"40 Licks" comes at an important time in the history of The Rolling Stones. For a band that has existed since the early '60s the Rolling Stones have never had a comprehensive best-of, until now. "40 Licks" divides two distinct periods of the band on two discs.
Disc 1 focuses on the band's '60s period. During the '60s and early '70s the Stones provided the blueprint for hard rock/bluesy lyrics, shouting vocals, and a charismatic front man, which became staples of the genre. Not only did they create the design for hard rock, they were also willing to experiment with other musical styles, which is exactly what Disc 1 represents.
Tunes like "Satisfaction" and "Gimme Shelter" became classics in the hard rock pantheon. At the same time however, the Rolling Stones were writing songs such as "Paint It Black," which used a sitar as its lead instrument. "She's A Rainbow" took its cue from classical music, while "The Last Time" would see the Stones dabbling in country, which the band would further explore on the "Beggar's Banquet" album.
Disc 2 is not quite as strong as Disc 1. It mostly finds the Stones retreading what they did before or following contemporary trends. "Start Me Up," "Love Is Strong," and "You Got Me Rocking" sound more like a rehash of "Sticky Fingers" than anything ground-breaking. It's quite clear the bandäs innovative days were over by the mid-70s. Still, there's a lot of good music on Disc 2; Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are better songwriters than most. At its best, Disc 2 can recall those classic Stones records.
On the whole, "40 Licks" is the definitive Rolling Stones compilation; it touches every decade in which the band has existed, and is a thorough compilation.
It reminds us why the Rolling Stones were great to begin with.
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Name: Shaggy
Comments:
I dig dem Stones.
Name: Shaun
Year: Grad
Major: English
Comments:
Great article Berkely. Welcome aboard.
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