Voodoo Lounge
confirmed that
the Stones
could age gracefully, but it never sounded modern; it sounded classicist. With its successor,
Bridges to Babylon
,
Mick Jagger
was determined to bring
the Rolling Stones
into the '90s, albeit tentatively, and hired hip collaborators like
the Dust Brothers
(
Beck
Beastie Boys
) and
Danny Saber
Black Grape
) to give the veteran group an edge on their explorations of drum loops and samples. Of course,
are
, and no production is going to erase that, but the group is smart enough -- or
Keith Richards
is stubborn enough -- to work within its limitations and to have producer
Don Was
act as executive producer. As a result,
sounds like
without sounding tired. The band is tight and energetic, and there's just enough flair to the sultry
"Anybody Seen My Baby?,"
the menacing
"Gunface,"
and the low-key, sleazy
"Might as Well Get Juiced"
to make them sound contemporary. But the real key to the success of
is the solid, craftsmanlike songwriting. While there aren't any stunners on the album, nothing is bad, with
rockers
like
"Flip the Switch"
and
"Low Down"
sounding as convincing as
ballads
"Already Over Me."
And, as always,
Keith
contributes three winners -- including the
reggae
workout
"You Don't Have to Mean It"
and the slow-burning
"How Can I Stop"
-- that cap off another fine latter-day
Stones
record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine