Review & Buyer's Guide - Grrr! - Rolling Stones
By VVN Network, on 11 Nov 15, 2012
When I was younger, I was never a big fan of the Rolling Stones. I didn't dislike them. I just thought they were an above average rock band. While working in radio, we would occasionally run a Beatles/Rolling Stones weekend and I could never see how the music of the two bands could even be compared.
Then I got older…and wiser. I grew to understand the influence of the Stones on music, the talent of each member and the rawness of their sound. Most of all, I started to love their music, not just from the 60's or 70's or 80's, but from throughout their career. They really are one of the most consistent groups of the rock era.
Which brings us to their new career-spanning compilation, Grrr! It's only the second time that their music from the Decca/London Records era of the 60's has been released in the same package as their time with their own label, giving a superb overview of their fifty year career.
The problem is that such a long and successful career requires a lengthy album to be even close to comprehensive, made even worse in the Stones' case by their different sets of popular tracks in the U.K. and the U.S. For the Stones, their solution was to release three different sets, a 2-CD, a 3-CD and a 4-CD. In concept, that should have led to their biggest tracks on the smallest set, a mix of the same hits with some minor ones on the second and everything on the first two sets along with important album tracks on the third.
Unfortunately, that's not what we got. The 2-CD set does include many of their big hits but concentrated more on the U.K. charts, leaving some top twenty U.S. hits out like Time is On My Side and Heartbreaker (available only on the 3 and 4-CD sets) and Mother's Little Helper (only on the 4-CD set). Any could have replaced 1978's Respectable, 1997's Anybody Seen My Baby? and 2002's Don't Stop which appear on all three sets.
Then there are those top 20 hits in the U.S. and U.K. that didn't make the cut for any of the configurations:
- Tell Me (1964 / #24 U.S.)
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg (1974 / #17 U.S.)
- Respectable (1978 / #23 U.K.)
- Hang Fire (1982 / #20 U.S.)
- Going to a Go-Go (1982 / #25 U.S. / #26 U.K.)
- One Hit (to the Body) (1986 / #28 U.S. / #80 U.K.)
- Rock and a Hard Place (1989 / #23 U.S. / #63 U.K.)
- Out of Tears (1994 / #60 U.S. / #36 U.K.)
- Like a Rolling Stone (1995 / #109 U.S. / #12 U.K.)
I have trouble recommending any set but the 80 track Super Deluxe, especially since that is the only way to get songs like Play With Fire, I'm Free, Mother's Little Helper, Lady Jane, Midnight Rambler (!), Bitch and She's So Cold, but the exorbitant price for the set ($145.99 at Amazon) puts it out of reach for all but the most ardent fan. Even the 50 track set is a major improvement over the base album with Heart of Stone, Time is On My Side, She's a Rainbow and Under My Thumb; however, there is a $20 difference at Amazon between the 2 and 3-CD sets with only the addition of 10 tracks.
Which leaves me excited by the prospects of the release but very disappointed and perplexed by the way it was assembled and released. Perhaps we'll have to wait for their 60th anniversary for a new set so that they can get it right.
For those looking to buy one of the editions, here is a chart that lays out the songs on each of the set along with original album and chart information:
| Song First Album Appearance Charts | 40 Track/ 2 CDs | 50 Track/ 3 CDs | 80 Track/ 4 CDs |
| Come On Big Hits, 1966 1963 / #21 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| I Wanna Be Your Man Milestones, 1972 1963 / #12 U.K. |
X
| ||
| Not Fade Away England's Newest Hit Makers, 1964 1964 / #48 U.S. / #3 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| That's How Strong My Love Is Out of Our Heads, 1965 |
X
| ||
| It's All Over Now 12x5, 1964 1964 / #26 U.S. / #1 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Little Red Rooster The Rolling Stones Now, 1965 1964 / #1 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| The Last Time Out of Our Heads, 1965 1965 / #9 U.S. / #1 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction Out of Our Heads, 1965 1965 / #1 U.S. / #1 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Heart of Stone The Rolling Stones Now, 1965 1964 / #19 U.S. |
X
|
X
| |
| Get Off My Cloud December's Children, 1965 1965 / #1 U.S. / #1 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| She Said Yeah Milestones, 1972 |
X
| ||
| I'm Free Out of Our Heads, 1965 |
X
| ||
| Play With Fire Out of Our Heads, 1965 1965 / #96 U.S. |
X
| ||
| Time is On My Side 12x5, 1964 1964 / #6 U.S. |
X
|
X
| |
| 19th Nervous Breakdown Big Hits, 1966 1966 / #2 U.S. / #2 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Paint It, Black Aftermath, 1966 1966 / #1 U.S. / #1 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow? Big Hits, 1966 1966 / #9 U.S. / #5 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| She's a Rainbow Their Satanic Majesty's Request, 1967 1967 / #25 U.S. |
X
|
X
| |
| Under My Thumb Aftermath, 1966 |
X
|
X
| |
| Out of Time Metamorphosis, 1975 1975 / #81 U.S. / #45 U.K. |
X
| ||
| As Tears Go By December's Children, 1965 1965 / #6 U.S. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Let's Spend the Night Together Between the Buttons, 1967 1967 / #55 U.S. / #3 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Mother's Little Helper Aftermath, 1966 1966 / #8 U.S. |
X
| ||
| We Love You Through the Past Darkly, 1969 1967 / #50 U.S. / #8 U.K. |
X
|
X
| |
| Dandelion Through the Past Darkly, 1969 1967 / #14 U.S. |
X
| ||
| Lady Jane Aftermath, 1966 1966 / #24 U.S. |
X
| ||
| Flight 505 Aftermath, 1966 |
X
| ||
| 2000 Light Years From Home Their Satanic Majesty's Request, 1967 |
X
| ||
| Ruby Tuesday Between the Buttons, 1967 1967 / #1 U.S. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Jumpin' Jack Flash Through the Past Darkly, 1969 1968 / #3 U.S. / #1 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Sympathy For the Devil Begger's Banquet, 1968 |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Child of the Moon More Hot Rocks, 1972 |
X
| ||
| Salt of the Earth Begger's Banquet, 1968 |
X
| ||
| Honky Tonk Women Through the Past Darkly, 1969 1969 / #1 U.S. / #1 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Midnight Rambler Let It Bleed, 1969 |
X
| ||
| Gimme Shelter Let It Bleed, 1969 2007 / #76 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| You Got the Silver Let It Bleed, 1969 |
X
| ||
| You Can't Always Get What You Want Let It Bleed, 1969 1973 / #42 U.S. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Street Fighting Man Begger's Banquet, 1968 1968 / #48 U.S. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Wild Horses Sticky Fingers, 1971 1971 / #28 U.S. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Brown Sugar Sticky Fingers, 1971 1971 / #1 U.S. / #2 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Bitch Sticky Fingers, 1971 |
X
| ||
| Tumbling Dice Exile on Main St., 1972 1972 / #7 U.S. / #5 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Rocks Off Exile on Main St., 1972 |
X
|
X
| |
| Happy Exile on Main St., 1972 1972 / #22 U.S. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) Goats Head Soup, 1973 1973 / #15 U.S. |
X
|
X
| |
| Angie Goats Head Soup, 1973 1973 / #1 U.S. / #5 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It) It's Only Rock 'n' Roll, 1974 1974 / #16 U.S. / #10 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Dance Little Sister It's Only Rock 'n' Roll, 1974 |
X
| ||
| Fool to Cry Black and Blue, 1976 1976 / #10 U.S. / #6 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Respectable Some Girls, 1978 1978 / #23 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Miss You Some Girls, 1978 1978 / #1 U.S. / #3 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Shattered Some Girls, 1978 1978 / #31 U.S. |
X
| ||
| Far Away Eyes Some Girls, 1978 |
X
| ||
| Beast of Burdon Some Girls, 1978 1978 / #8 U.S. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Emotional Rescue Emotional Rescue, 1980 1980 / #3 U.S. / #9 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Dance (Part 1) Emotional Rescue, 1980 |
X
| ||
| She's So Cold Emotional Rescue, 1980 1980 / #26 U.S. / #33 U.K. |
X
| ||
| Waiting On a Friend Tattoo You, 1981 1981 / #13 U.S. / #50 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Neighbors Tattoo You, 1981 |
X
| ||
| Start Me Up Tattoo You, 1981 1981 / #2 U.S. / #7 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Undercover of the Night Undercover, 1983 1983 / #9 U.S. / #11 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| She Was Hot Undercover, 1983 1983 / #44 U.S. / #42 U.K. |
X
|
X
| |
| Harlem Shuffle Dirty Work, 1986 1986 / #5 U.S. / #13 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Mixed Emotions Steel Wheels, 1989 1989 / #5 U.S. / #36 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Highwire Flashpoint, 1991 1991 / #57 U.S. / #29 U.K. |
X
|
X
| |
| Almost Hear Your Sigh Steel Wheels, 1989 1990 / #50 U.S. / #31 U.K. |
X
| ||
| You Got Me Rocking Voodoo Lounge, 1994 1994 / #113 U.S. / #23 U.K. |
X
|
X
| |
| Love is Strong Voodoo Lounge, 1994 1994 / #91 U.S. / #14 U.K. |
X
|
X
| |
| I Go Wild Voodoo Lounge, 1994 1995 / #29 U.K. |
X
| ||
| Anybody Seen My Baby? Bridges to Babylon, 1997 1997 / #22 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Saint of Me Bridges to Babylon, 1997 1998 / #94 U.S. / #26 U.K. |
X
| ||
| Don't Stop Forty Licks, 2002 2002 / #36 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| Rough Justice A Bigger Bang, 2005 |
X
| ||
| Infamy A Bigger Bang, 2005 |
X
| ||
| Rain Fall Down A Bigger Bang, 2005 2005 / #33 U.K. |
X
| ||
| Streets of Love A Bigger Bang, 2005 2005 / #15 U.K. |
X
|
X
| |
| Plundered My Soul Exile on Main St.: Deluxe, 2010 2010 / #200 U.K. |
X
| ||
| Doom and Gloom Grrr!, 2012 2012 / #97 U.K. |
X
|
X
|
X
|
| One More Shot Grrr!, 2012 |
X
|
X
|
X
|
