Rolling+stones

The late '60s and early '70s didn't yield many (as far as we know) unreleased studio recordings of completed, otherwise unavailable Rolling Stones songs. But it did produce a wealth of fairly interesting alternate/working versions and song embryos that never got polished off, sixteen of which are presented on this compilation. As the title Sweet Black Angel implies, many are from that murky early-'70s period when the Stones were working, in fits and starts, on Exile on Main St., and several of these tracks are different versions of songs that ended up on that album…

By the time the Rolling Stones got around to issuing the third live album of their career, 1977's LOVE YOU LIVE, the legendary band had reinvented itself from a dangerous and sleazy rock & roll group to a more polished arena rock outfit. That said, the group was going through one of the rockiest and most uncertain periods of its lengthy career; Keith Richards had just been busted for heroin possession in Canada with the threat of a long prison sentence hanging over his head, new member Ron Wood was still finding his niche in the band, and Mick Jagger appeared more concerned with jet-setting…

The Rolling Stones - Singles Collection: The London Years (1989) [3CD] {2006 Japan MiniLP, UICY-93035~37}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 743 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 410 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 106 Mb | 5% repair rar | DSD | Mastering by Bob Ludwig
© 2006 ABKCO Records / Universal Music Japan | UICY-93035~37
Rock / Classic Rock / Blues Rock

The three-disc box set Singles Collection: The London Years contains every single Rolling Stones singles released during the '60s, including both the A- and B-sides. It is the first Stones compilation that tries to be comprehensive and logical – for all their attributes, the two Hot Rocks sets and the two Big Hits collections didn't present the singles in chronological order. In essence, the previous compilations were excellent samplers, where Singles Collection tells most of the story (certain albums, like Aftermath, Beggars Banquet, and Let It Bleed, fill in the gaps left by the singles). The Rolling Stones made genuine albums – even their early R&B/blues albums were impeccably paced – but their singles had a power all their own, which is quite clearly illustrated by the Singles Collection.

Totally Stripped is a newly revised version of the documentary that was originally made to coincide with the release of The Rolling Stones Stripped album released in November 1995. It tells the story of the two studio sessions and three live shows that made up the Stripped project…

Graced with cover art of a grotesque gorilla sporting the Stones' trademark leering lips, GRRR! doesn't quite have the classy veneer usually associated with a 50th anniversary collection. Frankly, that's a good sign for the Rolling Stones: they're celebrating their half-century together but refusing to take themselves too seriously, even when they're assembling a mammoth retrospective that's available in three different incarnations…

The first hits compilation of the Rolling Stones is still one of the most potent collections of singles that one can find. Listening to it in 1966 or today, one can understand how, almost prematurely for the 1960s – as most of the material here dates from 1964 or 1965 – the Stones set themselves up as the decade's most visible rock & roll rebels…