The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, July 29, 1980-Page 7 Keith rescues the new Stones Emotional Rescue The Rolling Stones Rolling Stones COC 1601 By MARK COLEMAN After months of the expected agonizing anticipation, the Rolling Stones' new album has been out few weeks now. Yet the popular reac- tion to Emotional Rescue, or maybe the lack of it, seems a might peculiar. The album is selling briskly of course, and "She's So Cold" has fit perfectly into summer radio playlists, but the near- universal enthusiasm that greeted Some Girls' entrance into the market- place is lacking. I get the idea that a lot of people wrote off the whole of Emotional Rescue after hearing Jagger's ingratiating falsetto on the title track. Naturally, a lot of other people accepted all without questioning, but the majority of us are still listening to the damned thing, trying to decipher what these middle aged teenagers are up to now. Emotional Rescue is a contradictory album, simultaneously confusing and exhilarating. Despite initial suspicions, this is not the sequel to Some Girls. The structural similarities seem strong as both albums open with an ersatz tune but "Dance" cuts a little deeper than "Miss You", achieving a bit of funk without resorting to the disco trickery of its precursor. The spectre of past success hangs even more heavily over the following "Summer Romance" Strike continues as AATA final offer rejected "continued from Page 3) give in. "They're at a point where neither side is willing to make much movement," he said, "now it's a matter of who can last the longest. "There have been some long strikes in the history of the labor movement and there will be more," he added, "I just hope it doesn't happen in Ann Ar- bor." Negotiators will meet again today at 9 a.m. Simonetta said AATA is prepared to discuss why the union rejected management's last offer. "Then it's their turn to move," he said. "At least that's how we interpret it." 930ar -530pm Tuesday through Sunday ("Lies" to be specific) which utilizes that same "Punky" nervous energy and absolute adherence to rhythm to riveting effect. What sets these tunes apart from their immediate predecessors is their fluidity, the easygoing flow of riffs from the guitarists that blend for a compelling, though markedly relaxed confidence that's been missing from the Stone's sound for a long, long time. BUT AS THE musical currents start to run deeper, the lyrical content becomes increasingly shallow. Gran- ted, the Stones haven't had much to say lately, but Emotional Rescue is un- titilatingly trite, lacking even the wise- ass profundity and well-honed blun- tness that salvaged Some Girls. Let's face it, Jagger hasn't written a lyric with a point of reference that could possibly extend beyond him since Exiles and these latest efforts con- stitute another not particularly noteworthy installment in The Mick Jagger Saga. When he sings "none of your money will buy you forgiveness", he could be singing about one of his famous lovers, maybe Bob Dylan or the late great Shah, God, maybe about himself-BUT IT DOESN'T MAT- TER!. Jagger's just another self- righteous millionaire bitchin' about money and broad4 and he's not especially insightful or even that funny any more. Saving lukewarm lyrics from the fire would appear to be the work of a minute for Jagger but here he sounds perfun- ctory at best, at worst downright desperate. Mick is clutching at the straws of novelty, substituting hysteria and histronics for any real feeling again and again. He mangles straightforward hooks on almost every song and finally succumbs to irritating, mannered ar- chness on the misguided "Indian Girl". Jagger sounds best on the extem- peraneously energetic "Where The Boys Go" talk-singing the suggestive lyrics with a strained straightforwar- dness that meshes nicely with the im- provisatory feel of the song. One gets the idea the whole shebang would fall apart without Charlie, as Keith and Ronnie toss off random licks and blasts of melody that only casually coincide with the rhythmic impetus. Yet, this loose approach harnesses all the driving tension of rock with the reflec- tive intensity of the blues held firmly in- tact. And it's through the music that this album ultimately succeeds. It has been suggested that Keith Richards played a larger role in the planning and recor- ding of Emotional Rescue than usual and the results would support that suspicion. Richards is slowly expan- ding his style, at times bringing Mick Taylor back to mind, but he has retained the directness and sparcity that always made his rudimentary riffs so ominously eloquent. Ron-Wood con- tinues to be a supportive influence, but does't figure as prominently here as he did at first. And the rhythm section is still the Stones rhythm section, they'd be lost without 'em. The Stones are striving for a more balanced sound now-a diffusion of energy and expan- sion of texture which could be inter- preted as a pandering move towards pushing product if it didn't sound so right. AND WHILE it all isn't completely successful it's hardly unlistenable; in fact, the attempts at diversification make the standard stuff that much more convincing. The throbbing intro to "Let Me Go", and Jagger's frantic phrasemongering ("You're gonna get it straight from the shoulder/don't you know the party's over") wouldn't sound half as arresting if they didn't follow. another half-realized reggae attempt ("Send It To Me"). The band sounds so comfortable and confident the rockers click through their own momentum, even when Jaggers' weaknesses are manifest. The clincher comes at the end of the album. "All About You", Keith Richard's vocal showpiece, is a real sleeper, a slow-burning blues that builds fire through repeated listening; while it is personal it's anything but presumptious. There's an acknowledgement of vulnerability amidst the off-handed hardness of this portrayal of Richards wife, Anita, a recognition that seems at once out of character and totally honest. The moody distance between the calm assurance of his guitar playing and the callow rasp of the vocals is striking, providing Emotional Rescue its one moment of actual emotion. The album ends on a hopeful note, then, and we are left looking to Keith Richards for an answer to the Stones current dilemma. He probably doesn't know the way out, but he's more than making do with what's left. The final verdict on Emotional Rescue is still out, but that shouldn't stop anyone from spending the rest of the summer en- joying it.