Back in April, I did a piece on some of my favorite Rolling Stones reggae songs. One day, while researching, I took myself up to the record store on 52nd to pick up some albums. The clerk pulled Emotional Rescue out of my stack and struck up a conversation with me about how underrated it is. That is where I got the idea for Dusty’s Deep Cuts. Despite its inspiring the column, we are now six entries in, and I have yet to talk about it. So, let’s change that.
Alright, first off, why did it fail? Well, actually, it didn’t. It’s a double platinum album that hit number one on the Billboard 200. That being the case, why is it this album fell into obscurity? You’re never going to hear “She’s So Cold” playing at the bar, which is strange considering that, by the numbers, it’s a hit single. My personal theory is that the album fails to stand out. It’s a great record, but it isn’t exactly breaking any new ground. It’s not too hard to see why without a show-stopping hook, it got lost in the catalog, considering this was the Stones’ fifteenth studio album. If you can’t keep it fresh, people will forget your album as soon as the next one comes out, and that’s what happened here. It came out, it performed, and then it was forgotten. That’s just the fate some records are doomed to when your discography swells to such a size.
So, it couldn’t hold up against the likes of Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street. Why, then, should you take the time to listen to it? Well, it’s still a fantastic album, even if it’s not quite a legendary one.
The majority of this album consists of the classic blend of blues and rock that the Stones are known for. I wasn’t joking when I said this album fails to stand out. Try to imagine the most stereotypical Stones song you can, and that’s what most of these tracks sound like. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; there’s a reason the Stones still sell out stadiums—it’s a great sound. It's just predictable, but they’re all still killer tunes. I wouldn’t skip a single one.
Of course, of that bunch, there are a few that stand out, with “All About You” and “Summer Romance” being some of my personal favorites. But if you're looking for the real cream of the crop, the tracks that are going to convince you to go get yourself a copy, you want “Dance Pt. 1” and “Send It To Me.”
“Dance Pt. 1” is the album's opening track, and it is an explosive start. It’s a bass-heavy funk song like “Miss You,” with a little more vinegar to it. Then you have “Send It To Me,” which is one of my personal favorite Stones songs and, without a doubt, their best reggae tune. It’s a crying shame that the band's reggae songs fly so far under the radar, as most of them are heavy stuff. Keith Richards was actively involved with the reggae scene in Jamaica. He spent a fat chunk of the '70s there, where he befriended reggae legends like Toots Hibbert. In fact, most of Emotional Rescue was recorded at Compass Point in Nassau. I’ve said it once before, and I’ll say it again now: “Send It to Me” is the gold standard. It’s simply the best reggae song they ever wrote.
If you ask me, I think it’s worth owning a vinyl copy of Emotional Rescue just for “Send It to Me.” It’s a lure that brings you in, and once you’re hooked, you find it’s only one part of a knockout album. It isn’t going to blow your mind, but that’s not always what you’re looking for. Sometimes, like say when you’re half a handle deep, bleary-eyed, and scream-singing in someone's back seat, you just want to hear something that rocks. That’s what you’re getting out of Emotional Rescue. It’s tried, but it’s true, and it always satisfies.
