In this vacuum that is COVID lockdown, where time seems suspended indefinitely, I was shaken back to reality the other day with the ping of an iPhone notification. "Starting in 7 minutes," the message read, "The Rolling Stones in Nashville." That's where I was supposed to be, half-of-the-nation away for my first trip to Music City and (somehow) my first Rolling Stones show. Well, the oft-repeated lyric felt no more prescient than in that moment: here I was, certainly not getting what I wanted, but - in the safety of lockdown - getting what I need. The music of The Rolling Stones has always seemed celebratory to me: somehow summery, always uplifting. It's certainly served as an escape from our current reality, as I tune in to the Extra Licks YouTube series and as Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. find frequent rotation on the turntable.
It was recently announced that both of those albums, and eight other studio LPs from the Rolling Stones Records era, will be reissued as half-speed mastered vinyl editions due June 26. The series begins with that classic one-two punch of Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street, followed by their mid-'70s run of It's Only Rock 'n Roll, Black and Blue, and Some Girls. Their '80s output - Emotional Rescue, Tattoo You, Undercover, Dirty Work, and Steel Wheels - are also accounted for, as are Voodoo Lounge, Bridges to Babylon, and A Bigger Bang to round out thirty-three years' worth of creative energy. Every album will be pressed on 180-gram vinyl. The music has been remastered and cut using the half-speed technique at Abbey Road Studios, London, using new masters "created from vinyl-specific original tape transfers" to yield "absolute optimum sound."
Now, it's worth noting that conspicuously absent from this campaign is Goats Head Soup, the album that Mick Jagger said has a deluxe edition in the works. Rumors have swirled around among fans this week that the set could be out as soon as late August -- no doubt paired with a half-speed vinyl component - but with the COVID situation as it is, who's to say? As always, we'll keep you updated on any official word on new Stones happenings. In the meantime, you can place those pre-orders of these special reissues from your local record shop, if you so choose, or from Amazon at the links below. And if you're itching for some more recent Rolling Stones to add to the collection, their latest single "Living in a Ghost Town" will also see physical release on 10" vinyl and Stones online store-exclusive CD on June 26.
The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers (originally Rolling Stones Records LP COC-59100, 1971 -- reissued 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)
Side A
1. Brown Sugar
2. Sway
3. Wild Horses
4. Can't You Hear Me Knocking
5. You Gotta Move
Side B
1. Bitch
2. I Got The Blues
3. Sister Morphine
4. Dead Flowers
5. Moonlight Mile
The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main St. [2LP] (originally Rolling Stones Records LP COC-69100, 1972 -- reissued 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)
LP 1
Side A
1. Rocks Off
2. Rip This Joint
3. Shake Your Hips
4. Casino Boogie
5. Tumbling Dice
Side B
1. Sweet Virginia
2. Torn And Frayed
3. Sweet Black Angel
4. Loving Cup
LP 2
Side A
1. Happy
2. Turd On The Run
3. Ventilator Blues
4. I Just Want To See His Face
5. Let It Loose
Side B
1. All Down The Line
2. Stop Breaking Down
3. Shine A Light
4. Soul Survivor
The Rolling Stones, It's Only Rock 'n Roll (originally Rolling Stones Records LP COC-79101, 1974 -- reissued 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)
Side A
1. If You Can't Rock Me
2. Ain't Too Proud To Beg
3. It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)
4. Till The Next Goodbye
5. Time Waits For No One
Side B
1. Luxury
2. Dance Little Sister
3. If You Really Want To Be My Friend
4. Short And Curlies
5. Fingerprint File
The Rolling Stones, Black and Blue (originally Rolling Stones Records LP 79104, 1976 -- reissued 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)
Side A
1. Hot Stuff
2. Hand Of Fate
3. Cherry Oh Baby
4. Memory Motel
Side B
1. Hey Negrita
2. Melody
3. Fool To Cry
4. Crazy Mama
The Rolling Stones, Some Girls (originally Rolling Stones Records LP COC-39108, 1978 -- reissued 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)
Side A
1. Miss You
2. When The Whip Comes Down
3. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
4. Some Girls
5. Lies
Side B
1. Far Away Eyes
2. Respectable
3. Before They Make Me Run
4. Beast Of Burden
5. Shattered
The Rolling Stones, Emotional Rescue (originally Rolling Stones Records LP XCOC-16015, 1980 -- reissued 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)
Side A
1. Dance (Pt. 1)
2. Summer Romance
3. Send It To Me
4. Let Me Go
5. Indian Girl
Side B
1. Where The Boys Go
2. Down In The Hole
3. Emotional Rescue
4. She's So Cold
5. All About You
The Rolling Stones, Tattoo You (originally Rolling Stones Records LP CUNS-39114, 1981 -- reissued 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)
Side A
1. Start Me Up
2. Hang Fire
3. Slave
4. Little T&A
5. Black Limousine
6. Neighbours
Side B
1. Worried About You
2. Tops
3. Heaven
4. No Use In Crying
5. Waiting On A Friend
The Rolling Stones, Undercover (originally Rolling Stones Records LP CUN-1654361, 1983 -- reissued 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)
Side A
1. Undercover Of The Night
2. She Was Hot
3. Tie You Up (The Pain Of Love)
4. Wanna Hold You
5. Feel On Baby
Side B
1. Too Much Blood
2. Pretty Beat Up
3. Too Tough
4. All The Way Down
5. It Must Be Hell
The Rolling Stones, Dirty Work (originally Rolling Stones Records LP 465953-1, 1986 -- reissued 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)
Side A
1. One Hit (To The Body)
2. Fight
3. Harlem Shuffle
4. Hold Back
5. Too Rude
Side B
1. Winning Ugly
2. Back To Zero
3. Dirty Work
4. Had It With You
5. Sleep Tonight
6. Key To The Highway
The Rolling Stones, Steel Wheels (originally Rolling Stones Records LP 465752 1, 1989 -- reissued 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)
Side A
1. Sad Sad Sad
2. Mixed Emotions
3. Terrifying
4. Hold On To Your Hat
5. Hearts For Sale
6. Blinded By Love
Side B
1. Rock And A Hard Place
2. Can't Be Seen
3. Almost Hear You Sigh
4. Continental Drift
5. Break The Spell
6. Slipping Away
The Rolling Stones, Voodoo Lounge [2LP] (originally Rolling Stones Records/Virgin LP V-2750, 1994 -- reissued 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)
LP 1
Side A
1. Love Is Strong
2. You Got Me Rocking
3. Sparks Will Fly
Side B
1. The Worst
2. New Faces
3. Moon Is Up
4. Out Of Tears
LP 2
Side A
1. I Go Wild
2. Brand New Car
3. Sweethearts Together
4. Suck On The Jugular
Side B
1. Blinded By Rainbows
2. Baby Break It Down
3. Thru And Thru
4. Mean Disposition
The Rolling Stones, Bridges to Babylon [2LP] (originally Rolling Stones Records/Virgin LP V-2840, 1997 -- reissued 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)
LP 1
Side A
1. Flip The Switch
2. Anybody Seen My Baby?
3. Low Down
4. Already Over Me
Side B
1. Gunface
2. You Don't Have To Mean It
3. Out Of Control
LP 2
Side A
1. Saint Of Me
2. Might As Well Get Juiced
3. Always Suffering
Side B
1. Too Tight
2. Thief In The Night
3. How Can I Stop
The Rolling Stones, A Bigger Bang [2LP] (originally Rolling Stones Records LP V-3012, 2005 -- reissued 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop)
LP 1
Side A
1. Rough Justice
2. Let Me Down Slow
3. It Won't Take Long
4. Rain Fall Down
Side B
1. Streets Of Love
2. Back Of My Hand
3. She Saw Me Coming
4. Biggest Mistake
LP 2
Side A
1. This Place Is Empty
2. Oh No, Not You Again
3. Dangerous Beauty
4. Laugh, I Nearly Died
Side B
1. Sweet Neo Con
2. Look What The Cat Dragged In
3. Driving Too Fast
4. Infamy
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I wonder how this vinyl set will be different from the one they just released in 2018.
Other than the half-speed mastering, what’s the point of doing this a second time with fewer albums? Especially when the ‘18 set was actually very nicely done in the transfer and mastering dept.
https://therollingstonesshop.com/products/studio-albums-vinyl-collection-1971-2016
It is not a set per say, Robert. Just straight, stand alone reissues of the albums from the box set.
Never having bought that, I feel like splurging on everything up to and including Dirty Work.
Yet more cash harvesting from the stones. What with the price issues on their last tour and jaggers comments on why the tickets were so high in cost to the constant stream of reissued albums. Its starting to appear for what its slways been known. A cynical attempt to take advantage of extorting more cash from fans. The stones have gone down in my estimation and the way they have behaved towards their fans.
Fair point, although no one is forcing you to buy anything. And while I won't defend the pricing - for shows or albums - the Stones aren't the only ones to wring cash from their fans. Consider the ticket prices for Springsteen's one-man show on Broadway. I hold no grudges, though. It's what the market will bear. And value is in the eye - and ear- of the beholder.
What about Let it Bleed? It's up there with Exile and Sticky Fingers.
The release rights are owned by ABKCO. So Let It Bleed can't be part of any reissue series - boxed or otherwise - that is issued by Universal, which is where the Stones ultimately took their back catalogue, which starts with Sticky Fingers.
Thanks
Totally agree with Gary. The Stones have become their own tribute band, and look to continue cash flow from their fans, despite eroding musical and entertainment value.
Disagree. As for being diminished musically do you expect them to turn out another Exile or Sticky Fingers at 76? Does anyone ever? You have to realize there are people who never saw them before, like my 12 year old son last year, and as for entertainment value it was a great show. He's at the age where anything made more than 2 years ago is old but he loved it. Of course there isn't the sense of danger from the late 60's early 70's but why would there be? I'd love it if the tickets were cheaper but that's life on the big city.
I’ve got Sticky Fingers vinyl with zip, remastered half speed at abbey rd. it just sounds compressed and distorted like an MP3. In fact I put on my original which has a few scratches and pops on it for comparison and it’s so much better, with air and space between the instruments. Don’t the Stones care about their back catalogue??
When these re-issues start including other tracks recorded around the same time (including alternate takes, dance-floor extended and live versions), like Rykodisc did with Bowie's back catalog, then I'll consider buying them. The "Let It Bleed" deluxe set should have included the outtakes "I Don't Know" and "I'm Going Down" that thankfully got a place in the sun on "Metamorphosis", but they really belong on "Let It Bleed". Hell I'd buy it just to have all those songs on the same packaging. Would've been a contender for Number One Stones Album, alongside Exile.
I'm a devoted Stones fan! Since they're not touring this year, these albums are something great to look forward to. And they're being released on my birthday, too! ✌️🎸🎶🎵♥️
Long life rock'n'roll rolling stones train !
Will the new Sticky Fingers vinyl reissue for June 2020 include the zipper, because the last reissue did not. Thanks.