Well that didn’t take long now, did it? The Rolling Stones left EMI in July 2008 to take up with Universal Music Group, and barely a year later – there’s a slew of remasters ripe for the picking. Coincidence? Gee…
This first of four batches constitutes Sticky Fingers, Goat Head’s Soup, It’s Only Rock N’ Roll and Black and Blue. Further releases throughout the year are Some Girls, Emotional Rescue, Tattoo You, Undercover, Dirty Work, Steel Wheels, Voodoo Lounge, Bridges to Babylon, A Bigger Bang with Exile on Main Street being released at some as yet undefined point. Perhaps it’s not been completely remastered yet.
So in the same year that The Beatles get their very first remaster (and full remix) – the Stones’ catalogue also gets a revamp. Are labels still keen on peddling the old (mythic) rivalry? Should we expect a Rock Band edition of the Rolling Stones? Perhaps. But do you need these remasters?
The short answer is ‘no’. I mean, really – why would you need a remastered version of A Bigger Bang? It’s barely four years old and mastering technology hasn’t changed that much! Does this batch vastly improve on the 1994 Virgin remasters? Well, yes – but not to dramatic effect. Whereas the Virgin recordings greatly added to the original CBS transfers, the 2009 UMG master improvement is slight. There are certainly noticeable tonal and frequency improvements, but overall – are we really expected to shell out over again for minor adjustments? UMG seem to think so. The overall stereo mix is delightful, and all instruments sound pretty visceral given their age – with Mick Jagger‘s vocal gaining little in the process. Sadly, I cannot compare these recordings to the ABKCO released (also under UMG) Super Audio CD recordings as I don’t have a SACD player.
The amount of money spent retouching ‘classic’ records means that they have a tendency to sound better than many records recorded today. Does that not detract from their classic status?
Regardless, the four albums here are not altogether the finest collected moments of the Stones. This particular journey into the Stones’ back catalogue begins with the demise of Brian Jones, starting up as it does with the 1971 classic, Stciky Fingers (it’s a wonder why Universal didn’t see fit to re-re-release their ’60s output – perhaps that’s coming in 2010). One of their most consistent albums, this heavily lauded piece of work features the hits “Brown Sugar“, “Wild Horses” and the riff-tastic “Bitch“.
After the triumph of Exile on Main Street, 1973′s Goat’s Head Soup must have been a disappointment, but with wah guitars intact and a little bit of funk n’ soul thrown in, there is much to explore and it is here that you find the anthem “Angie”.
The overlooked, yet dynamically driven It’s Only Rock N’ Roll saw the departure of guitarist Mick Taylor with his swansong “Time waits for no-one” featuring here. “Aint too proud to beg”, “It’s only rock n’ roll (but I like it)” and “Dance little sister” are also tracks of note.
But no amount of remastering is going to save the confused Black and Blue. Tumbling in with its cod reggae and handful of filler tracks; it is by far the weakest of this primary batch.
Overall, then – if you’re looking to buy some Rolling Stones – buy Let it bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street. These 14 releases are essential if you’re a completist or audiophile. For everyone else, the Virgin recordings will do just fine.