Music: Once more with feeling

23 July 2026, The Tablet

Going to see the Stones was a lot like going to see Stonehenge: a lot of queueing, a lot of anticipation, and then disappointment; it’s only half-built!

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’m not much of a Stones fan. I’ve been known to opine that they haven’t made a decent album since Exile on Main Street, though in less dyspeptic moods, I make allowances for Tattoo You, which, good Lord, was released 45 years ago. So it’s both rather delightful and a little discomfiting to admit that the new one – their 25th or 27th depending on how you do the counting – is really very good. What’s not to like about the Stones?

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