![the rolling stones black and blue the rolling stones black and blue](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0055/0479/4697/products/121374652_grande.jpg)
Photograph: Atlantic Recordsįive women connected with the group – “armed with buckets of fire-engine-red paint”, according to the magazine Mother Jones – defaced the hoarding, writing “This is a crime against women.” The band’s label, Atlantic Records, pulled the campaign.
![the rolling stones black and blue the rolling stones black and blue](https://i.etsystatic.com/24914367/r/il/a46772/2791922238/il_fullxfull.2791922238_7ioa.jpg)
Anyhow, that's my impression of listening to this one.The controversial advert for the Rolling Stones’ Black and Blue album from 1976, featuring the model Anita Russell. Moreover, he breaks every cliche being done in this period on the drums. Well, this drum track is analogous to that art form to me. Maybe a little red block stamp in the bottom corner. This is beautiful in the way those japanese prints of say horses done with with black ink and brush on heavy white paper are. It's like a house of cards - is that what the game is called where he just pulls one card out from the construct and you can't believe it doesn't fall in on itself? Consistent with his approach on the rest of the album and indeed most all of his work, this one totally nails it with the fewest strokes as possible. I honestly have a hard time listening to anything else on this tune. "Fool to Cry" is for me the greatest drum track Charlie has ever done. Well, "Melody" is a gorgeous tune made more so on this release. I'll listen some more and see if I still think that. It's just that that piano is being played softly and not mixed into basically the left channel. I say snippet, but my hypothesis is there is continuity from the moment the tune is counted off until the band comes in. However, it comes to us as captured by an overhead mic during the count-off and is not placed or prominent in the mix, as it has not been mixed during this little snippet of sorts. Listening to this SHM-SACD literally for the first time, I would now hypothesize that the piano is one and the same as that which digs in after the count-off. I had previously thought it might be some bleed-through or some such affect, which would belie the quality of the recording in toto. "Melody" - I have only this moment formulated a hypothesis on the piano that is playing as the tune is counted off. That distortion really gets electrified and we go to another realm. Thinking on the whole of this album and indeed the whole of the Stones SHM-SACD releases, the guitars are really benefiting from the higher resolution. So that acid test for me justifies what I will call a tangible improvement. Here's another one where lyrics that were incomprehensible to me are coming into focus. When "Hey Negrita" comes on up goes the volume a notch.
![the rolling stones black and blue the rolling stones black and blue](https://static3.lot-art.com/public/upl/27/The-Rolling-Stones-Black-and-Blue-Promo-Display_1624575679_2084.jpg)
These tunes, which are more layered than my hair was in 1976, really benefit from the higher resolution because the sound stage gels so well. (Who cares about the chord progression?). But uses the wood butt end for those little cymbal flourishes. I would submit that Charlie plays the drum set with mallets rather than sticks on this one. Those little guitar picking notes are sounding fantastic. Love the wafting organ from Nicky Hopkins in the left channel. Also, because the vocals are cleaner the intent of the song, the message of the song, is better conveyed and with more meaningful conviction. This holds true across all the Stones SHM-SACDs I have enjoyed. You get that magical effect where they electrify the air. Oh, I see Wayne Perkins also contributes guitar on this one. Much the same observations as the opening track. But when I can make out lyrics for the first time, I take that to the bank as a real improvement. So that's an acid test of sorts for me otherwise I question whether I am hearing things because I want to hear them. Some of these little phrases which were incomprehensible to me before are clear. The vocals at the end, when Mick is kind of rambling on and addressing the "people on the dance floor" with seemingly extemporaneous remarks - well, I can comprehend a lot more of what he is saying. I have always enjoyed the way the drums were recorded and mixed and all that on this album. The bass drum has a better "thunk" and the snare sounds righteous. This has always been a clean recording and mix. The guitars, and I won't venture who is playing what, but the guitars have better tone and are presented with greater articulation, if that's possible. Everything is more solid and three-dimensional. When "Hot Stuff," the first track, came on I sensed the improved solidity of the presentation.