It’s The Stones as bluesmen that first reeled me in. This ‘accidental’ recording of covers is the stuff of fans’ dreams and a cheat-sheet for students of the mainly Chicago-style. Over time, they’ve punctuated Rock’n’Roll with a banquet of influences: soul covers (‘Ain’t Too Proud To Beg)’, reggae (‘Cherry Oh Baby’), country (‘Far Away Eyes’) and disco (‘Miss You’). Exile was infused in blues and ‘Back of My Hand’, was a stand-out on their 2005 release A Bigger Bang.
Last December, co-producer Don Was recorded the band’s studio warm-up. Their relaxed jamming of classics rendered new material superfluous. Removed from the usual mega-production , the patina shines through. Keef and Woody’s instinctual guitar interplay is joyous. Charlie frames the sessions with loose juke-joint drums, lightening cracks and thunder rolls. Jagger reveals his harmonica chops beyond previous brief glimpses. Among the best white blues singers in the biz, he eschews camp irony here. It’s a night in a cosy club. Pumped on arrival (Buddy Johnson’s ‘Just Your Fool’), settling in (Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Commit A Crime’), the title track (Memphis Slim) takes it down a lick. Nods to Little Walter and Willie Dixon with a little help from Eric Clapton and ‘honorary’ Stones including Jones and Leavell. A long overdue number one for these living treasures.
4 1/2 stars
Universal
Reviewed by Chris Lambie
