What’s occurring, rockers? The Stones are digging deep into their vaults again – this time it’s 1976’s Black and Blue getting the royal treatment. And not just any old remaster job, either. Nah, this one’s been remixed by prog wizard Steven Wilson – the bloke who’s basically turned reissues into an art form. Proper job!
🖤 Black and Blue – Back in the Spotlight
Originally released in April 1976, Black and Blue was the Stones’ first album after Mick Taylor’s departure, and it doubled as a cheeky audition tape for his replacement. You can hear Ronnie Wood, Wayne Perkins, and Harvey Mandel all slinging their riffs in, before Wood officially joined the gang. It’s a record that split fans at the time – part reggae (Cherry Oh Baby), part funk (Hot Stuff), part bluesy ballads (Fool to Cry).
Now, nearly 50 years on, it’s strutting back with a Super Deluxe Edition that’ll have collectors foaming like a pint of Brains SA. 🍺
🎁 What’s in the Box?
The Super Deluxe reissue packs a proper punch:
- Steven Wilson’s fresh 2025 remix of the full album 🤯
- A stack of unreleased outtakes and alternate takes from the 1975 sessions
- A live concert from the ’76 tour – raw Stones energy at its finest
- A gorgeous hardback book with unseen photos & essays
- Collectible goodies (replica tour passes, posters, all that lush stuff)
🎧 Why Steven Wilson?
Because the man’s got ears sharper than Keith Richards’ guitar pick. Wilson’s been behind some of the best reissue jobs in recent years (think Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Black Sabbath), and now he’s bringing Black and Blue into full stereo technicolour. Expect riffs you’ve never noticed, grooves that pop harder, and maybe even Mick Jagger’s maracas shaking a bit cheekier than before.
💭 Fan Take
Some reckon Black and Blue was underrated – a funky, experimental detour before Some Girls dragged the Stones into punk-disco territory. Others thought it was a bit of a mess. But either way, this reissue could finally give it the respect it deserves.
C’mon butt, who’s pre-ordering? 😏
