Customer Reviews

Beggars Banquet + 7 Bonus Tracks

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For me, this is a truly worthy package of a monumental album - Beggars Banquet is often cited as being the Stones greatest album, not just because it contains some great songs, but because it marks the band's triumphant return to form after unsuccessfully experimenting with Psych/Prog rock on their preceding release, Their Satanic Majesty's Request. CD Maximum has released the Stones entire catalog (both London and Decca), all with extra tracks included. It shocks me that Abkco is either too dumb or too greedy to figure out that this type of format (with bonus tracks) is the best way to re-issue their catalog. Capitol seems to have gotten this memo. Anyways, the sound quality is pristine, all tracks are in stereo, except Prodigal Son, which, as always, appears in mono. This track is available in stereo, along with lots of other goodies, on the bootleg album R.S.V.P. on Cool Bloke Records. If you get your copy of Beggar's Banquet used, make sure it comes with the bonus fold-out poster - another thoughtful addition that makes the CD Maximum version the one to own over the remastered Abko release. Heck, furnish your whole Stones library with the CD Maximum releases while you're at it!

This Russian label did a great job with its Rolling Stones reissue series. "Beggar's Banquet," the group's masterpiece, is augmented by 7 genuine bonus tracks in the vein of the main album.

These reissues are rapidly becoming pricey, and worth picking up while you can. It's all very well done, from the gallery of the covers of the album from around the world, to a mini-poster of the band.

Why didn't ABKCO do the same?

This is an unusual Russian release; notice the Cyrillic wring on the back. I played this on my computer (Windows7/media player), and the listed track titles are totally wrong! Really, really weird!!! After a lot of head scratching, I found that the track listing is from a different CD altogether, a 1991 compilation release called The USA collection/flashpoint??? I think any player that shows the song titles will show the same problem. I think media player gets it's info from the Allmusic website.
Fortunately, the listing on the back of the CD case is correct. The sound quality is quite good, I've even noticed small things I didn't notice before, and I've listen to this album dozens of times. Except for tracks 1 & 7, on which Mick's vocals aren't as loud as usual. They seem to be lost in the background. Unless the extra tracks are important to you, I'd pass on this (wish I would have) and get the 2002 Abkco remaster. Just my $00.02 !