The Rolling Stones: a review of ‘Foreign Tongues’ – will the blues bury Trump?
On 10 July, the 25th album by the longest-running rock band of all time is due for release. We’ve had a sneak listen: here’s what we made of it
Certain wines need to be decanted. Mick Jagger, now an honorary citizen of Portopalo Capo Passero, must have said this to himself many times whilst dining on Nero d’Avola, between screeching Apecar tyres and parties interrupted by the Carabinieri. Because expensive wines are decanted and, evidently, so are expensive producers: this is demonstrated by Foreign Tongues, 25th studio album by the Rolling Stones, due for release on 10 July, the second in a row produced by Andrew Watt following Hackney Diamonds (2023), which sounded like a too ‘para-cool’ to hold its own in the Stones’ discography.
Fortunately, Foreign Tongues (‘Foreign Tongues’, a title that plays on the band’s trademark whilst also celebrating cosmopolitanism in an era of closing borders) puts the church back at the centre of the proverbial village: the album is a tribute to the Stones’ history, traversing its various phases (the raw blues, country, the late-’70s infatuation with disco and punk) with the cheek of those who, despite all this history, still have something to say about the world they see spinning around them. Watt, a master of normalisation, prized by the major labels for his ability to revitalise the old lions of rock (whilst somewhat toning down their sound), plays along this time, and the result speaks for itself.
“He knows how to get a bunch of old blokes moving and say, ‘Come on, let’s give it a go!’” laughs Keith Richards. “He’s a great motivator. He doesn’t let you off the hook. But I don’t let him off the hook either: we have a great relationship.” Jagger says he feels very “at ease” with him. “I know his method. I didn’t know if it would work for everyone, but you can see from the results.” Ronnie Wood adds: “Andrew took even more of a lead with us than on the previous album. He’s full of energy. We know each other better, so everything went more smoothly. As he’s a musician himself, he plays a lot on the album: he’s a bit like Jimmy Miller.”
The album opens with Rough and Twisted, a raw electric blues track in the style of Muddy Waters – mentioned in the lyrics – which makes no attempt to please us; quite the opposite, in fact: this is demonstrated by the fact that the band had released it as a preview under the pseudonym Cockroachers. As if to say: we won’t even exploit the name of the longest-running rock and roll band of all time.
The pop nod, however, comes with the second single In the Stars, a pop-rock track with a chorus that sticks in your head – in stark contrast to the verse, which is built around Keith’s usual sharp riff. The video, featuring the Stones artificially restored to their 1970s look as they play ‘Rockin’ 1000’ with the younger generation, is one of the most entertaining ways in which AI can be applied to music today.
