Hi guys.

First off, it's Hello from the new guy and a huge "guilty" plea, an apology and simply to say "help".

You see the thing is ... I grew up (in NZ) on the Stones (1st ever record, HTW single with YCAGWYW B-side) then found punk and then Manchester (Factory) and then Bristol (the Massive etc.) and well ... haven't stayed evenly remotely current with the Stones. Saw them live sometime in the 70's and have no mempry of being impressed (that may have been substances of course LOL). Was even under the impression that perhaps they were now old or something like that. Then two things happened - I got my Rega Planar fixed and spun some old vinyl, a tatty old Black & Blue, Some Girls with the nifty pullout pictures, Stickly Fingers with the cool working zipper. Well shaft me - I liked it all over again, yes I did. So my guilty apology - I was a doubter. But I'm over it now.

And that's because the second thing happened. I went to the Wellington NZ concert two nights ago. Holy Shit! Preaching to the converted here I know - but wow! I haven't been to a concert like that in years and years (well actually, BurningSpear were pretty amazing last year but that's another story).

So I posted a review (Don Smith) and I've come in here and read about the Charlie rumour (fair enough if you ask me) and the absolute BS about TIX not selling here - the problem was the pipeline [TicketMaster] f'ing everyone around, not a demand problem - they could've sold times over.

But anyway - the point of this thread. I want to refresh my collection, my top 5 or so are essentially as most have stated. But what I want to be sure of is getting the best quality remastered CDs. Can someone please offer some guidance in that regard? If I were looking for say Sticky Fingers, Let it Bleed, Exile, Beggars Banquet, Ya Ya's and Black & Blue ... what are the right versions to buy?

Thanks guys, and love what you've done here Bjornulf

OK - so I've rummaged around on Amazon and it seems I'm asking a dumb question. ABKCO (who's that?) reissued much of (or all) the back catalogue in the early 2000's and they're readily available. Am i right or is there a catch?

ABKCO (Allen Klein's company who own the publishing rights to the 60's material) re-released their catalog in 2002. Sticky Fingers onward are published by Virgin, who last remastered the collection in the mid 90's.

ABKCO released their part of the catalog on SACD/CD hybrid disks and they sound brilliant - get 'em all!
the Virgin releases of their part of the catalog are normal CDs, but they sound better than the CBS (? or whoever it was) editions from the 80s.
so get all of them too. :E

Maybe somebody here could help me out with a question I've had for a while now.

Sometimes in second-hand cd shops, there are cd's released by Virgin Records that are in oversized jewel cases. Are these remasters? Is the sound any better, or are they the same as the regular Virgin releases?

Yes, the Virgin "oversized" releases are remasters and the sound is quite good.

Karl

>> Yes, the Virgin "oversized" releases are remasters and the sound is quite good. <<

remasters of what, though - of other Virgin releases, or of the CBS versions?


"What do you want - what?!"
- Keith

No, the oversized deluxe Virgin CDs are exactly the same remasters than the regular Virgin ones. All one needs to worry about (re. the Sticky Fingers-onward catalogue) is that the word "CBS" does not appear on the cover: those are the good ones (deluxe package or not).

The oversized Virgin CDs are limited to 100.000 worldwide.

I meant remastered from the original (vinyl) version, and that they sound better than the CBS version.

The oversized give you the album artwork including some little goodies like the postcards from Exile.