Steel Wheels

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Steel Wheels is an album by The Rolling Stones and was released in 1989. Heralded as a major comeback upon its release, the project is notable for the patching up of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' relationship, a reversion to a more classicist style of music and the launching of the band's biggest world tour thus far. It is also founding bassist Bill Wyman's final studio album with The Rolling Stones, preceding the announcement of his departure in January 1993.

Following the release of 1986's Dirty Work, and Jagger's active pursuit of a solo career, relations between him and the Stones-committed Richards worsened considerably. While Jagger released the tepidly-received Primitive Cool in 1987, Richards recorded Talk is Cheap, his solo debut, which would be released in 1988 to rave reviews. The couple of years largely apart appeared to have healed the wounds sufficiently that they could begin contemplating ressurrecting their partnership - and their band.

Meeting in January 1989, just preceding The Rolling Stones' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the chemistry between Jagger and Richards easily outshone whatever differences they had and after composing some fifty songs in a matter of weeks, Ron Wood, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts were called in to begin recording what would become Steel Wheels, beckoning Undercover co-producer Chris Kimsey to perform the same role.

Recording in Monserrat and London during the spring months, Steel Wheels was designed to emulate a classic Rolling Stones sound, one that forsook the uncharacteristic production and weak songwriting that - most felt - had marred much of Dirty Work and returned them squarely in the context of a guitar-centered rock group. The only real diversion would prove to be "Continental Drift", an Eastern-flavored piece, with the Master Musicians Of Jajouka, that was as much an appreciation of world music as it was a tribute to Brian Jones who had recorded with the same troupe back in 1967. With much of the past disagreements behind them, sessions for Steel Wheels went fairly harmoniously.

A massive worldwide tour was launched in late August 1989, concurrently with Steel Wheels' arrival and the release of lead single "Mixed Emotions", a partially-biographical reference to Jagger and Richards' recent woes that proved to be The Rolling Stones' last major hit single in the US, reaching #5. (Pundits noted that the song's title could be read as "Mick's Demotion" in reference to Richards' increasing role within the band.) Critical reaction was warm, with Steel Wheels reaching #2 in the UK and #3 in the US where it went double-platinum. Follow-up singles were "Rock And A Hard Place", "Almost Hear You Sigh" and "Terrifying". The mammoth Steel Wheels tour - which finished in mid-1990 after being re-titled Urban Jungle - was an enormous financial success, cementing The Rolling Stones' return to full power.

The album was the Rolling Stones' first digital recording. In 1994, Steel Wheels was remastered and reissued by Virgin Records.

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