A Bigger Bang Explained

A Bigger Bang
Type:studio
Artist:The Rolling Stones
Cover:A bigger band album cover (Wikipedia).jpg
Alt:A painting of the band members with an explosion of light in the center
Released:[1]
Recorded:
  • November 2004
  • 7–9 March 2005
  • 6–28 June 2005
Studio:
Genre:Rock
Length:64:23
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:Singles 1968–1971
Prev Year:2005
Next Title:Rarities 1971–2003
Next Year:2005

A Bigger Bang is the twenty-second studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released through Virgin Records on 5 September 2005. It was the band's last album of original material recorded entirely with Charlie Watts on drums before his death in 2021.[2]

Unlike their prior effort eight years before, the sprawling and eclectic Bridges to Babylon, which had an array of producers, musical styles, and guest musicians, the Stones set out to make a basic, hard rock album that hearkened back to their 1960s–1970s heyday. A single producer, Don Was, was brought in to co-produce the album alongside the band's principal songwriting and production team of vocalist Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Joining the two were band members Ronnie Wood on guitar and Charlie Watts on drums, contract players Darryl Jones on bass and Chuck Leavell on keyboards, and multi-instrumentalist Matt Clifford. Most of the basic tracks were recorded as a simple trio of Jagger, Richards, and Watts, with overdubs added later by other players.

The back-to-basics method of recording the album paid off for the Stones, who saw the album reach number three in the US, number two in the UK, and number one in eleven countries around the world. The lead single, "Streets of Love", failed to chart in the US, but was otherwise successful around the world, reaching number 15 in the UK and top-40 in over a dozen other countries. Two other singles were released to moderate worldwide sales. Reviews of the album were generally favourable; while critics noted that the album was not up to the standards of the Stones classic period, it nonetheless was among the best reviewed of their later albums. The follow-up tour, which lasted two years, would become the highest-grossing tour of all time by its completion. A Martin Scorsese-directed concert film titled Shine a Light documented the tour.

History

The album used a stripped-down style reminiscent of Some Girls (1978), but with a harder, more contemporary edge. Although initial reports stated that the Stones had "returned to their roots" with the record, the minimal instrumentation, rough mix, tough blues and "garage" rock hybrid bear certain similarities to the style of contemporary artists like the White Stripes and the Black Keys.

Many songs were recorded with just the core band of Jagger, Richards and Watts. Ronnie Wood was absent from many sessions, playing on only ten of the sixteen tracks, with only occasional contributions from outside musicians comprising the recording of the album. This is also the first album where Jagger plays bass guitar on some tracks.

The Stones said in a statement that the album's title reflects "their fascination with the scientific theory about the origin of the universe."[3] [4]

Writing and recording

Songs for A Bigger Bang were composed by Jagger and Richards in June 2004 at Jagger's chateau in Pocé-sur-Cisse, France. At the château, they learned of Charlie Watts' throat cancer diagnosis and debated about postponing the writing, but ultimately went ahead after determining that Watts was not required to be present until later. As a result of this, Jagger played the drums during early guide track recordings; all but one of these was later rerecorded by Watts, but Jagger's beat remained. Jagger and Richards shared guitar, bass, and keyboard parts between each other. The album was produced by Don Was and the sound engineering was done by Krish Sharma. Mixing for the album was performed by Jack Joseph Puig and Dave Sardy.[5]

Lyrical content

The song "Sweet Neo Con" is a criticism of the conservative Christian movement in American politics.[6]

"Dangerous Beauty" is widely understood to refer to US Army Reserve Lynndie England, who was convicted of mistreating detainees during the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse that occurred at the Abu Ghraib prison during the Iraq War.[7]

Release and reception

The first single, "Streets of Love"/"Rough Justice", reached No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart, while A Bigger Bang peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart.[8]

In August 2005, the Rolling Stones embarked on the 90-show A Bigger Bang Tour in support of the album. It was met with sold-out tickets at every destination, usually within minutes of going on sale. The tour was extended into 2007 because Richards got hurt falling out of a tree in Fiji and required surgery in New Zealand. The tour concluded in August 2007 at the O2 Arena in London.

Critical reaction was mostly positive. The aggregate score of the album by Metacritic was rated 73 out of 100, categorising the reviews as "generally favourable". A Bigger Bang was touted as the best Rolling Stones album in years.[9] [10] [11] Nevertheless, all of the Stones albums since 1989's Steel Wheels had been similarly lauded,[12] and many critics and fans felt that the Stones had yet to record a late-period album truly up to their high standards. It was chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005, and ranked the second-best album of the year by Rolling Stone magazine, behind rapper Kanye West's Late Registration.[13] A review by the Associated Press referred to the album as "a winner" that "hammers home the fact that The Rolling Stones still have 'it'".[14]

A Bigger Bang went platinum in the US and Germany, and gold in Japan. According to Nielsen SoundScan it sold 546,000 copies in the US,[15] and as of 31 March 2006, 2.4 million copies worldwide according to EMI.[16]

In 2009, A Bigger Bang was reissued by Universal Music Group. The US re-release was handled by Interscope Records, while Polydor Records handled all other territories.

Usage in other media

Songs from A Bigger Bang have seen commercial use in television, including multiple appearances in Days of Our Lives.[17]

Personnel

Credits adapted from album liner notes.[18]

The Rolling Stones

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2005)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[19] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (2005)! scope="col"
Position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[20] 51
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[21] 66
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[22] 52
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[23] 31
French Albums (SNEP)[24] 68
German Albums (GfK Entertainment charts)[25] 27
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[26] 22
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 44
UK Albums (OCC)[28] 165
US Billboard 200[29] 188
Worldwide Albums (IFPI)[30] 32

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BPI Certification . . 11 July 2024.
  2. Web site: McGrath . Kristin . 24 August 2021 . Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts dies at 80: Playing the drums was all he ever wanted . 2022-06-19 . USA Today . en-US . 19 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220619161427/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/08/24/charlie-watts-rolling-stones-drummer-dead-at-80/336569002/ . live .
  3. News: Rolling Stones back with a Bang . BBC News . 28 July 2005 . 15 November 2015 . 6 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160306193128/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4723593.stm . live .
  4. News: Stones promise 'A Bigger Bang' . . Associated Press . 28 July 2005 . 15 November 2015 . 17 November 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151117032747/http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jul/28/news/wk-quick28.5 . live .
  5. Book: Margotin, Philippe. The Rolling Stones All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Guesdon. Jean-Michel. Running Press. 2016. 978-0-316-31773-3. 668–669.
  6. News: Satisfaction Guaranteed . Lorraine . Ali . Lorraine Ali . Newsweek . 15 August 2005 . 17 June 2010 . 29 October 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101029182350/http://www.newsweek.com/2005/08/14/satisfaction-guaranteed.html . live .
  7. https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-rolling-stones/dangerous-beauty Dangerous Beauty by the Rolling Stones
  8. Web site: Rolling Stones . . 16 September 2023 . 19 April 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130419103024/http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/rolling%20stones/ . live .
  9. Web site: The Rolling Stones: A Bigger Bang . Phipps . Keith . 14 September 2005 . . 13 November 2012 . 18 November 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121118051731/http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-rolling-stones-a-bigger-bang%2C9940/ . live .
  10. Web site: CANOE – Jam! Music – Artists – Album Review: A Bigger Bang . https://archive.today/20130115110427/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/R/Rolling_Stones/AlbumReviews/2005/09/01/1196902.html . usurped . 15 January 2013 . Sterdan . Darryl . 1 September 2005 . . 13 November 2012 .
  11. Web site: The Rolling Stones – A Bigger Bang – Review . Soto . Alfred . 9 September 2005 . . 13 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120509182704/http://stylusmagazine.com/reviews/the-rolling-stones/a-bigger-bang.htm . 9 May 2012 .
  12. Web site: The Rolling Stones: A Bigger Bang . Shymanik . Steve . MacNeil . Jason . 12 September 2005 . . 13 November 2012 . 23 October 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121023094208/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/rollingstones-bigger2/ . live .
  13. Web site: The Top 50 Records of 2005 . 6 May 2007 . Rolling Stone . 2. The Rolling Stones, A Bigger Bang . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070202234303/http://www.rollingstone.com/special/8952414/the_top_50_records_of_2005 . 2 February 2007.
  14. News: Coyle. Jake. 2005-09-09. Rolling Stones bang out a winner. 90. Florida Today. 2021-06-04. The Associated Press. 4 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210604210059/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78948411/rolling-stones-bang-out-a-winner/. live.
  15. Christman, Ed, et al. "Future Shock" . Billboard. 23 January 2010
  16. Web site: EMI Share Price Drops on Restructure Announcement . Cashmere, Paul . Paul Cashmere . 13 January 2007 . Undercover Media Pty Ltd . 21 March 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130616090624/http://www.undercover.fm/news/1275-emi-share-price-drops-on-restructure-announcement . 16 June 2013 .
  17. News: Strachan. Alex. 2005-10-18. I tell you, that Earl's a prince. 53. The Ottawa Citizen. 2021-06-04. 4 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210604222556/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78953923/i-tell-you-that-earls-a-prince/. live.
  18. Book: A Bigger Bang . 2005 . Virgin Records . 14–15.
  19. Web site: Oficiální česká hitparáda IFPI ČR – 37. týden 2005 . Marketing & Media . cs . September 16, 2005 . January 5, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240105214035/https://mam.cz/novinky/2005-09/oficialni-ceska-hitparada-ifpi-cr-37-tyden-2005/ . January 5, 2024.
  20. Web site: Jahreshitparade Alben 2005. austriancharts.at. 23 January 2021. 25 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210125195041/https://austriancharts.at/year.asp?id=2005&cat=a. live.
  21. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2005. Ultratop. 23 January 2021. 10 April 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080410215424/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2005&cat=a. live.
  22. Web site: Rapports Annuels 2005. Ultratop. 23 January 2021. 8 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210308025346/https://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2005&cat=a. live.
  23. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 2005. dutchcharts.nl. 23 January 2021. 18 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120618115520/http://www.dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=2005&cat=a. live.
  24. Web site: Top de l'année Top Albums 2005. SNEP. fr. 23 January 2021. 15 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200715105250/https://snepmusique.com/les-tops/le-top-de-lannee/top-albums-annee/?annee=2005. live.
  25. Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts. de. GfK Entertainment. 23 January 2021. 12 April 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170412061606/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-2005/. live.
  26. Web site: Årslista Album – År 2005. Sverigetopplistan. Swedish. 23 January 2021. 13 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201013061429/https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/83?dspy=2005&dspp=1. live.
  27. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2005. hitparade.ch. 23 January 2021. 10 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211110052100/https://hitparade.ch/charts/jahreshitparade/2005/alben. live.
  28. Web site: ChartsPlusYE2005. UKchartsplus.co.uk. Official Charts Company. 23 January 2021. 25 February 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090225121656/http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2005.pdf. live.
  29. Web site: Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2005. Billboard. 23 January 2021. 1 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161001122709/http://www.billboard.com/charts/greatest-billboard-200-albums. live.
  30. Web site: Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums for 2005. IFPI. https://web.archive.org/web/20081117003309/http://www.ifpi.org/content/library/top50-2005.pdf. November 17, 2008. February 2, 2023.

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