Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Publisher's review, 13 Sep 2007
Mick Jagger set to release "best of" collection
`The Very Best of Mick Jagger,' the first overview of his distinguished solo career, is set for release in the U.S. on October 2nd, on Atlantic/Rhino Records. It's a vivid reminder of the compelling gifts that brought Jagger fame in the first place.
The earliest track on the album is "Memo From Turner," a raw, R&B burner (showcasing Ry Cooder on slide guitar) that was featured in the seminal 1970 film Performance, in which Jagger also starred. The most recent track, "Old Habits Die Hard," also references Jagger's film career. It originally appeared on the soundtrack (produced by Jagger and former Eurythmic Dave Stewart) of the 2004 film Alfie, and it won a Golden Globe for "Best Original Song."
In between those two peaks, separated by more than three decades, Jagger released four solo albums: `She's The Boss' (1985), `Primitive Cool' (1987), `Wandering Spirit' (1993), and `Goddess In The Doorway' (2001). Ten selections from those albums appear on `The Very Best of,' including "God Gave Me Everything," which Jagger co-wrote with Lenny Kravitz; "Joy," on which Bono contributes a guest vocal; "Sweet Thing," the singer's irresistibly sensual 1993 single; and "Evening Gown," a paean to lasting love that closes out this set.
`The Very Best of' also includes two dynamic collaborations on Motown songs, a favorite source of material for Jagger over the years. Reggae legend Peter Tosh, one of the founding members of The Wailers, was among the first artists signed to Rolling Stones Records in the late '70s.
For Tosh's 1978 album, Bush Doctor, he and Jagger collaborated on a seductive duet on The Temptations' hit, "(You Got to Walk And) Don't Look Back," which was written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White.
Then, in 1985, Jagger teamed up with David Bowie to scorch Martha & The Vandellas' classic "Dancing in the Street," which was released as a single as part of the Live Aid effort to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. The song went to #1 in England, and the video for it premiered at the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia.
The sizzling "Too Many Cooks (Spoil The Soup)," was produced by John Lennon and recorded by Jagger in 1973 in Los Angeles. The track features an all-star lineup that includes guitarists Danny Kortchmar and Jesse Ed Davis, keyboardist Al Kooper, bassist Jack Bruce, drummer Jim Keltner, and, on background vocals, singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson. It has never previously been released.
The album's two additional previously unreleased tracks are demos from Jagger's `Wandering Spirit' session with producer Rick Rubin. Jagger had sketched out "Charmed Life" (with his daughter Karis on backing vocals) but then decided the track didn't fit with the rest of the album.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Mick Too Often Sells His Soul To The Contemporary Sounds Of The Day, 8 Oct 2007
Mick Jagger certainly has an eye for detail - he can assimilate different influences in contemporary music pretty well, carefully incorporating them into a concoction of sounds which (hopefully) can be palatable to a mass contemporary audience. His solo career has been calculating, that's for sure, it's just too bad that often this has resulted in his music losing its heart and soul somewhere along the way.
This collection isn't exclusively that calculating, however. Mick's first solo single 'Memo From Turner' is from a good decade and a half before his solo career got into full swing and is all but Stones in style (although the other Stones aren't playing on it) and subsequently is one of this collection's highlights. 'Don't Look Back' a duet with Peter Tosh from the late 70s is another memorable highlight. It's a charming cover of the old Temptations hit and it works wonderfully well in reggae form.
However, it's when Mick's solo career resumes in earnest in the mid -eighties that he becomes guilty of perhaps exchanging his musical soul for a chance to flirt with the contemporary sounds of the day in a concoction which has all the elements required for success, except perhaps any genuine emotion. The first single from this period 'Just Another Night' actually works pretty well with its contemporary edge actually enhancing a pretty decent song. Most of the other songs unfortunately have dated pretty badly, however. The synthetic dance beats now sound incredibly dated, and even the times when Mick decides to rock a little more as he does in some of his 90s output, there seems a distinct lack of any genuine abrasive edge. Smooth, slick, clean, even bland are perhaps the best words to describe what's on offer here, as well as in retrospect in relation to his 80s work especially, extremely dated.
The bonus DVD is also a generally pretty tacky collection of promo videos which has aged particuarly badly over more recent years although there is also a pretty long interview with Mick which is quite enlightening.
The early songs aside, Mick's solo career has been a far cry from the greatness often found in his best work with the Rolling Stones. Many of the songs don't stand up over the long term and because of their contemporary sound generally exist purely as period pieces. That said, his solo career isn't quite a disaster - there are a few interesting moments here and there - the previously unreleased 'Two Many Cooks' and 'Checkin' Up On My Baby' being prime examples. 'Evening Gown' is pretty nice too.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Easy Listening Infectious!, 13 Dec 2007
This to a Stones fan would always be expected to raise the question; "why did Mick want to do it?" Well over the years I've bought everything any of the Stones has produced and I find this album has grown on me over the months I've had it in the car.
Yes I know Disco beats and such are "Out of Time" but it does still sound good! As most of the album does not try to be anything other than a different slant on the same Stones theme; with its mixture if Soul, Reggae and Rock, it genuinely reflects Mick's work and the energy he brings to it.
Listen and pick out your favourites because I have been surprised how some of the less well known have really grown on me. You might be disappointed at first listen but Memo from Turner to Just another Night records part of the journey of one of the most influential frontmen/ musicians/ rock legends of all time, and if it gets you into the Stones as well, even better.
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