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Hackney Diamonds is a lively, varied Rolling Stones album that earns its place less by reinventing the band than by making familiar strengths feel present and played. Its 12 tracks move from hard-driving rock through country shades, ballads and a dance groove to a gospel-tinged centerpiece and a closing blues. Charlie Watts appears on two songs, giving the album a real connection to the band’s past without making it a memorial record.
Does Hackney Diamonds sound like a band at work?
Often, yes. The album’s best passages have the push and give of musicians responding to one another rather than simply polishing a set of familiar formulas. Apple Music’s album notes say the Stones recorded live without click tracks and emphasize the interwoven guitars of Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. That is the service’s account of the sessions, not a claim of firsthand reporting here; it nevertheless fits the record’s most convincing quality: a sense of forward motion beneath the finish.
Producer Andrew Watt, making his first album as producer for the Stones, gives the performances a clean, forceful frame. That polish can soften the roughness listeners associate with the band, but it rarely drains the songs of energy. The opening “Angry” makes the case immediately: it is an assertive, riff-led start, direct rather than exploratory. The question is not whether the Stones sound like the Stones—they do—but whether those gestures still have life. Much of the album’s answer is in the playing and pacing, not novelty.
How do the songs build the album’s arc?
Opening with a familiar charge
“Angry” establishes the rock setting, while “Get Close” keeps the early stretch moving. “Depending on You” then turns toward a more reflective ballad texture, widening the album’s emotional register before “Bite My Head Off” brings back a more abrasive jolt.
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Guests add color, not a new identity
Paul McCartney plays bass on “Bite My Head Off,” the most conspicuous guest-player moment. The contribution suits the song’s unruly energy rather than turning it into a celebrity showcase. Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder appear on “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” whose gospel-influenced scale and vocal interplay make it the album’s expansive centerpiece. Their presence enlarges the arrangement, but the song remains recognizably a Stones performance.
A looser middle and a long-form centerpiece
“Whole Wide World” and “Dreamy Skies” broaden the palette; the latter brings country color into the sequence. “Mess It Up” shifts toward a dance groove, changing the album’s gait without breaking its flow. “Live By the Sword” follows with former bassist Bill Wyman among its personnel, a meeting with the band’s history that feels like a musical event rather than a pause in the record.
Rank #2
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“Driving Me Too Hard” and “Tell Me Straight” carry the sequence toward “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.” The album closes with “Rolling Stone Blues,” a stripped-back look toward the blues tradition that helped name the band. Mick Jagger connected the title and the closer to that lineage in a 2023 Rolling Stone UK interview. The ending makes the album’s backward glance explicit, but it does so as a final song, not as a claim that the band has run out of present-tense ideas.
Is Charlie Watts on the album?
Yes. Watts plays on “Mess It Up” and “Live By the Sword.” The Associated Press reported that those performances were recorded in 2019; Steve Jordan plays drums on the other tracks. Hearing Watts on two songs gives the record an unmistakable emotional weight, especially because he died in 2021. Yet the album does not frame itself as a tribute: Jordan’s presence across the rest of the sequence keeps the focus on the band continuing to make music.
Rank #3
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What is the title referring to?
In a 2023 reported interview with Rolling Stone UK, Jagger explained: “Hackney’s a part of London, so ‘Hackney diamonds’ is when you go out Saturday night, and you feel rough and ready to destroy things.” The phrase gives the album a scrappy, local charge that suits its opening and its harder-edged songs. The record’s quieter and more expansive turns keep that attitude from becoming its only mood.
Track list and key personnel
| Track | Notable personnel or character |
|---|---|
| “Angry” | Assertive, riff-led rock opener. |
| “Get Close” | Second track in the published sequence. |
| “Depending on You” | Ballad texture. |
| “Bite My Head Off” | Paul McCartney on bass. |
| “Whole Wide World” | Fifth track in the published sequence. |
| “Dreamy Skies” | Country-tinged character. |
| “Mess It Up” | Dance-groove feel; Charlie Watts on drums. |
| “Live By the Sword” | Charlie Watts on drums; former bassist Bill Wyman also features. |
| “Driving Me Too Hard” | Ninth track in the published sequence. |
| “Tell Me Straight” | Tenth track in the published sequence. |
| “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” | Features Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder; gospel-influenced arrangement. |
| “Rolling Stone Blues” | Blues-closing track connected to the tradition behind the band’s name. |
The album was released October 20, 2023, and was the Stones’ first studio album of new material since A Bigger Bang (2005). Watt produced it; recording took place in Los Angeles, London, Nassau and New York. Apple Music lists 12 songs and a 48-minute runtime.
Rank #4
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Which version should you listen to or buy?
For the album itself, the standard 12-track sequence is the straightforward choice: it contains the full arc discussed here. A separate Japan-only edition announced by Universal Music Japan in 2025 adds one bonus track to the original album and includes a Blu-ray with videos and event footage. It was released June 11, 2025; it is a territory-specific package, not the standard international edition, so availability depends on the market and seller. Universal Music Japan’s announcement establishes these contents but does not establish current stock or a particular retailer’s listing.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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