“It’s very hard to do”: The song that Mick Jagger was never comfortable playing
Most singers have to take every song on a case-by-case basis. Even though anyone can hop on any track and add their signature spin to whatever the song needs, it’s about knowing one’s place and being able to add something that no one’s ever heard before rather than throwing in the same old tired formula. And despite The Rolling Stones going on longer than any other rock band, Mick Jagger admitted that one particular tune took a lot of uncomfortable twists and turns during production.
By the time the Stones reached the end of the 1970s, though, they didn’t need to prove their worth to anyone anymore. They scaled the heights that most bands would never see in their lifetimes, and by going back to the blues, they transformed themselves into the modern version of their heroes, such as Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, on albums like Let It Bleed.
That’s not to say that they couldn’t still throw in a few curveballs here and there. Some Girls saw them take on disco and not manage to look like an absolute joke, and when going to their old stomping grounds on Tattoo You, everyone was reminded why that signature Keith Richards guitar sound ignited so many hearts back in the late 1960s.
Unfortunately, the 1980s were also where they hit somewhat of a brick wall. Some albums may have had their fair share of highlights, but the majority of Undercover was a little bit out of touch, and pretty much anything on Dirty Work felt like grandpas trying and failing to compete with the MTV generation. In between the more embarrassing moments, though, Steel Wheels still managed to be a solid enough record.
Granted, at this point, the Stones had reverse-engineered their process of making records. Since they are one of the ultimate road-dog bands, this felt like an excuse to get the group back on tour in front of their fans, only throwing a few songs in the set for good measure. Even though some songs were still interesting, ‘Mixed Emotions’ never sat well when Jagger strutted his ass to the lip of the stage.
Compared to the slithering swagger of ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ or the sexual energy of ‘Satisfaction,’ Jagger thought that this tune never clicked in front of a crowd, saying, “A good song this, but it’s very hard to do onstage. You go from the really hard verse to the very melodic chorus, which I like, but you always feel like you’re not going to pull it off like it’s speeding up.”
It might feel uneasy, but that’s the whole point of why The Stones work half the time. Many songs don’t have a set tempo to them, but listening to a classic like ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’, the magic behind everything comes from the band cutting loose and speeding things up ever so slightly.
The song may be racing along by a considerable margin, but if it all holds together, that’s hardly a bad thing. If nothing else, that means that the track is getting even more energy because you can feel the rest of the band having a good time as they’re playing it.
