Elementary, my dear Ian.

They'll put together a few songs as a new album. Then they'll go on the road and say its written to be 'performed live' or something. They'll do 3 or 4 songs from it per show at first, which will be down to a couple by Christmas.

I'll only be seeing them on the European leg anyway, by which stage it'll be down to one. Or even less as was the case at some shows in the second half of the last tour.

If the Stones could get away with not putting out a new record to herald a new tour, they'd do it. The odd thing is that most people in the sort of audience they've aimed themselves at the 21st century dont care about new songs and the band dont have enough self belief in the material to perform much of it. Unlike, say. '78 when they literally confronted an audience by filling half a show with previously unplayed material and rammed it down their throats. It did no harm. It was the most successful album of their career and the fans came back in their millions next time three years later making it their biggest tour to date at that point (and the new album they toured behind continued the commercial success of 'Some Girls' and even outstripped it)

The only real logic in putting out a new record is to pay lip service to critics by trying to convince them that they're a current band - the same critics who would slaughter them for being a nostalgia act trapped in a timewarp for ONLY playing old material, but who would also criticise them for playing new material that hardly anyone cares about. If they were really honest, the Stones could and should have renamed the last tour "Licks Part 2". Realistically, its reasonable to expect the next one to effectively be 'Licks Part 3'. It'll coincide with the band's golden anniversary and as a result nostalgia will be very much in vogue whether the Stones want it to be or not. Nostalgia is a very profitable and comfortable old horse, so you can bet they'll gladly saddle up and ride it.  It wont require much effort.

Installment # 241 of the "they're writing together" series.

Next installment Fall 2010...

does anyone have any vicodin?

No one has written a song in the last 20 years that has stayed with me longer than a few days. So what makes me think the Stones ever will again? There'll never be another glory run like 68-73 ....cause it's all over now.......

Life is about growing up and your interests change and relationships change why would you all want to deny these guys their right to be human and do the same as us?

Ian Billen wrote on Aug 25^th, 2010 at 1:27pm:



..and I'm 'guessing' you're wrong.

And how do you write songs with someone you see for a couple of hours a year, who lives on another continent for 11 months of the year and who doesnt even use a phone, let alone the internet?

They cant even agree publicly on whether Mick Taylor played on the Exile bonus songs for goodness sake. Thats how joined at the hip they are.

Maybe they're collaborating by fax. As we type.

I'm sure they are capable of phoning each other as at least business associates often do espec since Patti is doing a little better but probably hesitant to go off on the road etc. wouldn't you think?  Plus it seems the muse has left the building is what I have discerned from recent lyrics.  Plus maybe they are still burned out from the last run.  Plus they know we have no money.

texile wrote on Aug 25^th, 2010 at 12:40pm:



I would love new material. I enjoyed the last album. My enthusiasm for it has waned with time, but I still like it a lot. I'll take anything - new material, archives releases - anything but repackaged hits albums and badly edited live releases.  In the long run, I'm more interested in a properly organised, assembled and maintained archives series - but a new record would be preferable in the short term.

However, I realise that its not all about lunatics who have a borderline fundamentalist disorder towards the band's career - lunatics like me, that is.

Plus, I honestly dont think Mick and Keith give a flying fuck about making new Rolling Stones music. Four albums in 25 years speaks volumes - think about it , we're now at a stage where 'Dirty Work' , a record seen by many as a 'latter day' Stones album with the band in disarray, marks the half way point of their career as a band.

We've been fed this 'I'm about to call Mick to see if he wants to work' shite for a couple of years. Can't people get the hint that their hearts really aren't in it and that if they ARE going to put out something to 'justify' (not 'promote') a tour, its more a case of going through the motions to make it look good? They'll record it, put it out, talk it up in the press - and then will largely ignore it when they go on the road.

No 'artist' should make a record they dont believe in. If they're going to make one, then make it a good one - and ram the fucker down every doubter's throats.

Ian Billen wrote on Aug 25^th, 2010 at 1:27pm:


http://www.dreamwidth.org/userpic/3162/127

One way to eliminate the guesswork is by asking Ronnie when you see him at Butler next month.

Installment # 242 will write itself...

Addicted ()
Date: August 13, 2010 13:39


He's writing the final chapter(s) of his autobiography and it's a bit past deadline... That's busy!
If you've ever set foot in a newspaper room, spoken with a reporter or an author past their deadlines... You know they're busy - because they're NOT speaking to anyone untill the job's done.
I know he didn't have time to hang out with an old pal when in NYC recently, because of all the book-stress.

Not to worry.

They can tour behind 'I Feel Like Playing'...