The torrid pace of new studio releases by The Rolling Stones early in their career was a distant memory as they settled into the new millennium. Eleven years passed between A Bigger Bang and the band’s next release, 2016’s Blue & Lonesome.

They spent that time capitalizing on their impressive legacy by touring extensively, releasing live albums, and producing a retrospective documentary titled Crossfire Hurricane that commemorated their 50th anniversary.

When The Stones finally returned to the studio, it wasn’t to work on new material but rather to record their first-ever album of covers. Fifty-two years after releasing a debut album dominated by versions of blues and R&B classics, the band returned to their roots. Blue & Lonesome features 12 straight-forward performances of standards by Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Little Walter, and other blues legends.

Given that the four remaining Rolling Stones were in their 70s, it was tempting to look at this release as the band coming full-circle, capping off a 50-year career with a final release that echoed their early material through the prism of one of pop music’s most extraordinary runs.

Reviewers of Blue & Lonesome certainly saw it that way. The album was hailed as a career-capping triumph, with praise given to the band’s tight performances and Mick Jagger’s passionate vocals. I can’t disagree. While I prefer to discover original material, I can’t find any fault in this collection of expertly delivered material.

[Note: The album also produced a memorable video starring Kristen Stewart dancing sexily and being very irresponsible by smoking at a gas station (see below).]