Customer Reviews

Forty Licks

5 star:		(182)
4 star:		(108)
3 star:		(49)
2 star:		(22)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

I've been a die-hard Stones fan for many years and was excited to have all these great songs in one collection. But be advised, many songs on the second disc are EDITED VERSIONS!!!! Call me a ... music geek, but when I listen the the world's greatest Rock & Roll band, I wanna hear the songs the way they were intended to be heard!!! The WHOLE song, not some EDITED version!!!! The new songs are real good and maybe "Dont Stop" will come out as a single; Keith's ballad is great, too! But it's hard for me to listen to songs that I know have more to them! I hate when they EDIT songs just so they can cram a bunch onto one disc!!!! Forty Licks shoulda been 3 discs, it's that simple. And even if someone is new to the Stones, they should hear the REAL, ORIGANINAL versions!!! Disc one is okay, but disc two, not so much!! Just wanna let people know; fair warning . . . . . .

FORTY LICKS is by far the recommended choice for those who only want one Stones set in their collection. Fans and collectors will only need the four new tracks (which are solid albeit non-essential cuts), but they may appreciate the novelty of having a career-spanning collection, all with upgraded sound quality. Taken as a whole, FORTY LICKS shows that the Stones absorbed a lot of influences, both inside and outside of the rock genre. The Stones manage the rare feat of maintaining a consistent albeit evolving group sound, usually without slipping into a predictable formula. Few artists with four decade-long careers have maintained this level of vitality for so long: as recently as 1997 they still could cut an outstanding, contemporary-sounding track (ANYBODY SEEN MY BABY?)

I would have preferred the tracks be presented in chronological order, but at least the 1960s-vintage tracks are on disc one, 1970s-present on disc two. If I counted correctly, FORTY LICKS manages to include 16 of 21 tracks on the HOT ROCKS collection, 15 of 23 out of the two THROUGH THE PAST DARKLY sets, and 12 of 18 from the JUMP BACK 1971-1993 anthology...and still squeezes in 7 recent-to-new cuts. While such key cuts as AS TEARS GO BY, MIDNIGHT RAMBLER, WAITING ON A FRIEND, HOT STUFF, 2000 LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME, LADY JANE, and TIME IS ON MY SIDE are missed, there just isn't enough room. In other words, it's impressive that most of the key tracks from past anthologies are now collected in one place.

Between the mono versions on disc one and the edited versions on disc two, think twice before you buy this cd. The song selection is ok, but why not use the stereo versions of Paint It Black and Satisfaction, for example? If there was something mentioned on the packaging, ok... but the record companies continue to play their unfortunate little games. We need consumer protection laws passed to stop this ongoing non-information-labeling scam.

At long last it's here. Fans have been crying out for a proper Stones retrospective for aeons and, finally, the price is right for the respective record companies and 'Forty Licks' is the result. A double set, with the 60s Decca/ABKCO material on one album (plus 1971's 'Wild Horses') and everything post-'71 on the other, although the tracks aren't sequenced chronologically. All told 40 songs from four decades, including four new tracks.

Any an album that can boast 'Street Fighting Man', 'Gimme Shelter' and 'Satisfaction' as its opening three tracks is certainly onto a winner. Even though Mick Jagger's familiar pouting, snarling voice hurtles out from another place and another time, part of tracks that are now an integral part of our culture, it still sends shivers down the spine. Same goes for the opening chords, from 'Street Fighting Man's insistent, ringing acoustic opening to 'Gimme Shelter's menacing, serpent-like notes and, of course, the all-too familiar calling card of 'Satisfaction'.

The first album is as bulletproof a selection as you could want. From the breakneck cover of Buddy Holly's 'Not Fade Away', through the classic string of self-penned singles ('The Last Time', 'Satisfaction', 'Get Off Of My Cloud', '19th Nervous Breakdown', 'Paint It, Black') to the meltdown of 'Have You Seen Your Mother Baby?', this is the mid-60s documented in all its incense-scented, scandal-ridden, narcissistic glory.

That's the signal for the trip to get darker, though the provocative 'Let's Spend The Night Together' and the wistful beauty of 'Ruby Tuesday' proved that the band could still churn out incredible four-minute pop songs. Unsurprisingly, the nervous breakdown of a single that was 'We Love You', which documented their paranoid incarcerated summer of love, is omitted in favour of the light and airy 'She's A Rainbow'.

The second album also races out of the blocks, with the legendary riffs of 'Start Me Up' and 'Brown Sugar' followed by the disco shuffle of 'Miss You'. It's no secret what the Stones themselves consider their best albums of the later period, with 1978's 'Some Girls' getting three tracks, 1972's magnum opus 'Exile On Main Street' and 1994's semi-return to form 'Voodoo Lounge' two apiece.

Of the new tracks, 'Don't Stop' is a solid mid-paced rocker with a memorable chorus, the kind of single the Stones still seem able to churn out at will. But 'Keys To Your Love' and 'Stealing My Heart' are merely slight versions of what's gone before, the former with Jagger's falsetto vocal circa 1980-81 and the latter a countryfied ditty of the sort Sir Mick usually saves for his solo albums. Keith's 'Losing My Touch' is much better, though, the latest in a long line of slow-burning album closers he does so well.

As ever with compilations covering such a huge body of work, there are omissions - 'Little Red Rooster', 'Time Is On My Side', 'Rocks Off', 'All Down The Line' could have easily slotted in instead of the album tracks or a couple of the new ones. But to criticise a collection containing so many incredible songs would be churlish.

On the contrary, 'Forty Licks' exists as ample evidence that, away from the drugs, the women, the media manipulation, the huge stages filling one end of stadiums the world over, the Stones have got where they are because they've made music that has been, and will continue to be listened to and revered by generation after generation.

40 Licks was released worldwide on October 1, 2002. Obviously, there are 40 tracks including 4 new ones (the single Don't Stop, Stealing My Heart, Keys To Your Love, and Keith's Losing My Touch). This one is the 22nd compilation album the Stones have released. It is the 19th compilation in the UK and the 9th in the US. There are lots of opinions about what should and should have been included/left off (there are *25* single releases that were not included). Remember, if anyone ever releases the entire Stones catalog as a box set it will have to be packaged in a trunk that comes with a dolly to get it out of the store. Since everybody knows the songs anyway, how about if I list what is on it from when for you?

These songs are the most popular from the Rolling Stones Records releases. Here are the original US and UK release dates of each song (US release and re-release dates were often different during this period):

3-6-64 Not Fade Away
7-24-64 It's All Over Now
3-12-65 The Last Time
6-4-65 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
9-24-65 Get Off Of My Cloud
2-11-66 19th Nervous Breakdown
5-6-66 Paint It, Black
7-1-66 Mother's Little Helper
7-1-66 Under My Thumb (not a single, from album Aftermath)
9-23-66 Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?
1-13-67 Let's Spend The Night Together
1-13-67 Ruby Tuesday
12-22-67 She's A Rainbow
5-31-68 Jumpin' Jack Flash
8-30-68 Street Fighting Man
12-6-68 Sympathy For The Devil (not a single, from album Beggar's Banquet)
7-3-69 Honky Tonk Woman
12-5-69 Gimme Shelter (not a single, from album Let It Bleed)
12-5-69 You Can't Always Get What You Want (not a single, from album Let It Bleed)
4-16-71, 5-7-71, & 6-29-84 Brown Sugar
4-23-71 & 6-11-71 Wild Horses (on Sticky Fingers - not released as a single)
4-14-72 Tumbling Dice
5-12-72 Happy (on Exile On Main Street - not released as a single)
8-21-73 Angie
7-26-74 It's Only Rock `n' Roll
4-16-78 Fool To Cry
11-28-78 Shattered
5-19-78 Miss You
8-29-78 & 6-1-82 Beast Of Burden
6-20-80 Emotional Rescue
8-14-81 & 2-11-83 Start Me Up
11-1-83 Undercover Of The Night
8-17-89 Mixed Emotions
7-5-94 Love Is Strong
9-94 You Got Me Rocking
97 Anybody Seen My Baby?
10-1-02 Don't Stop (new)
10-1-02 Stealing My Heart (new)
10-1-02 Keys To Your Love (new)
10-1-02 Losing My Touch (new)

Here are the *25* single releases that are NOT on the album: Saint Of Me, Out Of Contol, Like A Rolling Stone, I Go Wild, Out Of Tears, Sex Drive, Highwire, Terrifying, Almost Hear You Sigh,, One Hit (To The Body), She Was Hot, Time Is On My Side, Going To A Go Go, If I Was A Dancer, Out Of Time, I Don't Know Why, Sad Day, Hot Stuff, Respectable, Waiting On A Friend, Harlem Shuffle, Rock And A Hard Place, Heart Of Stone, As Tears Go By, Tell Me, Dandelion

This information comes from "It's Only Rock And Roll: The Ultimate Guide To The Rolling Stones" by Karnbach and Bernson and from my own collection.

"Forty Licks" is at last a retrospective of the Rolling Stones entire career. The first disk contains the Abkco/Decca controlled material with Brian Jones through the early Mick Taylor era (mostly sixties). The second disk contains the Virgin material from the later Mick Taylor period through the Ronnie Wood years (seventies to present). The second disk also contains 4 newly recorded songs for this collection. The first disk appears to contain the new Abkco remastering but is not SACD compatible.

Disk one is priceless. It contains one classic hit after another. Material ranges from early R&B covers like "It's All Over Now" to the psychedelic "She's A Rainbow" and rockers like "Satisfaction". This disk shows the evolution of Jagger/Richards into one of the greatest songwriting duos in rock history. Cuts like "Get Off My Cloud" and "19th Nervous Breakdown" spotlight the tight rhythm section of Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman. Tracks such as "Jumping Jack Flash", "Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" are timeless classics. Disk one serves as a single disk summary of the material from the twin Abkco double disk sets "Hot Rocks" and "More Hot Rocks". I was pleased that lesser known favorites like "The Last Time", "Not Fade Away", "It's All Over Now" and "She's A Rainbow" were included. However, I would have omitted "Have You Seen You Mother Baby" in favor of "I'm Free", "Dandelion", "2000 Light Years From Home" or "Play With Fire" among others.

The second disk contains classic tracks like "Brown Sugar", "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll", "Start Me Up" and "Tumbling Dice". I was especially glad "Happy" one of my favorites form this period was included. The disk also contains 4 new songs. "Don't Stop" and "Stealing My Heart" are medium tempo rockers while "Keys To Your Heart" and "Losing My Touch" are more subdued with Keith taking the vocals on the latter. The new songs sound similar to their more recent material. After listening to the second disk I could not help but be a little disappointed. While not to knock Ronnie Wood it becomes evident that the Stones miss the creative versatility of Brian Jones and the stellar musicianship and stinging slide guitar of Mick Taylor. A drawback with the second disk is that a number of the songs appear in edited versions. Many excellent cuts from this time period are omitted like "Bitch", "All Down The Line", "Heartbreaker", "Star Star", "Crazy Mama", "When The Whip Comes Down", "Before They Make Me Run", "Going To A Go-Go", "She's So Cold", "Hang Fire", "Harlem Shuffle", "Rock And A Hard Place", "Like A Rolling Stone", and "Saint Of Me" among others. "Exile On Main Street" one the best double albums (remember them) in rock history and one of their best is only represented by two cuts.

While this set provides a good purchase for the novice or budget minded Stones fan, I would still recommend picking up "Hot Rocks" and "More Hot Rocks" as both contain essential tracks not included here. If you want the real story you must pick up their individual disks as each contain some hidden gems. Maybe sometime Virgin will get around to issuing a 2 disk compilation of their material with a bonus disk of rare non-lp b-sides, but until then this set will do nicely.

Of the many Rolling Stones 'greatest hits' packages, this is by far the best, mainly because it has 40 songs on this 2-disk set, and each song has been cleaned up to some degree (some changes barely noticeable and some significant). I also like the song sequence, 60's stuff on the first disk and 70's to present on second disk, all in random order; it sounds more interesting when you don't know what song will be next.

You definitely get a lot for your money here. For those who have many different Stones CD's already, or for those who are just getting into the Stones, you will not be disappointed with what this package offers, if you really consider what you're getting.

After reviewing some of the gripes people have with this 2 CD collection, and then buying it for myself, I have to agree with only some of them.

Yes of course there are songs that I miss not having here ("Time Is On My Side", "Heart of Stone", "As Tears Go By", "She's so Cold", "Hang Fire", "Rock and a Hard Place", just to name a few). I realize that no collection could possibly please everyone with its song selection and must say that there IS enough good material here to make buying it a worthwhile choice. "Shattered" should've been kept off with perhaps "Hang Fire" in its place.

Another minor gripe I have is that much of their pre-1969 songs are in MONO??!? here, even though I have heard decent Stereo versions of all the Mono songs. "Satisfaction" is still in Mono (disappointing), but it does sound good (you can hear the piano better on this Mono version). The songs that I feel sound better than I ever heard before are "Sympathy for the Devil" (the percussion sounds as if it's right next to you), "It's All Over Now" (a fantastic Stereo version that never sounded so clean), and "Get Off My Cloud" (a song you can't resist turning up because it sounds fantastic).

The biggest gripe of all that I want to share (a number of other people have too) is the BACKGROUND HISS you can't help but notice (especially on "Gimmie Shelter", "Under My Thumb", and "Jumping Jack Flash"). If a record company is going through great lengths to present these classics in the best way possible, why couldn't they try their best to clean up the tape hiss? Other than the minor complaints listed above, the songs really do sound better than those lousy "Remastered" CD's that came out in 1986.

Some people complained about some of the songs on the 2nd disk being 'EDITED' versions. Although I understand this point, I don't think these edited versions are too much different for people to be concerned with, especially the casual fans. The edits are most noticeable on "Miss You", the 45rpm version that I actually like just as much as the LP version (there's stuff on this version you don't hear on the regular version that people are most familiar with). I do wish they included the full versions of "Emotional Rescue" & "It's Only Rock N Roll" however (both end too soon).

As for the 4 new songs, "Don't Stop" sounds just as good as anything else they put out in the past 10 years, and the other 3 are good also, especially Keith's ballad "Losing My Touch", one of his nicest songs to date.

I give this collection four and a half stars, minus one-half star due to the hiss. Hands down, this is the best "Best of" for the Rolling Stones.

Or should I say 40? I used to think "Hot Rocks" was the best Stones collection. Well, "Forty Licks" has it -- uh, licked. It contains 16 of the 21 Rocks tracks and then goes on to kiss your ears with 20 tunes from their next 30 years, plus 4 brand spankin' new ones. Sure, you can point to lots of missing licks (Tell Me, Time is On My Side, Heart of Stone, As Tears Go By, Lady Jane, No Expectations, Stray Cat Blues, Midnight Rambler, Let It Bleed, Live With Me, Waiting on a Friend, etc.), but to cover *every* great Stones cut would take far more than 2 CDs.

With 12 Top Ten cuts on just the first CD of this set alone, it is probably the most solid 20 song CD this side of Beatles 1. The second CD has 10 Top Ten tunes, so it's hardly a slacker either. Seems like the 2 CDs are neatly divided into their London vs. Rolling Stones Records days. But don't expect the tracks to be in chronological order. The 4 licks from 2002 are all good, but "Don't Stop" is definitely the standout gem, destined to become a Stones classic. Even the liner notes surpass anything on the recent Stones Remasters [hello, Record Co, we want details in our package]. Forty Licks 24-page booklet lists the writers, year, and (indirectly) the personnel on every track. It also clarifies the 5 different Stones lineups in their 39 year career. And there are some wonderful photos of The Boys at various ages. Lick for lick, this baby really delivers a tongue lashing of the best from the Greatest Rock Band in the World! Hey, guys, Don't Stop! I know it's only rock n' roll, but I like it....

First off, you can't possibly argue with a single
track on the first CD of this 2 CD set. 20 songs, all
bonafied Stones classics. All meat, no filler. This
CD, if offered by itself, would be a 5 star single
disc representation of the "London/Decca" era Stones.
Which, let's be honest now, is the best Stones.

What drags this set down is the second disc. This
represents the post London/Decca era stones, which is
to say the Stones after they ceased to be, arguably
(and in their own words) "the world's greatest rock
and roll band", and instead became a brand name. They
did put out two additional essential albums post London/Decca,
the first two: Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street. Then
it was all downhill (and no, I don't think Some Girls was
the return to form that some argue). The truth in that is
reflected all too clearly by the second disc. With 30 years
of material to choose from (as opposed to roughly 8 for the
first disc), they still come up with only a B or B+ set of
songs. And I'm only talking the 16 "hits" on disc 2. They've
also larded this disc with 4 new tracks to suck in the
completists and/or pretend to some sort of ongoing relevance.
Trust me, not one of these four tracks will appear on any
subsequent best of. The entirety of disc 2 is trumped by
either of the two best albums it anthologizes (Sticky Fingers
and Exile on Main Street).

Unfortunately, the two discs on this set are not available
separately. If they were, one could buy the terrific first
disc (which is a much better deal than the only other non-box-set
anthology from the London/Decca years, Hot Rocks),
add Sticky Fingers and Exile on Mainstreet to the shopping
bag and be done with it. But this being the Stones (and
Allen Klein who owns the London/Decca masters), we aren't
offered that option.

Oh well. 5 stars for the first CD. 3 stars for the second CD.
3 stars for the total package because the forced dual
purchase is so annoying.<P

This latest 2-cd "Best Of" Stone's collection spans some 40 years of hits for the world's greatest (and longest running) rock n' roll band. You've got most (not all) of The Stone's biggest 60's hits on Cd-1 including "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction), The Last Time, 19th Nervous Breakdown, Mother's Little Helper, Get Off Of My Cloud, It's All Over Now, Have You Seen Your Mother Baby?, Paint It Black, etc. There are some serious deletions such as The Stone's first major hit Time Is On My Side, Play With Fire, and As Tears Go By. Disc-2 includes most (again, not all) of The Stone's 70's,80's,90's hits and four new tracks as well. You've got Brown Sugar, Start Me Up, Miss You (edited), Beast Of Burden, Happy, Angie, Shattered, Tumbling Dice, It's Only Rock N' Roll, etc. Again there are some deletions such as Bitch, Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo(Heartbreaker), Waiting On A Friend and Rock And A Hard Place. The new songs Losing My Touch, Keys To Your Love, Don't Stop and Stealing My Heart are okay (the best being Don't Stop) but nothing special. The sound quality is excellent, but I'd have hoped that some of the earlier 60's Stone's hits would have been in stereo instead of mono. This would have been a better collection had it been three cd's and included more songs. Recommended!