Goddess In The Doorway

Despite the old saying, you can spot the occasional sprig of moss growing between the tracks and cracks, but that said, this album sees the solo Stone in top form.

Adopting a funkier musical approach than in his day job, the album slides in with the lithe ‘Visions Of Paradise’ that soon shifts into a Springsteen mode he revisits on the gentle Stones-ish ballad ‘Don’t’ Call Me Up’ where he sometimes phrases his poignant lyrics a la latter day Dylan.

‘Hide Away’ opens with gentle guitar and flute and Jagger’s trademark falsetto before transforming into a rather jolly stomper with a soulful twist. A country feel drops into the majestic ‘Too Far Gone’ which could have fitted nicely onto any ’70s album by the family firm and has brilliant organ from Matt Clifford and a rich orchestral feel.

The co-write with Lenny Kravitz ‘God Gave Me Everything’ is a far more heads-down rowdy affair, and ‘Joy’, with fine vocals from Bono, is vintage Stones meets The Who plus a dash of Gospel feel and a dollop of Zeppelin riffing.

A lush string-driven soundscape and some contemporary beats usher in ‘Dancing In The Starlight’, a heavy ballad about looking at stars reflecting on water. ‘Lucky Day’ swaggers and snakes its way between your ears and owes some loose change to Santana’s ‘Black Magic Woman’ but it’s well worth it.

‘Everybody Getting High’ fails to live up to its billing, ‘Gun’ owes much to Zooropa-era U2, and the album ends with a pensive Mick sitting on his bed singing ‘Brand New Set Of Rules’, a song about innocence, as if he’d know.

Jagger has rarely done the decent thing with his three previous solo efforts, but this one nearly hits it right between the buttons every time. Man, you’d make a grown cry.