|
Too much has been written about the Rolling Stones and their music for me to add anything worthwhile other than to rave about this CD as the perfect starter-set for the casual music fan. (A serious fan will have all the Stones' albums, or at least the stuff prior to 1975).If you or someone you love only has room in the budget for a slice of the Stones, this is the one for you - 21 classic tracks from the apex of the band's creative boom.
This is some of the best rock and roll music ever made and it is all you need if you want to hear The Rolling Stones' greatest music. This is music made when they were a great band --and not filthy rich corporate shills that rock out for aging, middle class and yuppie baby boomer corporate drones; while sticking it to the people with absurdly high ticket prices, all for the glory of their lost youth and Budweiser or whoever the corporate god is to whom they pay tribute on that particular tour.
The Rolling Stones fall into a category similar to the Beatles and Beach Boys in that they have had so many hits and songs that they will never have a good greatest hits album because of the large number of songs they recorded. This includes most of the hits for the 1964-1971 hits of the Stones. If you are a huge Stones fan, you'll need another album in addition to this one to have complete "SATISFACTION" to have a more complete collection of the Stones hits. Every song on this album is a "Hot Rock" and the album is worth every penny especially for those who like only the Stones' songs from the 1960s and very early 70s.
So much quality material was produced that there was enough left over for the follow up "More Hot Rocks." While there is much good and even great Stones' material since 1971, there is nothing like the density of quality work from those few years. Another of those strange raucous rockers: "Sympathy for the Devil." Here, they tell the story of misery over time, with the Devil at the heart of Jesus' death, the Czar's Death with the Bolshevik Revolution, World War II ("I rode a tank while the bodies stank") and the American political murders of the 1960s ("Well who killed the Kennedys.").
The Stones' "Hot Rocks" records some of their hottest rock hits. When you talk about greatest hits albums by rock and roll stars, this is on the short list of the all-time best of such compilations.
There follow several songs that have very different atmospherics--from the softer sounding "As Tears Go By," "Ruby Tuesday," "Let's Spend the Night Together," and "Wild Horses." There are also the more raucous rockers like "Get off of My Cloud," the marvelous "Jumping Jack Flash" (with one of the classic guitar riffs of all time), and "Street Fighting Man," the raunchy "Honky Tonk Women," and "Brown Sugar." Among the most exciting of such songs is "Midnight Rambler," a live version of their "tribute" to the "Boston Strangler," with lines that are quite evocative. One could argue that other songs deserved to be on this album (e.g., "I'm Free" or "Not Fade Away" or one of the better tunes from "Their Satanic Majesties Request").
Nonetheless, this stands up extremely well.The 2 CD set begins with some of the oldest hits--"Time Is on My Side," "Heart of Stone," and "Play with Fire." Then, one of their greatest songs of all, "Satisfaction" (with the great guitar work of Keith Richards on this one). There are also those songs that tell stories that make one reflect a bit, such as "19th Nervous Breakdown," "Mother's Little Helper," "Paint It Black" (one of the bigger downers among hit songs in the 1960s), "You Can't always Get What You Want." All in all, a wonderful compilation of their greatest hits from 1964 through 1971.
But, one wonders, how could there be.If anyone is interested in understanding the roots of the Rolling Stones body of work, this is a must buy.
Now so many groups attempt to affect a bad boy image that the image has been watered down and no longer has much meaning. Many of the songs on this CD are represented on "40 Licks." However, "40 Licks" seems to me to belie the original Stones bad boy image because of the inclusion of so many commercial songs from the later decades of their career. The closest contemporary group to the Rolling Stones was Aerosmith, before they too became more commercial. The Rolling Stones were the original Bad Boys of rock. This CD is a valuable recording for any collector of Rolling Stones music or cutting edge music of the 60s.Note that there is also an SACD version of this CD available, though at a price that is usually different from the price of this CD. The ubiquitous sitar of psychedelic 60s music makes an incredible appearance in "Paint It, Black." Their music became heavily blues influenced in songs like "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Wild Horse." The vocals on the last song particularly were heavy, plaintive and emotional, very different from the Stones' early music.There is an on-going debate over the value of this CD versus "40 Licks." I do not have "40 Licks," which is also a fine CD.
Later songs such as "Let's Spend the Night Together" pretty removed the pretense of veiled sexuality.As the Rolling Stones moved into the late 60s their music changed steadily, frequently anticipating the direction of popular music.
But in the 60s, the Rolling Stones were the definition of rebellion and thinly veiled sexuality.This collection of hits recalls the Rolling Stones at their most rebellious and cutting edge.
Understanding the flavor you get from each CD, pick the one that fits what you want to hear, or buy both.The Rolling Stones were heavily influential in the 60s.
The Beatles and other groups of the early and mid-60s had a clean-cut image that the Rolling Stones deliberately flaunted with their facial expressions, appearance, and blues-influenced music that lyrically was more challenging than most other popular contemporary groups.
"Hot Rocks" still provides the illusion of the original Bad Boy Stones at their 60s anti-establishment, rebellious best.
In the still relatively proper (read Victorian-like) year of 1965 the song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" bordered on being scandalous.
When the boys sang with their shirts open with movements that pushed beyond Elvis Presley's hips, you knew that these lads were something different.
The music on this CD represents that influence, and shows The Rolling Stones during their most consistently creative and stylistically unique best.
Choose the version that best fits your needs.Enjoy.
|
