Album Review: 'Blue & Lonesome' by the Rolling Stones

Associated Press via Yahoo ^ | November 29th, 2016 | Unattributed

[Mariner]

It shouldn't be a surprise, really, but still it's a bit startling to hear just how well the Rolling Stones can play the blues. Strip away the glitz, the oversized stages and the pyrotechnics, and you're left with two terrific guitarists, a frontman who can play an exuberant harp — and a drummer named Charlie Watts. No wonder Blue & Lonesome sounds so solid.

Their first studio album in more than a decade has the simplest of concepts: Put the guys in a studio for three days, give them a songbook heavy on Jimmy Reed, Willie Dixon and Howlin' Wolf, and play it live, without overdubs. The album is noteworthy for what it is not: It's not a museum piece, not a tribute album, not an exercise in nostalgia, even if at times the sound harkens back to the blues covers that filled the Stones' first few albums.

[Mariner]

The Stones are one of the best blues bands in history. Both the Stones and their fans often forget that.

Superb video at the link.

[Beowulf9]

Charlie Watts Quintet is pretty good. I hear them on Siriusly Sinatra from time to time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc49ozRU1Io

[equaviator]

George Carlin said that it’s more white people’s job to give you the blues and not to sing them. At the time, he was referring to Bruce Willis and his “Bruno” thing.

[Bullish]

Blues is probably the most boring music ever created.

As a pro level rock musician and someone who’s played in a few blues bands I have room to talk.

[Mr. Mojo]

In the early/mid ‘60s they were a good blues cover band, but not in the same league as John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers or the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

That said, the Stones went into another gear in ‘68 - ‘72 when they made arguably one of the greatest runs in rock history, creating their own unique style.

I’m looking forward to hearing their new album.

[Sasparilla]

Welcome back to 1962.

[Mariner]

And what do you think of their mastery of the American Country form?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIfQipkkOqs

[Senator Goldwater]

Blues is probably the most boring music ever created.

As a pro level rock musician and someone who’s played in a few blues bands I have room to talk.

---

What then, would you find to be the most exciting music ever created?

[ColdOne]

The Stones are the blues....some of their early stuff Sweet Virgina one of my fave songs. then again when I listen to almost all of their songs...I say, hey that is one of my faves.

Album..Black n Blue..Crazy Momma.

[Mariner]

Be assured it’s big-haired rock with multiple flurries of micro notes on the guitar.

Simple scales, done fast.

[Company Man]

Maybe it’s that twelve bar thing. Kinda constrains creativity...

[tellw]

The early Stones albums are so great when it was almost all blues covers. They are so much better going back to their roots like this.

[ColdOne]

Also over the years been able to watch Mick and Keith play with some of the best blues musicians on TV. Mick was at WH a few years ago...I think BB king was there as well....

[LouieFisk]

“The Stones are one of the best blues bands in history”
==
I’d go with “average blues band”. Pretty much in the generic bar blues band territory. There are better blues bands that aren’t as well-known as the Stones and most people probably don’t know the names of the original blues greats.

[Mariner]

They are giants of the blues.

As is John Mayall. Seems no matter what guitar player he picks up is at least first rate. And he writes some jewels in the old tradition of Mississippi, or Chicago...or even Texas.

[Mariner]

Have you seen them play live?

[keat]

May be the first Rolling Stones album I’ve wanted to listen to since 1972. Has Eric Clapton on it too.

[Bullish]

Blues is way too much rudimentary 1-4-5s and repetitive in every way. I'm very eclectic in my listening as I do like all types of music including freeform and fusion jazz. I do like some blues and have played a lot in my career. I just find it the most boring of any type of music to play. As a musician I have found that players who are not talented enough to play technical rock and jazz songs gravitate to blues which is much easier to play comparatively. 1-4-5s are basically songs like ‘Johnny be good’ and ‘Tush’ for example and are very formulaic and rudimentary. They're not very interesting or hard to play, in fact I could play them in my sleep. Blues is full to the brim with easy peasy stuff like that.

Super boring to play. As a guy who's been playing guitar and bass almost my entire life I feel I have a standing to comment on a thread like this.

[Chode]

lotta strings for a quintet... 8^)

[ColdOne]

When I first started to listen to the Stones...never thought about the blues....then years later....found out I loved the blues.

There is a young kid...well younger than me back in the day...cannot remember his name...played without shoes. Long blonde hair...he played a outstanding git stick. I think Disney found him. Anyway....he plays the blues from his heart...never looks at the fret board when he plays. Love watching players do that.