🎸 Foreign Tongues: The Immortal Heartbeat of the Rolling Stones (Beyond Time and Algorithms)

The 11:59 PM absence

11:59 PM. The alarm reminds me that I have an appointment with Mick Jagger and his remaining associates after Charlie Watts' departure. I open Apple Music: in a few seconds the new Rolling Stones album will be available. I'm asked to listen to Anna Pepe…I feel faint.

12:01 AM. Here it is… I press play and…

…and I think it's almost incredible if not inhuman that a band can still churn out such vibrant rock 'n' roll albums over sixty years after their debut. And yet Foreign Tongues It can stand tall among the Rolling Stones' most intense and evocative works. Of course, it takes some getting used to Andrew Watt's polished production, which catapults the band into the present while they tangibly relive seven decades of history.

In 1972, the legendary critic Lester Bangs described the Stones on Cream like a band that “it seems to emanate change, but in reality it limits itself to reworking the most solid elements of its repertoire”. Back then this meant the turbo-riffs of Keith Richards and the animated vocals of Mick Jagger, capable of transforming the blues and rock'n'roll that had shaped them, together with the country, funk and ballads that they had already elevated to an art form. With Ronnie Wood By their side for fifty years, that's exactly what the Stones have continued to do, sometimes surprisingly so. As Richards stated after turning sixty in 2003:

“Since no one has ever done this before, there are expected to be ups and downs… We’re just moving forward and seeing where we end up.”.

The return of the "Barafondi" and the Chicago scratch

The excitement a new Stones album still generates after seven decades is palpable. Although the album's release was announced in Brooklyn, American talk show style, the band played with the mystery on social media before the rousing Chicago-style blues number, Rough And Twisted, briefly appeared in record shops on 12-inch vinyl under the secret pseudonym used in 1970s concerts: The Cockroaches. Needless to say, it immediately reached three-figure figures on eBay.

The dirty guitars, Jagger's incendiary harmonica and an almost unstoppable energy – which in '63 would have driven the Crawdaddy – they were a great sign. The final confirmation came from the B-side. In The Stars, the album's first single, with a chorus that recalls Gimme Shelter, Keef's massive riff and Mick's driving vocals.

Andrew Watt's shiny suit and analog soul

Foreign Tongues was completed last year after a month at London's Metropolis Studio with the 35-year-old prodigy producer Andrew Watt (already behind Paul McCartney's latest, nostalgic work). It was Macca himself who told Woody about the producer during the sessions. Hackney Diamonds in 2022, a fascinating echo of the 1960s, when the Stones and the Beatles coordinated release dates so as not to overlap.

Despite a decidedly uninspired cover, after the first listen Foreign Tongues It turns out to be a pure Stones classic, even superior to the previous installment. Far from being a simple salvage of outtakes, only four of the fourteen tracks date back to old sessions, including the second track with Macca's bass and the precious final track with Charlie Watts' drums.

Returning to the spirit of the 60s, when music magazines reviewed works track by track, this remains the best way to approach such a carefully constructed album:

• Jealous Lover: It takes up the sweet soul of Beast of Burden o Fool To Cry, with Jagger's falsetto evoking Emotional Rescue. The delicate interplay of guitars is exquisite, enhanced by Steve Winwood's organ (present on nine tracks).
• Mr. Charm: It boasts a supremely sensual riff by Richards, although the high-tech production sometimes risks weighing down Jagger's multi-tracked vocals.
• Divine Intervention: It explodes with the epic energy that drives the entire album. Mick's voice has never sounded so strong and confident.
• Ringing Hollow: Mick and Keith's love for country (style) Faraway Eyes) Here it gets serious. Described by the band as "a love song for America," it turns into a sincere lament against current reality: “There's always some rascal ready to warm up the crowd” e “Lady Liberty isn't so beautiful when she has a tear in her dress.”. The imposing chorus and the guitar strokes recall the soul of Sweet Virginia.
• Never Wanna Lose You: Fast paced and gospel tones (with the participation of Robert Smith) that would have found perfect space in Some Girls.
• Hit Me In The Head: The final session with Charlie Watts. A punk-fueled assault driven to the max by an unmistakable and irreplaceable swing.
• You Know I'm No Good: An Amy Winehouse cover tackled with absolute boldness and won thanks to Jagger's scratchy harmonica.

Keith's Vulnerability and the Acoustic Testament

Some Of Us This is Keith's vocal track, always one of the most anticipated moments. Rich in heartfelt nuances, it stands alongside his great ballads of the '90s. His passionate voice, supported by emotional crescendos and swirling organ, takes on a universal and poignant perspective in the chorus:

“All we need is a little love / You ripped my heart out / You know we can't have it all, some of us are on our knees.’.

After the curated funk of Side Effects, the epic soul ballad Back In Your Life It becomes the album's climax. Recorded the week of Sly Stone and Brian Wilson's passing in June 2025, Jagger delivers his most intense vocal performance yet, losing himself in a lonely plea while Woody pours out his grief in a torrential guitar solo.

Like the historical Rolling Stone Blues by Muddy Waters closed the previous chapter, Foreign Tongues takes leave of Mick and Keith who, accompanied by Chad Smith, They're coming home. An intimate, acoustic version of Beautiful Delilah by Chuck Berry, a classic from their very first concerts in 1964.

Since the 70s journalists have been asking the band: “Will this be your last album?”. Many people take it for granted this time too. But Keith gave the best answer at the press conference: “Entering the studio is just about seeing where it takes us. There's still something there. And that's exactly what we're looking for.”.

With this level of form, Keith, we really hope so too.

And now… shall we listen to it together?