The Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge

By 1994, the Rolling Stones were expected to record a studio album as the launch pad for a new world tour. The CD era demanded the group not skimp on material and the Stones were quick to oblige. Fifteen tracks, an hour’s worth of music, a double album in the vinyl age. Voodoo Lounge is the sound of the Stones finding the balance between the pop marketplace’s commercial concerns and their trademark sound without the help of their lifelong bassist Bill Wyman. “Love is Strong” kicks things off with a twist of blues harp, Keith Richards’ guitar snarl and Mick Jagger’s seductive pose. “Out of Tears” represents the melodramatic ballads popular with the MTV crowd. But tunes such as “You Got Me Rocking,” “Sparks Will Fly,” “Blinded by Rainbows” and “Thru and Thru” proves the Stones weren’t yet done adding to the catalog. No one will confuse this effort with their untouchable work from 1965-1981. But it’s still clearly the Stones in command.