Well, the Stones really went for an authentic blues sound on Blue And Lonesome, their first studio album since the excellent but largely unrecognized A Bigger Bang in 2005.

Blue And Lonesome is almost like a role reversal for the Rolling Stones.

They started out in London in the early 1960s playing the blues and rhythm & blues, but adding their own unique touch.

On Blue And Lonesome they went for that antiquated blues sound so much so that it doesn’t even sound like the Stones that much, except of course for Mick Jagger’s distinctive voice.

There’s no Stones original songs here, rather a collection of tunes mostly from the 1950-60s recorded by blues pioneers such as Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed and Otis Rush.

So this over-authenticated mish-mash of blues thrash and bash interspersed with some slower numbers  ­— well, it could just about be anyone playing them. There’s just no really stand-out tunes on Blue And Lonesome.

There’s a host of jaunty ditties that are nothing really gritty, among them album opener Just Your Fool and stretching to I Gotta Go,  Ride ’em On Down and Just Like I Treat You.

On the plus side is slower, more subtle number Everybody Knows About My Good Thing, featuring British guitar great Eric Clapton on slide guitar.

Clapton was actually asked to join the Stones when guitarist Mick Taylor left the band in the mid-1970s > but decided to keep pursuing his solo career.

He also plays guitar on the album’s closing tune, the less memorable I Can’t Quit You Baby.

All Of Your Love is the other good song > again with the slower beat > and nice tinkling of the ivories by long-time Stones session and stage musician Chuck Leavell plus Mick Jagger harmonica > prominent on this album.

And then there’s the rest of the songs > with nice bits here and there.

But as far as great Stones songs go > this album is bereft.

But there will be many Stones fans > and others > who really like Blue And Lonesome.

Plus the reviews in the media have largely been positive and the album was headed for No.1 in many countries.

Let us know what you think of the Blue And Lonesome album, post your comments below

Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood filmed talking about the new album in separate interviews: Facebook page rockonrockmusic

JAGGER > at 73 > ADDS EIGHTH CHILD TO MIXED BROOD

Mick Jagger became a father > again > at the age of 73 on Thursday, December 8, just a few days after the release of the Blue And Lonesome album.

The mother is 29-year-old ballerina Melanie Hamrick and the child a son, bringing the number in Mick Jagger’s brood to eight.

A statement released by the couple said: “Melanie Hamrick and Mick Jagger’s son was born today in New York and they are both delighted. Mick was at the hospital for the arrival. Mother and baby are doing well and we request that the media respect their privacy at this time.”

London’s Daily Mail newspaper reported that Jagger flew from London to New York in a last-minute dash to be by the ballerina’s side for the birth.

Jagger’s brood includes daughter Karis, 46, from his relationship with Marsha Hunt, daughter Jade, 45, with his ex-wife Bianca and four children with his former long-time partner Jerry Hall > Elizabeth, 32, James, 31, Georgia, 24, and Gabriel, 18.

Jagger also fathered son Lucas, 17, with Brazilian model Luciana Gimenez.

The Stones frontman became a great-grandfather in May 2014 when Jade Jagger’s daughter Assisi gave birth to a baby girl.