- Sticky Fingers (1971)
- Exile On Main St (1972)
- Goats Head Soup (1973)
- It锟斤拷s Only Rock锟斤拷n锟斤拷Roll (1974)
- Black And Blue (1976)
- Some Girls (1978)
- Emotional Rescue (1980)
- Tattoo You (1981)
- Undercover (1983)
- Dirty Work (1986)
- Steel Wheels (1989)
- Voodoo Lounge (1994)
- Bridges To Babylon (1997)
- A Bigger Bang (2005)
- Blue & Lonesome (2016)
锟斤拷When the Rolling Stones锟斤拷 contract with Decca Records (Liberty Records in the U.S.) ended in the early 1970s, the band started its own label, Rolling Stones Records. Marshall Chess, whose father, Leonard Chess, co-founded Chess Records, initially ran the imprint. Atco distributed it in the U.S. Coincidentally, Chess and Atlantic Records (Atco was a subsidiary) were responsible for much of the early blues and rock n锟斤拷 roll that inspired the Stones. Rolling Stones Records continues to this day, with distribution changing hands over the years from Atlantic to Columbia Records, then to Virgin Records, and now to Universal Music. Each switch has resulted in batches of newly remastered CDs and, sometimes, vinyl reissues. Order now and you锟斤拷ll get a random album from the Rolling Stones锟斤拷 20 vinyl albums.
And so we now have the band锟斤拷s post-Decca recordings collected as Studio Albums Vinyl Collection, 1971-2016. The 20LP box contains every studio album the band released after leaving Decca, beginning with 1971锟斤拷s Sticky Fingers and continuing through 2016锟斤拷s Blue and Lonesome. Each LP comes housed in a replica of the original album cover. The set itself is contained in a heavyweight cardboard box with high-gloss artwork and a die-cut, lenticular version of the label锟斤拷s (and band锟斤拷s) famous tongue logo.
Abbey Road Studios锟斤拷 Miles Showell of mastered the set from digital files sourced from flat high-res transfers of the original master tapes. He cut them at half-speed, a technique used by Stan Ricker, a hero of his who cut many LPs for Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab. Showell锟斤拷s mastering on the two-LP reissue of Sgt. Pepper锟斤拷s Lonely Hearts Club Band and the vinyl reissue of Eric Clapton锟斤拷s Slowhand prove he possesses a sensitive ear and can take digital sources and make them sound close to analog. He turns in another commendable effort here.
Sticky Fingers, the first release on the Stones锟斤拷 label, ranks with the band锟斤拷s finest work. Showell锟斤拷s cut brings out more of the low frequencies, so that Charlie Watts锟斤拷 toms on 锟斤拷Brown Sugar锟斤拷 are more prominent and the bass feels cleaner and tighter throughout the record. Nicky Hopkins锟斤拷 piano on 锟斤拷Sway锟斤拷 sounds more clearly etched, and Paul Buckmaster锟斤拷s strings there and on 锟斤拷Moonlight Mile锟斤拷 more refined and forward. Guitars on 锟斤拷Wild Horses锟斤拷 and 锟斤拷Moonlight Mile锟斤拷 teem with unveiled harmonic richness, and Jim Price锟斤拷s piano on the latter track echoes with newfound solidity. The guitars on 锟斤拷I Got the Blues锟斤拷 are fuller, too, with more audible low strings and layered horns. By contrast, 锟斤拷Brown Sugar,锟斤拷 Bitch,锟斤拷 and other gritty tracks seem tamed by the new master. Bobby Keys锟斤拷 sax solo on 锟斤拷Can锟斤拷t You Hear Me Knocking锟斤拷 also spits with nastier overtones on the original pressing. On balance, there are many things to like about the new pressing, but I miss the dirtiness of the original.
Exile on Main St. remains regarded my many fans as the Stones锟斤拷 masterpiece. Showell锟斤拷s mastering gives it锟斤拷and, in fact, all the records here锟斤拷a solid, defined bottom end that extends to both the bass and kick drum. Exile on Main St. proves more spacious on many tracks. On 锟斤拷Tumbling Dice,锟斤拷 for example, we enjoy a slightly better sense of dynamics. The horns on 锟斤拷Rocks Off锟斤拷 register more forcefully, and Mick Jagger锟斤拷s vocals are often more clearly focused throughout. Acoustic guitars on 锟斤拷Sweet Virginia锟斤拷 sound warm and realistic, and many tunes resonate with a pleasingly balanced sound. However, the original pressing rips锟斤拷something the remaster fails to do. Sure, 锟斤拷Rocks Off,锟斤拷 锟斤拷Hip Shake Thing,锟斤拷 锟斤拷Ventilator Blues,锟斤拷 and most of the other blues-drenched tunes remain forceful and appropriately dark. 锟斤拷Ventilator Blues锟斤拷 just sounds meaner on the original.
Goat锟斤拷s Head Soup sounds vastly improved by the new master. Bass lines are firmer and the thin sound of the original gets replaced by a fuller, beefier foundation that injects 锟斤拷Dancing with Mr. D锟斤拷 and 锟斤拷Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)锟斤拷 with extra life. Slower songs, such as 锟斤拷Angie锟斤拷 and 锟斤拷Winter,锟斤拷 benefit from enhancements in the form of more roominess that allows for finer instrumental detail. Guitars and piano claim better resolution throughout. Guitar trills and intervals are cleaner and sustain longer, too, and Jagger锟斤拷s voice sounds more three-dimensional.
Moving on down the line, instruments on It锟斤拷s Only Rock 锟斤拷n Roll gain increased separation on the new pressing, with the guitars brighter and snappier than on the original. Watts锟斤拷 high hat on 锟斤拷If You Can锟斤拷t Rock Me锟斤拷 features more splash and rhythmic drive, and Hopkins锟斤拷 piano on 锟斤拷Ain锟斤拷t Too Proud to Beg锟斤拷 reaches out in the soundstage so it becomes easier to hear. More audible, punchy bass frequencies on 锟斤拷Fingerprint File锟斤拷 up the funkiness and danceability.
Black and Blue is also airier and more spacious in the new version, but remains more forceful on the original pressing. On harder-rocking tracks, such as 锟斤拷Hand of Fate锟斤拷 and 锟斤拷Hot Stuff,锟斤拷 Watts锟斤拷 drums have more slam on the original, which also claims superior bass response. The increased space on the new master lends 锟斤拷Memory Motel锟斤拷 extra depth and subtlety, but Wayne Perkins锟斤拷 guitar solo on 锟斤拷Hand of Fate锟斤拷 retains a nastier edge on the original, where the guitars throughout sound tougher. In short, the original pressing boogies harder on the tracks that demand such behavior.
The Stones锟斤拷 late-1970s and early/mid-1980s LPs on Studio Albums Vinyl Collection, 1971-2016 present an equally mixed bag. The more defined, deeper bass on the new pressing of Some Girls adds to the R&B soulfulness of 锟斤拷Miss You,锟斤拷 while the more spacious mastering brings out Watts锟斤拷 drums on the title track. The bass, guitars, and snare drum on Emotional Rescue, on the other hand, are sharper-sounding throughout the original (and more exciting-sounding) LP. Tattoo You boasts a fatter sound on the new pressing, with less-pronounced reverb and a deeper soundstage. Undercover is more open and punchier on the original. The added space on Dirty Work, by comparison, makes it easier to appreciate the subtleties on the record锟斤拷one of the band锟斤拷s most underrated.
As a whole, the Stones锟斤拷 1989-2016 albums fare uniformly better on the new editions. Steel Wheels sounds harsh and tinny via the original pressing. Here, Showell backs off on the compression to give it a more pleasant and spacious aura. Guitars that originally came at you in a hail of noise now feel more natural. Voodoo Lounge sounds good on the original, but the new pressing affords background vocals extra space behind Jagger. Guitars are also less bright but still deliver plenty of bite. Bridges to Babylon sports a full bottom end, even if the bass attack is not as strong as on the other LPs in the set. And A Bigger Bang is now less forward-sounding, which grants Jagger and the band锟斤拷s instruments more room.
The quality of MPO锟斤拷s vinyl pressings should impress any audiophile. While my copy of Goats Head Soup has a slight warp that didn锟斤拷t affect playback, all of the other LPs are flat and quiet. The set锟斤拷s first-rate packaging replicates the artwork and inserts of the original LPs in the manner of the U.K. releases. Each LP comes housed in a lined paper sleeve, and if the LPs originally had cardboard inner sleeves with credits and artwork (e.g., Exile on Main St.), those sleeves are included. However, the cover of Some Girls does not feature the celebrity photos depicted on the original release. It is the 锟斤拷censored锟斤拷 version.
Album by album, listeners锟斤拷 preference for new or old pressings will likely vary. The new masters all sound warm and very close to analog, with no over-compression. They锟斤拷re also vastly superior to the CDs Universal Music reissued over the last decade. If you already own originals of these LPs, you may be interested in individual reissues. For now, you锟斤拷ll need to bide your time.
One of the pleasures of Studio Albums Vinyl Collection, 1971-2016 relates to affording fans the ability to return to albums the Stones recorded over the years and reminding them of the band锟斤拷s remarkable consistency. Records that took me a while to enjoy at first, such as Emotional Rescue and Undercover, are better than I remembered. And the group锟斤拷s later-era records proved something of a revelation in these masters, which register an enormous improvement over the originals. If your Stones collection has big gaps, you could do much worse than acquiring this beautifully packaged, well-mastered reissue.锟斤拷
