THE ROLLING STONES may well be the greatest rock and roll band in history--at the very least they are rock and roll legend. Of the early rock generation, the Stones alone have survived the years with such prominence, confidence, and success. But the mythic Superstar days of the Stones are over, and instead they seem to be victims of their own stardom. The release of each new Rolling Stones album generates waves of anticipation and excitement but it's clear there is no way they will live up to the glorified memories of days gone by. The Stones, especially Mick Jagger, once actively cultivated their Superstar personas--they themselves initiated the concert introduction of "the world's greatest rock and roll band." But in doing so they created a trap, and the Stones now are criticized for being just a good band playing good music. It is no coincidence that the Stones' last album and its leading cut are entitled "It's Only Rock and Roll" (the refrain: "and I like it, like it, yes I do"). The album conveys a humbler, more human appeal. Here, even the Stones "ain't too proud to beg," and the now admittedly mortal Jagger sings "time waits for no one and it won't wait for me". Unable to sustain their Pop myth, they ask (with false modesty) to be accepted just like any other rock and roll band. But no matter what, the old images of them persist, and though the brand-new Stones album compares favorably with other examples of contemporary rock music, Black and Blue is a disappointment.

An eminently listenable album, Black and Blue is however uneven and often lazy; throughout there is a sense that the Stones lack real commitment to their music. Considering the near eighteen months this album took in the making, one would expect a musically tighter, more unified work. Traditionally, the Stones' special talent has been for infusing their material with a tremendous, yet controlled energy, but this quality more than anything else is missing from Black and Blue.

In the past, the Stones have carefully chosen their opening numbers, kicking off in high gear with such exhilarating songs as "Sympathy for the Devil" on Beggar's Banquet, "Gimme Shelter" on Letit Bleed, and "Brown Sugar" on Sticky Fingers. But "Hot Stuff," the opener on this most recent album seems an unlikely choice for the prestigious spot. A not very exciting "disco-departure," its repetitive sameness is a drag. On close and multiple listenings the song's instrumental complexities provide something to be appreciated--some nice juxtaposed guitar work and several intricate percussion tracks. But at least the last two minutes of the song could be disposed of--especially Jagger's nonsensical talk-breath of sorts--and no one would really miss it.

On the second side the disco-style is given another try. "Hey Negrita" fares somewhat better, drawing from Latin and Carribean rhythms which add spice to the otherwise rather mechanical beat. Jagger's voice, strained to cracking and loaded with insinuation, narrates this first person tale of a poor man's encounter with a South American whore. "One last dollar/I've got my pride/I'll cut your balls and I'll tan your hide." Subtle? The Stones always did have a way with words. But like "Hot Stuff," "Hey Negrita" suffers at the hands of too much repetition.

Jagger attempts to lead the band through a Jamaican reggae tune, "Cherry O Baby," the only non-original song on the album, but no one can generate the energy or interest to break through the monotony. But the problem may lie as much with the sequencing of the cuts as with the quality of the Stones' rendition or the song itself. Listened to in isolation, "Cherry Oh Baby" comes off as a fairly good and authentic reggae imitation. But for the ear accustomed to rock and roll's strong second beat emphasis and generally faster pacing, the reggae rhythm often seems sluggish and some how off. Strange, since the Stones much understand this, but they positioned the number directly following "Hand of Fate," one of the most hard driving, traditional rock cuts on the album.

"Hand of Fate" resurrects a favorite theme. Always fond of Southern tales, in this version Jagger adopts the persona of a southern man "on the run 'cause (he) killed a man" and in narrative style informs us of the details. Jagger's voice is sometimes disturbing as he descends below his natural register, but for the most part the song rocks in a typical Jagger-Richard fashion, pleasing because it is so familiar. Yet Keith Richard's clean, tough guitar riffs have lost something of their power since the early days. Interestingly the finest guitar work to be found on this cut is provided, not be a Stone, but by Wayne Perkins whose brief solo enlivens the entire song.

Black and Blue's most important outside influence comes from Billy Preston, who also toured with the Stones last summer. "Melody," a Preston-inspired number--essentially a dialogue between himself and Jagger--has an old fashioned jazzy piano rhythm and stylized vocals which range from falsetto through scatting and even a throaty 'cocktail bar' whisper. The result is something completely unlike anything the Stones have done before, and the departure from standard fare works remarkably well. Jagger sings in an exaggerated style, demonstrating a suprising vocal complexity and range. Clearly he is experimenting with this new-found idiom and enjoying it. However he runs into problems as the song goes on too long, and his loose, bluesy singing deteriorates into sloppy histrionics.

But as the next cut begins, Jagger reasserts full vocal control. "Fool to Cry" (available as a single) is a slow, haunting ballad heavily tinged with a soul orientation. An undulating string filled (string synthesizer) arrangement builds with the song as a lonely Jagger talks, cries and confesses. This, and the album's other ballad, "Memory Motel," a tough-tender song about life on the road, may be the most important works on the album, in signifying the direction the Stones are moving. These songs--intensely personal in their lyrics and musically straightforward--recall the autobiographical nature of early Jagger-Richard compositions, though the earlier adolescent experiences, the arrogance, the frustration, are stripped down and replaced by a more mature, but resigned and sentimental spirit. They are no longer singing of one-night stands and stupid girls, but about meaningful relationships--and not just with women, but with their children and friends as well. Though it sounds a little corny when Richards sings the refrain in "Memory Motel," the lyrics are a pleasant surprise:

Mighty fine, she's one of a kind

She got a mind of her own

She's one of a kind

And she use it well

The macho posturing has faded, and the mythically evil images the Stones began projecting in the late 60s are, in these songs, nowhere to be found.

But those more surrealistic fantasies still lurk in the Stones' repertoire, and as the final "Crazy Mama" testifies, they still can master the portrayal. "Crazy Mama" is a rambunctious rocker whose lyrics are garbled just enough so that you never know exactly what the song is about. But the tone is plenty menacing, as are the words and lyrics which can be made out. Such intriguing bits as: "Well you crazy mama/With your ball on a chain/And you sawed off shotgun/ Blood all on your brains, yeah," and "You can scandalize me/Scar all over my name/ You can steal my money/ But that don't mean a doggone thing." But only the chorus lyrics are enunciated clearly as Keith Richard, Billy Preston and the new Stone Ron Wood (though he only plays on two cuts) form a tight backup group to sing out the threat: "Cause if you really think you can push it/ I'm gonna bust your knees with a bullet." Some of the lyrics may be swallowed up, but what you can hear is more than enough to set your imagination running. Keith Richard closes out the song and the album with a satisfying run of ascending and descending guitar.

Like most Stones albums, Black and Blue improves with repeated listenings. Though marred by a certain sloppiness and lack of energy, the album does contain some good material, and while it is not going to make any passionate converts to Stones music, it does demonstrate that their talents are still considerable.