The Rolling Stones Get ‘Angry’ In Their Fiery Comeback
Words by Mckenna Ryan “It hasn’t rained for a month, the river’s run dry
We haven’t made love and I wanna know why -
Why you angry with me?”
Anger is a feeling not unfamiliar to The Rolling Stones, who have lit the way of their rock and roll empire by the blaze of their fiery passion for over half a century - a passion that has historically bled into rage. Chaos and vexation seem to follow The Stones wherever they may roam, fueled by vicious infighting, countless arrests, stages stormed by rabid fans, and disastrous concerts ending in death. One can only wonder why it took the legendary band over six decades to release a single called “Angry.”
“Angry” fits neatly in The Stones’s expansive repertoire, shelved somewhere between “Start Me Up” and “Satisfaction,'' reminiscent of the key of the former and the gusto of the latter. Whether “Angry” is a step forward or back in terms of ingenuity for the Stones is debatable, but its existence alone is an undeniable feat. It is the first Jagger-Richards original track to be released in 18 years.
“Angry” is instantly recognizable as a Rolling Stones single, every second is smothered with the inimitable fingerprints of the Jagger-Richards songwriting team. “Angry” is infused with signature Jagger bravado as he navigates, cocksure, through a sea of rhythm with all the languorous confidence typical of the singer. He waltzes between confusion and exasperation over a lover’s quarrel with the elegance of a rock n roll swan - when he stumbles, it’s with style. His gutsy vocals sound as if plucked off a lost demo tape from 1971 - a feat all the more impressive when one recalls that Jagger celebrated his 80th birthday in July.
The throbbing heart of this track, however, is held between the ringed fingers of Keith Richards, who continually proves himself a dark horse among his guitar contemporaries, and the nimble hands of drummer Steve Jordan. Richards’ riffs are unmistakably his. They are as unique as his fingerprints and as dazzling as diamonds - Hackney Diamonds. Richards’ electricity shocks every inch of “Angry” to life; as high voltage as a crack of lightning, his playing is as fresh and utterly mesmeric as ever.
Steve Jordan has been a longtime musical partner of Richards; he has witnessed the rise and fall and rise again of The Rolling Stones and is due partial credit for many of those seething Richards solo tracks of the late 80s. While the untimely and devastating death of drum master Charlie Watts has left an irreparable hole in the soul of the Stones, Jordan has gone above and beyond in his attempt to patch it up. His relentless, robust drumbeat provides a flawless backdrop that, coupled with Richards’ steady bass plucking, keeps the track marching along like a battalion.
Though the single may lack the pseudo-punk, bone-crunching kickback of the band’s heyday, it is impossible not to bob one’s head to the palatable sweetness of “Angry,” which glitters with all the flavor of a cherry sucker. This idyllic sweetness is the cherry on top of an illustrious career, emblematic of the idea that The Stones no longer have anything to prove, nor have they any desire to appease the critics, and it is precisely this laissez-faire, middle-finger-in-the-air stance that perhaps brings them as close to punk as they have ever been. “Angry” is more than a single; it is an audibly lush celebration of the glittering legacy of The Rolling Stones and a firm testament to their survival.
