Just a Shot Away: ABKCO Reissues Rolling Stones’ “Let It Bleed” on LP, SACD for 50th Anniversary
Yesterday, ABKCO announced the latest in its series of Rolling Stones anniversary box sets: a 50th anniversary set for the band’s multi-platinum 1969 classic Let It Bleed. Produced by Jimmy Miller and featuring “Gimme Shelter” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” Let It Bleed was the Stones’ eighth studio album in the U.K. and tenth in the U.S.; it reached No. 3 in America and No. 1 in England. Now, it’s poised to return on November 1 in a 2-LP/2-Hybrid SACD set remastered in both stereo and mono by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering.
In addition to the original mono and stereo mixes on hybrid SACD (playable in all CD players), the collection also includes a reproduction of the 1969 7-inch mono single of “Honky Tonk Women” / “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” in a picture sleeve. The single was originally issued four months ahead of Let It Bleed; the A-side shot to No. 1 in the U.S. and the U.K., and was revisited on the album in a different arrangement as “Country Honk.”
Also featured in the new box are three 12″ x 12″ hand-numbered replica-signed lithographs printed on embossed archival paper and a full-color 23″ x 23″ poster with restored art from the original 1969 Decca Records package. An 80-page hardcover book boasts an essay by David Fricke and previously unseen photos by Ethan Russell. The remastered stereo version will also be available as a standalone CD or LP, as well as digitally.
Bob Ludwig remastered the album from Direct Stream Digital files taken from the original tapes at a 2.8 MHz sampling rate. He explains in the press release, “When we did the first Let It Bleed remaster in 2002, our intention was to pay homage to the original work. When we did this new version, the purpose was to make it as great as it could possibly sound. If you listen on a good set of speakers or good headphones, you’ll hear subtle things in the background that are now much more clear that were somewhat hidden before.”
David Fricke writes in his new essay, “No other rock & roll album of the late Sixties so embodied…the contradictions, turbulence of its time, creation and the band… than Let It Bleed.” It will be available in Bob Ludwig’s new remaster on November 1 from ABKCO. You can peruse the track listing and pre-order links below!
The Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed (50th Anniversary Limited Deluxe Edition) (Decca (U.K.) LK-5025/London (U.S.) M 72167, 1969 – reissued ABKCO, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
LP 1 – Stereo
Side 1
- Gimme Shelter
- Love In Vain
- Country Honk
- Live with Me
- Let It Bleed
Side 2
- Midnight Rambler
- You Got the Silver
- Monkey Man
- You Can’t Always Get What You Want
LP 2 – Mono
Side 1
- Gimme Shelter
- Love In Vain
- Country Honk
- Live with Me
- Let It Bleed
Side 2
- Midnight Rambler
- You Got the Silver
- Monkey Man
- You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Hybrid Super Audio CD 1 – Stereo
- Gimme Shelter
- Love In Vain
- Country Honk
- Live with Me
- Let It Bleed
- Midnight Rambler
- You Got the Silver
- Monkey Man
- You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Hybrid Super Audio CD 2 – Mono
- Gimme Shelter
- Love In Vain
- Country Honk
- Live with Me
- Let It Bleed
- Midnight Rambler
- You Got the Silver
- Monkey Man
- You Can’t Always Get What You Want
7″ vinyl single – (Mono)
Side A – Honky Tonk Women
Side B – You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Ron Decline would be proud of this $$$$ grab!
No bonus audio at all, and the word on the street (over at the Super Deluxe Edition website) is that the mono mix is simply a “fold-down” of the stereo mix. Compare this to the new Prince 1999 set and this is pretty laughable.
Totally agree. The Rolling Stones have been great at releasing content over the years – especially lots of quality live concerts on both audio and video. However, this box set is massively overpriced and honestly completely devoid of new content. Compare this to The Beatles Abbey Road set (which is slim compared to Pepper and the White album), and it’s clear to see this was a missed opportunity. “Let It Bleed” is a great album, it deserved a better deluxe version.
I will probably get the new vinyl if I can find a good deal, stream the “mono” mix.
What a waste of time and effort for such a major album to have such a pitiful re-issue. For myself I am not interested in this huge box set, but the single CD version is a joke and an insult to the intelligence of their many fans. It could have been, at the least a two CD release for people with limited resources.
I don’t own a TT anymore, and I have ripped the SACD I own. If the remaster is revealing, I will stream it through Qobuz, just as I am doing with Beggar’s Banquet. The main reason I am shelling out $$ for Abbey Road is the 5.1 layer. LIB is, arguably, the Stones’ strongest album. But no 5.1, no sale.
For those who were there, and remember, there was a question often asked in music circles: “Who’s better? The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?” Fast forward to 2017, 2018, 2019, and compare The Beatles reissued, remastered box sets to the same output from The Rolling Stones.
It doesn’t take long to know who’s better.
Yes, Mick, Keith, Charlie, you were right in 1969. You Can’t Always Get What You Want.
Why force someone to buy vinyl if the just want the sacd’s (or visa versa)? The could charge more for them separately.
The record companies continue to release re-issues box sets (which I WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE.) However, I refuse to buy a set that is 50% useless to me (or forces me to sell ½ of the set on eBay.
Amen! Probably download as a bootleg.😃