Fans of the legendary rock band The Rolling Stones were left wondering why it had taken this long for their career-best work.
Foreign Tongues will be released later this month but fans who have heard the singles so far from The Rolling Stones’ latest studio album are confused as to why the group took so long to put out some of their best work. Fans flocked to the Rolling Stones subreddit to share their thoughts on why Foreign Tongues is their best work in some time, with decades of quality songwriting flooding out of the band. A fan wrote: “Why now? Why are The Rolling Stones releasing their best stuff since the early 80s now all of a sudden? ’90s has Voodoo Lounge and Bridges to Babylon was… interesting. But it’s like they didn’t know what to do for the last 20 years.
“We could have had more Charlie! Maybe even convinced Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor to return for more than just a handful of shows. It’s like they were constipated for 20 years and all of a sudden had the urge to take a dump, George Harrison style, of good music. These 80-year-olds are rocking better than when they were 60, what the hell is going on?”
Fans have their theories as to why it took Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, and Keith Richards so long to release quality new material. One suggested: “For whatever reason – and I’m not sure we’ve ever seen a real explanation – producer Andrew Watt seems to have the Midas touch and is able to communicate and inspire veteran rock acts to pull their fingers out and record really good albums. McCartney calls him ‘pushy with infectious enthusiasm’.
“McCartney (recommended him to the Stones), Iggy Pop, Pearl Jam, Ozzy and a whole lot of younger acts as well. I’ve seen posters here criticise some aspects of his production but we’ve got two new Stones albums, and without him I think they’d still be dicking around getting nothing done for another decade…”
Another agreed, adding: “Combination of timing and producers, in my opinion. Unfortunately, I think Charlie’s passing was a real wake-up call and lit a fire under their asses (particularly Mick). They seem to just appreciate their work a bit without worrying about perfection, which seemed to be kind of paralyzing for the last few decades.
“At the same time, Don Was was great for the Stripped album but was ultimately too passive. And they just stuck with that formula for a very long time. I would’ve killed for a Jack White-produced album back in the early 00s. But maybe they weren’t personally in a place to be open to something like that then. It could well be that if Andrew Watt showed up 20 years ago it might not have felt right to them. We’ll never know.”
A third shared: “Maybe their backs were against the wall time wise, it was now or never to produce at their age and brings different urgency. I’m glad I got to hear Sweet Sound of Heaven live in my life.”
A statement released to the band’s mailing list confirmed the release of The Rolling Stones’ new album, set for July 10. It reads: “Foreign Tongues, the incredibly vibrant 14-track new album from the Rolling Stones, follows less than three years after the band’s universally acclaimed, Grammy Award-winning Hackney Diamonds, which topped charts worldwide and achieved multi-platinum success.
“Preceded by the upbeat and infectious lead single In The Stars, Foreign Tongues was brought to life in under a month at Metropolis Studios in West London, with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood reuniting with Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt. The result is a dynamic and forward-looking record that captures the band’s unmistakable sound while pushing into new sonic and lyrical territory, further cementing their unparalleled legacy.
“The album features standout performances from Jagger, Richards and Wood, alongside their core collaborators including Darryl Jones, Matt Clifford and Steve Jordan. It also includes a special appearance from Charlie Watts, captured during one of his final recording sessions before his passing in 2021.
“Additional contributions come from an impressive line-up of guest artists, including Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, Robert Smith (The Cure), and Chad Smith of The Red Hot Chilli Peppers.”
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