Check out our album review of Artist's Black and Blue on Rolling Stone.com. Black and Blue may not be the invincible Rolling Stones of our dreams.

Title: Mad Shadows. Label: SRS Records. Venue/City: Good collection of rare outtakes, including some new tracks that had previously never surfaced in the trading community.

Recording: Studio Outtakes. Tracklisting: - Hi-Heel Sneakers - Stewed and Keefed - Tell Me Baby - Listed as: Meet Me In The Bottom (actual title: Down In The Bottom) * All the above from Chess Studio's Chicago June, 1964. This was the first release to feature these tracks in excellent quality (no crackles on Stewed and Keefed).

It should also be noted that these tracks are MONO and NOT Stereo. There are newer excellent stereo sources for these Chess recordings: 'The Black Box' & 'Record Mirror' to name a couple.

- Don't Lie To Me (Stereo) - Listed as: 1964 Blues Jam * a.k.a.: And Mr. Spector and Mr. Pitney Came Too: A similar instrumental track of what would become Andrews Blues - Heart of Stone: 'Metamorphosis' version. - Looking Tired (Mono): RCA Studios September, 1965. Note the instrumental similarity to Robert Johnson's 32-20 Blues.

This is the earliest Johnson influence I have been able to detect. - Have You Seen Your Mother Baby?: An alternate vocal take. - Listed as: I Can See It (actual title Can't Believe): The vocal version. - Everybody Pays Their Dues: Street Fighting Man in drag.

- Jumpin' Jack Flash: Yeah, Yeah, version from the painted faces promo video. - Honky Tonk Woman: A studio take that features the Paris stanza, which can be heard in concert on Ya Ya's. - Good Time Woman: First version of Tumbling Dice. - All Down The Line: The acoustic version.

This is still incredible to hear. - I Don't Know The Reason Why: Tracks in at 10:22. The stereo version from Electra Studios 1969. - 32-20 Blues: Dallas Rehearsals 1972. - Dancing With Mr. D: An alternate take that features a Taylor solo that was edited out of the album take. Reason enough to leave the band!

- Criss Cross: a.k.a.: Save Me. This is from the 'Goat's Head Soup' sessions.

Also featured in the Japanese animation film 'Metamorphosis'. - Silver Train: An alternate take that jams. Air Purity Test Kit Manual.

Black And Blue Rehearsals (Goldplate GP-1202CD1/2/3/4) In the mid-seventies The Rolling Stones experienced another transition. The end of the Mick Taylor era is fraught with misunderstandings, accusations and innuendo. Then the band convened in Rotterdam, The Netherlands in January 1975, they had many musical idea but no guitarist to compliment Keith. Potential replacements included Wayne Perkins, Harvey Mandel, Steve Marriott, Peter Frampton and Ronnie Wood (given his close relationship to Keith would be the obvious choice). The parade of guitarists reached to such an absurd length during the Black And Blue sessions that Richards later commented about the album, “rehearsing guitar players.

That’s what that one was about.” But the most intriguing candidate for the slot was Jeff Beck. Already famous for his work with The Yardbirds and two incarnations of the Jeff Beck Group (with future Stone Ron Wood), Beck himself was in one of his many transition phases at this time. His latest project Beck, Bogert & Appice dissolved in April 1974, and by the end of that year he began writing and recording instrumental tracks AIR studio with Max Middleton, bassist Phil Chen and drummer Richard Bailey with George Martin producing. The AIR sessions would eventually be released as Blow By Blow, Beck’s seminal jazz-fusion and one of the classics of seventies rock.

But he had a short excursion in Rotterdam jamming with the Stones with some though about actually joining the band. Years later he was reflected on the experience, stating that, if he had joined, “I could have been rich, but I could have not be happy.” In describing the time, he related that “In those times, The Stones had been staying in Rotterdam, Holland, in relations to tax. One day, they called me and told, ‘Would you like to play your guitar on one or more songs?’ So I went there, but none of The Stones were there (laugh). After three days were gone and I was at the bar in the hotel, and I found pianist Ian Stewart. I told him ‘It’s about time I gotta go back to England.’ In the rehearsals room, there were hundreds of guitars with each players’ name on. I had no intention to try the audition. But Ian said to me that they decided me as a new guitarist for The Stones and therefore the auditions were cancelled.