The Rolling Stones ‘Angry’ Review
by Kenzie Gay
The Rolling Stones. You know the name and most likely, you love the name. The classic group that is credited with being one of the powerhouses that pioneered rock music as we know it is still actively creating new art and though the band has been through many losses, the now-four piece consisting of Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (guitar), Ronnie Wood (bass), and Steve Jordan (drums) have released Angry; the first single off of their impending album titled Hackney Diamonds.
Photograph by Toby Melville
In the last couple of decades, mostly during the time when rock left the mainstream arena of music, The Rolling Stones have received a plethora of hateful critiques for their newer works. Music journalists focused on the past; what The Rolling Stones used to be in their prime when the mighty Brian Jones was still roaming the earth, rather than looking into the future at what The Rolling Stones could be. Aside from those, there are many skeptics who doubt that “those old geezers” can even play a single note anymore, let alone compose an entire rock song. But again, as this band loves to do, The Rolling Stones let their music speak for itself and one thing is for certain: “those old geezers” have still got it.
The song begins with a bustle of energy and fire via Steve Jordan. Jordan, though not an original member of the group, is carrying the legacy of Charlie Watts, who devastatingly passed in 2021. Watts himself nominated Jordan to take over for him in case of death and though he will never be replaceable, Jordan is doing a fantastic job of continuing Watts’ work with an original spin.
Aside from percussion, guitarist Keith Richards tosses his hat into the ring with an intoxicating riff and a mind-bending solo that just screams rock n’ roll. The style he uses within Angry in specific is reminiscent of the prominent spunkiness he used on the band’s 1969 album Let It Bleed. That record is one of the band’s most popular; the LP that essentially shot them to the top with The Beatles. Perhaps Richards is revisiting what he knows best or maybe, just maybe, he’s reinventing rock music for the umpteenth time.
Mick Jagger in all his glory refuses to go unnoticed, something I call Frontman Syndrome TM. At the ripe age of eighty years old, Jagger’s vocals are still fresh and as gnarly as they were in the 70s. He sings of a couple fighting, a fight that’s arguably humorous at that. Even though this song isn’t necessarily political or packed with poetic metaphors, it is still a great piece with simple writing that embodies the spirit of rock.
The Rolling Stones won’t stop until they drop and with Angry, the band is reaching for the stars again. After releasing this single with its coinciding music video directed by Francois Rousselet, The Rolling Stones will drop Hackney Diamonds to the world and maybe, just maybe, a tour will come after.
