Black and Blue

RossB (November 27, 2008)

One of my favorite albums. The musicianship on this album is amazing. "Melody" features some great harmonizing between Mick Jagger and Billy Preston (as well as some marvelous piano playing by Preston). That song alone is worth the cost of the album.

The criticism of this album reminds me of how Bob Dylan was criticized when he moved away from folk toward Rock and Roll. This doesn't sound like a typical Rolling Stones album, but it is still outstanding. Some fans of the Rolling Stones don't like it, but others (like me) love it. A warning though: unlike so many of the great Stones songs, this does not play well in low fidelity. You can take a song off of their early albums, play it on a cheap stereo (or hear it on the radio) and love it. Not so with this album -- much of it is subtle guitar licks, piano playing or singing that is hard to hear (and appreciate) unless the music is played loud or on a good stereo (or both).