‘Foreign Tongues’ by the Rolling Stones: This never gets old
The rock legends have released an album of 14 songs in their usual vein – the second album worth a listen in three years
Knowing when it’s time to retire is a blessing, unless your name is Mick Jagger, Keith Richards or Ron Wood. The remaining members of the Rolling Stones celebrate 64 years in the business and here they are, recording albums and considering touring if Richards’ arthritis permits. Offering some context here is a phrase from one of the great music writers, Nik Cohn. In his inspired Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom, he predicted that “the Stones are not made to grow old.” By the way, Cohn wrote that book in 1969. In 2026, the band continues to be relevant, and ready to use diabolical tools if it is necessary (and it is) like TikTok to promote their 25th album, Foreign Tongues, released on July 10. After an 18-year hiatus, the band is releasing its second album in three years with new material. Jagger turns 83 at the end of July, Richards reaches the same milestone in December, and the youngest, Wood, will officially become an octogenarian next year. None of the three thought they would live this long, but since they’re here, they don’t intend to contemplate the triumphs of their past from the comfort of their mansions.
The winning of this fight against the passage of time would not make much sense without the music to back it up – songs that do them justice after such a sensational career. They achieved this with Hackney Diamonds in 2023 and now again with Foreign Tongues. Okay, there’s an element of leniency when assessing these last albums. With Beggars Banquet, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St. and Some Girls in mind, our expectations of these rock dinosaurs were relatively low, so we were surprised to find ourselves catching our breath as we listened to the new songs, thinking, wow, this sounds good.
Because Foreign Tongues gives us everything we need today from the Stones: Keith’s famous riffs, Jagger’s lascivious voice, the dirty rock ‘n’ roll, Ronnie’s raw solos, Richards and Wood’s guitars engaged in skillful conversation, Mick’s falsetto and the exciting mid-tempos as only they know how. They have even wanted to get political; Jagger takes aim at a world shaped by Donald Trump. There are lines in their lyrics such as “billionaires all scuttling, scrambling to their bolt holes in the sky”; “sick and tired of all these autocrats/You know, they seem to be breeding like a swarm of dirty rats with their missiles on parade” and then a reference to “mad mogul” Elon Musk. This is not a political album – the Stones were never into protest rock – but they’ve dropped a message or two.
It does not seem accidental that the album opens and closes with a nod to the band’s musical roots, to those that brought Jagger, Richards and Brian Jones together in a defense of Black blues and rhythm & blues. Rough and Twisted kicks off the album with a jagged and murky sound, with Jagger’s voice crying out to a girl, it would seem, to take him down a “bumpy and tortuous” road. (Can anyone bring the world’s most fit great-grandfather back down to earth?) The album ends with a raw version of a song by the musician who brought Jagger and Richards together – Chuck Berry. With only percussion in the background, the duo plays Berry’s Beautiful Delilah, capturing the intimate camaraderie that was evident on the final track of Hackney Diamonds – Rolling Stone Blues, by their beloved Muddy Waters
In between these two blues tracks, almost everything is good. And we are talking about an extensive album of 14 tracks, an hour and two minutes of music. Some of the credit should go to producer Andrew Watt, also responsible for Hackney Diamonds and the album that Paul McCartney has just released, the remarkable The Boys of Dungeon Lane. Watt, 35, extracts gold from Keith’s arthritic hands. He lets Jagger’s voice sound full and provocative. The producer’s merit is to convince the group to play together again, to support each other. He has rekindled the spark among these ailing millionaires in search of something to take them back to their crazy early days. That’s the feeling when listening to the album: that the Stones are enjoying the trip to the fullest, lest it be the last.
Jealous Lover sounds like something from the Tattoo You album, with a catchy chorus and Jagger sharpening his falsetto; Mr Charm, a pretty cool rock song, showcases Keith and Wood’s intertwined guitaring; Ringing Hollow is a country gem that could have come from the album (and we’re going to exaggerate) Exile on Main St.; Never want to Lose You seems like a rock version of Miss You; Hit Me in the Head is practically classic punk, with drums recorded by Charlie Watts... Of course, Richards gives us a ballad with Some of Us, and it’s pretty. The collaborations from The Cure’s Robert Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Steve Windwood and Paul McCartney are practically imperceptible as they are largely instrumental. Because no one can take the limelight away from these three guys who appear to defy the laws of nature.
Granted, Foreign Tongues doesn’t deserve to make the top 10 albums by the British band, but it can still sit at the same table as Emotional Rescue or Steel Wheels. And at this point in their long career, that’s quite something.
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