The Rolling Stones: Hackney Diamonds

When I put Hackney Diamonds on for the first time I ended up standing in front of the record player, sleeve-in-hand, and only noticed that time had passed when the first track, Angry, was over.

I find it difficult to put into words what this record made me feel all at once:

On one hand the music is so quintessentially “Stones” that it felt like I had heard it a thousand times already. It’s raw, it’s big, it’s live…it’s alive. On the other hand, it feels new, polished, and deliberate.

Perhaps one way of putting it would be “Hackney Diamonds sounds and feels the way every Stones record ever wanted to sound and feel, if the available technology had allowed it”.

That said, technology can only ever be a means to capture the music in the moment. The true magic happens between the musicians performing. Given the who’s-who list of talent on this record - from Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga to founding Stones members Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts (through unreleased recordings made before his passing) - there’s plenty of magic to go around. Just stunning. 

If hard-hitting, life-celebrating blues rock is your thing, I’m willing to bet that Hackney Diamonds will permanently sit close to the top of your list of favorites.

Available on Vinyl, CD and all major streaming platforms.