(PRESALE - SHIPS 8-21-26)

4xLP YELLOW, BLUE, RED, and ORANGE TRANSPARENT VINYL

Forty Licks, like Elvis' 30 #1 Hits, is a career-spanning compilation that wouldn't have happened without the unprecedented, blockbuster success of Beatles 1. Where Elvis' set is hurt by the simple fact that there are too many damn Elvis comps on the market, the Rolling Stones benefit greatly from the fact that there has not been any set that chronicles all their recordings from the '60s through the '90s. It also benefits that this is the concept behind the record -- it's meant to be a journey through their biggest songs, not just the number one hits. Of course, the Stones couldn't have had a CD containing just their number ones that spanned one disc, much less two, because they never topped the charts that frequently. This is a liberating thing (compare it to Elvis', which got weighed down with the number ones, resulting in some subpar selections), since it opens the door for almost every Stones song of note to feature on this collection, along with four new songs (not great, but solid songs, all). Sure, there are many great Rolling Stones moments missing, and not just fan favorites Beggars Banquet or Exile on Main St., either -- "Play With Fire," "2000 Light Years From Home," "Tell Me," "Heart of Stone," "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)," "Lady Jane," "Time Is on My Side," "Waiting on a Friend," "I'm Free," and "We Love You" are all missing in action. The thing is, as the disc is playing, you don't miss any of them, and it feels like all the hits are here. At first, the nonchronological order seems to be a mistake, but both discs flow well, especially since they're roughly divided thematically (the first is devoted largely to the '60s, with the rest on the second). Yes, the Stones made great albums that should be in any serious rock collection, but if you just want a summary of their best moments, Forty Licks is it; it does its job as well as Beatles 1 did.

A1        Street Fighting Man
A2        Gimme Shelter
A3        (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
A4        The Last Time
A5        Jumpin' Jack Flash
B1        You Can't Always Get What You Want
B2        19th Nervous Breakdown
B3        Under My Thumb
B4        Not Fade Away
B5        Have You Seen Your Mother Baby? (Standing In The Shadow)
C1        Sympathy For The Devil
C2        Mother's Little Helper
C3        She's A Rainbow
C4        Get Off Of My Cloud
C5        Wild Horses
D1        Ruby Tuesday
D2        Paint It, Black
D3        Honky Tonk Women
D4        It's All Over Now
D5        Let's Spend The Night Together
E1        Start Me Up
E2        Brown Sugar
E3        Miss You
E4        Beast Of Burden
E5        Don't Stop
F1        Happy
F2        Angie
F3        You Got Me Rocking
F4        Shattered
F5        Fool To Cry
G1        Love Is Strong
G2        Mixed Emotions
G3        Keys To Your Love
G4        Anybody Seen My Baby?
G5        Stealing My Heart
H1        Tumbling Dice
H2        Undercover Of The Night
H3        Emotional Rescue
H4        It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
H5        Losing My Touch