BEIJING, Sept. 8-- The original bad-boy band is once again hot stuff.

And not just on the concert trail. The Rolling Stones have been playing with fire in the studio.

Recognized as the world's leading musical box-office draw, the Stones haven't generated similar stampedes for new recordings in the past decade or two. Their last No. 1 album was"Tattoo You" in 1981.

Fans seem content sweating to the oldies, and critics routinely trot out the canard that the band has lost the hustle and hunger that built its classics.

Get ready for some jumping jacked-up flashbacks."A Bigger Bang" arrives Tuesday as a jolting reminder of the iconic British rock band's indestructible chemistry and primitive instincts.

"Bang" was recorded in Paris and mixed in Los Angeles with Don Was co-producing.

"Bang" finds singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards in peak form again. Their collaboration yields tunes steeped in rock and blues roots but not mired in the past. It's a mature record, yet it retains the Stones' signature swagger and defiance.

Jagger's strongest vocals and lyrics focus on romantic obsession, missteps and betrayal. He's stung by loss and remorse in the aching"Streets of Love" and plagued by suspicion in the country-hued"Let Me Down Slow.""The Biggest Mistake" deals with the regret of mishandling a soul mate:"I acted impatient, acted unkind. I took her for granted. I played with her mind."(Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)