Who would have thought at the last part of this year that we would hear from two acknowledged legendary rock and roll bands? The Rolling Stones with a full new album and The Beatles with their last song ever, 2023 will go down as the year two of greatest, not to mention the oldest, rock and roll bands have released new music. It is an amazing feat because these rockers are still playing and making new music 60 years into their golden careers.

While all the current noise is with the Fab Four with a breakthrough new single (“Now And Then”), The Rolling Stones have one up their old rivals with their latest album titled “Hackney Diamonds.”

“Hackney Diamonds” is the Stones’ 24^th album and sees  Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood keeping it on even after the loss of long-time drummer Charlie Watts. Judging from the vibrant new music Jagger, Keef, and Ron have come up with, it’s evident that there's still some gas in the tank.

This is a return to the roots move for the Stones.

The first single, “Angry,” is classic Stones rock. Ditto for Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder assisted “Sweet Sounds Of Heaven.” The former sees Keith Richards-riffing intact, while the latter is a gospel-tinged soul. Par for the course for the Stones, who cut their teeth in these styles throughout their career.

And there’s more. The jangly guitar and wheezing “Depending Of You” keyboards harken back to the Stones's country music leanings. Ditto for the acoustic blues stylings of “Dreamy Skies,” while Keith and Mick’s flair for melodic blues and rock and roll is fully displayed on “Driving Me Too Hard.” And guitarist Ronnie Wood shows why he’s the Stones’ pick as he weaves his lead guitar lines seamlessly with Keith’s signature rhythm guitar style.  

For his part, Jagger is at his best and doesn’t sound like he just turned 80. He has that sneer while singing on mid-tempo rocking “Get Close” and “Mess It Up” puts the crimp and dirt on his vocals on “Sweet Sound Of Heaven.”

The Stones have a little help from their friends. Former Stones bassist Bill Wyman reunited with his mates on head bobbing “Live By The Sword” and providing good honky-tonk piano Sir Elton John. But it’s on frantic rockin’ “Bite My Head Off” that we get an extra buzz out of as we see Sir Paul McCartney providing some electric distorted bass. Jagger said of the jam: “he rocked out. He fitted straight in. It was like we’d been playing with him for years. It was a really good feeling.”

While references to The Stones’ career from “Sticky Fingers” to “A Bigger Bang” are noticeable, the Stones still manage to offer something new, most notably on modern rockin' “Whole Wide World” that comes with a rousing Jagger chorus that goes “when the whole wide world is against you / and you’re standing in the rain / when all your friends have let you down and treat you with disdain / you think the party’s over, but’s only just begun.” 

Sir Mick provides wisdom and tells us to pick ourselves up during trying times as he intones, “Let’s raise a glass,  get up and dance / ‘cause life’s just hit and hit and hit and run” as Wood's taut guitar solos swirl about. 

Exactly. Dust yourself up because life's a rolling stone.