Blue & Lonesome [LP]

by The Rolling Stones

Overview

As Keith Richards tells it, the Rolling Stones' first-ever all-blues album is the result of the band learning how to play in the unfamiliar surroundings of Mark Knopfler's British Grove Studios. To ease into the new place, the Stones decided to knock out a version of Little Walter's "Blue and Lonesome" and it sounded good enough that the band decided to cut a few more covers, winding up with a full album of Chicago blues in a few days. The Stones haven't worked at such swift speed in decades -- not since the early '60s, when they were churning out two albums a year -- and much of the appeal of Blue & Lonesome lies in its casualness: by being tossed off, the album highlights how the Stones play together as a band, blending instinct and skill. Blue & Lonesome isn't a showcase for virtuoso playing -- even Eric Clapton's two smoldering solos are part of the tapestry -- but rather a groove record, emphasizing feel and interplay while never losing sight of the song. Such commitment to song is one of the reasons Blue & Lonesome winds up as an unexpected triumph from Mick Jagger. A blues album from the Stones always seemed like a dream project for Keith Richards, who always championed the band's blues roots, but it's Jagger who dominates the album, playing searing harp and singing with nuance and power. Always a guarded performer -- back in 1974, he scoffed at the notion of letting his feelings flood on the page -- Jagger seems freed, pouring heart into the slow burners and uptempo shuffles alike. The rest of the Stones match his commitment and that's what makes Blue & Lonesome something remarkable. Conceptually, it's clever -- if this winds up being the last Rolling Stones album, it provides a nice bookend to their 1964 debut -- but it's artistically satisfying because it's the Rolling Stones allowing themselves to simply lay back and play for sheer enjoyment. It's a rare thing that will likely seem all the more valuable over the years. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	12/02/2016
Label:	Interscope / Polydor
UPC:	0602557149449
Rank:	4221

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Just Your Fool
2. Commit a Crime
3. blue and Lonesome
4. All of Your Love
5. I Gotta Go
6. Everybody Knows About My Good Thing

Disc 2

7. Ride 'Em on Down
8. Hate to See You Go
9. Hoo Doo Blues
10. Little Rain
11. Just Like I Treat You
12. I Can't Quit You Baby

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Rolling Stones   Primary Artist
Ron Wood   Guitar
Keith Richards   Guitar
Charlie Watts   Drums
Mick Jagger   Harp,Vocals

Technical Credits

Stephen Marcussen   Mastering
Jimmy Reed   Composer
The Glimmer Twins   Producer
Chester Burnett   Composer
Eddie Taylor Jr.   Composer
Ewart Abner   Composer
Eddie Taylor   Composer
Andy Cook   Assistant Engineer
Walter Jacobs   Composer
Lermon Horton   Composer
Krish Sharma   Engineer
Jerry West   Composer
Miles Grayson   Composer
Otis Hicks   Composer
Don Was   Producer
Samuel Maghett   Composer
Willie Dixon   Composer
Richard Havers   Liner Notes
Jason Elliott   Assistant Engineer
Derrick Stockwell   Assistant Engineer