Release Date: September 29, 1997
Label: Virgin
Spotify link to Bridges to Babylon
Popular Songs:
· Saint of Me (YouTube)
· Anybody Seen My Baby (YouTube)
Songs You Need to Listen To:
· Always Suffering (YouTube)
· Already Over Me (YouTube)
· Too Tight (YouTube)
Review Written By: Andy Trcka
November 27, 2020
Released in fall 1997, Bridges to Babylon is the 21st British and 23rd U.S. album by the Rolling Stones; only one other album of original material released since Bridges to Babylon. Albums released in the twilight of storied careers are of unique interest to listeners. Fans and critics alike, approach with enthusiasm and an adulation fortified by a nostalgia that edges on flattery. Hardcore fans whose catalogs have transitioned from LPs to CD and begrudgingly – digital, approach late-career albums in hopes of hearing one more “classic” effort. Casual fans are looking for gems to supplement “the hits” of which anyone with access to a radio is familiar with. It’s fair to say there’s generous amounts of curiosity and excitement that accompany albums like Bridges to Babylon. On all fronts listeners’ fancies are answered because while few would rank this effort amongst iconoclasts like Let It Bleed or Some Girls, there are genuinely exciting moments on Bridges to Babylon, enduring moments that stand up well to the musical canon of the Rolling Stones.
With quirky experimentation, occasional lyrical depth and a host of songs that would sound fantastic live, Bridges to Babylon, is exactly the sort of album Andy’s Stones was made for – an opportunity to highlight lesser known, yet exceptional tracks. Let’s dig in!
Tracks That Would Be Fun Live
Rolling Stones concerts are a spectacle – curated madness. The stage and accompanying accoutrement are enough to augment your reality: lasers & lightshows, fireworks, videos, fantastic sound, incredibly successful opening acts, expert musicianship and kickass music! Even marathon runners marvel at Mick’s intensity. At this point in their career the highest praise to confer upon a new song is if it could be inserted into a show. This record gives us a number of tunes that would sound great live including the fast paced “Flip the Switch” and “Too Tight.”
The Stones tend to open albums on a high note; with “Flip the Switch,” Babylon is no exception. “Flip the Switch” feels like the kickoff of a football game. With a sound and feel similar to the Some Girls/Emotional Rescue era, “Too Tight” rocks with explosive energy. While I don’t think hearing them would make folks flock to the merch booth to pick up Bridges to Babylon – they would most certainly be fun to hear next to standards such as “It’s Only Rock and Roll” or “Satisfaction.”
Every album needs a breather, an opportunity to relax, even a rock album. “Lowdown’s” polished studio quality offers a satisfying moment of respite. This tune could be an excellent transitional song in a live set. There’s just something about “Lowdown” that inspires a pleasing exhale. A calmed moment can be very memorable in a concert – a time to kick back and let everything soak in.
Where Bridges to Babylon Shines
A merging of pop, rock, blues, soul and gospel birthed the Rolling Stones. They bent and twisted these influences into their own distinct sound. They never have been revolutionary in the arena of inventiveness, quite the opposite actually – they sound best when their influences are discernable. So it makes sense that the best songs on this album have a shared feature in their stylistic roots shining through.
“Out of Control” is an entertaining medium paced rocker. It features typical Rolling Stones components like excellent musicianship and strong vocals. Mick’s lyrics are rife with emotion and lead you through the tune. The tune features undulating tempos, of which, the bass dominates the slow moments, like a bully in a schoolyard. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of Keith and Ron’s guitar theatrics during the fast portions of the song.
A hint of country blues guitar is heard throughout “Already Over Me.” A keynote of many fantastic Stones songs, Mick’s vocals are strong enough to serve as another instrument. By this time in their career the Stones lyrics towards women and relationships have evolved. The disturbing (and reprehensible) overtures of emotional dominance evident in early works (Under My Thumb being a telling example) has transitioned towards respect. Typically this respect is represented by warning would-be partners they are a dangerous partner. While alerting gals to their dangersome tendencies isn’t quite full-throated appreciation of women, it is nonetheless a step towards unreserved respect. There are many songs late in the Stones career that strike a conciliatory tone with love partners, most being slow paced (“The Worst” from Voodoo Lounge perhaps being the best), but what’s fun about “Already Over Me” is that it is a medium, almost fast paced, upbeat tune.
The country feel continues with “Always Suffering.” This track has a genuine air about it that a person could lean on to accompany them through grief. That sounds a bit cheesy, but by 1997 the Stones are in their 50’s, they’ve lived through some difficulty. If their life experiences were regularly manifested in tunes (as they’ve done with this song) they’d have a catalog perhaps as substantial as any of their stuff from the 60s. “Always Suffering” is raw and provides a moment of vulnerability to the album. Depending on my mood this is sometimes my favorite track.
On a wind swept hill
And the seeds of love
Are swirling above
Let them be still
But we’re already suffering
We’re already lost
Always suffering
Already lost
Songwriters: Richards Keith, Jagger Mick
Underperforming Tunes
At the core of every song on this album is a solid and listenable tune. Unfortunately, some of the songs take on studio elements that sometimes crowd out the brilliant core. Maybe it was the style of the time, perhaps developing technology allowed musicians to tinker; whatever it was, the late 90’s was an era where at moments, things were a bit overproduced. Parts of Bridges to Babylon suffer this fate. Let’s spend a few minutes talking about where this album doesn’t deliver to capacity.
Far before the late 90s the internal disputes and off-stage theatrics of the Rolling Stones were regular tabloid fodder, particularly those of Mick and Keith. But there were other frustrations as evidenced by bassist Bill Wyman departing the Stones in the earlier part of the decade. Frustrations appear evident as Babylon seems a bit experimental at times and the flow of the album tends to jump around. Bridges to Babylon has a “designed” via committee feel. This sort of creative mishmash, kind of like overtaxing the bullpen in baseball, typically results with disastrous consequences. Fortunately for us all, the Stones strongly care for their craft and disaster is supplanted by the creation of an enjoyable set of songs. While the flow of the album might jump around a bit, the tunes are lively and compelling. You’ll enjoy this album but will also appreciate guessing who the chief contributor to each song was.
One such example of creative license is the raggae’ish “You Don’t Have to Mean It” which is clearly a Richards product. Reggae can be a calamitous influence when not introduced thoughtfully. “You Don’t Have to Mean It” almost, ALMOST, ventures into campiness, but avoids doing so. Instead Keith gives us a light-hearted, whimsical number that would sound magnificent at any Caribbean tiki bar you dream of visiting.
Further contributing to the experimental feel of the album is “Anybody Seen My Baby?” This tune transports the listener to midnight at the local martini lounge. Near the end of the track is the feature most professional reviews fawn over – Mick rapping. Personally, my ear doesn’t hear it as rap, but rather spoken word. Regardless, it isn’t an overly used feature and I find it a respectful acknowledgement of the prevalence of hip hop in the musical landscape of the 90s. Mick’s rap is a highpoint on an otherwise unremarkable tune – I like it!
Mid-80s Stones (Dirty Work and Undercover albums) has a bit of a soundtrack feel. Many of the tunes just seem as if they were created to plug into a movie –the opening sequence, a chase scene, or wherever else a rock tune would fit. While the songs might fit well into a movie, they don’t quite meld into a memorable album. Jumping ahead to Bridges to Babylon, “Might As Well Get Juiced” fits this bill as well – probably would sound great at a movie theater, but feels a bit out of place on this album.
Closing out the album is “How Can I Stop,” a late-night, cabaret meets doo wop sort of tune, complete with loads of backing vocals. Does that description sound a little disjointed, like a lot going on? Again, at its core, “How Can I Stop” is an enjoyable song, but the weight of all the components reduce it to the realm of pedestrian, mingling amongst decent songs. Whittle some of the externalities away and you’d have a delightful Keith tune.
“Gunface,” as the name would indicate, has a lot going on. Often, too many things smashing into one another doesn’t work well; take for example, a gun meeting a face. One positive aspect of this track is Mick’s singing. His voice has a hard edge to it, metallic and agitated, a striking tone that draws the listener in. “Gunface” isn’t a bad song, but it is a slight bit too experimental to be an album tune. I feel like it is a candidate for a compilation/b-sides collection.
Again…the common thread amongst these songs isn’t complete failure, as none of them are unlistenable. Quite the opposite actually, the tunes in their unique ways are fun and interesting. But they all are held back from their full potential by having too much going on. If the boys had really hashed out the album together, Bridges to Babylon might have been that elusive late career classic.
“Saint of Me”
“Saint of Me” is of equal caliber to the most iconic of Stones songs. Trust me – spot it in a setlist and you’ll see the brilliance of the songs is uninterrupted. It is the kind of tune casual fans dance to in concert and following the show, look up what album it is on. In addition to being a jovial rocker, “Saint of Me” displays lyrical sophistication.
Country, folk and the blues lay out raw emotion for listeners to chew on; seems like every participant in a country or blues tune has been done wrong. Who hasn’t heard a particular country tune and thought, “gees, poor guy?” Folk is the voice of the people, the voice of the common and downtrodden. Folk is Woody Guthrie killing fascists, and Bob Dylan asking, in regards to the dignity of African Americans, “how many roads must a man walk down before they call him a man?” While we all grapple with personal setbacks and failings of society; rock and roll offers a pause from these agitations. We all need a Friday night, a time to kick back. Rock is celebratory, rock is fun. Sure there are loads of “protest” rock songs but more than often they are set to a catchy beat and most overlook the message. Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” is a prime example. Behind the veneer of a rocking good time, “Saint of Me,” sprawls out like a confession…a person accounting for their wayward ways.
Augustin knew temptation
He loved women, wine and song
And all the special pleasures
of doing something wrong
I said yes
I said yeah
I said yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
You’ll never make a saint of me
Songwriters: Keith Richards/Mick Jagger via Virgin Records
Free will has been debated for as long as humans have put pen to paper, or rather, ink to papyrus. Saint Augustine not so much sought to answer what is free will, but rather to ask which path concerning free will is more fulfilling: Freedom To or Freedom From? Freedom From is the ability to make decisions for ourselves, essentially folks have the authority to act as their desires lead them. Freedom To incorporates context, adding spiritual parameters to guide decisions. Adding spiritual or ethical dimensions don’t so much as limit your free will, but lead to a more fulfilling life because your actions lead towards something. The something being a more just world or heavenly reward for living a saintly life.
Augustine was the embodiment of living from. In his time (late 300s/early 400s) having the Roman Empire on your resume was sort of like working for Apple in the 80’s – you were the top of the heap! He was a ladies man with a successful career serving the Roman Empire. He felt hollow despite all the success – he wasn’t on the path God laid out for him. He sought to fill the hollowness and embarked on a path that ultimately led him to the priesthood. By virtue of being a priest, he died penniless, but his service to God and his works resulted in him becoming a Doctor of the Church and his writings ultimately inspired a branch of philosophy – existentialism. Flash forward 1800+ years later and you’ll see academics, theologians and dorks reviewing Rolling Stones albums still digesting his work…now that’s Freedom Towards!
I don’t believe I’m ascribing too much to this song. In the citation of various saints throughout the song Mick admits to falling short of the virtues of these great people. We all fall short of saintliness but in rock and roll spirit, “Saint of Me,” celebrates these failures. “You’ll never make a saint of me”- Basically Mick is saying I’m not perfectand I’m gonna keep doing as I do. This is what we all do, continue in our ways; the challenge is to realize where we fall short of saintlike behavior and correct those missteps. In working towards remedying our failures is where a dose of rock and roll is both truthful and inspiring.
I love this song, so much so that I bought the single. That says something because by the late 90s vinyl singles were as commonplace as Commadore Computers. “Saint of Me” checks all the boxes: it’s gospel influences are prominent and fun, has lyrical dimension, and it plays well live – It’s a classic!
Other Tidbits and Repartee
Babylon is the first Rolling Stones album I really experienced. I was 17 and recall folks going crazy – Twin Citians amongst us will remember KQRS airing tunes from album! It’s not as profound as the Titanic sinking, but it darn near takes an act of congress for KQRS to pause their playlist of Thin Lizzy, Steely Dan and AC/DC. For Minnesota the stonesy fervor was capped off when Charlie and the boys played to a crowd of 46,000+ at the Metrodome (source = Wikipedia). The dome was rocking! While I recall all this enthusiasm, it wasn’t until a few years later, post college (2002), that I started digging deep into the Stones. Nearly a decade separates this album from their next (A Bigger Bang) so when I was beginning to digest the Stones this was still their new album. Suffice it to say, I carry a certain fondness for Bridges to Babylon.
Joe (my brother and fellow Stones enthusiast) also carries affection for this album. Imagine our horror, when on a snowy evening, the two of us unexpectedly found ourselves shut in at a local watering hole. That evening we played the entire album on the jukebox – the entire bar, all eight or so of us hapless shut-ins enjoyed it. This album occupies a curious moment musically as 1997 was just hours before the digital music revolution. Remember waiting all night to download a tune from Napster? Napster was about 3 years away. “Burning” and sharing cd’s was similarly about a year or two in the future. It was also a few years before digital jukeboxes and about a decade before streaming services. Keeping all this mind, you can see how it was genuinely a big deal KQRS played tunes from this album. The radio, physically buying the cd, or happening upon a jukebox with it loaded were your only options to hear “Saint of Me,” “Too Tight,” “Always Suffering,” or any other treats from this album. Heck, even vinyl was limited in 1997 as cd’s were so prevalent bands weren’t pressing lp’s. The digital music scene developed so quickly that it’s easy to forget we didn’t always have jukeboxes in our pockets. This was the final Stones album before music became much, MUCH more widely accessible. Of course, accessibility has pros and cons, but that is a topic for another time.
By the time the Rolling Stones released Bridges to Babylon they had been on the world’s stage for a generation. They not only shaped rock & roll, and fostered an appreciation for the blues, but they forged the cultural landscape surrounding them. Given all that, its easy and forgivable to approach an album like Bridges to Babylon with inflated reverence. In doing so a listener might cut it some slack and over appreciate the album. All this leads me to ask, who cares? Music isn’t a contest and ultimately what is the difference between a 3-star album and a 4? The important thing is for the record to give fans more enjoyable moments – to that end Bridges to Babylon delivers. The experimental and wistful construction of this album gives us some groovy tracks that stack up well against anything else in the Stones archive. Give it a listen – you’ll be happy you did!
Postscript and Information about Sources
Not much in the line of sources for this review. Track listings and other general info about the album (e.g. release date) were retrieved from www.rollingstones.com and the Stones Wikipedia page. Info about concerts was pulled from Wikipedia – if you’re a dork like me, it’s kinda fun to look at info about concerts.
Next up for Andy’s Stones: I haven’t decided what album is next but I do know it will be in December, sometime around the holidays. You’ll see a preview email when I figure out the record. It MIGHT be Their Satanic Majesties Request. Speaking of the holidays, we’re still in the middle of Thanksgiving weekend – while this is obviously a unique and memorable holiday this year, I hope you have an enjoyable and relaxing holiday.
I’ve been a Stones fan for a while now and interacted with a number of other fans. Part of the fun of writing these reviews is I know someone who is genuinely excited for each album. Making sure I don’t trample the album for that person is as important to me as highlighting the decency of the record. Simply put, I don’t wanna screw it up! As mentioned in the review, my bro Joe really enjoys this album. We’ve had some fun listening to this album and it’s been nice mulling over those memories.
I try not to mention Covid too much as I find Andy’s Stones a welcomed distraction from that goddamn disease. Nonetheless, I’d like to take a quick moment, on this Black Friday, to ask you to shop locally. The economic impact of the pandemic is still being sorted out, but we know local shops, in particular restaurants, are getting hit HARD. So grab some takeout! This can be as simple as visiting the neighborhood bakery to pick up a dozen cookies. Heck, even picking up an extra crowler or two will help a brewery survive this storm. Cookies, tasty meals, crowlers…doing your part is easy, delicious and helpful!
Andy’s Stones is expanding! Send me your mail address if you would like a printed copy of reviews. Also, be ready for this…we’ll be launching a podcast soon! The podcast will be done in the style of a radio program.
Shoutouts
- Thank you Brock for the printing help – it sure is nice having a Kinkos in the neighborhood!
- Thank you to our mystery editor for helping me to not completely butcher the English language. While we are talking about editing these reviews – please note the editor only helps with the main body of the review, specifically helping with the structure and grammar. Hyperlinks, photos, sourcing, postscripts and preview emails are not reviewed by the mystery editor.
- Thank you to Brad for the idea of mailing reviews. As mentioned above this will be fun!
- Thank you Lou for your continued support and convos about the Stones. I check my email after every review awaiting your response!
- And for no specific reason except he hasn’t be called out in a review lately, here’s a thank you to TK!
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