It is hard to believe it has been 52 years since The Rolling Stones released 12 x 5, featuring R&B covers as well as some original material. It was the first album (their second) I really got into, being a mere child at the time. And it is still to this day one of my favourite albums of all times, and as fresh as ever. It’s one of those timeless works that people will be grooving to hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years from now.
I think the Stones’ latest album may have a similar legacy. Blue and Lonesome hits stores Dec. 2, and it features “vintage blues covers.” Reviewer Darryl Sterdan of Postmedia writes: “It’s their least forced and most enjoyable album in just about forever.”
I can hardly wait to get my hands — and ears — on this one, though I have mixed emotions about it. I sense “this could be the last time” for the band: the final album by the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band of all time. And, oh god, I’ll cry my eyes out the day Mick or Keith or Charlie die, just as I did the day Brian Jones died. These guys have been part of my life since the 12 x 5 days . . .
Though, maybe I’m wrong about this being their last album. I certainly hope so. The Stones have surpassed all expectations with their longevity, and they might just keep digging into their blues roots until senility renders them incapable. Cause, you know, you’re never too old to sing the blues . . .
Here’s a song from the new album, called Hate to See You Go:
— Jillian
Top photo credit: The Rolling Stones at Marcus Amphitheater in Milwaukee, USA, performing at Summerfest festival on June 23, 2015 (Photo by Jim Pietryga/Wikimedia Commons)
Jillian Page 