Posted by Steve Cronen on December 19, 1999 at 13:51:24:
In Reply to: Black and Blue..an unheralded masterpiece? posted by Mr. Ventilator on December 09, 1999 at 09:53:40:
: I posted on Black and Blue sometime back, saying I'd revised my previous lukewarm feelings about the album when I bought the CD version.
: Since then my opinion of this album has done nothing but climb. I've become kind of addicted to it. I'd now rank it in the top 5. My reasons:
: 1. Two fine rockers - Hand of Fate and Crazy Mama - that are as close to pure unadulterated Keith as you can find.
: 2. Two fine ballads. Maybe a bit schmaltzy, but they've not been equalled since.
: 3. Every song is interesting. Even Hot Stuff, the weakest song on the album, has a unique lead guitar sound. The song arrangements are fully worked out, densely layered carefully crafted - you can listen to them again and again and hear new things each time.
: 4. It's Charlie's best album. Listen to his work on HOF and CM.
: 5. It has the best sound on any Stones record. Only Sticky Fingers is in the same league. You can hear every note, and the songs have a unity of sound quality that's missing in most of the Stones subsequent work.
: 6. The variety of sidemen used by the Stones, esp. Perkins..Mandel., gave the album some flavors that they haven't had before or since.
: Dare I say it..I might even give this record the nod over Let It Bleed..heresy, I know..but geez, this album sounds good..
I love Black and Blue! It's one of the best Stones albums I've heard in a while! I love the funky stuff. "Hot Stuff" is an instant classic. "Hand Of Fate" rocks harder than almost anything they'd done previously. "Memory Motel" is an absolute masterpiece. "Hey Negrita" is just as good as "Hot Stuff." "Fool to Cry," though a bit schmaltzy, is still nice. And "Crazy Mama" again rocks out. I don't care for "Melody" or "Cherry Oh Baby," but hey, you can't win 'em all.