GRRR! [Super Deluxe Edition] [Box set]

This scarcely needs a review because after 50 years practically everyone will know whether or not they like the Stones and most people considering this collection will know all the tracks on it very well indeed. It is worth saying, though, that this is a great collection. Obviously, any compilation like this will have some tracks you love and some you don't like so much, and some of your favourites will be missing (What - no Sister Morphine or Star...er...Star?) but as a "Best Of" collection I don't think you can do better. It is well selected and sounds fantastic: the digital transfers of the early stuff are particularly good and bring real life to the tracks without interfering with their original sound.

I suspect that quite a lot of people considering whether or not to buy this will be in the same position as I am: I have a lot of Stones music on LP and cassette and for me this was a good way of getting some of the best of it on CD. You certainly get plenty of great stuff, and personally I found listening to this was like running my life on fast forward from the age of about 10, with pretty well every track conjuring up where I was at the time. It's also great to hear the evolution of the band from the early covers, through finding their distinctive identity around the time of Satisfaction and through all their phases since. Although I haven't always liked the direction they have taken, this is a reminder that the Rolling Stones really are one of the finest bands of the last 50 years and that Jagger and Richards are a truly great songwriting team. The full range of classics is here, from the storming rockers like Jumpin' Jack Flash through to the hauntingly beautiful Angie. Also included is their new (November 2012) single Doom And Gloom which I think is excellent - a real Stones belter and one of their best tracks in ages.

The question, of course, is "Do I need another Stones Greatest Hits album?" the answer to which will depend on your own view and the state of your music collection. For me it's a great summary of their career containing some of my favourite ever tracks, and has made them available to me in CD format. If you want a good, well put-together collection of The Rolling Stones, you can't go wrong with this set.

In short, it's only rock 'n roll, but...

They might be fossil faced and craggy after years of failing to mix spirits with mixers, but these guys still have the power to make people rock. Listening to this album makes me want to jut my hips Jagger-style as much as it did when I first heard their songs years ago (sadly, not the first time round as I'm in my thirties). I love this album, I really do. All of my favourite Stones tracks are in one place (well, three cds). It's a great entry point for anyone who knows and likes some of their better known songs, such as Paint it Black, Start Me up, Beast of Burden and Satisfaction. For anyone who already has 'Forty Licks' and is wondering whether or not this album just duplicates most of the tracks they already have, here are the songs that 'GRRR' has in addition:
Come On
Little Red Rooster
Time Is On My Side
Heart Of Stone
As Tears Go By
We Love You
Rocks Off
Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)
Respectable
Waiting On A Friend
She Was Hot
Streets Of Love
Harlem Shuffle
Highwire
Doom And Gloom
One More Shot

Firstly, it's important to note that this review is of the 'SUPER DELUXE EDITION' of this collection:
Like many Stones fans, I have the Stones music on multiple formats & nobody MADE ME buy this. I questioned & questioned whether to order this deluxe box, but there were a few tantalizing morsels in it, even though said morsels have been available on bootleg releases for decades. So, the 'IBC' tracks were finally seeing an official release, as were the classic BBC tracks that feature on the vinyl e.p & at approx: £100, I thought the hard-back book of memorabilia would be something a bit special. Afterall- isn't this release a celebration of 50 years of the Stones?. That eventually swayed me & I've got to say I feel completely ripped-off. I'm almost embarrassed to write this 'review', as I probably should've known better. But I'm writing it for the sake of other fans/collectors who may fall into the same trap I did. This review isn't about the MUSIC, which is fantastic & if you don't have it- I suppose you may be happy with this compilation. Having said that: this release doesn't serve as 'a primer', as there's NO liner notes for the tracks- not even the year of release. So, as an 'educational item' it's redundant. That leaves the appeal of this collection for the hardcore fan, enticed by those nuggets I've already mentioned. The IBC demo disc is approx: 12 min's long (I already knew that), BUT the tracks don't even sound AS GOOD as they do on many unofficial releases!- in-fact one of them appears to have been transferred from crackling vinyl (!). The whole package is badly designed & the 'book' has many blank pages, or pages that contain eg: a picture of a small badge in the middle of it. Luckily the extra vinyl ep sounds good (for those who have a record player). But, all in all what you get for your money is an EVEN BIGGER horrible Gorilla box & ....not much else. Bitterly disappointing. Don't make the mistake I did- just watch Ebay, as I suspect mine will be on there as a Christmas bargain shortly.