This Is Hit Inc / BBR Music Group
Release Date: March 17th 2023
Reviewed by: Joshua Andre
Various Artists– Stoned Cold Country: A 60th Anniversary Tribute To The Rolling Stones (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (Ashley McBryde)
- Honky Tonk Women (Brooks & Dunn)
- Dead Flowers (Maren Morris)
- It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It) (Brothers Osborne & The War And Treaty)
- Miss You (Jimmie Allen)
- Tumbling Dice (Elle King)
- Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (Marcus King)
- Wild Horses (Little Big Town)
- Paint It Black (Zac Brown Band)
- You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Lainey Wilson)
- Sympathy for the Devil (Elvie Shane)
- Angie (Steve Earle)
- Gimme Shelter (Eric Church)
- Shine A Light (Koe Wetzel)
The Rolling Stones are synonymous with rock music of the past 60 years. that’s a fact, there’s no disputing it, and if anyone else says anything different, that they weren’t’ popular or influential, then they’re either lying or they’ve been living under a rock and are misguided. Even I, who is not really that cultured with reference to the music of yesteryear, know of The Rolling Stones, and that’s saying something. I will blog about the group’s influence sometime in the coming months; but until that time (if you want to know about the group, check out Wikipedia to read about Mick Jagger and co.!); can I quickly touch upon the country compilation album Stoned Cold Country: A 60th Anniversary Tribute To The Rolling Stones? With this album releasing in March this year, with plenty of known (Little Big Town, Lainey Wilson, Eric Church, Ellie King, Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne, Brooks And Dunn) and lesser-known country artists (Koe Wetzel, Elvie Shane, Marcus King, Steve Earle); this project is a way to honour the group while they’re still active, while also shining a light on country music, which has been popular in the U.S. but not that much everywhere else.
If you’re not really a fan of The Rolling Stones, then this album will sound epically awesome in every way possible (with the genres of rock and country mixing together with great professionalism and skill!), but sadly, you won’t have any original to compare the ‘cover’ versions to. You’ll still love it though, because I do, and if I’m not a fan of Rolling Stones (yet) and I love this album, then you will love it too. If you’re a fan though, then this album should be your favourite of the year no question- simply because, well… you’re a fan, an avid fan, a super fan, a casual fan, and everything else in between. Stoned Cold Country: A 60th Anniversary Tribute To The Rolling Stones is a love letter to the fans of The Rolling Stones and a love letter to The Rolling Stones themselves, and also a tribute and a thanks to country music. Not every country artist here is represented, but the artists on this album are passionate and are incredibly dedicated to their craft. And though this release is different than many others that released this year and one may think that it’s too niche; it’s still a fun ride and an enjoyable musical experience and just simply a great learning experience about one of the most prolific rock bands ever. It’ll be a sad day when Mick Jagger passes away (or anyone from The Rolling Stones); so let’s listen to this album and cherish these songs like they’re gold. They will be timeless and we all need to understand our mortality, hold onto the people we love for dear life, and do the things we want to do while we still can. Well done everyone involved, thank you all for the history lesson about The Rolling Stones and thank you to Mick, Keith, and everyone else for writing such melodies that transcend time and genre and musical preferences! These songs are iconic, and that’s all there is to it.
4 songs to listen to: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, Wild Horses, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, Shine A Light
Score: 5/5
RIYL: Sting, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, John Farnham, Jimmy Barnes