Old rock habits die hard

Wandering Spirit, Mick Jagger (WEA) Off The Ground, Paul McCartney (EMI) SOME things never change. Mick Jagger rocks out and Paul McCartney pops out on their first new studio releases in several years.

Thirty years after they both started their careers in the Rolling Stones and The Beatles respectively, both musicians are seeking sanctuary in their tried and true ways.

With Wandering Spirit, Jagger has made a Stones-like collage of beer-swilling party music. McCartney meanwhile, has crafted hook-filled pop tunes to bake cookies to.

As a solo artist, Jagger came up to the proverbial batter's box with two strikes against him due to 1985's She's The Boss and the 1987 release Primitive Cool.

In a possible last-ditch effort to prove his worth without Stones guitarist Keith Richards behind him, Jagger enlisted the help of hard rock producer Rick Rubin. Rubin, whose previous credits include The Cult, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Beastie Boys,worked to emphasise Jagger's swaggering, drawling, twangy tough guy stance. The result is the best Stones album without the Rolling Stones.

Whether wrapping his around a standard country tune on Evening Gown or performing an all-out foot-shredder on a rocker like Mother Of A Man, Jagger's new album is like a walking tour of styles from the Stones' best period, the 1970s.

All the classic Stones elements are there. There's a She's So Cold whip snap drum approach to Wired All Night and a Miss You'll affected falsetto on the club-flavoured Sweet Thing.