and hear an 83-year-old man sing the way he does, I’m content to just listen to what I have in my hands, savoring every bit of it, and if there’s a sequel, it will be something we can only attribute to the world’s most legendary band.
Dimitris Kazantzis
