"Time Waits For No One," the latest excavation of the Rolling Stones' mid-'70s output, is its own beast. It's sleazy, sprawling, sometimes sloppy, and absolutely essential. This ain't no greatest hits collection. This is the Stones in their cocaine-fueled, creatively fertile prime, wrestling with demons both personal and musical.
By 1971, the Stones were already legends. But with "Sticky Fingers," they'd shed their blues-worshipping skin and become something else: decadent rock stars, flirting with danger and pushing boundaries. "Time Waits For No One" chronicles the next chapter, as they navigated the excesses of the era while still managing to churn out some of their most iconic work.
Musically, it's a wild ride. You've got the raw, raucous energy of "It's Only Rock 'n Roll" (recorded at Mick Jagger's Stargroves estate, no less). You've got the soulful balladry of "Angie," a track that proved even these bad boys had a tender side. And you've got the swaggering funk of "Hot Stuff," hinting at the disco-tinged direction they'd later explore.
This era wasn't without its controversies. Keith Richards' heroin addiction was spiraling, leading to arrests and near-misses. The band's tax exile status drew criticism, fueling the image of them as out-of-touch millionaires. But through it all, the music kept coming.
The production team, led by the legendary Jimmy Miller, captured the Stones' raw energy in all its glory. Recording sessions took place in studios across the globe, from Munich's Musicland Studios to the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. The result is a sound that's both polished and primal, capturing the essence of a band teetering on the edge.
"Time Waits For No One" isn't a tidy retrospective. It's a messy, exhilarating document of a band at a crossroads, wrestling with their own legacy while still pushing the boundaries of rock 'n' roll. It's a reminder that even amidst the chaos, the Stones could still create music that was both timeless and thrilling. So crank it up, let the guitars wash over you, and get lost in the glorious mess that was the Rolling Stones in the 1970s.