Bigger than God? Maybe so, but after what happened to John Lennon, we must be careful in calling rock bands larger than deities. The Rolling Stones certainly imply as much with A Bigger Bang, a play on the start of the universe and how their 2005 release is a more momentous event. Back it with quality songs, and that registers well for not just the Mick Jagger-fronted group but for those who backed the band through their roughest period. Patchy at best is what you can call the post-Tattoo You days, but the hits are there for all to hear and that sort of stock is never going to lose its charm. A sixteen-song blowout which had the band proving their relevancy in a new century. Jagger may have lost a step as a writer, but as a performer, he held firm. So too did the rest of the band, with Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, and Charlie Watts all in excellent form here as they look to not just redefine The Rolling Stones for a new generation but get to grips with a whole new world.
Chickens and foxes open A Bigger Bang as Jagger finds himself trying to figure out rhyming structure first, the lyrics second. He sounds fantastic but it’s a shame to hear that’s not backed by strong writing. Consistent guitar work is what guides A Bigger Bang in these early songs. Let Me Down Slow has a nice reliance on those repetitive “baby” lyrics but its back to the wall feeling, the fight or flight at the core of it, is a real thrill. Golden moments are ballast to the lesser writings from Jagger. A funky, blues rock groove is a constant cause for celebration on A Bigger Bang. Richards and Wood shine on Rain Fall Down, even if the lyrics of domesticity would fit better on a Paul McCartney pop track than a record by The Rolling Stones. That bluesy tone goes a long way in cementing the style The Rolling Stones are aiming for on A Bigger Bang. Back of My Hand defines the album, and it’s not even the best song.
But it does indicate what style and sound the band wants and has kept to in the years to follow. Crucially, though, the band sounds reliant on that rock legacy they had established in the preceding forty years. Rightly so, but only to an extent which does not absorb the fresh material into an older sound. She Saw Me Coming is light on quality but has the usual range of blues rock fundamentals to work. Familiarity is what wins out here. Biggest Mistake will knock you off your feet if you listen in. A rare but welcome lyrical victory from Jagger on A Bigger Bang, where the biggest problem is consistency. A lot of lost love is at play, repetitive but broken up well by This Place is Empty thanks to some lead vocal work from Richards and a bouncy, upbeat contrast on follow-up track, Oh No, Not You Again.
Outrageous energy is frequent on A Bigger Bang, even if it does lose sight of those core concepts. Wounded pride and failed intimacy is what prevails in the best moments of this album. Laugh, I Nearly Died is a moody masterclass from The Rolling Stones. Repetitive blunders like Sweet Neo-Con derail the album. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band references on Look What the Cat Dragged In suggests, more than anything, Jagger is still envious of playing second fiddle to The Beatles. Brilliant guitar work sunk by some frankly ridiculous writing. Such is life in The Rolling Stones, a band which has never quite adapted from their major successes. Solid work is what A Bigger Bang is, but there was a suggestion of explosive new moves from the band, and those are simply not backed up by the material featured here.
