Rolling Stones - Black and Blue
This was released in 1976 and marked the start of Ronnie Wood playing with the band. He was replacing Mick Taylor, who had left the Rolling Stones in December 1974. There may have been some laziness over the process to replace Taylor, or it may just have been very laid back, but the recording sessions for Black And Blue became an audition for Wood and other guitarists for the coveted place in the band.
This was the first Rolling Stones album I ever bought and with just a few albums from limited funds to my name, it got a lot of playing time back then. This is why I still like it, despite others placing it low on the band's ranking lists. The songs have a varied style. Some disco and reggae alongside rock and roll, but that’s not uncommon for the band over the years.
As an album, it’s not crammed with hits. “Fool to Cry” is a notable exception and still a great song. On the other hand, “Hey Negrita” and its Latin rhythm has some questionable lyrics and is perhaps best ignored now. Maybe because of that first purchase status, the album has good memories and gets played more often as a result. But it’s a decent sound overall and worth a revisit.
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