The Rolling Stones - Dirty Work
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Music CD Cover
Artist: The Rolling StonesEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 1994-07-26
Music Label: Virgin Records Us
Soundtracks:
- One Hit (To the Body)
- Fight
- Harlem Shuffle
- Hold Back
- Too Rude
- Winning Ugly
- Back to Zero
- Dirty Work
- Had It with You
- Sleep Tonight
- Piano Instrumental
Free Music Notes for Dirty Work
Free Music Review: My intro to the Stones, hence my favourite album by them
Hit: 5 Stars
Okay, for my introduction to the Stones, I had Mick Jagger's solo effort She's The Boss, but of the Stones proper, Dirty Work, whose leadoff single, a cover of Bob & Earl's #44 single from 1964, "Harlem Shuffle" with a cartoon video by Ralph Bakshi, was my first real time exposure to them. The funky rock arrangements made for a great dance tune that shuffled all the way to #5.
But hearing tracks like "One Hit (To The Body)," the second single, I thought, "Now that's something I'd expect from the Stones!" The visceral guitar attack from Richards is one of many on Dirty Work, rivaling or outdoing "Undercover of the Night" or "Start Me Up." Sadly, though it only made it to #28, way below those songs. But what a way to compare a no-good love to drug addiction, or even personifying addiction to a woman, kind of what Traffic did with the male "John Barleycorn."
However a few tracks make "One Hit" sound like "Bridge Over Troubled Water"! With its raging guitar, "Fight" takes the nastiness from the Undercover songs to a new violent nature. "Gonna pulp you to a mass of bruises, cause that's what you're looking for/there's a hole where your nose used to be." Pretty extreme stuff, yeah, and it goes on, "splatter matter onto the bloody ceiling." And then there's the fast-paced title track, ugly name-calling, accusations, and outright condemnation of a parasitic individual living high on up, letting lowly unfortunates do the title stuff; "find some f---er, find some jerk, find some greaseball." Even I can get worked up into a frenzy here: "It's beginning to make me angry/I'm beginning to hate ya" especially with some fiery guitarwork. "Had It With You" harkens back to early Chuck Berry-type rock and roll, but with a harder sound. If you get kicks out of hearing Jagger calling a mistreating woman "a dirty dirty ratscum" or an early lyric: "sister and brother/moanin' in the moonlight" feel free. I like it for the rhythm regardless. During my darker and more spiteful moments, these are my theme songs, so watch out!
"Winning Ugly" is a rollicking rocker about the virtues of getting to the top unfairly, "just like the politicians." "Back To Zero," with a strong and funky bass backbeat, is a condemnation to Cold War politicians and generals eager to push the button and seeking an escape from the impending meltdown.
Back then, I was aware of the backbiting going on between Mick and Keith. It was only after hearing Undercover and its morass of perversity that the penny dropped on how it was an extension of the feud between the two Stones members. On Dirty Work, that feud ratchets up to a more violent level, which can be heard on "Fight," "Winning Ugly," and "Had It With You." Yet at the same time, Dirty Work marks a return to some rough roots rock with some 80's type synths. Keith Richards sings the two calm centers of this tempest. First there's the reggae of "Too Rude," which Richards sandpapery voice is well-suited for. In "Sleep Tonight" with its gentle piano and soulful harmonies, he appears sick and tired of this infighting, but in a sad way: "it ain't revenge you understand. I just wanna know who dealt this hand."
The most inspiring moment amid the bloodshed is "Hold Back" a fierce number extolling one to take one's chance and go for greater glory. Mick lists Stalin and Roosevelt taking chances in World War II and even George Washington on crossing the Delaware.
The Stones also had some big names helping them out here, such as Bobby Womack, Jimmy Page, and Kirsty MacColl. On a sad note, Ian Stewart, the Stones pianist/road manager who had been with them in the early days, became the second member of the group to die, as he did in 1985, and this album was dedicated to him.
Despite the bad blood seething from this album, I still remember this as my first indepth indoctrination to the Stones, and it has survived as one of their hardest rocking albums and my personal favourite.
Dirty Work Poster
Japanese only SHM pressing. The SHM-CD [Super High Material CD] format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing* SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc* allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players. 2009.Classic Rock Music CDs
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