Customer Reviews

Rocket 88

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Boogie woogie at it's finest. Thanks to the late Ian Stewart for putting this great band together. For those of you who don't know who he was, Stu was an original member of the Rolling Stones and was inducted as a member of the band in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. His influence can be heard throughout all of their music.

To quote Keith Richards from his autobiography "Life":

"Ian Stewart. I'm still working for him. To me the Rolling Stones is his band. Without his knowledge and organization ... we'd be nowhere." - Keith Richards

Stu was a brilliant piano player, a lover of the blues and loved by musicians everywhere. Although he would never say it, Rocket 88 was Stu's band.

A little more about Stu...

The Zeppelin song "Boogie With Stu" was aptly titled because it was just a jam session with them and Stu.

"The biggest thing about Stu was, whereas we were all trying to learn - and we'd hear Buddy Guy or Otis Rush and be in awe, and spend hours trying to work it out - Stu just managed to be able to listen to something and immediately play it." - Jimmy Page

Some other quotes about Stu...

"When he was playing the band swung a lot harder than when he wasn't." - Mick Jagger

"Stu was part of The Rolling Stones. I'm not sure that they would have stayed together if Stu hadn't been there. I think they needed somebody like that. Stu brought to The Rolling Stones common sense." - Mick Taylor

"Alexis Korner, John Mayall, Chris Barber - these people were seriously spearheading the American movement in music, the jazz and blues movement, and Stu was probably the main man in the Stones; he probably taught them a lot, or guided their taste in terms of how to look back at it. I suppose he would have been almost like their spiritual guide, musically speaking. I know that they were really very firmly on the track already with the R&B thing - Jimmy Reed and Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. They didn't need any education about that, but Stu would have been very instrumental in illustrating where that all came from, because he knew - he could trace its roots." - Eric Clapton

"Stu was definitely the cornerstone of the whole of that Surrey/ Richmond thing. He was Mr Blues. Religiously, he actually made you feel guilty about thinking about liking any other kind of music. I was heading in that direction and he just put a massive boot up my arse." - Jeff Beck

Some high praise from some amazing artists. So sit back, give this a listen and you too will understand why these greats respected him so much.

For music lovers who like obscurities, here's one to add to your collection. This is a side project of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts and some friends. There is nothing flashy or fancy here. With that perspective, put it on and enjoy with a snifter of cognac and a good cigar (my choice: Havana-made Cohiba Siglo 3). If cognac isn't your thing sub with a good Shiraz. Anyway you want to enjoy it, Rocket 88 is an enjoyable blues session from some good old pros.