The over/under rated thread got me thinking: if you had to come up with what you would consider to be a collection of songs that would represent the definitive Stones, what the hell would be on it? On one CD or two? 20 or 40 or 60 or however many songs? Where does it stop? I'm interested in making A Very Vest Of The Best Of The Best Of The Rolling Stones.

Would the Taylorites even admit that there are some good Ronnie Wood era tunes and include them?

Should you include live tracks from the live albums or exclude those? Stick to the studio recordings only? No bootlegs? What about tracks from the Exile and Some Girls extras? I can think of one track from those that I'd be very satisfied putting on this kind of a compilation.

I'd probably stay away from bootlegs simply because I don't have enough of them to justify straying off the studio recordings to begin with. I think using live tracks would undermine the quality simply because it's so spotty, at least as far as officially release live albums go (and as with most live albums, you might as well stick to the studio versions anyway - at least those are honest overdubs).

Include covers? It might be odd to not do that in respect to the early Stones.

Does one draw the line on 'I really like this track' for whatever reason (Out Of Control, Too Much Blood, Continental Drift, Melody, How Can I Stop, Fingerprint File etc) even knowing they aren't 'true' representative tracks and attempt to stick with something that says The Rolling Stones without it being so out in left field different from what has made them who they are (JJF, Brown Sugar, Tumbling Dice, Start Me Up, the real solid rock'n'roll tracks)?

Is there - or should there be - a balance in amount of the Jones/Taylor/Wood years or let the songs determine that?

I've made countless collections and never are they the same. It would be interesting to come up with one that seems definitive though. In the same sense that a record label would.

As much as I can despise the hits albums I also find them absolutely fascinating. I've never been able to determine if disc 2 side 3 of Hot Rocks was because of the age I was when I heard it or just that the tracks are sequenced in such a way that is 100% rock'n'roll and can not be denied being one of the greatest sides to an album in the history of rock.

What a hard task that would be given their copious output...I'm tempted to start typing but I think it would take too long. Ah hell..Maybe a brief attempt:
Early singles like Satisfaction, Under My Thumb, Cloud, 19th Nervous Breakdown, The Last Time, (I know I'm forgetting a few)....Then BB, LIB, SF, and Exile in their entirety or perhaps just the very best songs from them, highlights from Get Yer Ya Yas Out to showcase their live prime years..and then...hmmm.....the best tracks from Some Girls & Tattoo You, and then certain stand out tracks from later years, like Out of Tears, and....ahhh...I'll be here for hours if I try to list individual songs. Maybe I'll give it a bash when I can stop to weed out the very best songs rather than doing things like including the "big four" in their entirety. We want a nice collection, not a 50 pound box! Best to sort this out on an MS Word document and come back later...should be fun.

Used to arrange personal compilations myself trying to get in consideration all those points you mention in your thread, but since the possibilities are endless I gave up after a few CD-Rs that must be lost in some friend's place, lol.

It's indeed a bit of a challenge to find a "balance" on a single disc compilation, trying to be fair with the earlier as well as newer material, and featuring not just singles but also some album tracks.

I'd say, if you would like to reduce such a compilation to the minimum expression, I'd take "Rolled Gold" and "Jump Back", charge these 3 discs to a multi-CD player and rotate them on random mode until you get some 70 minutes of music. Then in the remaining 10 minutes to fill up the disc I'd add some 2 or 3 90's-00's singles or favorite album tracks - et voila: you have your own little Frankenstein

OK - I tried, lol. I found it impossible to whittle it down to less than a four disc set. There's just too much stuff to choose from. Next challenge: Can a definitive, yet carreer spanning set be condensed to two discs?


DISC ONE:
1 SATISFACTION
2 UNDER MY THUMB
3 THE LAST TIME
4 19TH NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
5 GET OFF MY CLOUD
6 RUBY TUESDAY
7 LET’S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER
8 2000 LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME
9 SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
10 JUMPING JACK FLASH
11 STREET FIGHTING MAN
12 NO EXPECTATIONS
13 HONKY TONK WOMEN

DISC TWO:
1 GIMME SHELTER
2 LIVE WITH ME
3 LET IT BLEED
4 YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT
5 LOVE IN VAIN (LIVE FROM YA YAS)
6 MIDNIGHT RAMBLER (LIVE FROM FROM YA YAS)
7 BITCH
8 BROWN SUGAR
9 SWAY
10 DEAD FLOWERS
11 RIP THIS JOINT
12 TUMBLING DICE
13 STOP BREAKING DOWN

DISC THREE
1 HAPPY
2 CASINO BOOGIE
3 TORN AND FRAYED
4 ALL DOWN THE LINE
5 STAR STAR
6 IT’S ONLY ROCK AND ROLL
7 FINGERPRINT FILE
8 HAND OF FATE
9 MEMORY MOTEL
10 SHATTERED
11 BEAST OF BURDEN
12 RESPECTABLE
13 BEFORE THEY MAKE ME RUN
14 WHEN THE WHIP COMES DOWN

DISC FOUR
1 SHE’S SO COLD
2 LET ME GO
3 START ME UP
4 BLACK LIMOUSINE
5 NO USE IN CRYING
6 TIE YOU UP
7 HOLD BACK
8 ALMOST HEAR YOU SIGH
9 I GO WILD
10 OUT OF TEARS
11 MIGHT AS WELL GET JUICED
12 ROUGH JUSTICE
13 OH NO NOT YOU AGAIN
14 LET ME DOWN SLOW
15 SLIPPING AWAY

Let me just throw Let It Bleed, Some Girls, Beggars Banquet, Exile On Main Street and Sticky Fingers on the table, - there you go !

You can put them on your compilation, that will do.

I find it impossible to put together a "definitive Stones" collection, in the typical way. Just compiling their "big hits" taking everything out of it's context and era, and becomes a tiresome listen, for me. The best RS compilation for me, would just be a snapshot of their catalogue - a couple of random tunes, but they have to come from the same era. In fact I'll just put on Flowers immediately

Quote
Erik_Snow
I find it impossible to put together a "definitive Stones" collection, in the typical way. Just compiling their "big hits" taking everything out of it's context and era, and becomes a tiresome listen, for me. The best RS compilation for me, would just be a snapshot of their catalogue - a couple of random tunes, but they have to come from the same era. In fact I'll just put on Flowers immediately

You make a good point here. That's why I was rather let down when the 40 Licks set came out. I had heard talk of a career spanning anthology, I expected hits but was hoping for the inclusion of their great non-singles album cuts as well. Of course what we got was just a singles collection.

Never bought 40 Licks. Just went for the promo CD-Single featuring the 4 new songs. I might sound a bit snob but it just feels great not to own that compilation.

I might sound a bit snob but it just feels great not to own that compilation.

........Flog it from ya local libary and ya'll feel even better



ROCKMAN

Quote
stonesdan60
Of course what we got was just a singles collection.

Not quite. Under my thumb and Gimme Shelter were no singles, I think.
I don't see any wrong in building a compilation, like the one WeLoveToPlayTheBlues is thinking
about, around hits.
If you ask me, there are five phases in their carreer that need attention if one wants to represent
the essence of the Stones: their Rhythm and blues (covers) phase, their first big hits as songwriters,
the discovery of the open tunings, the back to three chords phase and the extended life phase.
Take three songs from each phase, and you've got one disk that tells the story.
Something like this would do the trick for me:

Route 66
Time is on my side
Mona (I need you baby)

The Last time
(I can't get no) Satisfaction
Get off of my cloud

Jumpin' Jack Flash
Gimme Shelter
Brown Sugar

When the whip comes down
Respectable
Start me up

Love is strong
Out of control
How can I stop?

Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

.......don't forget ta sqeeeeze in things like Heart Of Stone...
Red Rooster .... Out Of Time .... Child Of The Moon .... We Love You ...Parachute Woman ....
Cherry Oh Baby.... You know those kinda gems that make everyone go Hey what the F is this ???? ... what albums this on??????



ROCKMAN

Quote
Rockman
.......don't forget ta sqeeeeze in things like Heart Of Stone...
Red Rooster .... Out Of Time .... Child Of The Moon .... We Love You ...Parachute Woman ....
Cherry Oh Baby.... You know those kinda gems that make everyone go Hey what the F is this ???? ... what albums this on??????

I saved these for the Deluxe version.

Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

This is fun shit! Really, this is like riding around in my Dad's station wagon, waiting all week to share a new mixed tape I had made with my best buddies. And yeah, digital music can be lifeless, and not too inspirational, but oh how I love to make play lists on my iTunes! I have several Stones related. The Stones A History; Essential Stones; and The Rolling Stones Live. Two out of the three have 110, 61, and 49. Then another entitled, The Rolling Stones 1963-74 with 40 songs. That playlist I was trying to envision a mutli disc album, or CD collection. Then I have The The Rolling Stones 1974 to 1983 with 39 songs. Both those mixes include covers and live stuff. I was initially leaning towards only studio and original, however, once you start listening to The Stones you yearn for those definitive covers that gave them their inspiration, and hearing them live, when they are their most pure. So they both have covers and live stuff.
The 1963-74 consists of:
1. Not Fade Away
2. Little Red Rooster
3. What A Shame
4. Heart of Stone
5. Gotta Get Away
6. Satisfaction (Live, MSG 1969)
7. Under My Thumb
8. Back Street Girl
9. Paint it Black
10. Flight 505
11. 2000 Man
12. 2000 Light Years From Home
13. Jumping Jack Flash
14. Factory Girl
15. No Expectations
16. Jigsaw Puzzel
17. Sympathy for the Devil (Get Yer Ya Ya's_
18. Gimme Shelter
19. You Can't Always Get What You Want
20. Monkey Man
21. Little Queenie (Ya Ya's)
22. Midnight Rambler (Welcome to New York)
23. Brown Sugar (Clapton slide version)
24. Can't You Hear Me Knockin'
25. Sway
26. Rocks Off
27. Let it Loose
28. Shine A Light
29. Tumbling Dice
30. Torn and Frayed
31. Sweet Virginia (live Texas 72)
32. Soul Survivor
33. All Down the Line
34. Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker, Live Brusls)
35. Coming Down Again
36. Winter
37. If You Can't Rock Me
38. Dance Little Sister
39. Time Waits for No One
40. Get Off My Cloud (Live Hawaii 1967)

So that is my pretty straight forward collection. And even trying to keep it short, it is at 40 songs. It is pretty straight forward with the song selections as well, with a few sprinkled oddities to hook you even more. The reason being, is those studio versions are just some of the most classically written and performed songs in Rock history.

My live play list is fun as well. Nice trying to get cool segues into the different songs trying to match the audience intro and outro to make a long concert.

Fun stuff! Love it!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-01-13 16:36 by whitem8.

thats a damn good list.

Thanks kind sir Duke! See it is fun doing playlists...

OK - how do we whittle down the Stones vast ouput to a more condensed collection? A daunting task indeed. Maybe for a truly definitive collection we should bypass most of the early, what I like to think of as "evolutionary years," and jump right in around the time of the Big Four. By the time of Exile I think they had come to produce what you may call "definitive" Stones. Of course we have to jump to some of Some Girls and a handful of later songs. I'll conceed that much of the later material may not be required as "definitive" material, I still like it. Let me try this approach...This is fun, indeed!

DISC ONE:
1 SATISFACTION
2 2000 LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME
3 JUMPING JACK FLASH
4 SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
5 STREET FIGHTING MAN
6 GIMME SHELTER
7 HONKY TONK WOMEN
8 MIDNIGHT RAMBLER (LIVE - YA YA'S)
9 BROWN SUGAR
10 BITCH
11 SWAY
12 TUMBLING DICE
13 HAPPY
14 ALL DOWN THE LINE
15 TORN AND FRAYED

DISC TWO:
1 IT'S ONLY ROCK AND ROLL
2 BEAST OF BURDEN
3 SHATTERED
4 START ME UP
5 BLACK LIMOUSINE
6 TIE YOU UP
7 SAD SAD SAD
8 OUT OF TEARS
9 I GO WILD
10 MIGHT AS WELL GET JUICED
11 OUT OF CONTROL
12 ALREADY OVER ME
13 THEIF IN THE NIGHT
14 ROUGH JUSTICE
15 LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN

BONUS DISC THREE: (IF YOU BUY THE DELUXE EDITION!)
1 SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (LIVE FROM YA YAS)
2 LIVE WITH ME (LIVE FROM RARITIES)
3 BEAST OF BURDEN (LIVE FROM RARITIES)
4 CAN'T YOU HEAR ME KNOCKING?
5 SHE'S SO COLD
6 LET ME GO
7 MISS YOU (12" SINGLE VERSION)
8 YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT (LIVE FROM BRUSSELLS)
9 BEFORE THEY MAKE ME RUN
10 SISTER MORPHINE (LIVE FROM NO SECURITY)
11 SPARKS WILL FLY
12 LET ME DOWN SLOW
13 THE BIGGEST MISTAKE
14 UNDERCOVER
15 SLIPPING AWAY

Practically impossible. Sorry if I stray from the original intent of this thread, but my compilation will be solely live tracks that have been released either on cd or mp3 download, no boots (even though some I prefer there).

disc one 1969-1973
1. satisfaction (ya yas deluxe)
2. sympathhy for the devil (ya yas)
3. love in vain (ya yas)
4. street fighting man ( ya yas)
5. brown sugar (brussels)
6. gimme shelter (brussels)
7. tumbling dice (brussels)
8. angie (brussels)
9. you can't always get what you want (brussels)
10. honky tonk women (brussels)
11. jumpin' jack flash (brussels)
12. midnight rambler (brussels)

Admittedly, it's only two releases, officially, bonus track would be let it rock from Leeds.
Disc two The Rest (1976-present)
1. Star Star (love you live)
2. It's only rock 'n roll (love you live)
3. around and around (el mocambo)
4. Miss You (some Girls in Texas)
5. Shattered (some girls in Texas)
6. When the whip comes down (sucking in the 70's)
7. Respectable (some girls in Texas)
8. Beast of burden (some girls in Texas)
9. Under my thumb (still life)
10. start me up (flashpoint)
11. ruby tuesday (flashpoint)
12. paint it, black (flashpoint)
13. like a rolling stone (stripped)
14. out of control (no security)
15. everybody wants somebody to love with Solomon Burke (live licks)
16. Champagne and reefer with Buddy Guy (shine a light) bonus track

Yeah, it might be a little much and I don't think the 80 minutes for a cd will fit all of these tracks so it may require either another disc, drop champagne or edit the tracks, not like the Stones wouldn't do this, heaven forbid they butcher one of their classics "rocks off" in the final edit.

Anyway, suprisingly not a lot to work with when you consider the volume of live releases compared to most bands, but then also compared the number of official live releases compared to the boots. Frankly I love the boots, but I'm going to stick to my rule, at least for my list. Have at it.

Quote
stonesdan60

Quote
Erik_Snow
I find it impossible to put together a "definitive Stones" collection, in the typical way. Just compiling their "big hits" taking everything out of it's context and era, and becomes a tiresome listen, for me. The best RS compilation for me, would just be a snapshot of their catalogue - a couple of random tunes, but they have to come from the same era. In fact I'll just put on Flowers immediately

You make a good point here. That's why I was rather let down when the 40 Licks set came out. I had heard talk of a career spanning anthology, I expected hits but was hoping for the inclusion of their great non-singles album cuts as well. Of course what we got was just a singles collection.

Well, technically, that is incorrect. There are tracks on Forty Licks that were/are not singles. If the four new songs were left off and it was an actual 40 songs it does make for a decent 2 disc collection. But it certainly could be better with better songs on it.

Yep, it's dismal to attempt to come up with something. It's all subjective, of course. Attempting to make one that would resemble something of a hits compilation with the really good LP tracks is the desired goal and requires some sense of saying 'no' to some songs. It's just which ones. Copying the various hits albums that have Under My Thumb and Gimme Shelter is inevitable.

Aside from the UK edition of REWIND, I've always found it strange that She's So Cold never got more attention yet Fool To Cry, no where near as good a song as She's So Cold, is on every goddamn one of 'em! Well, since Time Waits For No One that is.

Certain songs were monkeyed with for single releases. Beast Of Burden was edited - which I like better than the LP version. Same with the UK edit of Miss You. Crazy Mama is a good edit as well. They keep the integrity of the song intact.

Love Is Strong got a single remix that sounds better than the LP version.

Same goes for Out Of Tears and I Go Wild, with Out Of Tears remix (the better sounding of the two edit versions) being an edit version and I Go Wild being less edited and slightly longer than the LP version.

I think the element of these changes are important as well. They're not neutering edits like the kind of edit from Live Licks for Brown Sugar and Rocks Off but more concerned with the flow within a certain length as far as the edit versions go.

Possibly the most jarring edit for a single release was You Can't Always Get What You Want, which I know was the B-side to Honky Tonk Women, but wow did they ever chop that one up! The only other jarring edit I can think of to that degree is the edit version of Highwire. Emotional Rescue might be considered as well but it still flows.

I wouldn't include the edit of YCAGWYW on a definitive compilation though.