The Rolling Stones have announced “Blue And Lonesome,” featuring 12 covers of blues songs essential to the Stones’ rock and roll roots. It is the first album released by the band since “A Bigger Bang” (2005), which was released eight years after “Bridges to Babylon.”
The album was first announced back in April when Keith Richards revealed that it would contain “a lot of Chicago blues.” Cream’s legendary guitarist Eric Clapton and Rolling Stones contemporary was coincidentally recording as the band was in the studio, so he was asked to appear on a couple of the album’s tracks.
The blues, it’s always the blues
Blue and Lonesome will explore the Stones’ heavy blues influence, which was vital for the British Invasion of the rock and roll movement of the 1970’s. It will feature Jagger, Richards, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts, Darryl Jones, Chuch Leavell and Matt Clifford on keyboards, and of course, Eric Clapton.
Blues and Lonesome is a take on the Rolling Stones’ true origins, as the band started out as a blues covers band. Their first album only featured one original song, while the rest of the tracks were authored by blues legends such as Chuck Berry, Willie Dixon. The second album also featured covers by Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters.
“We went in to cut some new songs, which we did, but we got on a blues streak. We cut 11 blues in two days. They are extremely great cover versions of Howlin’ Wolf and Little Walter, among other blues people. But they really sound authentic,” said Ronnie Wood back in April.
Every one of the Stones’ records has a deep connection with the blues, either aesthetically or in its lyrical subject, even when the band went ahead and experimented and further evolved the rock genre. Blue and Lonesome is anything but a surprise for Rolling Stones fans, since the blues was the origin of all rock and roll music, going from the Stones up to Led Zeppelin, anything that can be put in between and more.
The leading single “Just Your Fool” is already available for listening on Youtube.
Blues and Lonesome track listing stands as follows:
1. “Just Your Fool” (Little Walter)
2. “Commit a Crime” (Chester Burnett)
3. “Blue and Lonesome” (Little Walter)
4. “All of Your Love” (Samuel Maghett)
5. “I Gotta Go” (Little Walter)
6. “Everybody Knows About My Good Thing” (Miles Grayson/Lermon Horton) (feat. Eric Clapton)
7. “Ride ‘Em On Down” (Eddie Taylor)
8. “Hate To See You Go” (Little Walter)
9. “Hoo Doo Blues” (Otis Hicks/Jerry West)
10. “Little Rain” (Ewart Abner/Jimmy Reed)
11. “Just Like I Treat You” (Willie Dixon)
12. “I Can’t Quit You Baby” (Willie Dixon) (feat. Eric Clapton)
Source: Rolling Stone