The Rolling Stones - Black and Blue, reviews of the SHM-SACD

After a bunch of mildy-interesting SHM-SACD releases, yesterday saw Black and Blue hit the market. Because this is supposedly their best recording, I'm very interested in hearing people's opinions. Can anyone tell me if this SHM-SACD is worth buying?

 

What do you mean by best recording? Performance-wise, it's not. But sonically, recording quality, I would say it is.

I just have the first pressing vinyl but the sound is top notch. I don't think you could go wrong with an SACD of this.

 

It's my favorite of their albums, and I have all of their studio albums

 

hmm... Okay, well, to each etc... . But to call it their best record? That's a stretch. It's got some good grooves and jams, and it's kind of funky. There's a decent ballad (Memory Motel) and they mess around with a reggae cover. There's some disco rock.

 

Mine has shipped.

 

Ordered it in transit as of right now.WOnder how it will compare sonically with the SHM-Cd which set a high bar (much better than any other Stones SHM-cd releases-due to a better source tape used perhaps?

 

I'm not calling it their best. I'm saying it's my favorite, basically for the reasons you state. I like hearing them groove and jam and get funky, and this is the record that captures that side of them best IMO. I also think Fool to Cry is a gorgeous song. Every song on this album is highly appealing to me, which I can probably only say about this and Sticky Fingers. But with Sticky Fingers I am sick of at least half the songs from over exposure at this point.

 

"Black And Blue" is my favorite Stones album

 

Good album but I skip over Fool to Cry every time. One of their all time stinkers.

 

The beginning of "Fool To Cry" and "Memory Motel" are similar. I wish they put "Worried About You" or "Slave" (both released on "Tatto You") on the album instead of "Fool To Cry" -- that could have been a single, I guess. And it has more tape hiss than the other songs.

 

Love Hand of Fate and Memory Motel. Two of my favourite Stones songs from the 70s.

 

I disliked this album when it first came out, but it has aged well. It's like Burton Cummings says to Mick at the Toronto Rocks festival "I just RE-discovered Black and Blue . . . sensational." See 3:25 on this vid clip. Man, Cummings is such a groupie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDIBHAwADy0

 

If you want to call it their best album go for it. It's a free country. I enjoy it too.

 

I like playing it late spring. I think of it as a warm weather album. Probably because that's when I bought it (the day it came out). Also associate it with the very nice tuna sub sandwich I bought the same day from Bushnell's Turtle in Iowa City.

It has a laid back island vibe.

 

I remember when this album first was released. Really became a favorite. I recall some of the cuts seemed like I knew them forever the first time I listened to it.
However, I am disappointed with enough of the SHM SACDs sound quality I heard that because of the cost, will not be purchasing this.
I really wonder if it will be an improvement over my original Canadian cd that sound fine to these ears.

 

Get the LP, and use a table with pitch control like my SL-1200. Slow Hot Stuff down at least a good 3 notches (more, depending on your mood and taste). The results are a lot of fun.

 

I actually like it quite a bit, and it was recorded very well. I would say it is probably their first truly audiophile quality recording.

A couple of songs drive me nuts though. Can't stand Crazy Mama and Hey Negrita. Fool to Cry is okay but I have to be in the mood. I think it would have made an awesome EP with a few judicious cuts.

Hot Stuff is awesome. Watts' drums are incredible on that.

 

I like Hey Negrita and the whole album seems to work for me.
Are you talking about the vinyl being audiophile quality?

 

No, the recording and mastering/mix. There's clarity, depth, and extensiveness. To my ears, it's their first record to achieve this.

 

I meant sonics, yes. This would, in theory, be the album to benefit most from a release on SACD.

 

Mine arrived this AM when I was on the way out the door to work, so I just had time to open the package and gaze upon the product. Will play when I get home. This is NOT one of my favorite albums by them, but let's see how it compares to the virgin and the original vinyl.

 

This is another winner in my opinion. I held back on ordering this album as it is my least favourite from their 70's output. First play through changed that opinion fast.
Drums and vocals have more clarity than the Virgin or Universal remasters. Memory Motel never sounded this good to me. All instruments and vocals just seem to work perfectly on this cut.
The piano and bass playing on Melody is gorgeous. Crazy Mama, again the SHM-SACD puts it all together musically. There are still couple I don't care for (Hey Negrita and Fool to Cry) although they come off very well here.
Overall, I like this disc a lot and would rank it along side "It's Only Rock and Roll" in SHM-SACD.

 

I wouldn't go that far, I think IORR is a vast improvement over the previous cd releases, but B&B always sounded good from a sound quality perspective. The flat transfer has great clarity and good seperation betwen elements, it really breathes. I don't mind Fool To Cry, I think the ending is especially pleasant to listen to. The only track I really don't like is Hot Stuff. I like the Stone's funk and dance jams, but Hot Stuff really desn't go anywhere, and just comes across as repetative. Vocals sound great here. Overall, this is the best digital version, but like I said, the previous CDs also sound pretty good.

 

So this is the best version of the album yet? Good, that means I'll probably buy it too.

 

This sounds great; although I didn't compare it to the original CD, which always sounded fine to me. I am very curious how Exile will sound when they release it in a few weeks - will we finally get a CD that can rival the vinyl?