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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

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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?

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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.
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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

To listen to some sound clips from BLACK AND BLUE or to buy it click here: Black and Blue

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