Shane’s Rock Challenge: THE ROLLING STONES – 1981 – Tattoo You

Shane’s Music Challenge: THE ROLLING STONES – 1981 – Tattoo You
9/10

The last unarguably great Stones album, Tattoo You marked the band’s territory as survivors, of both the 60’s and the 70’s, and one look at the music video for Start Me Up or Waiting On A Friend show the band wear the lines on their faces of people who’d lived and fought a thousand battles in the rock n’ roll trenches.

Start Me Up, of course, may be the ultimate Stones-by-numbers song, behind Satisfaction.

Hang Fire, Little T&A, Slave, the raucous Neighbours and the sublime Jamaican-infused ballad that closes the record, Waiting On A Friend, are all great songs, and the rest of the album is above average, with no sign of the filler that would become a regular fixture on their later records.

Tattoo Yoo also marked Keef coming out of his junkie fog and wanting his band back – but with Mick having assumed so much control while The Human Riff was in a daze. Conflict was just around the corner.

Most of all though, Tattoo You drew a line in the sand. The Stones had changed music, they’d pioneered stadium touring, been fashion style icons and gossip column regulars. They’d lent their hand to blues, rock, R&B, pop, reggae, country, soul, funk and disco. From now on in they had nothing to prove, and after Tattoo You innovation was low on the priority list: they’d earnt the right to do their own thing, and from now on The Rolling Stones were just going to be The Rolling Stones.

By Shane Pinnegar

 

Category: Shane's Rock Challenge