The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You (Remastered) (2020) [Hi-Res]

Half Speed ReMasters HiRes Re-Issue: Tattoo You is the 16th British and 18th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1981. The follow-up to Emotional Rescue, it proved to be a big critical and commercial success. A very popular album upon release, it is the last Rolling Stones album to reach the top position of the US charts, concluding a string of #1's dating back to 1971's Sticky Fingers. Tattoo You is an album primarily composed of outtakes from previous recording sessions, some dating back a decade, with new vocals and overdubs. Along with two new songs, the Rolling Stones put together this collection in order to have a new album to promote for their worldwide American Tour 1981/European Tour 1982 beginning that September. Guitarist Keith Richards commented in 1993, "The thing with Tattoo You wasn't that we'd stopped writing new stuff, it was a question of time. We'd agreed we were going to go out on the road and we wanted to tour behind a record. There was no time to make a whole new album and make the start of the tour."

"Like Emotional Rescue before it, Tattoo You was comprised primarily of leftovers, but unlike its predecessor, it never sounds that way. Instead, Tattoo You captures the Stones at their best as a professional stadium-rock band. Divided into a rock & roll side and a ballad side, the album delivers its share of thrills on the tight, dynamic first side. "Start Me Up" became the record's definitive Stonesy rocker, but the frenzied doo wop of "Hang Fire," the reggae jam of "Slave," the sleazy Chuck Berry rockers "Little T&A" and "Neighbours," and the hard blues of "Black Limousine" are all terrific. The ballad side suffers in comparison, especially since "Heaven" and "No Use in Crying" are faceless. But "Worried About You" and "Tops" are effortless, excellent ballads, and "Waiting on a Friend," with its Sonny Rollins sax solo, is an absolute masterpiece, with a moving lyric that captures Jagger in a shockingly reflective and affecting state of mind. "Waiting on a Friend" and the vigorous rock & roll of the first side make Tattoo You an essential latter-day Stones album, ranking just a few notches below Some Girls." (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG)

Mick Jagger, lead vocals (all but 4), backing vocals (all but 5); electric guitar (9, 10); percussion (9)
Keith Richards, electric guitar (all but 9), backing vocals (1–4, 6–7, 10); lead vocals and bass (4)
Ronnie Wood, electric guitar (all but 7, 8, 9, 11), backing vocals (1–2, 4, 6, 10); bass (2)
Bill Wyman, bass (all but 2, 4); synthesizer, electric guitar, and percussion (9)
Charlie Watts, drums, percussion (9)
Additional musicians:
Mick Taylor, electric guitar (8, 11)
Nicky Hopkins, piano (8, 10-11); organ (10)
Ian Stewart, piano (2, 4-6)
Billy Preston, keyboards (3, 7)
Wayne Perkins, electric lead guitar (7)
Ollie E. Brown, percussion (3, 7)
Pete Townshend, backing vocals (3)
Sonny Rollins, saxophone (3, 6, 11)
Jimmy Miller, percussion (8)
Michael Carabello, cowbell (1); conga (3); güiro, claves, cabasa and conga (11)
Chris Kimsey, electric piano (9)
Barry Sage, handclaps (1)
Sugar Blue, harmonica (5)

Produced by The Glimmer Twins

Digitally remastered