The Rolling Stones release “Doom And Gloom” today, their first studio recording in more than seven years for yet another redundant Greatest Hits package. There will also be one other new song called “One More Shot” both produced by longtime funeral director Don Was. The rest is all the same hits that have been regurgitated on all of their 16 other greatest hits releases. You used to have to buy an entire album of songs you already bought(maybe twice) just to get the new song. But in the download age you can thankfully just pluck the new material and let the rest of the carcass fossilize.
But despite the agenda and the spotty quality of recent Stones releases, this is a pretty good song. The first NEW Stones song I’ve liked in a while. It’s got a chugging groove that has a great start/stop in the chorus and Was is able to rough up his usual slickness and keep it a little dirty. It even comes with the patented Keith Richards Funky String Accents that hearken back to some of their 70’s high points from It’s Only Rock-N-Roll and Goat’s Head Soup.
Snaking it’s way through it all is Mick Jagger’s shitty sneer. A quality he’s been able to bring back at times through the latter part of his run. Although I find it difficult to take his whole “The News is making me paranoid” angle in the lyrics. The Rolling Stones have always portrayed themselves as the thugs who snuck into the ball, but that’s a tough sell when you’re hopping the private jet to Paris. I can’t quite take seriously his fears of being forced out into the street when it all caves in. But the Bratty, Smug attitude keeps the song mean. Not bad for someone entering his seventies. Give it a listen here:
The latest Rolling Stones collection, "Grrr" comes out 11/3. This song is available now for download.
