Just listened the new Neil Diamond - Home before dark.
Excellent.....

What if Rick Rubin would produce the next Stones album,
(if there is any in the first place).

Think about it: RR dit Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers
AC/DC, Mick Jagger, Neil Diamond, etc. and each time he
seems to pulls out the best out of a bag of old bones at a
point where is seemed impossible that there would be
a next album, let alone it was going to be worth listening.

And right now, the Stones reached that point.....

Call Mr. Rubin, right now, and get to work Mr Richards!

Est.1962

Keith be willing, it could happen.
He isn't inspired, so we get crappy Jagger solo type shit...

I think the last 20 years have shown that Mick/Keith have no interest in letting anyone tell them what works etc.In the glory days their pure genius was plenty to make magic when they cared and had passion.Now we get droning Keith ballads and sappy Mick jingles.Its over from a creativity stand point and has been for a long time.Mick and Keith want to be rock stars while Dylan and Young and Springsteen for instance just love the music.ABB was okay but honestly after first 2 spins I havent played it since.

Gazza wrote on Jul 2^nd, 2008 at 1:17pm:


Keith aside, Mick is not the type of person to admit he was wrong. It's funny how he complained about Rubin but when he released that Best of joke, he cited Wandering Spirit as the standout of his solo albums. It would be too big of a blow to his ego to ask Rubin back. Consequently, Rubin is a near impossibility. For all their differences, it's funny how Mick and Keith usually agree on things like producers. It might make an interesting album and stop them from writing shite, but I have no hope.

One note about Mick though. People too readily dismiss his desire to try out new things. If anything, that desire is one of the most unique things about the Stones and what has made them great. It often degenerates into disasters like Goddess or Dirty Work or some of the shite on B2B but it also makes for some amazing songs and albums. Hence this whole back to basics argument is not necessarily always the best thing. A different sound I agree with but just trying to recreate a certain era when you're not in that era sounds stupid for a band like the Stones.

The Wick wrote on Jul 2^nd, 2008 at 2:26pm:


Gazza beat me to it. If anything, Mick is ALWAYS ready to try new things. That's why we're not getting any "from the vaults" stuff.  He wants so badly to be current, but it's going to take a magician to produce something that would even approach the lofty standards they set in the early '70s, let alone sound contemporary. I'm surprised he finally admitted that "Wandering Spirit" was a standout among his solo work. A shame he can't take a little constructive criticism from Rubin. They might actually come up with something worthy.  As for Keith: Like Gazza pointed out, just imagining him in the studio with Rubin and Jagger is a hair-raising scenario. It's gonna take a miracle and a little humility, and I'm not sure if they can come up with either. It sure would be nice to have an exciting new Stones album to listen to.

Soldatti wrote on Jul 2^nd, 2008 at 9:42pm:


they dont. thats probably why they keep using Don Was.

TenThousandMotels wrote on Jul 3^rd, 2008 at 9:49am:


**********************BLANK FRIGGING STARE***************

The long run?  The long run?  Forty-six years for a rock and roll band doesn't constitute "the long run"? 

What are you on?

Zack wrote on Jul 3^rd, 2008 at 3:06pm:


I wasn't refering to the past. I was refering to the future.

What am I on?

gotdablouse wrote on Jul 4^th, 2008 at 6:16pm:



He's very pushy and isnt easily intimidated by the artist or what lofty reputation or inflated egoes they may have . See my post above about Jagger.

I think they ended up ignoring ABB because they soon stopped kidding themselves that the audience they've chosen to target nowadays and pay lip service to sees them as any more than a greatest hits jukebox.

Why bother doing another Stones record if they are not going to try a create another classic?

I agree with whoever it was to said their ego's wouldn't allow them to work with someone like Rubin. The sad fact of the matter is that they need someone of his stature to create the late in the game classic that I believe they still have left in them.

Wouldn't it be amazing to have a truly relevant Stones album in 2009, rather than just another pretty good record that will be used as an excuse for them to tour behind?

The Stones need to put out a quality record next time around and lose the whole superstar act. It's getting tired.

Sorry to see your "remission" in the bass player topic has been shortlived, you are wrong on almost all counts, back to your "Mick is not on the cover of Tattoo You" style it seems.

1. No, bluntly put the songs on the last 3 records generally don't hold their weight, other than a few here and there. Maybe 2 on VL, 4 on B2B and...1/2 on ABB, that's pathetic by their standards or anyone's. This has certainly not been helped by a dull production, particularly on VL and ABB.

2. What are you on Ian with that "songwriting producer"  business. Rubin will be remembered as a MAJOR producer for his work with Johnny Cash and last I checked it didn't include a lot of songwriting by the Man in Black did it ?

No, what we need is a man who will bring out the musicians in them, be it with their own songs or covers, not megastars who have lost touch with the music that made them megastars and indulge in "crap"

[quote author=Ian Billen link=1215020757/0#19 date=1215225694]The Rolling Stones do not need Rick Rubin. Rick Rubin's "ninch" per say as a Producer is in the song writing. He is best suited for an artist or group that has supposedly lost their song writing chops and/or has been putting out average or below average efforts and and Rick Rubin's specialty as a Producer is to supposedly bring the artist or group out of their song writing funk.

1. The Stones last three albums were strong. Period. You may not like them. You may prefer to listen to their classic stuff more. Or you may constantly insist on comparing their recent works to the 68-72 era.
Whatever it is, the truth of the matter is Voodoo Lounge, Bridges to Babylon, and A Bigger Bang were all in no way shape or form average or lack-luster. From a production standpoint they were great. From a song writing standpoint they were all at least "good". The Stones are not in a recording slump or down and out in terms of songwriting abilities (regardless of what some here still may feel). Their last three albums were all really good albums. So, Rick Rubin's saving production style for a band that has lost their chops is irrelevant in this equation.

2. Don Was has the right temperament for them. Rick Rubin does not. Keith and Mick would never "click" with Rubin. Truthfully, I seriously doubt they would care for Rubin and his personality much at all as Gazza already pointed out. Don Was lets The Stones do their thing, yet records them REALLY well. Although it would be "interesting" to have someone eles writing with The Stones while Don Was could handle the recording direction and process. Rubin would try to push the band to his song writing liking and his own direction. That simply would not work with The Rolling Stones. Don Was is a "recording" Producer for the most part when he works with The Stones. Rick Rubin is a "song writing" producer. The Rolling Stones are still writing darn good tunes and they surely would never let someone other than them have complete control in the studio over them. Rubin is known to want complete, or as close to it as he can get complete control over the artists he produces. Rubin and The Stones simply would not do real well together. As Gazza stated, Keith would never stand for any of it (yikes I seriously think Keith would tell him where to go sooner or later) ...Just ask Mick.



The Stones have made  three pretty good records in a row. Granted it's the only three records they have made in 14 years.

The problem is, the world does not want another pretty good Stones album. The public wants the greatest and most famous band in the world to make a truly great record. It may not be fair, but the Stones are held to a higher standard.

In my mind Rubin could get that out of the Stones the same way he did for Jagger.  Is it simply a coincidence that "Wandering Spirit"
is Jagger's best solo album by far? Somebody needs to tell Mick and Keith no in the studio just as Rubin did with Jagger for "Wandering Spirit"

The Stones have fallen into a trap of being superstars and not artists. Mick has had this issue for years, but always had Keith to bring him back to reality. Now Keith is believing his own press clippings these days. Ask yourself this question. What % of time does Keith actually play on stage compared to his posing? Keith may not want a kick in the ass, but artistically he needs one. While he is a bigger "star" than ever. Musically he is a shadow of his former self.

Enough posing, fashion shows, movie projects...etc  The Stones need to make a GREAT album and not simply a pretty good one next time around. Rubin, is one of the few people who can bring them to the next level.

If the Stones next album isn't a considerable hit will they be able to sell tickets the way they have in the past? How many times can they charge outrageous ticket prices and expect the same audience to show up to see and hear basically the same show they have been putting on since 1989?

This time out I think the Stones need a hit album to sell their tour.  Rather than just put out an album as an excuse to tour. They have more riding on this next album than usual. They would be foolish not to work with Rubin or a producer of his stature. Assuming that there is a next album.

I don't think they'll bother again, too much pain to do it right and not enough financial reward, the only thing they've been interested in since 1998 and arguable 1989. Money is the foundation of the 1989 reunion 'Keith and I were laughing about how much money we were going to make", Jagger on the Barbados meeting in early 1989 at Eddie Grant's studio and who was there with them...Rupert Lowenstein, not a music producer !


PS - "Poison Dart" please fix your quotes !