Hackney Diamonds

Hackney Diamonds is the 24th British and 26th American studio album by English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 20 October 2023 on Polydor. It is the first album of original material by the Rolling Stones since 2005's A Bigger Bang and their first since the 2021 death of drummer Charlie Watts, who contributed to some tracks in 2019. It features guest contributions from Elton John, Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, and former Rolling Stone bassist Bill Wyman.
Hackney Diamonds received generally positive reviews, with some critics considering it the band's strongest album in decades. It was promoted by the singles "Angry" and "Sweet Sounds of Heaven". Marketing included publicity stunts, merchandising such as worldwide fashion retail pop-ups, and cross-promotion with several sports teams.
Recording
The Rolling Stones last released a studio album in 2016 with the blues covers album Blue & Lonesome, which began with new material recorded with Don Was but stalled. Some mitigating factors identified by guitarist Keith Richards include vocalist Mick Jagger's lack of enthusiasm for making new music and Richards being forced to adapt his playing style due to arthritis. The band's last album of original material was A Bigger Bang in 2005, but they continued to release occasional tracks, such as "Doom and Gloom" and "One More Shot" for the compilation GRRR! in 2012 and the 2020 single "Living in a Ghost Town". For years, they toured, but when they met up as a group, it was only to rehearse for future performances, not record. The group again recorded sessions for a new album starting in 2020, but these were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Studio work in 2021 yielded several completed songs as well, but the band lost momentum and focus in the studio. Jagger was frustrated with the slow process of recording and proposed to Richards after their touring ended in August 2022 that they would choose 14 February 2023 as a due date for their new album. Richards credits drummer Charlie Watts' 2021 death as the impetus to become more serious about finishing an album's worth of material.
In mid-2022, Paul McCartney suggested to guitarist Ronnie Wood the band look to Andrew Watt to continue their album and Jagger agreed, appreciating Watt's approach to producing new music from long-time acts. The band invited Watt to see them perform in Electric Lady Studios in late 2022 and he took over recording at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles by November of that year. Further recordings in late 2022 and early 2023 with Watt included McCartney playing bass guitar on two new Stones songs. Altogether, principal recording was about four weeks, followed by two weeks of overdubs, and Jagger's vocals recorded separately, only after the guitar work was finished. In June 2023, former bassist Bill Wyman announced that he had recorded with the band for the first time in 30 years based on a recommendation by Watt, and additional recordings with Elton John are included on the release. The album includes 2019 sessions that have the last studio work by Watts and the band's first studio work with drummer Steve Jordan. Final recording for the album began in December 2022, with 23 total tracks finished in January 2023 and mixing done in late February or early March. At the end, the band had enough material for a follow-up album, which vocalist Mick Jagger estimated was 75% done by the time that Hackney Diamonds was released. The recording process was included multiple studios across the world and captured by a documentary crew for the television special The Stones: Still Rolling.
News reports have indicated that the album's name is London slang for the shattered glass left behind after burglars have smashed a window to break in, Hackney being an inner-city area of London associated with a high crime rate. Richards stated it refers to broken glass left over in the morning after "a good Saturday night that went bad".
Long-time Stones bass guitarist Darryl Jones was reported to have worked on these sessions, but does not appear on the final album, making Hackney Diamonds the first album since 1989's Steel Wheels to not feature any recorded contributions from him.
Promotion and release
Hackney Diamonds has been promoted with an extensive, worldwide advertising campaign coordinated by Universal Music Enterprises in London. On 17 August 2023, an advertisement appeared in the Hackney Gazette teasing the album, referencing several Rolling Stones song titles and displaying their tongue logo. On 22 August, social media profiles posted new artwork by Paulina Almira, and Universal Music Group debuted a website to promote the release, on which a countdown appeared and solicited questions for the band. The group posted links to the site on their social media accounts on 29 August and showed photos of their lip logo projected on various monuments around the world. These projections continued to 2 September, when the band previewed a short snippet of "Angry" on the website dontgetangrywithme.com, which experienced instability and frequent errors that some interpreted as being intentional.
On 4 September, the album was officially announced, as were the plans for a livestream with television host Jimmy Fallon where more information would be revealed and the lead single would be premiered. On 6 September, the livestream was broadcast on the Rolling Stones' official YouTube channel while being filmed at the Hackney Empire Theatre in London. Fallon interviewed the band, who revealed the album's track list and release date, as well as alluding to various guest musicians, and answered questions sent in from fans. The music video for "Angry" premiered after the interview concluded, which features actress Sydney Sweeney being driven through Los Angeles in a red convertible, with the band members singing to her from large billboards along the way.
"Sweet Sounds of Heaven" was teased by the band via an Instagram post on 25 September, 2023, which played a short snippet of the track and revealed its release date; the single was released three days later. In early October, a fashion line designed by Paul Smith was announced that would promote the album, and retail stores in London and Tokyo opened to sell Rolling Stones merchandise ahead of the album.
Shortly after the newspaper advertisement implying the album release, 12 songs were registered to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers under the names of Jagger–Richards, with three tracks co-written by Andrew Watt. The final track listing was released on 6 September and included "Rolling Stone Blues", a Muddy Waters song that gave their band their name; they had never covered it previously on a release and this was the sole recording for this album recorded to tape. It was also one of the songs that Jagger and Richards bonded over when connecting as youths, when Richards spotted Jagger carrying a copy of The Best of Muddy Waters on a train.
The limited edition vinyl LP cover art has a mass of eyeballs and tongues, and a retailer-exclusive edition has the cracked diamond heart surrounded by red limbs. Additional covers are made for every Major League Baseball team, featuring the tongue and lips logo in each team's colors and a limited edition by KidSuper featuring the lips logo with red fingerprints around it. The day before the album release, FC Barcelona announced a football kit designed to promote it.
As the release date drew near, the band began rehearsing for a supporting tour, and raised the possibility of virtual reality avatars for future performances. While no tour dates were announced by the time of the album release, the band played a seven-song set in New York City with Lady Gaga as they made promotional television appearances.
Critical reception
Editors at AnyDecentMusic? aggregated the scores from 13 outlets and rated Hackney Diamonds 7.8 out of 10. Several critics described it as the best Rolling Stones album in decades.
At The Arts Desk, Tim Cumming gave Hackney Diamonds 5 out of 5, for being "45 concentrated minutes of peak-level Rolling Stones, a bravura performance benefiting from the level of focus and detail the band, under the producer's baton of Andrew Watts, bring to it" and stating that "it feels like, for the first time in a long time, Mick and Keith are on the same mission". Alan Woodhouse of The Big Issue wrote that "the impression this record gives is of a strident sense of purpose" and that the inclusion of the Muddy Waters cover could serve to bring the band's career full circle. Writing for Classic Rock, Ian Fortnam gave the album 4.5 out of 5, writing that the band "haven't delivered an album this quintessentially Stonesy in 40 years" and that the album "only ever leaves the listener hungry for more". At Clash, Robin Murray gave it 7 out of 10, writing that it "presents a group whose virility, ambition, and desire to connect remains undimmed". Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph gave the album 5 out of 5, characterizing it as "a raucous and dirty modern rock classic" and that the band is as good as they were in the 1970s. Writing for Evening Standard, Martin Robinson called it an "excellent set of songs has a certain down and dirty rage that feels perfect right now" that also has praiseworthy ballads; he scored it 4 out of 5. Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of The Financial Times gave the album 4 out of 5, writing that "against the run of expectation, the shift from stadium to studio has been accomplished". Alexis Petridis of The Guardian gave the album 4 out of 5 and credited Andrew Watt by writing that the music "suggest[s] the presence of someone who knows how to make contemporary hits, and there's a light modern sheen to the production that prevents it sounding like a determined recreation of the Stones' past". In The Independent, Mark Beaumont scored Hackney Diamonds 4 out of 5, opining that the band's guitarists sound young and vital, and the combination of older pop musician guest stars provide "a sense of career closure".
In Mojo, James McNair gave Hackney Diamonds 4 out of 5, calling it "a self-aware, historically mindful party". NMEs Alex Flood also gave it 4 out of 5, calling it "an absolute barnstormer" that is " enjoyable". At musicOMH, Hackney Diamonds received 4.5 out of 5 and John Murphy called it and "astonishingly fresh album" that "sounds like classic Stones without ever sounding like a parody of themselves". The Scotsmans Fiona Shepherd gave it 4 out of 5, stating that the "Stones still excel in their field". Prior to its announcement, Will Hodgkinson, chief rock and pop critic for The Times, received early access to the entire album. Hodgkinson noted that Hackney Diamonds "sound[s] like a summation of all the things that make the Stones great" and is "unquestionably the Stones' best [album] since" Some Girls (1978). He later posted a second review close to the release date and gave Hackney Diamonds 5 out of 5, calling it "a joy from beginning to end because it reminds us of the things we love about the Stones while still sounding like it belongs to the modern age". Sister publication The Sunday Times featured a track-by-track break-down by Dan Cairns, drawing parallels with many releases in the band's catalogue, particularly from the 1970s.
In AARP: The Magazine, Edna Gundersen called Hackney Diamonds the best Rolling Stones album since 1981's Tattoo You, in part due to the guest stars. Editors at AllMusic rated it 3.5 out of 5, with critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine writing "at its heart, it's nothing more than the Rolling Stones knocking out some good Rolling Stones songs, which seems like a minor miracle after such a long wait". Jocelyn Noveck of the Associated Press said that it continued the partying vibes of Stones music. In The Australians The Front, Claire Harvey characterized the album as "astoundingly good", particularly for being so late in the band's career. Jonah Kreuger of Consequence considered Hackney Diamonds the third in a series of albums that return to the band's blues rock roots with music that is "solid, if inessential". He criticized the "uncanny sleekness" of the recording and recommends that the band's music would sound better with less studio polish, but also notes that there is "genuine excitement on a few choice cuts". In Esquire, Alan Light called the album "a startling and unlikely triumph, a consistently solid and swaggering set of songs from a group still stretching the limits of what’s possible in rock n' roll". Daniel Sylvester of Exclaim! gave the album 7 out of 10, stating that the band are "better than they need to be", continuing that "while many of these tracks come off like they were focus-grouped to sound like classic Rolling Stones, they nonetheless hit their desired mark, thanks to solid performances and some terrific musical choices". Jackson Maxwell of Guitar World praised the interplay between guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, as well as Richards' choice of vintage musical gear for recording; he assessed it the band's finest guitar work in decades. In Hot Press, Pat Carty gave a lengthy review, comparing the work to several of the band's previous albums, and wrote: "Is this the best Rolling Stones record since...? It might be the best one since Keith Richards' Talk Is Cheap, the greatest Rolling Stones record that never was, and that's something. The old gods are with us still."
Writing for Irish Examiner, Ed Power called the album "a hugely enjoyable late-career rebound from Mick Jagger and the gang" and "a loud, lush and lusty reminder that, at full tilt, nobody shakes the foundations like the Stones" that he gave 4 out of 5. John Meagher of Irish Independent wrote that the band's "mojo has been awakened spectacularly" by Watt. Irish Times Tony Clayton-Lea rated it 4 out of 5, writing that the music quality is high, particularly for being so deep into the band's career, but critiquing that "a few songs here are run of the mill". Mikeal Wood wrote in the Los Angeles Times that "the songs blend the same ingredients the Stones have been using since the beginning—blues, rock, soul, country, gospel—but they're tighter and punchier than on any of the band's previous late-era LPs" and that the music is catchier than their recent releases. No Depressions Michael Elliott called the star of the album vocalist Mick Jagger, who "sneers, growls, and draws out syllables to make his point". One rare negative review came from Pitchfork, with Grayson Haver Currin giving the album 4.5 out of 10, stating that "these titans of industry flail as they try to act their image rather than their age" and stating that some tracks "sound... like the Eagles to be bland" and "like an advertisement for advertising placements, songs meant to be sold to sell something else".
David Browne of Rolling Stone wrote that Hackney Diamonds was worthy of multiple listens and praised Steve Jordan's drumming as well as the fact that the band has relevant lyrics without "the late-in-life introspection heard on recent records by some of the Stones' peers". Writing for RTÉ, Alan Corr gave the album 4 out of 5, writing that it was "no novelty retread" and the best Rolling Stones album in decades. Salon published a review from Kenneth Womack who called it "pure rock 'n' roll" that could serve as an appropriate final album. Jeremy Winograd of Slant Magazine wrote that the "crisp, booming drums, hooky choruses, and livewire vocals have a radio-ready sheen without feeling forced, or compromising the Stones's essential traits" and that Watt managed to explore "long-dormant corners of their unparalleled stylistic range". In Spill Magazine, editors chose Hackney Diamonds as a pick album and Gerrod Harris gave the album 5 out of 5, calling it "a defining moment" for the band. Chris DeVille of Stereogum called the album a good and "genuinely enjoyable" release. The Toronto Stars Nick Krewen called it "a return to form" with songs that "lack neither energy nor ambition; the loose thematic concept is examining numerous stages and circumstances of anger, a pretty topical subject considering the frustration most people are feeling about world issues at the moment". Writing for Ultimate Classic Rock, Michael Gallucci stated that due to the success of Blue & Lonesome, the band have "both nothing and, for the first time in decades, something to prove ... they step up for the occasion, delivering their most committed set of songs and performances in years". Jem Aswad of Variety called it the Rolling Stones' "liveliest work in 40 years", crediting producer Andrew Watt, as well as the band's guitarists. In The Wall Street Journal, Mark Richardson called the album "genuinely fresh" and praised the innovative mixing and sound that separated it from previous Stones albums. Chris Richards of The Washington Post stated that the "Stones don't sound like they’re trying to fulfill their own blues-pirate mythology" and have "wisely found a way to be themselves" without excessively updating their sound.
Days before the release, Spin published a ranking of the Stones' studio albums, placing Hackney Diamonds at 17 out of 24. On the day of release, Steven Hyden of Uproxx compared Hackney Diamonds to several latter-period Stones studio albums, comparing it favorably to Dirty Work (1986), Steel Wheels (1989) and A Bigger Bang (2005).
Track listing
All songs written by Jagger–Richards, except where noted.
"Angry" (Jagger–Richards, Andrew Watt) – 3:46
"Get Close" (Jagger–Richards, Watt) – 4:10
"Depending On You" (Jagger–Richards, Watt) – 4:03
"Bite My Head Off" – 3:31
"Whole Wide World" – 3:58
"Dreamy Skies" – 4:38
"Mess It Up" – 4:03
"Live by the Sword" – 3:59
"Driving Me Too Hard" – 3:16
"Tell Me Straight" – 2:56
"Sweet Sounds of Heaven" – 7:22
"Rolling Stone Blues" (Muddy Waters) – 2:41
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.
The Rolling Stones
Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals, guitar, percussion, harmonica on "Dreamy Skies" and "Rolling Stone Blues"
Keith Richards – guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Tell Me Straight"
Ronnie Wood – guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals
Additional personnel
Paulina Almira – illustration
Ron Blake – trumpet on "Get Close" and "Sweet Sounds of Heaven".
David Campbell – string arrangement
Matt Clifford – keyboards, piano, Wurlitzer
Matt Colton – mastering at Metropolis Studios
Karlos Edwards – percussion
Serban Ghenea – mixing at MixMaster Studios, Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States (except "Rolling Stone Blues")
Elton John – piano on "Get Close" and "Live by the Sword"
Steve Jordan – drums
James King – saxophone on "Get Close" and "Sweet Sounds of Heaven".
Lady Gaga – vocals on "Sweet Sounds of Heaven"
Paul Lamalfa – mixing on "Rolling Stone Blues"
Paul McCartney – bass guitar on "Bite My Head Off"
Studio Fury – art direction and design
Don Was – additional production on "Live by the Sword"
Andrew Watt – bass guitar, guitar, percussion, keyboards, backing vocals, string arrangement, mixing on "Rolling Stone Blues", production
Charlie Watts – drums on "Mess It Up" and "Live by the Sword"
Stevie Wonder – keyboards and piano on "Sweet Sounds of Heaven"
Bill Wyman – bass guitar on "Live by the Sword"
Benmont Tench – keyboards and organ on "Depending On You"
Charts
Certifications
See also
2023 in British music
2023 in rock music
List of 2023 albums
References
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="nmewood">{{Cite magazine |magazine=NME |language=en-GB |date=2023-10-16 |accessdate=2023-10-17 |title=Ronnie Wood talks Rolling StonesHackney Diamonds': "These songs are explosive" |department=News > Music News |url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/ronnie-wood-rolling-stones-album-hackney-diamonds-3516042 |first=Alex |last=Flood |issn=0028-6362}}</ref>
}}
External links
Live announcement with Jimmy Fallon
The Rolling Stones after six decades: "We've got to keep going. When you've got it, flaunt it, you know?" on CBS Sunday Morning''
2023 albums
Albums produced by Andrew Watt (record producer)
Albums produced by Don Was
Albums recorded at A&M Studios
Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios
Hackney, London
Polydor Records albums
The Rolling Stones albums