One star deducted for missing tracks and inconsistent mastering. Still, for the price of a concert T-shirt, you get 45 stories of survival, swagger, and occasional genius.
Hearing âBrown Sugarâ (1971) bleed into âWild Horsesâ (UK single 1971) then jump to âHappyâ (1972) reveals a band still deeply in their creative golden hour. By the time you hit âFool to Cryâ (1976) and âRespectableâ (1978), you feel the hangover of the â70s and the punk-spiked revival. One star deducted for missing tracks and inconsistent
For a set priced at premium level, the liner notes are disappointingly brief. A few paragraphs per era and no session details. Hardcore fans will want the out-of-print Rolling Stones: The Singles book instead. By the time you hit âFool to Cryâ
Like many 2010s-era Stones reissues, the audio sources are inconsistent. Some tracks sound like fresh remasters; others (especially early â80s singles) seem pulled from older, compressed CD masters. âUndercover of the Nightâ lacks the vinylâs low-end punch. Hardcore fans will want the out-of-print Rolling Stones:
This is the definitive collection of the Ronnie Wood-era Stones (1975âpresent). It captures their second wind: the disco-funk of âMiss You,â the new wave jitter of âUndercover of the Night,â and the â90s return-to-form swagger of âOut of Tears.â The Flaws: What Holds It Back 1. Missing Hits, Odd Choices No âBeast of Burdenâ (released as a US single in 1978 but oddly excluded). No âEmotional Rescueâ (UK single 1980) â though itâs on digital editions, physical buyers miss it. The 2000s selections are weak: âDonât Stopâ (2002) is a by-the-numbers riff workout, and âBiggest Mistakeâ is forgettable.
Hereâs a well-rounded, critical look at box set (released 2011). A Sweeping, Flawed Capstone to the âSecond Actâ When the Rolling Stones released The Singles Collection: 1971â2006 in late 2011, it arrived as the natural companion to 2009âs Singles Collection: 1963â1971 (the London/Decca years). Where that earlier box traced the bandâs transformation from blues-obsessed teens to jet-black rock royalty, this three-disc (or 45-disc vinyl behemoth) set covers the era when the Stones became a self-sustaining industry: their own label (Rolling Stones Records), the iconic tongue logo, and a shifting sound that veered from disco to punk-surf to stadium balladry. What You Get The standard physical release is three CDs containing 45 A- and B-sides spanning 1971âs âBrown Sugarâ to 2006âs âBiggest Mistakeâ (from A Bigger Bang ). The digital edition runs 54 tracks, adding some non-UK single cuts. For vinyl obsessives, the limited edition box (45 Ă 7âł singles in repro sleeves) is a work of fetishistic beauty â but at a collectorâs price.