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It's been nearly ten years since the last solo outing from one of Rock's biggest icons and personally I can't recall Mick's performance from way back when. I'm not suggesting it wasn't a memorable effort but never being a big Jagger "solo" fan to begin with, after the big hit or two, much of the rest left me flat. Not the case here. In fact I heard the first album single "God Gave Me Everything" buzzing during Monday Night Football's intermission and I have to admit being a bit awed.
Here was this contemporary Hard Rock tune blaring about (little did I know then of the Kravitz influence), and it took only seconds before I was grooving and impressed to the point where I reached for the album and threw it on. The song's definitely a great pick for reintroducing the world to the Mick. In fact there are several good choices for follow up concerns: "Goddess In The Doorway," "Lucky Day," "Everybody Getting High…" Yes, it has been a while indeed, for both he and his band, which its worth pointing out up front are still very much an active commodity.

Jagger's "Goddess In The Doorway" as an album impresses on a number of levels. Firstly, it's not a lackluster album of old man river Folk songs and ballads built on veteran preaching presence and lack of inspiration -- sure a name like Jagger could put out a mediocre record, call it introspective, throw on a ballad and go on about the joys of fatherhood and it'd still sell millions… but then where'd it be a couple years from now? "Goddess In The Doorway" moves, it's modern, and it's classic where some of his contemporaries fall short.

I liked Bowie's last record, but after a while you're buried in all this personal depth and left feeling trapped in this weepy acoustic guitar before it's half over. Jagger's is personally introspective but he hasn't lost his lust for life or eagerness for stylistic blend -- no this is not another Stones' record with his name on it, another revealing point.

The recruitment of an all-star cast adds to the energy with such names as Townsend, Thomas, Kravitz, Wyclef, and Bono, all adding an individual character to many of the songs and their earthy and transcendent feel.

I expected little from "Goddess…" and came away surprised and impressed. Mick, solo performer, front man for one of Rock greatest bands, has managed to reinvent himself with a multi-faceted work geared for immediate impact and sustained longevity.