Last Albums: The Rolling Stones - Blue & Lonesome (2016)

With the remaining members all well into their 70s and Charlie Watts already gone Blue & Lonesome is more than likely The Rolling Stones' last studio album, and it's their only full length record since The Bigger Bang was released way back in 2005. It's also a surprise because there isn't a single Keith Richards / Mick Jagger original song anywhere. Instead, Blue & Lonesome offers up twelve raw covers of old blues tunes, many that predate the infamous British rockers' career.

I've written here before that when an artist releases an album of all cover songs it's often because he or she has run out of inspiration while still having contractual obligations to fulfill. It is to the Stones' credit that they didn't fall into that fatal trap by releasing an album that often puts the nail in the coffin of many formerly great and productive careers.

Blue & Lonesome sounds like a true labor of love. The blues are what inspired Jagger and friends in the beginning and it's a shame the band took so long to produce such an effort.

Richards is the The Rolling Stones' Paul McCartney. He's the one who seems to care most about their legacy so what is truly amazing about this record is how much of a Jagger album it is. While the songs feature three great guitarists (Richards, Ron Wood, and guest star Eric Clapton who plays slide guitar on "Everybody Knows About My Good Thing" and lead electric on "I Can't Quit You Baby") it's the renowned frontman's vocals and harmonica playing that stand out. While all of the axe work is quite good it is Jagger who comes across as the most engaged. Who knew he still had it in him?

Featured tracks include four Little Walter compositions and two from Willie Dixon. The Stones also included work from Magic Sam, Howlin' Wolf, and others in this twelve song set.

The Glimmer Twins and their mates were born to play this music. I'm willing to go out on a limb and say this is my favorite Rolling Stones' album. I'm sure to get some blowback with a statement like that, but if this is truly the last album by England's second most famous rock band, it's a great way to say farewell.
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Last Albums discusses music that was recorded as new material and intended to be released to the public as a complete album but not necessarily the last one. Live albums, greatest hits or "best of" collections and compilations do not count, nor do posthumous releases of leftover tracks cobbled together to make a final album.

Comments

  1. Kurt Blumenau1:32 PM, November 26, 2022

    The drum fill at the beginning of "Commit a Crime" is pure Charlie Watts.

    ReplyDelete

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