Customer Reviews

Sticky Fingers + 7 Bonus Tracks

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There's been speculation as to the origin of these Russian CD Maximum label Rolling Stones + Bonus Tracks reissues. One person suggested they're dubbed off vinyl. Clearly that's not the case.

Here's my theory: The albums proper are clones of high-quality Japanese CDs, with bootleg bonus tracks appended. The bonus tracks are without doubt Stones material. The back tray liner says "All information on this CD from private collection by Grigoryan Sergey." These bonus track boots are probably many generations removed from the masters and often sound like it.

The Russians have an interesting approach to copyright law--they don't recognize it when they don't want to. It's doubtful the Stones see a cent off these CDs.

Send some copy to a printer and you're in business. I compared the front artwork of the CD Maximum "Sticky Fingers" with the authorized U.S. version. The CD Maximum cover is actually a shot of the original Lp cover (which had a working zipper). The back tray artwork is generic with "type-written" track listings.

Should you buy the Russian releases? If the bonus material interests you. And if it's true that each release is limted to 500 copies (that seems unlikely), they won't be around for long. The Rolling Stones should mine their archives for material like mono mixes, good tracks left off classic albums, and the better vintage live tracks. That would eliminate the market for CD Maximum. Unfortunately, the Stones didn't do that with the recent "Exile On Main St." reissue.

As for "Sticky Fingers" itself, it's one of the Stones's better albums, though the acoustic is dry. That's what happens when you close mike everything and over-dub ad infinitum.