The explosion that created the universe and everything in it was big – so big that it’s still exploding 10-20 billion years later. But the sound of a bunch of rattly old blokes playing guitars is obviously bigger.

That’s what the Rolling Stones are saying anyway. They’re naming their new album A Bigger Bang. Bigger than the start of the universe. Well, they were probably around back then, so they know.

A Bigger Bang is the first Rolling Stones (CDs) album since Bridges To
Babylon in 1997 – the eight year gap is the longest in the band’s
history – and is released on September 6th to coincide with the band’s
latest world tour.

The gap between albums has been a busy one for the band. As well as
touring their Forty Licks anniversary greatest hits album, Mick got
divorced, Charlie got cancer, Ronnie got on and fell off the
wagon more times than the village stuntman and Keef decided once and
for all that he was Johnny Depp’s Dad.

The working title of the album was apparently NeoCon – a swipe at
the Bush government. That’s all changed, but the album still contains
the song Sweet Neo-Con. We’ll have to see if they choose to play it
when they’re touring the big red midwest.

Don Was produced the 16-track A Bigger Bang, which includes two vocal performances from Keith Richards. The first single is called Streets Of Love, and is released on August 22.

The tenacious old codgers come to England in the middle of next year.

[story by Stuart Heritage]