This album is nothing short of a godsend for Stones fans. On first spin, it is clear that the band is in fine form: energized, inspired, and in control. I suspect that after a week or two, some of the "this is a new classic," "five-stars" fervor will settle down for most people and turn into a clearer view that this is a rock solid, four-star, excellent outing.

The production is outstanding. You can hear everything clearly: the grit of what's left of Keith's voice; Mick's sneers; Charlie's unstoppable rhythms - and, best of all, the absolute best harmonica playing Mick has ever recorded.

This is what rock and roll can be in this day and age. It doesn't have to be the Next Big Thing, or even innovative necessarily. Rock and roll is the intangible thing that lives somewhere between a guitar and a voice and a drum beat that makes it all but impossible not to tap your foot and to feel a stirring in your gut. "Sweet Neo-con" has been getting most of the press, but right after that comes "Look What the Cat Dragged In," an all-out raver that just makes your jaw drop. The feeling you get when that song comes crashing in - when that whip comes down - that's rock and roll.

This is the Stones sound that we crossed our fingers and hoped for when we heard they had a new album coming out. My next wish: that they realize that a new cd doesn't have to mean a world tour and they go ahead and make some more real soon.

Since the mid-80's, every time the Rolling Stones release a new studio album, a horde of yahoos publish reviews claiming the new disc is the best the band has done since Exile On Main Street. This is patently absurd and those reviewers need to be spanked.

A Bigger Bang is no Exile, it is not even in the league of Tattoo You but it is pretty darn good. I will go out on a limb and call it their best since Undercover.

Bigger Bang is a stylistically diverse set crowded with 16 tracks but other than one super-lame power ballad and a political rant thinly disguised as a song, none of the filler is really unwelcome and there are plenty of bright spots. How did they pull this off? It certainly is not due to any production magic by Don Was unless he was responsible for keeping it simple. This is the Glimmer Twins show 2005-style displaying enough confidence to bang out a record without an army of session guys and a mountain of overdubs.

The fun begins with the title and the "Fascination with the origin of the universe" press release. You can't call these guys snickering schoolboys anymore but a dirty joke from randy old goats is just as funny. More importantly, the music:

1) Rough Justice- An energetic rocker miles better than recent tripe like "You Got Me Rocking". Really good guitars. Although some of the verse-lyrics are stupid and despite the fact that Mick almost falls into his latter day habit of over-singing, the boys keep this one together marvelously. A good portent of things to come.

2) Let Me Down Slow- A well constructed mid-tempo pop rocker featuring good singing and reflective lyrics from an old dog still doing his thing. Features a lyric that could sum up this surprisingly good record: "Are you coloring your hair with some new kind of dye? Alternately, this could easily be a question that Mick, Keith or Ronnie asks each other over lunch.

3) It Won't Take Long- Let the filler begin. A pedestrian rocker with been-there-done-that ...I'm gonna dump my girl / I'm better off without you lyrics.

4) Rain Fall Down- This funky track was highly touted in the advance press and why not? Give them credit for trying something different. This enjoyable groover is not as good as say "Emotional Rescue" but better than "Harlem Shuffle". I'd love to see the band put this in the "Miss You" slot on the current tour.

5) Streets of Love- The one major mistake on the album. This super-lame Alfie soundtrack leftover (one would suppose) is a classic Mick attempt to cash in on the power ballad jackpot ala Aerosmith. Why does he feel compelled to produce this kind of pap? Does he actually enjoy listening to music like this? I am trying to imagine Mick Jagger cranking the soundtrack to a Meg Ryan movie while making the bed and tidying up around the house. I wonder if Keith and Joe Perry commiserate about having to appease their preening singers. Extra credit to Mick for incorporating "Cross the Rubicon" into syrupy dreck aimed at tweenage girls.

6) Back of My Hand- Interesting. This is a real-deal, straight-up blues track featuring uncluttered guitar work and stinging harp. I would imagine that this evolved out of a warm up rehearsal jam but was considered good enough to finish. This is the kind of song that has been turning up on B-sides from their 90's releases. Keb 'Mo has nothing to be afraid of but this is not at all unwelcome.

7) She Saw Me Coming- A guitar rocker with a bit of a groove to it. This is enjoyable filler that belongs in the "Fake-Reggae" sub-genre of tunes like "Luxury" and "Send It To Me" that the Stones own unto themselves. The lyrics are kind of funny and are the flip side to the misogynistic put down song. This time, she has the upper hand.

8) Biggest Mistake- This is the Mick Show. A lovesick pop song featuring a bed of acoustic guitars with the occasional electric lick added for accent and flavor. Filler.

9) This Place Is Empty- The kind of ragged, world-weary talk-sing crooner we have come to expect from Keith. A country-ish vibe (rather than a country track) telling a gentle, "I miss my girl..." story. Keith should do a solo album with nothing but ballads like this.

10) Oh No, Not You Again- An energetic rocker with great guitars featuring a bit of the fabled Keith / Ronnie "Weave" hearkening back to the Some Girls era. The lyrics are simple but funny. This is my favorite song on the album and I look forward to seeing it live, it has the potential to become an on-stage barnburner in the vein of Respectable.

11) Dangerous Beauty- A mid-tempo guitar rocker, definitely good filler but I suspect there might be something more here. This is potentially a hidden gem and might actually catch on with a good video. My only real criticism is that Mick sings in his "Fake-Tough" style, which almost sinks it.

12) Laugh, I Nearly Died- This slow groover featuring highly stylized Mick vocals is a very enjoyable album track and one of the highlights on the record. Give them credit for trying something different, especially when they break it down at the end. This could be fantastic in a live theater setting.

13) Sweet Neo Con- Right on Mick didn't see this one coming. Not really a song, this is a taunting rant veiled in a skeletal groove aimed squarely at the Bush administration direct from Mick Jagger. Not really a good song, (but hey, High wire was sort of weak too) I admire the sentiment, especially the "Sweet" emasculating aspect. Give Mr. Jagger credit for telling it like it is, I don't hear U2 or any other big name rock star getting down to it this directly.

14) Look What the Cat Dragged In- An energetic, rocking groover that is filler but in a really good way. I wonder if the lyrics were inspired by Keith rolling in late for a session.

15) Driving Too Fast- Generic rocker, inoffensive filler

16) Infamy- Interesting Keith song. Kind of a mid-tempo groover. I don't hate it and I don't love it. Maybe it will be better live. "...Got It In For Me", get it?

Other than Streets of Love, I am very happy with this release. Of course these greedy bastids are planning to re-sell this to us at Christmas with a bonus DVD. Think it will contain bonus tracks to make it worth it? Don't hold your breath.

Being a true blue Stones fan, I went out and bought A Bigger Bang the day it came out, just as I've done with every studio album since Undercover, and expected another good but unmemorable collection of Jagger/Richards songs packaged largely for true fans. Another excuse to go on tour and release another live album. But when I got home and put it in the CD player, I was shocked. This is The Rolling Stones! You can almost hear Mick's wry grin in the double entendre of Rough Justice. The "don't let the door hit ya" attitude of It Won't Take Long. The funky, almost disco feel of Rain Fall Down. The full blown blues of Back of My Hand, those boys always could play the blues. The searing political comment of Sweet Neo Con. Keith's sad lament in This Place is Empty and Infamy. Who would believe The Stones put out a real album of hits? I hope it gets airtime, because this better than most on the radio today.

As much as I hate to admit it, I've been buying Rolling Stones albums and CD's since 1964! Yep, that's what 56 years old does to you. I remember seeing them in NY back in 1966 with The Standells and Ronettes at the old Forest Hills Tennis Stadium and Madison Square Garden in 1969 with Stevie Wonder and The Ike and Tina Turner Revue.

I've bought every Stones release and gotta admit that this is the best one I've heard since "Exile On Main Street" from 1972. This CD rocks, the energy level is high and it feels like the Stones I remember from back in the "Sticky Fingers" days.

I highly recommend it, good rocking stuff!

Lots of people dismiss the band's recent studio work as; "Weak...their just going through the motions". While recent albums like "Bridges to Babylon" and "Voodoo Lounge" are not the band's best, they certainly aren't the worst either. Now, before I go any further, I have to make something clear. It's pointless to compare this current incarnation of the band to the band that recorded "Exile On Main Street". Yes, it IS the same people (well, sans Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor) but the band has changed over the years like anything else. One thing has remained over all of this time, however. They are still the Rolling Stones and they still know how to write some of the best rock and roll songs you'll ever hear. And, it's not JUST rock and roll. They have proven to us over the years that they also know how to write country, blues, funk (among other thing) and here they prove it once again.

1. Rough Justice - This song comes right out of the same stable as classics like "Brown Sugar" and "Start Me Up". It's an in your face rocker and after Keith starts that scratchy distorted riff and Charlie comes in with that drum roll, you can't help but move a little...or maybe even alot. 10/10

2. Let Me Down Slow - Alright, we're off with a bang now (A Bigger Bang, if you will) and this song is as infectious as anything the band has ever done. Pop rock with a country tinge and an infectious chorus in the same vein as something like 1966's "Out Of Time". 7/10

3. It Won't Take Long - Another song that starts off with that scratchy, distorted type riff that we all love to hear. Nice mid-tempo rocker with yet again another catchy chorus. This one has also got a nice guitar solo by Ronnie Wood. 8/10

4. Rain Fall Down - This one has got Mick written all over it. Sort of like an up to date version of 1978's "Miss You". Nice dance number with a funk edge to it. Very modern sounding. My only complaint is that I think it's a tad bit too long. 7/10

5. Streets Of Love - Another song that obviously came from Mick. When I first heard this song on the radio, I didn't know what to think of it. It had a catchy chorus but overall it sounded a little too sappy to be a Stones song. However, hearing it on the album has changed my opinion and now I can see that it's a nice power ballad. Acoustic guitar driven verses, dynamic chorus with a hook you won't soon forget and an epic sounding guitar bit in the middle. Not their greatest ballad, but not their worst. 7/10

6. Back Of My Hand - This is the band doing what they do best. Straight blues. No gimmicks, nothing. I'd love to hear the band write more songs like this. Sounds like it came straight out of the delta with it's swampy sound. Great. 10/10

7. She Saw Me Coming - This could be released as a single (who knows, maybe it will be). Catchy guitar riff, uptempo with a happy vibe throughout the whole track. Call and response chorus. Stones once again doing those 'Fun Tracks' that they do so well. This is one of those 'Summer Songs'. 7.5/10

8. Biggest Mistake - Not quite a ballad, more of a pop rock tune with a country tinge (However, not like "Let Me Down Slow"). Nice sounding tune that sound's like it could have been on one of Mick's solo albums. Keith can be heard on backing vocals throughout the song and that's an automatic plus right there. 7/10

9. This Place Is Empty - Piano based track sung by Keith Richards. It's a ballad, but that's okay because he does them so well! His voice sounds nice and husky and sets the mood of the song nicely. There have been complaints about Keith only doing ballads, but this is one of his better ones folks. This is another song on the album with a nice chorus. 7/10

10. Oh No Not You Again - My absolute favorite on the album. A fast paced hard rocker that would not have been out of place on their 1978 album "Some Girls". Mick spits out the vocals with venom and Keith and Ronnie play with that crunchy "Stones Guitar Sound". And Charlie Watts man, he's never been better. An excerpt from the chorus: "Oh No Not You Again, f*cking up my life!". 10/10

11. Dangerous Beauty - This a nice mid tempo rocker. It actually has a ZZ Top type of sound to it. This song was recorded with just Mick Jagger, Keith Richards & Charlie Watts (like a few others on the album) and it certainly does have a tightness to it. 7.5/10

12. Laugh, I Nearly Died - This song is destined to become a classic. It's not my favorite on the album, or even in my top 5, but it doesn't have to be. This is another one that sounds like it's got Mick all over it, but it's one of the man's greatest achievements. Slow paced with an epic/haunting vibe throughout. I was going to give it 7 points, but Mick's vocal performance alone (his strongest in quite some time) has convinced me to up it. 8/10

13. Sweet Neocon - The political tune. This one was talked about in the press due to it's obvious bashing of President Bush and some others in the White House. Does the song measure up? Sadly to say, not really. The lyrics could have held a strong message, but Mick could have done a whole lot better with these lyrics. An Excerpt; "There's bombers in my bedroom, it's giving me the sh*t's". It's almost laughable. What about the music? Well, there's sparse activity on this track. It's got a funk feel to it and is actually more harmonica driven than it is guitar driven. But, the song comes off sounding empty and unfinished. The chorus has also got a corny melody to it. A low point on the album for sure. 5/10

14. Look What The Cat Dragged In - Alright, now we're back on track! A fast paced rocker with a funk edge and a beat that can be compared to 1983's "Undercover Of The Night". That chorus is also another one that will get stuck in your head. Nice guitar licks by Ronnie Wood throughout the whole song. One of my favorites on the album. 8.5/10

15. Driving Too Fast - We still havn't lost any steam and this rocker keeps the train moving right along. Midtempo rocker with good guitar. It's one of those song's where if someone heard it on the radio they would say "That's the Rolling Stones". Not quite as good as "Rough Justice" or "Oh No Not You Again", but one of the best rocker's they've done in quite a while. 8/10

16. Infamy - The album closer with Keith Richards once again taking the mic. A nice groove track with a spacey guitar riff and a bluesy melody. I don't really know how to describe it anyway else. If your familiar with Keith's solo albums, this one sounds like it could have been on 1988's 'Talk Is Cheap'. In the same vein as his solo songs such as "Rockawhile", only better in my opinion. One of the best song's Keith has recorded on a Stones album in a long time. 8/10

And there you have it. Not the band's best album, but not their worst and it's certainly above average. You'll notice I gave the album 5 stars, but there arent many "10's" in my ratings. I rate albums based on the flow and how well the song's work within the album. Weather a song is a favorite of mine or not is something totally different. There is NOTHING unlistenable on here. This truly is their best album since 1978's "Some Girls". Mick steals the show on this one. You can tell he had a VERY large hand in the writing of these songs. He also plays guitar on pretty much every track and on some he plays keyboard, bass and harmonica. Pretty impressive. This album isn't as good as 1972's "Exile", but it can be considered as the modern stones "Exile". 2 thumbs up guys.