The Rolling Stones: Emotional Rescue Die Version auf Vinyl LP in remastered Auflage. Diese besondere Auflage wurde veröffentlicht in Europa und USA im Verlag Rolling Stones Records am 26. Juni 2020.

Nach der Frischzellenkur von "Some Girls" rockkten die Stones 1980 mit "Emotional Rescue" aus dem Stand die britischen und US-amerikanischen Charts: ihr 21. Studioalbum vertrieb jeweils Roxy Music und Billy Joel vom Spitzenplatz. Zum ersten Mal seit "Goats Head Soup" von 1973 waren sie wieder ganz oben in den beiden größten Musikmärkten. Rückblickend, steht "Emotional Rescue" jedoch nicht nur zeitlich zwischen den Stones-Alben "Some Girls" und "Tattoo You", sondern auch in ihrem Schatten. Nach den großen Überraschungen des Vorgängers war der eine oder andere Stones-Fan allerdings ganz erleichtert über zehn neue Songs, die wieder der bekannten Stones-Spur folgen. Darüber, dass man ihren Sound nach Sekunden erkennt, vergisst man ja leicht, wie minutiös die Stones ihn über die Jahre entwickelten. Fantastischer Showcase ist das Album für Bassist Bill Wyman, dessen cooler loser Stil der Motown-Legende James Jamerson Konkurrenz macht. Neben dem Titelsong sticht der 60s-Charme der zweiten Single "She´s So Cold" hervor. 1980 was a time of change. Expectations for the Rolling Stones' fifteenth studio album were mixed. The band had mastered the 60s, dominated the early 70s and adapted to punk and disco. Could the sole surviving rock 'n' roll musicians change again to succeed in the third decade? Emotional Rescue attempted the same trick as The Stones' previous studio album Some Girls in 1978, but two years later it wasn't so easy. Yet many of the current songs on Emotional Rescue still sound remarkably good. Dance (Part 1) [the second part appeared briefly on the Sucking In The Seventies compilation] is full of brass licks, DJ breakdowns and swinging bass lines, and Jagger's insistence that we should all "Get up! Get up! Get out!" It's music for a party in the gold-leaf-strewn hallway behind the VVVIP room in one of those sleek new Ibiza nightclubs. By contrast, Where The Boys Go is actually a jaunty, cockney rebellion, a dishevelled, flirty, punk-rock party track that straddles the unusual territory between David Bowie and Sham 68. "I played football all Monday and all Tuesday," Jagger sings, "they don't put anything on TV..." If that doesn't convince you that this record doesn't worry about the frayed edges of genius, then just wait until the female chorus. Equally silly and wonderful is the aforementioned Summer Romance, a hair-shaking, hip-swaying anthem that owes more than a little to AC/DC. "You'll be studying history and you'll be down at the gym," Jagger sings, "I'll be down at the pub, probably playing pool and drinking..." This is one of those moments where you have to let yourself go and not try to guess what's going on upstairs. Meanwhile, Down In The Hole is an often overlooked classic and undeniably one of the album's standout tracks. Down In The Hole is a truly bleak and compelling track that blends the old and the new, and which is as relevant and engaging today, in the age of Exile's reissue, as it was when it was first released in the early days of the post-punk era. The timelessness of Down In The Hole contrasts sharply with Send It To Me, an ill-judged pop reggae number that frankly didn't take the passage of time entirely kindly. Sure, it's filler, but as a period piece it's worth a listen, and as a reminder that for all the wonderful musical highways the Rolling Stones rode stylistically, there were a few fruitless detours into suburban bypasses. No one gets that far without making a few mistakes along the way. Much better is Let Me Go, a seemingly simple Buddy Holly-style rocker that features fantastic harmonies with arms around shoulders and the memorable line, "Maybe I could become a playboy, hang out in gay bars, move to the west side of town...". The title track is a sharply cut slice of ghostly disco, held together by a disciplined and quietly impressive rhythm section, with Jagger making full use of Curtis Mayfield's falsetto, which is high and slinky over a stripped-back funk backing. Frankly, it sounds a bit like Barry Gibb in 1978 and Prince in 1984; though neither ever went into such a richly lascivious comedic vocal mode in the fade-out as Jagger does here, at 4.35, "riding across the desert on a fine Arab charger". Amazing. It's strange that on one Rolling Stones website Indian Girl was named one of the worst songs, but musically it's actually quite beautiful. Lyrically, it deals with a story of violence and rebellion in South America a little worse: "There's nothing left in the pantry," Jagger sings, "the last piece of meat was eaten by the soldiers who raped her." But the fact remains that it's a great ballad, riding an open, steadily rolling groove with the confidence that comes with nearly 20 years of experience. She's So Cold is also struck by whatever magic makes the Rolling Stones and Jagger/Richards different and generally better than everyone else as songwriters and musicians. It's a classic pop song, pure and simple, in which Mick's expressive vocal deals with a favourite theme - sexual frustration and the drawbacks of girls who "don't get along" - while Keith and Woody, especially from 1.55 onwards, weave expertly laconic country blues licks into the song that make all the difference. Keith's All About You is also a little beauty, with a wink from Bowie's Lady Grinning Soul - a song to light up the late night. "I'm tired of hanging out with dogs like you," Keith sings, "you're the first one to get laid, always the last bitch to get paid...". He concludes, of course, that despite all this, he's still in love. And so, emotions duly rescued, the song and the album end: a powerful but accessible and remarkably light-hearted account of the intent and success of a band who, in 1980, were gaining elder statesman status; but who still had at least two-thirds of their career, and possibly more, ahead of them. Listen to this record and you'll understand why. (rollingstones.com)

Album Genres übergreifend Rock und Pop Rock. 180g Remastered Half Speed Master Vinyl.