Because it’s a holiday, I’ve given you six albums to check out instead of the usual three.
Enjoy.
Rolling Stones – “Hackney Diamonds”
“Produced by Andrew Watt” has become one of the most off-putting phrases in the English language. Despite being the producer du jour for legacy rockers fighting to survive in the streaming cesspool, he lacks the edge necessary to extract anything other than a competent pastiche of what a particular artist used to sound like. His approach here comes off as happy to be in the same room as Mick, Keef, and Ronnie without any hint of danger or intrigue. “Depending on You,” “Live By the Sword,” “Tell Me Straight,” and “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” are the standouts, the last of which employing a Goldilocks (i.e., just right) portion of Lady Gaga to create a song worthy of the pre-“Dirty Work” catalog. An enjoyable entry from a band that somehow outlasted its contemporaries, but all the talk of it being a late-career masterpiece feels premature.
Roger Waters – “Dark Side of the Moon Redux”
If Roger Waters ever finds himself on Dr. Jennifer Melfi’s couch, she will likely categorize him in the same way that she did Livia Soprano: Incapable of experiencing joy. His life’s work has fed off that very concept to perfection more often than not and what he does with Pink Floyd’s 50-year-old masterpiece is no exception. David Gilmour’s solos are replaced with funereal organ tones that add to the ambiance and make Roger’s interpretation of this material as an older man staring down his own mortality arguably more poignant than the original. Never has the line “You missed the starting gun” sounded more dire. The timing of the release wasn’t ideal for an artist who has skated around allegations of antisemitism in recent years, but I love what he did on this record.
Steven Wilson – “The Harmony Codex”
Wilson lost some fans with the sonic departure of 2021’s “The Future Bites” and he may not win all of them back with the lengthy compositions he serves up here. He corrals a laundry list of musicians to execute songs that enrapture one minute and drag the next, but never cease to tickle the listener’s limbic system in a meaningful way. He’s one of my musical heroes, so, while I found this album to be among the best he’s ever done, I understand just as well why the lulls aren’t for everyone.
Dokken – “Heaven Comes Down”
If you can accept the fact that Don doesn’t sing as if it’s 1987 anymore, there are earnest melodies and inspired guitar solos from Jon Levin all over this album that position it as a sleeper within the catalog. It would have been effortless to use studio trickery to beef up Don’s voice, but I have nothing but respect for his decision to stand on what he sounds like at this moment. Because a new release from Dokken wasn’t remotely on my radar for 2023, the quality is a pleasant surprise. “Fugitive, “Just Like a Rose,” and “I Remember” are the standouts.
Duran Duran – “Danse Macabre”
There was nothing macabre about Duran Duran before this album came out and that sentiment remains true after listening to it. The cover of Billie Eilish’s “Bury a Friend” sounds like Boney M. trying to be ominous and their Studio 54 take on “Psycho Killer” talked a lot without really saying anything.
Primordial – “How It Ends”
With two months left to go, I’m confident in saying that this is my favorite metal album of 2023. Vocalist Alan Averill has an authority to his voice that can’t be taught and the band around him weaves these dense, impassioned heavy metal soundscapes that are as expansive as the Irish countryside.
The Rolling Stones | Sweet Sounds Of Heaven | Feat. Lady Gaga & Stevie Wonder | Visualiser – YouTube
Roger Waters – Us And Them (Official Lyric Video, DSOTM REDUX) – YouTube
Steven Wilson – The Harmony Codex – YouTube
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