Text "Mick Jagger solo" (Michael Kuhn)
A Mick Jagger solo record it is hardly at any rate. More appropriate I'd describe it as a Jagger, Beck & Rodgers production - except of a teeny-weeny harmonica interlude Jagger's exclusively confined to the vocal music. Of course, for cracks like Beck, Townshend or Nile Rodgers he's no match with his rather plain guitar crafts, but what's then so solo about this record? As already retailed by many critics, the songs on SHE'S THE BOSS could be played just as well by the Stones tho' it still satisfies me to see Jagger producing an LP with 30 guest musicians (!) that still sounds stony enough to let me think about a possible Stones-production of the stuff.
The true comparison is possible with "Lonely at the top" which I find somewhat more exciting than Keith's tired tooting on the 79 outtake (which is, as a matter of fact, half-baked), it's really a wow! Lotsa keyboards alternate with racy guitar-breaks and Mick's rough voice. On "1/2 a loaf" then, there's nothing left of that kind - for sure it's not the best choice for the second single (as Jagger seems to plan). Bass-lines are perhaps the most exciting parts on this one. "Running out of luck" I really like, the harmonica even remembers me to "Goin' home" sometimes, or to some of the bluesy tracks of the 1968/69 hangabout. After this the refrain of "Turn the girl loose" makes it very easy to do the light-shoe shuffle (if you can). Also it's the only song with a woman participating. Side one closes with the memorable line "Time goes so fast and new love starts so slow" ("Hard woman") - what may also be true for this album. Still it's a pretty nice song, maybe mawkish. In my opinion the best ballad since "Memory Motel" - if you can forget the strings for once. There ain't too many ballads since then anyway.
On "Just another night" I only find Jeff Beck's guitar play remarkable - unhappily Jagger's voice sounds like that pseudo rap on "Tie you up". The synthies on "Lucky in love" make the song a little boring - happily there's still that Jeff Beck we've heard about. "Secrets" is a straight rocker with lyrics thematically similar to Keith's "All about you". Final choice is "She's the boss", played in the same non-style as Bill's "Si si" but with quite facetious lyrics - or is it just another trick of the old macho?!
Well, and I didn't like these fuckin' ugly CBS-labels. But of course, the rest of the album's design is really, mmh... nit to bad, eh.
Author: Michael Kuhn
This article was reworked in 1992 and again in 1997.
Publication
| 1985.04.16 |  Charlie is Good Tonight nr. 2
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