It was somehow premature to give up on The Rolling Stones

Plus, making sense of the Tupac Shakur murder case, reviewing the new Bad Bunny album and more.

View this email online October 21, 2023 by Stephen Thompson This week brings reflections on what it means to embrace a new Rolling Stones album in 2023; plus, making sense of the Tupac Shakur murder case, reviewing the new Bad Bunny album and more. The Rolling Stones/Mark Seliger I’m not sure what I was expecting when I pressed play on The Rolling Stones’ new album, Hackney Diamonds, but I hadn’t envisioned a mild existential crisis. OK, to back up only slightly, what I’d expected was a band in its seventh decade of existence, sounding saggy and rote and otherwise past its prime. Singer Mick Jagger is 80, after all, and Keith Richards is 79; if the very first joke about Keith Richards appearing to be at death’s door were to take the form of a human baby, that baby would be entering middle age right about now. This is a band that picked up a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 1986. And yet, in defiance of every one of my expectations, Hackney Diamonds is the most vibrant Stones record in decades, and not just because the band’s most recent album of original material (A Bigger Bang) came out in 2005. Jagger’s voice remains distinctive and sharp, Richards and Ronnie Wood sound tight and focused, Steve Jordan more than ably fills in for the late drummer Charlie Watts (who did record two of these songs before his death in 2021), and the guests — who include the likes of Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga and Paul McCartney — seem happy to be there. Lyrically, it’s workmanlike in spots, but the album’s highlights, most notably the seven-minute epic “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” rank among the best Stones songs of at least the past 40 years. So, where does the existential crisis fit in? Well, I’d long since made the decision — subconsciously, yet definitively — that I was done with new Rolling Stones music. I’d only cracked open Hackney Diamonds because I happened to be guest-hosting New Music Friday for All Songs Considered. And now, here I was, having several prejudices upended, as prejudices so often are. My best pal and treasured colleague Linda Holmes wrote a gorgeous piece for NPR back in 2011 with a title that’s seared itself into my memory: “The sad, beautiful fact that we’re going to miss almost everything.” In that piece, she breaks down the mathematical impossibility of consuming all the great art in the world, then leaves us with two choices for dealing with the glut: culling or surrender. “Culling is easy,” she wrote. “It implies a huge amount of control and mastery. Surrender, on the other hand, is a little sad. That's the moment you realize you're separated from so much. That's your moment of understanding that you'll miss most of the music and the dancing and the art and the books and the films that there have ever been and ever will be, and right now, there's something being performed somewhere in the world that you're not seeing that you would love.” That last point, I think, gets at the feeling I had listening to Hackney Diamonds, an album I’d intended to skip. It’s hard not to imagine other artists I might have given up on too soon, in the hope of encountering some new experience that may or may not materialize. Leave it to The Rolling Stones to be the band turning out that fresh discovery, that new experience, a mere 61 years into its existence. Newsletter continues after sponsor message More to read, watch and hear When Volker Bertelmann won an Oscar earlier this year for his work scoring the film All Quiet on the Western Front, I wasn’t feeling it: I’d found the score oppressive and distracting. What I’d somehow missed was that Bertelmann usually records under the name Hauschka, whose treated-piano pieces are among my favorite go-to listening when I’m looking for head-filling instrumental music. Bertelmann recently spoke to Morning Edition host Leila Fadel about his techniques and his terrific new album, Philanthropy. Bad Bunny released a new album last week, titled Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana. Not surprisingly, it’s already broken Spotify streaming records — he’s been the most-streamed artist on Spotify for the last three years and counting — while perpetuating Bad Bunny’s global multimedia superstardom. On a recent episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour, Anamaria Artemisa Sayre, Isabella Gomez Sarmiento and I discuss the new album, which reflects on the singer’s massive stardom as well as his relationship with Kendall Jenner, while wrangling with a key question: “Can we still relate to Bad Bunny?” Jazz pianist and composer Carla Bley died Tuesday at the age of 87. Andrey Henkin assembled a portrait of her remarkable legacy for NPR Music, in the process capturing Bley’s unique vision, prolific output and refreshing sense of humor. I certainly didn’t expect 2023 to be a year for major new developments in the murder case of Tupac Shakur, who died in 1996. But as Duane Davis, the man now accused of playing a role in Tupac’s killing, approached his arraignment this week (which ended up being delayed because Davis had not secured legal counsel), Sheldon Pearce broke down the investigation that led to this moment. While offering many illuminating and highly compelling details, Sheldon also reflects on the myth-making that’s made the truth harder to discern. For the latest episode of the video series Amplify, Lara Downes sits down with Theaster Gates and singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae to discuss the Arts Bank, a 100-year-old building which contains a rich archive documenting centuries of Black life. To prepare for the Tiny Desk debut of Maluma (see below), be sure to check in with Alt.Latino hosts Anamaria Artemisa Sayre and Felix Contreras, who interview the Colombian star about fatherhood, stereotypes and the importance of making room for new artists. As mentioned in the top of this newsletter, this week’s New Music Friday podcast features a discussion of The Rolling Stones’ new album, Hackney Diamonds. It also breaks down marvelous new records from Sampha and Glen Hansard, as well as a lightning round with other favorites. Be sure to bookmark our Live Sessions page for videos documenting beautiful performances at NPR member stations. Here’s a particularly stunning one, featuring the pianist and polymath Robert Glasper as he performs “Calls” at the WRTI Performance Studio. Tiny Desk Estefania Mitre/NPR The team that brings you Tiny Desk concerts prides itself on an ever-surprising mix of big names and far-flung discoveries. This week, though, it’s big names all the way down. First up, Smokey Robinson took us through six songs — a mix of new material and classics like “The Tears of a Clown” — that demonstrate just how dazzling his falsetto sounds at 83. Also this week: Colombian superstar Maluma closed out our “El Tiny” festivities a few days late, with an emotional set that celebrated the imminent arrival of his baby daughter. One More Thing Take off your pants and… well, you know the drill: Blink-182 is back with a new album. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. 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