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FANS ALBUM REVIEWS
BLACK AND BLUE
Nineteen Reviews - Overall Average Rating - 7.6 Tongues
(Sorry, we are no longer accepting fan reviews for this album)
BLACK AND BLUE
by Timothy
Getz
January 24, 2013
Rating: 
Within the larger community of rock aficionados (excuse me while I gag) this
album holds an above average reputation, but aside from its jam rock ("Crazy
Mama"), cherry reggae and, of course, power ballads, Black and Blue has
nothing to offer.
In spite of having one verse too many, "Memory Motel"
survives on a two keyboard attack and "Fool to Cry" on its fade out backbeat,
but if this gives you more jollies than the It's Only Rock 'n' Roll LP, then you
are enjoying Black and Blue's comical cover a little too much
To listen to some sound clips from
BLACK
AND BLUE or to buy it click here:
Black and Blue
More fan reviews:
BLACK AND BLUE
by Larry Dean Linn
September 10, 2012
Rating:
Mick Taylor, who replaced Brian Jones in 1969, left the Stones prior to the
recording of what would become Black and Blue, released in 1975.
Panned by critics, it was released when the Stones were unrivaled as a live
draw. Their tours had become the stuff of legend and their catalog of
quintessential rock music was without peer.
Black and Blue was essentially recorded while auditioning for a Taylor replacement. Steve Marriott, Peter Frampton, Harvey Mandell, Wayne Perkins and Ron Wood were there. Mandell, Perkins and Wood wound up on the record. Each of them cut extraordinary guitar tracks. The sound is still pure Stones though. What good guitarist wouldn't sound great, backed by the rhythm section of the Greatest Rock and Roll Band - Richards, Wyman and Watts?
Upon their initial release, many Stones Albums have fallen short of knocking the sox off some people. Down the road apiece, though, in light of the details about this band that come to be known, Black and Blue is nothing short of a bad ass recording by the band that defines Rock and Roll. I liked it when it was released, and listening to it today, 37 years later, it sounds even better. Listen to Charlie on his high hat at about 3:20 of "Hand of Fate." "Fool to Cry" is superb. Ron Wood on "Hey Negrita." Not many bands could pull off a "Cherry oh Baby". Great stuff!
BLACK AND BLUE
by devilsadvocate
December 4, 2009
Rating:
This album was a big disappointment to me when it came out. We had to wait two years after
It's Only Rock 'n Roll and this is all they could come up with?? I think the main
problem is that they were busy doing two things at once: finding a replacement for Mick
Taylor and recording an album. They should have taken care of the replacement problem
first before worrying about the album. Maybe it would have turned out better that
way.
The album opens with the Disco Stones doing "Hot Stuff". Yikes! Even the Stones
had given in to the disco craze! For the first time in their career, they were following
the pack instead of leading it.
"Hand of Fate" is not a bad song, but we'd become accustomed to so, so much
better from the Stones. "Cherry Oh Baby" is downright painful to listen to.
Again, the Stones fall in line behind a trend, this time reggae. "Memory Motel"
is a nice ballad, one of only two songs I really like on this album.
The other song I like is "Melody". This piano-driven song would be perfect
played live in a smoky bar at 2:00 AM. Maybe that is why Bill covered it with his Rhythm
Kings. The maudlin "Fool to Cry" doesn't really work as a ballad. But the song
shifts gears at around the 3:50 mark and becomes quite nice for the last minute or so.
Unfortunately, it's too little, too late.
The other two songs, "Hey Negrita" and "Crazy Mama", are indifferent
at best. And where are the fabulous riffs that the band put out apparently so effortlessly
on all the previous albums? Black and Blue is a miss. Fortunately, the next
album, Some Girls, would be much better.
BLACK AND BLUE
By Pablo Diablo "Freejack"
February 7, 2003
Rating:
I was a fan when this album came out. It came out just after I saw them for the first
time.New York just declared bankruptcy, Jimmy Carter was in the White House. It was the
big American Bicentennial. And the Rebels of Rock were still very bad boys facing a still
hostile press, no tv exposure at all, and hanging out with Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, and
other black visionary musicians - Billy, Stevie Wonder, and spending time smoking 'nuff
ganga down in Jamaica. I was 13, my brothers and I would take turns on buying Stones
Albums, we were shocked when our sister bought this one thanks to fool to cry.
This fine album reflects the balance of that world. I don't even think the Stones
themselves think much about this one, as it's material is not often covered live. If you
give it repeated listens it really grows on you. 'Cherry Oh Baby' is a very faithful cover
of a Jamaican smash hit and a great song - not a joke, but a song they were hearing and
loving.'Melody' is the song I long to hear right now. Mick and Billy are great together,
ther's alot of honest fun going on here, the vocals feel like one hot take. Billy is the
BEST keyboardist . 'Hey Negrita', that took alot of alcohol to record. 'Crazy Mama' - as a
teenager I loved this one, and 'Hand of Fate', the testostorockers. 'Hand Of Fate' is a
great guitar solo to play along with - perfect. That's why I love the Stones, they never
just do it by rote. They plug in when they feel it, they play songs and riffs that they
really like, and they do it so well that it's brilliant.
'Fool to 'Cry, and 'Memory Motel', although damaged for me by Dave Matthews' subsequent
duet, are great for the ladies. And 'Hot Stuff' is the killer dance track. Sooo cutting
edge at the time. When this song was geeting airplay, it was off the hook. This was 70's
vintage Temps and political Motown. Done by Keith on some good H, and Mick on new blow,
with all that crazyness - you've got to lower the lights and fire up a spliff, or at least
have a rum and coke.
This album is one I, and many others didn't get at first listen, but now it's on the must
have list, which for the Stones is all inclusive.
More fan reviews:
BLACK AND BLUE
By thijs den otter
January 31, 2003
Rating:
The major problem of this album is that it contains only eight tracks. This shouldn't be a
big deal if everything's cool. But with Black and Blue that is not the case.
'Cherry Oh Baby', well...sucks, even for a joke. And I never liked 'Fool to Cry' much
either. Compare it to some other ballads from the seventies - 'Angie' or 'Beast of
Burden', and it crumbles. So, there you have it, an album with eight songs
with two songs that do not impress me. The rest is good though. 'Memory Motel' and
'Melody' are not your average Stones songs, but they really stuck right in my brains. I
really love those tracks. 'Hand of Fate' and 'Crazy Mama' are classic kick-ass rock songs.
Play these at a party and everyone starts jumping. 'Hey Negrita' is an okay album track.
Finally 'Hot Stuff' is not a my favorite, because it's a little too slick. It is however
nicely performed and that's why I never skip it.
BLACK AND BLUE
By jill lost jack
January 27, 2003
Rating:
There is no real reason not to like this album. It has great tracks such as 'Fool to Cry',
(a song even my girlfriend, an adamant Stones hater, thinks is one the greatest tracks of
all time). 'Cherry oh Baby' and 'Hey Negrita's are just brilliant. Infact there isn't a
song on this album that musically can be considered bad. The problem with this abum is not
the music, its that every song sounds bord. These people sound like they've had enough of
pumping out the same sound for at least ten years. The question I ask of this album is,
wer'es the life? Lack of enthusiasm is what killed a lot of otherwise good Stones
albums during the 70s, the exemption being Some Girls. It wasn't really until Steel
Wheels that they really regained their magic
BLACK AND BLUE
By Locked Away
November 30, 2002
Rating:
This is a partial return to form for the Stones, who had faltered badly after their
masterpiece Exile On Main Street. Of course its nowhere near as good, but it
beats Its Only Rock and Roll, and is possibly better, track for track, than Goats
Head Soup. It sees the now thirty-something Stones with their first real attempt to
break new ground with forays into white reggae, dance, and the curious but excellent
Melody. And although it lacks cohesion, there is a certain creative spirit that binds
these eight tracks together and raises it above the mire that marred their previous two
albums- it sounds fresher as if the band had regained their belief. "Hot Stuff"
must have surprised Rolling Stones fans in 1976- it is passable funk rock, but
"Hand of Fate" is for me one of their best songs. Jagger again sounds
convincing, great guitar, and great guest solo. "Cherry Oh Baby" is a weak spot
but at least it sounds clean and rehearsed, while "Memory Motel" is arguably
their best ever ballad (after "Wild Horses"). "Hey Negrita" suffers
from the same lack of punch as "Cherry Oh Baby", but "Melody" is
superb, and "Fool To Cry" is another great ballad. Only "Crazy Mama"
sounds out of place here and would have been better on Some Girls- surely
"Worried About You" or "Slave" which were recorded around the same
time would have fitted in better. Overall this stands up, together with Some Girls,
Steel Wheels and Tattoo You as their best work post Exile On Main
Street.
BLACK AND BLUE
By Gary Roberts
September 28, 2002
Rating:
Yet another much-derided mid-seventies Stones album which is far better than many of its
critics give it credit for. For a start, the freshness of the audio production suggests
the beginnings of a new-phase Stones (now with Ron Wood on board, though not
heavily-featured on the album). The emphasis is on reggae and a soulful sound, with the
repetitive riffing of the opening cut, HOT STUFF, coupled with Mick's "black"
phrasings, immediately suggesting a sunny island atmosphere (perfectly evoked by the
superb album sleeve photographs). HAND OF FATE, a tale of bar-room rivalry, features some
good, chunky guitar work and another powerful Jagger vocal. CHERRY OH BABY, this album's
"cover", is pure reggae, with Mick and Keith delivering great harmony vocals,
and some good, understated guitar and percussion work. MEMORY MOTEL, opened with Keith's
powerful electric piano phrasing, is a sad tale of lost love and torn emotions, and in my
opinion, one of the true mid-seventies Stones classics. Even Jagger manages to sound
sincere, and Keith's "she got a mind of her own" vocal contribution,
though brief, proves once again how sweet and soulful a singer he can be, despite his
sidekick's occasional piss-takes. Side Two kicks off with the wonderful HEY NEGRITA, the
album's dirtiest and funkiest reggae-inspired track, with more sinewy guitar work, leading
on to MELODY, where Billy Preston's piano dominates. Not classic Stones, but still good.
Then we come to FOOL TO CRY, with some more nice electric piano work, a soulful Jagger
vocal and plenty of effectively low-key guitar work. The album culminates with the
powerful, lyrically violent CRAZY MAMA, whose sound mix is about the muddiest on B&B,
and which ends things off energetically, putting lie to the idea that the Stones of 1976
had run out of steam. Mention should be made of that superb rhythm section, Messrs Wyman
and Watts, whose playing throughout is characteristically understated, but no less
powerful for that. So to sum up, BLACK AND BLUE is a more-than-competent addition to the
Stones catalogue, musically adept if not exactly earth-shattering.
BLACK AND BLUE
By GB
September 7, 2002
Rating:
Goat's Head Soup, It's Only Rock n Roll, Black n Blue, Some Girls, and Tattoo
You are roughly all of the same quality. GHS boasts a post Exile
sound and fabulous Taylor solos - plus Jimmy Miller's production. It's my favorite of
these latter day albums. IORR had some interesting baritone guitar work all over
it, and was a lively album. Then they made BnB.
BnB defines what a transitional album is all about. Unlike Let it Bleed,
when they were transitioning with the wind in their sails, this time the tide has long
gone out. Although Some Girls would prove livelier, more consistent, and overall
better entertainment, than this, in retrospect we can find a lot of things to like about BnB.
'Hot Stuff'. This song sounds good, in the purest sense of the word. Great production. The
solo is right on and Keith's rhythm guitar is perfect. There's clarity in the mix.
Jagger's a little dull, other than that, it works. 'Hand of Fate', now this is rock n
roll. 'He shot me once but I shot him twice.' Great solo, great vocal, great
rhythm section, great riff. 'Cherry Oh Baby'. Some people just can't get a joke. This is a
joke, it's a chill out song, like a beach party strum-a-long. 'Memory Motel'. This is the
other classic on the album. Seven minutes of dueling electric pianos and singing from Mick
and Keith about lost loves and lost dreams.
You can throw the whole second side out. Even 'Hey Negrita' is expendable. 'Fool to Cry'
suffers from Jagger's falsetto. 'Crazy Mama' is too boilerplate. And, last and least,
'Melody' is the most embarrassing song the Stones ever released. The catcalls between
Jagger and Preston are comical. They must have been indebted to Preston to have allowed
this song to ever get recorded and released. It is pathetic, from the first note to the
last.
Still, the good outweighs the bad, and enough so that this is yet another very good Stones
album.
BLACK AND BLUE
By David
July 28, 2002
Rating:
This album is definitely one of the band's strangest, and is at least definitely an
intriguing listen for Stones fans, even though they might end up disliking much of the
material on it. Certainly it's inconsistent, and many of the songs sound very dated and
'of their time'- for instance, 'Fool To Cry' may have sounded like a find ballad in 1976,
but nowadays it sounds hilariously kitsch, and could easily feature on the soundtrack of
the next Austin Powers film. Likewise, 'Hot Stuff' (what a title!) and 'Memory Motel'
suffer from this, though it doesn't make them bad songs. The former lazily grooves along
with a brilliant funkified riff while Jagger spits out virtually incoherent doggerel
about...well, something or other involving Jamaica and New York, while the latter is
another strong ballad marred slightly by its length and the presence of two cheesy
keyboards almost burying the melody.
Then there's the weaker, not so 'hot' stuff. 'Cherry Oh Baby' is probably the worst, being
the Stones attempting reggae but sounding hopelessly rigid and affected, as if the rhythm
section simply can't grasp the concept at all. Apparently there's an outtake of this
floating around somewhere which is far superior because the band are quite obviously
plastered and as a result are loose enough to play this convincingly. Wouldn't mind
hearing that. Onto Melody, which starts off as an interesting and slightly jazzy piano-led
track but quickly runs out of ideas and meanders aimlessly with the same vocal line being
repeatedly over and over until some blasting horns thankfully kick in and boot some life
into it. 'Crazy Mama' starts out well but then settles into a generic mid-paced rocker
that the band could pump out in their sleep. It's still quite fun, but doesn't really hold
up to more than a couple of listens.
Then, there's the best stuff. 'Hand of Fate' is just great, a rolling mid-tempo rocker
like 'Crazy Mama' but with far more to it, principally some murderous lyrics ('I shot that
man, I put him underground! Yes, I did!') and a sublime guitar solo from Wayne Perkins.
'Hey Negrita' is the other really good 'un, a stuttering, funky jam with some of the most
interesting and oddest guitar work I've yet to hear on a Stones track. Plus, it goes on
for a long time but doesn't outstay its welcome, a good trick if you can do it.
So there it is. Three good but dated and slightly camp-sounding tracks, three mediocre to
bad ones, and two fantastic. Not a great Stones effort by a long shot, but a brave and
interesting attempt that deserves a better reputation. Basically, it's the band doing what
they like and not caring if they fail.
BLACK AND BLUE
By the chipper
March 23, 2002
Rating:
This is the Stones' weakest studio album. There are only two legitimate rock'n'roll tunes
here, the excellent "Hand Of Fate" and the generic "Crazy Mama".
"Fool To Cry" was the hit single, and it's a pretty enough song, but Stones fans
know the story... Keith used to actually fall asleep on stage when they were doing this
live. "Memory Motel" is a nostalgic look back at life on the road, with Mick and
Keith sharing lead vocals. Like "Fool To Cry", it's an okay number, but the
mellow ones aren't supposed to be the highlights of a Rolling Stones album! As for
"Hot Stuff", "Hey Negrita", and "Cherry Oh Baby", there's a
reason why funk and reggae didn't catch on like rock'n'roll, soul or R and B... these
songs are repetitive, dull and unmelodic, among the worst in the band's history. Finally,
there's "Melody", a pleasant little shuffle of a song, but it's more of a Billy
Preston tune than a Stones song. I heartily recommend that anyone who likes Rock should
own the entire Stones' catalog ( the studio albums, anyway) including Black And Blue,
but get all the others first!
BLACK AND BLUE
By Luke
March 22, 2002
Rating:
I'm not surprised with not so good reviews on this album, simply because it's not typical
Stones album and sound. But, in my opinion it's fantastic. So deep, full of soul, hot,
black and rough. 'Hey Negrita' is probably the best of Ron Wood with The Stones, 'Hand of
Fate' and 'Crazy Mama' classic, full-blooded rock-ala Stones, 'Hot Stuff' absolutely
infectious, 'Melody' is magic, fabulous reggae and two lovely ballads... Everything is in
its place. For me the best electric guitar's album from Stones. Did they pick right man
for the job then, hmmm? That's a question. Nothing was wrong with H. Mandel and W.Perkins.
Roonie is real soul-mate for Keef, fit well in a band, but these two guys were great too.
Anyway, didn't like this one for a while, 'cause I was looking for another 'Jumping Jack
Flash' or 'Brown Sugar' or 'Gimme Shelter'. But, this one is equally great, just
different. One of my Top 5 Stones albums of all time.
BLACK AND BLUE
By Zenski
July 1, 2001
Rating:
The cover has that island look, the album has some reggae, the harlem rocker 'Hand of
Fate', the fine ballads, 'Memory Motel' & 'Fool To Cry', some Spanglish Caribbean with
'Hey Negrita' & of course, the finisher 'Crazy Mama'. On the whole, not one
unlistenable song, even if none of them really tear up the dance floor, it's still a good
effort. One can not fault the soulsy boys for trying to get into a little disco with
"Hot Stuff", and a lot of the ambience, from the album cover by the sea, is sort
of a laid back feeling. Not really fitting in with the banned promo posters of the era.
Maybe in some ways I am straight, I like the Stones a lot, some antics I have never taken
too. That is besides the point.
Though I may not be able to pinpoint it, some songs like 'Cherry O-Baby', may be reggae,
but I believe, more approximate, this dates to even earlier Caribbean music, I am not sure
of the genre, maybe SKA or Rock Steady. The little bit of 'Spanglish' with "Hey
Negrita" makes the voyage complete, conjuring up pictures of Brazil or Cuba. This
fits in with Keith's production of the Max Romeo albums. If this is not a five star album,
I would say, the songs may not cut to the point or be classic, like "Midnight
Rambler", not catch as "Tumbling Dice", but the debut album with new Stone
Ron Wood, an effort, I nevertheless return to time and again. Yet, this is subjective. I
can relate to many of the themes stated above. An eight song disc outside of the Stones
traditions, it is up to the listener.
BLACK AND BLUE
By Chris Howen
January 30, 2001
Rating:
After Exile on Main Street we see the Stones settle into complacency. Although Goats
Head Soup and Its Only Rock n Roll have some shining moments, these albums
lacked the fire and passion the Stones are known for. On Black and Blue the
Stones broke out of their funk to create their most musically diverse album to date.
Diving head first into Reggae, Funk, Jazz and Soul this album is a must have for any true
Stones fan. Also this album features the best "unknown" Stone rockers. 'Hand of
Fate' rocks while Woody makes 'Hey Negrita' so down and dirty he became the next and last
Stones addition. This album breathed new life into the Stones.
BLACK AND BLUE
By Net Pimp
December 26, 2000
Rating:
Black & Blue usually gets seen as their worst 70s album here, but I disagree.
2nd to Some Girls, it's their best. The riffs are cooler and some funk is added on James
Brown-influenced tracks like "Hot Stuff" which repeats the same lyrics, quite
like those funk records JB cut. "Hand of Fate" "Hey Negrita,"
'Melody" and "Crazy Mama" all regain a rhythmic sense that Keith had lost
during his heroin haze before Ron Wood stepped in to add some chunky guitar style. They
tackle a reggae number "Cherry oh Baby," and have some tender ballads with the
"Moonlight Mile" second-coming "Memory Motel," and "Fool to
Cry" songs which make Mick reach for those falsetto parts. In all, it's a success,
showing the Stones were not about to fade away. After 1981, they really had nothing
classic left. This one is a centrepiece for their next, a more grittier, yet dancier,
album.
BLACK AND BLUE
By Neil Bostock
September 9, 2000
Rating:
Black and Blue was the first Stones album I had bought since Sticky Fingers
(somehow I missed Exile which was later acquired and treasured), but in my
opinion this was their best music for several years, other than the awesome
"Angie" a year or two before. The Stones in the early days were all about
drawing from black music influences and making them uniquely Stones, and Black and
Blue is a return to that technique. We have reggae, jazz, funk, soul, a couple of
tough rockers, and of course the incomparable "Memory Motel", easily the most
underrated and most radio-ignored Stones song of all time. All you can find on Napster is
the live Stones/Dave Matthews version. Vastly inferior. In the same way that The Kinks
always explored very broadly but always sounded like the Kinks, Black and Blue
casts a wide net but just couldn't be anybody else. The playing is tough, the singing is
great, and the songs are either good or top notch. When released I might have given it a
ten, but have dropped it a notch in retrospect, since "Hot Stuff" doesn't sound
as funky as it used to since I became a James Brown fan. An unjustly ignored record.
BLACK AND BLUE
By FujiSaki
August 31, 2000
Rating:
No, this album isn't another Exile or Sticky Fingers or even Goat's
Head Soup but it's still very very good. This doesn't crack the Stones top 10 best
but it would be a masterpiece by almost any other band. "Memory Motel" is the
best song on the album. Incredibly epic and beautiful. Songs like that are my favorite
type of song. Next best song is "Fool to Cry". "Hey Negrita" is real
cool and funky. "Hot Stuff" is ok for disco and probably better than "Miss
You". "Hand of Fate" is a real good tune too. Wood's first album with the
band and unfortunately, there is very little from the Human Riff. Still, Mick's vocals
sound great and he writes song of his best lyrics on this album. The Stones never made a
bad album in the 70s and this one is no exception.
BLACK AND BLUE
By christophoros
April 9, 2000
Rating:
To Steve Cronen; about MEMORY MOTEL (and at the same time also about NO EXPECTATIONS)
you took the words straight out of my mouth. There are good reason why it together
with ANGIE, WAITING ON A FRIEND and the albums SOME GIRLS, STEEL WHEELS
and VOODOO LOUNGE, was called among the Stones' works after EXILE ON MAIN
STREET, that deserve a mentioning, and that even before NO SECURITY with it
was released. The song is very long for the Stones, but it' s completely epic. The BLUEs
comes shorter, it' s mainly the BLACK music, that' s significant for the album. On CHERRY
OH BABY they risk another joyful reggae tune. I think, the album is underrated, because
there aren' t any real classics on it. The only exception is perhaps HOT STUFF, an early
techno try, that sounds best when it' s played out loudly. And it' s also true that BLACK
AND BLUE isn' t completely as great as the albums before and especially the one after. It'
s because while recording it they were searching for a new guitarist and with him the
right direction. The whole guest appearancing (as you can see it listed inside the cover)
is a bit irritating, the boys anyway are excellent on this one.
BLACK AND BLUE
By Steve Cronen
December 15, 1999
Rating:
What's so wrong with this album? Other than a few stinky tracks and not enough other
tracks, this is still a wonderful album! Every time I listen to it, I have to get up and
dance because it's just so damn funky! "Hot Stuff" enthralled me from the moment
I heard it. Man, can that Harvey Mandel play! You have to love Mick's vocal, especially
near the end. "Hand of Fate" is the outright rocker of the 8-song collection.
Keith Richards and Wayne Perkinds fuse so perfectly, it almost makes Ronnie Wood look
obsolete. "He shot me once, but I shot him twice." How can kids today pan groups
like the Stones when lyrics like these set forth the "violent" songs by groups
like Korn and Limp Bizkit (both of which I hate)? "Memory Motel"... what can I
say? It's the only Stones song besides "No Expectations" that can make me cry.
It's the first ballad since IORR's "Til the Next Goodbye" where Mick Jagger
sounds absolutely sincere in both his delivery and message of the song. He and Keith have
always harmonized wonderfully, but this song tops 'em all. And for Mr. Richards? As long
as he keeps singing tear-jerking lyrics like, "She got a mind of her own, and she use
it well. Yeah, well, she's one of a kind," he'll always be the main man. "Hey
Negrita" is funky to the extreme, taking elements from both "Hot Stuff" and
"Hand of Fate." "Fool to Cry," while not as captivating as
"Motel," still gets its point across. The album ends with an underrated classic,
"Crazy Mama." Keith again shines on guitar.
My only two disliked tracks are "Cherry Oh Baby" and "Melody." I'll
just leave it at that. Otherwise, the other six (six?!) tracks on here are all worth it.
BLACK AND BLUE
By: Socrates Theo
March 8, 1999
Rating:
Black and Blue is one of the most underrated albums in the Stones catalogue. Released in
1976, this album was a breath of fresh air compared to the lack luster efforts presented
on GHS and Its Only Rock n Roll. Black and Blue is so great because you never know what to
expect next. The Stones experiment with Reggae (Oh Cherry Baby, Hey Negrita), Disco (Hot
Stuff), and rock out on Hand of Fate and the discs closer, Crazy Mama. The real highlight
of this disc is the 7 minute plus ballad Memory Motel which includes some of the best
singing Keith has ever done with the Stones. Black and Blue is also refreshing because it
was an attempt by the stones to get back to the basics. One example is the albums artwork.
Unlike elaborate and overblown efforts like the cover work on GHS or the postcards and
endless photos on Exile on Main Street, Black and Blue was not consumed with these types
of antics. A simple picture of the Stones on the cover looking into the camera was all it
took to capture where the stones were at then and what they were about. The only bad song
on the album is the Billy Preston influenced "Melody". Preston (a session
musician with the band) had successfully driven the Stones to go off into new directions
such as reggae but it seems that on this tune that he is almost a full member of the band
and not just someone present to help the stones capture a sound that they wanted. It seems
in retrospect that he was taking advantage of the stones situation at the time (drug
abuse, looking for a second guitarist to replace Mick Taylor) by trying to showcase his
own talents and drag the band down the musical path he wanted to undertake. Melody as a
result comes out as a boring duet between Jagger and Preston which aggitates the listen
more than it entertains. The emotional Fool To Cry is also included which did well in the
charts but proved to be stale when presented in a live setting. Over all, the album Black
and Blue is an album worthwhile for any fan that wants to dig deep into the Stones vast
Keno's mini review, song list, lyrics and more info on BLACK AND BLUE
To listen to some sound clips from
BLACK
AND BLUE or to buy it click here:
Black and Blue
