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Tyler: Firstly, let’s acknowledge that we were dopes and neglected to observe that “Harlem Shuffle” is a cover.

Peter: Oops! We didn’t mention that?

Tyler: We did not.  Shame, shame.

This foolishness at least leads us neatly into the album’s other cover, our next song up, “Too Rude.”

Peter: Yes.

Tyler: It’s a capable reggae performance.  They’re playing it straight, which helps.

Peter: I’m not an expert on this kind of thing, but it sounds fine to me!

It helps that Keith is singing.

Tyler: Oh, absolutely.  He means it.  Mick would embarrass himself giving this vocal a go.

By which I mean, he’d decide to be funny, put on a patois, and ruin everything.

Peter: Exactly.

Okay. “Winning Ugly.”

The album takes a turn here.

Tyler: I was driving with this on earlier.  I enjoyed it.

Peter: My son liked this one!

Tyler: Way to go, kiddo!

I like it too.  It’s a pretty damn fine rock song.

Nothing too special.  But it’s better than merely listenable.  Or maybe I’m just surprised again that Dirty Work has anything good going on at all.

Peter: Okay, that’s interesting. I think it’s really weird.

The song, I mean.

Tyler: Oh yeah?

Do tell.

Peter: To me, it sounds like a Mick Jagger solo record. The guitars don’t sound like Keith and Ronnie. (Not saying they didn’t play them). I don’t really feel like I’m hearing the Rolling Stones.

Also, it really sounds like 1986.

Unlike most of the rest of this record.

Tyler: See, I feel those things completely about our next song.

Peter: Oh, for sure. That one too.

Tyler: “Back To Zero.”  Man, I do not like this.

Peter: This is a weird one. It’s got a sort of Talking Heads vibe?

Or a bit of Prince?

Who are they trying to copy?

Tyler: Those are generous comparisons.

Peter: It’s just so obviously outside their wheelhouse.

Tyler: The keyboardist, Chuck Leavell, got a songwriting credit.  That screams “riff,” doesn’t it?

Peter: Absolutely.

Tyler: It’s so damn ‘80s.

Peter: This is not the best song on Dirty Work, but if someone wanted to hear one song off of Dirty Work, I’d play them this. It is deeply weird. Very ’80s. Please, go listen to it.

Join our journey. Of discovery.

That should be our slogan!

Tyler: Journey. Of Discovery. Our compliation book.

Peter: I like it.

Tyler: We’ve come to the title track.  “Dirty Work.”  Mick smash!

Peter: He’s so upset all the time.

On this album.

Tyler: You might know better than me.  Does he sound like this on the preceding studio album, Undercover? How about the next one, Steel Wheels?

Peter: I’m actually not very familiar with either of those. But I did read that the critics noted his angry vocals and nasty lyrics at the time.

Now we have to do Undercover and Steel Wheels.

People don’t want the big albums, Tyler. When I’m out on the street, that’s not what I’m hearing. From the people.

Tyler: Well, the people have come to the right place.

Peter: We could do Exile. We’ve got too much integrity. It’s too easy.

I mean, we will do Exile eventually.

Tyler: A Bigger Bang has some hot tracks on it.  “Rough Justice” is a scorching open flame of an opening track.

Peter: I also enjoy some of A Bigger Bang.

Tyler: Their last completely original set of songs.  Who knew?

Peter: Here are some lyrics from “Dirty Work.” “Find some loser, find some jerk/Find some dumbass do it all for free/Let somebody do the dirty work.”

Not nice!

Tyler: Not good!

It’s fine.  It’s fine?  It’s fine.

Peter: The tune is fine. The band sounds good.

The guitar solo is fun.

The guitars sound great on this album in general.

Tyler: That they power through as a rock and roll band, in spite of the era and all its glossy trappings, is a blessing.

Peter: I agree. I thought this album was going to sound very dated, but (with a few exceptions) I don’t think it sounds very dated at all.

Tyler: It’s been a stunner.  I’m not thrilled with our next song, “Had It With You,” but it sounds appropriate to the band at hand.

Peter: I don’t love the song, but I like the ending.

Tyler: The song reminds me of McCartney’s “I’ve Had Enough,” which we covered many moons ago in looking at Wings’ London Town.  “I’ve Had Enough” is a soft-spine attempt to sound all righteously pissed at somebody, and so is “Had It With You.”

Lyrically, anyway.  The music is tight and works.

Peter: I think it fueled the Mick vs. Keith gossip wars at the time. So it was good for that at least.

Tyler: Juicy!

Peter: He’s talking about Keith! He’s had it with Keith!

Tyler: I would have been eating that up with a soup spoon.

Peter: We end with a real gem.

Tyler: Love it.  Keith sings a lullabye.

Peter: I said people should listen to “Back to Zero,” but they should listen to this instead/as well.

Tyler: Yeah, fuck “Back To Zero.”  “Sleep Tonight” is where it’s at.

I know it’s an effective lullabye because it makes me think, “Y’know what?  I should get some sleep tonight.  Mm, sleep.”

Peter: It worked!

Tyler: Thanks, Keith!

“All ya gotta do is close your eyes.”  He makes it sound so simple!

Peter: Look, this isn’t a great album. But, as previously discussed, it passes the Black and Blue Paradigm. Or whatever we called it. It’s better than Black and Blue.

Tyler: It’s never great, but it’s far less bad than expected.

And oh yes is it better than Black and Blue.  Mercy.

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