The Rolling Stones - Black and Blue song by song thread

Yep, that could have taken the album to a classic status.

 

Personally, I like Worried About You better than Fool To Cry or Memory Motel.

 

It's definitely better than one of those two, which I really can't stand, although I'll wait to reveal that song when we get to it.

 

If you had your way every Stones record would be changed, and we'd never have the killer B-sides or stand alone singles that are part of the Stones rich history.

 

I don't recall any of these being singles.

 

Side one could have opened with Slave, and Worried About You could have been the opener for side 2.

jeff

 

Melody is a bummer in an otherwise great album. I always have skipped past it, even back in the days when I had the album on cassette. Cherry oh Baby is at least Ok, IMO.

 

That is just not what I meant, please don't take a simple figure of speech so literally. I can write in a terse manner sometimes, particularly when browsing this forum on a smartphone, but I certainly don't mean to be rude

Putting your remarks on my age aside (what does it matter anyway?) I have been professionally involved in the promotion/production side of live rock music for over a decade including on the Stones' Bigger Bang tour, which I think should give me some insight into their shift in approach — beginning with the seventies — towards more of a 'play to the rafters' vibe. So take that for what you will... or not

 

Interesting idea. It probably would have given the record better credibility overall. I've never been much of a fan of Cherry, Oh Baby; now Melody I can take or leave. A few weeks ago it popped up on a Stones mix I had in the car and it was cool to hear at that time. Within the context of the record, both numbers do offer diversity, but I think they fumbled the reggae approach on Cherry and yet, managed to pull off the R&B/jazz vibe that Melody evokes.

 

I second the notion on Fool to Cry, one of my top least favorites ever! I remember reading in a Richards bio circa late 80's-early 90's during the tour behind B&B that Keith fell asleep during the number, only to wake himself up with his volume pedal, that about sums it up for me...

 

Yeah, that's the downside of listening to it on vinyl, but skipping that mess is mandatory.

 

"Fell asleep"....Is that what Keith calls nodding off?

 

Somethin' like that! Haha.

 

Forgive the big catch up post!

I personally have very little use for Some Girls or Tattoo You, and as for Black And Blue I'd never even heard of it before discovering it at the library. Thanks EPL!

I can never decide which has the better drum sound: "Hot Stuff" or "Slave". Charlie Watts' drums never sounded like that before, or since!

Hell, even Keith Richards has said as much over the years. It's one of the main reasons why they pretty much limited the Some Girls sessions to the five core members, with sidemen essentially making 'cameos' on the record. Keith reckoned all the session men were taking the Stones away from their normal sound.

Can't argue with that. Keith's lack of input due to his addiction left a gap that needed to be filled somehow, whether it was Mick Taylor or Billy Preston acting as a foil for Jagger.

His contract demanded it, the Stones had no choice but to go along if they wanted Preston on the tour.

Robert Plant actually makes a snarky little comment when introducing "Ten Years Gone" at Zeppelin's May 18 '77 show in Birmingham, Alabama- he's describing why John Paul Jones required his custom triple neck guitar to play a few of the songs, because Zeppelin didn't want to bring in any extra members for the shows: "So, we didn't get Billy Preston..." is how Plant words it, and you know exactly which band he's referring to there.

"Synthesizer has no f--king business being on any Stones song, but especially 'Midnight Rambler'!" - Mrs Ohnothimagen

Exactly. We're not a bunch of yes men, saying "Ooh...we looooooove the Stones, they could do no wrong, every single thing they've ever done has been great!" There's no unobjective Beatles fanboy-type groupthink going on here. Not everything the Stones have done has been great...the fun is that most Stones fans have very varying opinions as to what's great and what isn't with this band.

We're just about done with the Steely Dan thread. After that, I'm gonna tackle Goats Head Soup. After that, I am seriously considering an Emotional Rescue song-by-song...that should be fun!

"Fool To Cry" is my hands down, bar none, full stop, least favourite Rolling Stones song of all time. But we'll get to that in due course...

"Worried About You" should have been on the album in place of "Fool To Cry" if they insisted on having a ballad on there.

"Cherry Oh Baby" and "Melody"- my wife's favourite songs on the album. The ones most people tend to love to hate

Wouldn't you start nodding off if you had to play "Fool To Cry"?

 

I think some of us would have preferred the Stones didn't agree to Preston's contract demands and instead got more input from Nicky Hopkins.

 

Hopkins was incapacitated by his drinking and coke problems by that time. He joined the Jerry Garcia Band in 75, members of which certainly had their own substance issues, but he couldn't last even in that more laid-back and stupefied environment. Of course, he did wonderful work with the Who in 75. But had other health problems which made him still further unable to handle the grind of touring, even with the chill JGB. He was only 50 when he died.

 

Yes, but he did contribute to the Black And Blue lp. Too bad he didn't contribute more.

 

In a live setting both Preston and Taylor certainly hogged too much spotlight and diluted the shows.

OTOH, I think Preston's studio contributions really took them to the next level on this one and spearheaded their final great evolution into a funk act. And Melody is absolutely gorgeous.

As to how many great tunes are on this album, I used to feel the answer was "every f-ing one" but its detractors have convinced me that Cherry is more properly ranked a notch lower as "a super catchy novelty tune for which I have great personal affection"

 

I don't really think Taylor hogged the spotlight. He played a few solos but was rather stoic and not mugging with Jagger and running around the stage like Billy Preston did. Woody mugs for the camera way more than Taylor ever did. Some fans refer to it as Woody's comic relief.

 

Am I right in thinking this is an album by The Stones, of which all of the songs have been played live? "Memory Motel" had it's debut on the Voodoo Lounge tour I think. The rest were all debuted circa 75-77.

 

I think so...even "Melody" has been played at a theatre show or two in recent times. Surprised there were no specific "Black And Blue" nights on the Licks tour, though some of the theatre shows came close.

 

Which song are we supposed to be discussing at the moment?

 

Hand of Fate

 

When B&B came out, Memory Motel was on the radio way too much. And it goes on and on, like a funeral dirge.

Never really understood why my local rock stations didn't play Hand of Fate more.

 

Amen, brother.