Black and Blue 50th Anniversary. The Rolling Stones

Forty nine and a half years ago my parents took me on a roadtrip to the south of the U.K., including two uncles and aunts and a niece. That spring The Rolling Stones had released a new album called 'Black And Blue', and I would be allowed to buy the album there. It cost two pound sixty nine pence. a lot cheaper than at home it was. It was my first Stones album, followed within a few months by 'Goat's Head Soup' and Get Your Ya-ya's Out.

On the radio pirate station 'Mi Amigo' the new single of The Rolling Stones was announced and played, 'Hey Nigrita'. It turned out that the leaked song was not the single. One week later 'Fool To Cry' was played. Both songs were a bit of a shock for the young Stones fan I was. But then, I only knew a few singles at the time and that was it.

Black And Blue is often displayed as a weak intermediate album by a band that had to reinvent itself after guitarist Mick Taylor had left the band in 1974. Now I have always found Black And Blue a very strong album. An album on which the band dared to experiment with a host of styles. It was far removed from the formalistic band it would become from the 80s onwards, until 2023 that is.

Through the years I've always returned to it. To my 1976 album with that great cover or to the cd I bought decades later. And now my third version with the extra cd entered the home. The album got the Steven Wilson remix treatment. Yes, I have the idea that I'm hearing things (better) than before. Elements in the music have been brought forward.to garner the attention they deserve. I also experience a guitar more up front that I would not have minded had it remained more obscured, but that is a minority. Mostly the album sounds great.

Years ago I wrote that dying means never to be able to listen to 'Melody' again. And although I received a return message that we can never know, I'm not hopeful in that respect. So, I'm enjoying it while I can. 'Melody', did Billy Preston write parts or most of it?, remains the dirtiest song the Stones ever recorded.  That dragging tempo, the way the piano picks up the song, the guitar accents, the singing between Mick Jagger ad Billy Preston is masterly. Jagger sings as if he's on her trail and ready to kill. And then near the end the horns come in for a support slot that hammers the song home. It is one of band's best songs, if not the best.

With 'Memory Motel' the album contains one of the best ballads of the band. It is a song I just love to hear and sing along to. Let's not forget 'Fool To Cry'. Another superb ballad with Jagger turning his voice inside out. He had found his falsetto voice and wanted the world to know it.

With 'Hot Stuff' and 'Hey Negrita' the album has explorations into funk and with 'Cherry O Baby' into reggae. All while remaining The Rolling Stones. David Bowie with help of no less than John Lennon had released 'Fame' in 1975. The Stones recorded these forays into other musical styles in 1975. Ten years plus into the band's career, it was time for another change. It did the band a host of good.

(As an almost post scriptum. This Tuesday Jimmy Cliff died. It made me realise that he was one of two artists who introduced me to reggae, without me understanding to be listening to reggae in a conscious way. With 'I Shot The Sheriff', Eric Clapton's 1974 hit single, 'Cherry Oh Baby, was my second return to the music. Not much later Bob Marley and Peter Tosh started to score hits and UB 40 entered the musical scene.)

Finally, there are two straightforward rockers, 'Hand Of Fate' and 'Crazy Mama', so the fans of old would have a handle to hold on to. Especially 'Hand of Fate' is a very strong song. All together the songs make for a great album in which the band branched out in a very successful way.

On the second cd the already released 'Shame Shame Shame' can be found. The Stones turned the Shirley & Company number 1 hit into a fun Rolling Stones song with Jagger enjoying himself no little. His explorations into the nightlife of NYC were paying themselves back here. The second new song 'Love Letters' is a soul track, a nice to have but not a must have.

The jams with the guitarists who did not become the new member are nice to hear but not exceptional. All together this makes the re-release of Black And Blue far less urgent than e.g. 'Goat's Head Soup' and 'Tattoo You' as the additional cd there contained truly good songs, that would have made one great record together, say as 'Tattoo You Too'.

The clear sound of the new mix does make it of interest to buy the album. Steven Wilson did a very good job here. It provides a very good excuse to play my old fave album a few more times once again.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght