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For the first time in the Rolling Stones illustrious career, which is now in it's fifth decade, a "best of" compilation is available that spans their entire career. Forty Licks, as it is aptly titled, is a double cd containing thirty-six of the bands best songs from their legendary body of work and four new songs recorded this year. Surprisingly, old as they may be, the Stones can still rock, as they prove one such new track, their single "Don't Stop." Combine this new gem with the endless amount of absolute classics available on this album, like Gimme Shelter, Street Fighting Man, (I Cant Get No) Satisfaction, Paint it Black, Sympathy For the Devil, Brown Sugar, Beast of Burden, and Start Me Up, to name a few, and you've got yourself a great collection of legendary songs.
But haven't the Stones released many other greatest hits albums in years past, you ask. Yes, but never one like this. Record label disputes have prohibited songs created after 1971 from being on the same album as songs from their golden era of 1964-1971. The end of the golden era contains the groups best four albums in a row, "the holy quartet", as they are often put (Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Main Street). This record combines the best songs from the said golden era with the bands later years. Their middle and later years are by no means mediocre, in fact these pioneers of rock and roll created many songs after 1971 that have become classic rock and live staples. Just one listen to the second disc will confirm that statement. If you have already heard many of these songs or own many of the Stones albums, I still would recommend purchasing this. I personally own many of their early albums and the albums they made in their prime, yet, I still bought this the first day it came out because it features great packaging with liner notes and historic pictures, and all the songs have been digitally re-mastered and put on two great cds. Then again, you can always just download these songs on KaZaa and burn them onto two blank cds, but that would be stealing, and you wouldn't want to rob four incredibly rich rock and roll legends of a few bucks now, would you?

Another forty-song two-compact disc anthology just like Paul McCartney's WINGSPAN and the Bee Gees' THEIR GREATEST HITS-THE RECORD. The Stones' ultimate hit collection includes those on the two Hot Rocks collections that were released in the early seventies(following the release of STICKY FINGERS to be precise and on London,the Stones' original label). The album does lack some of their hits like,"Play With Fire","As Time Goes By","Waiting On A Friend","Harlem Shuffle" and "Almost Hear You Sigh". None of Mick Jagger's solo material appears on this album. I like "Don't Stop" and "Losing My Touch",two new tracks on the album. In the latter,we hear Keith Richards taking the lead vocal,which he doesn't do as much as Mick although he and Keith have written many of the band's songs together. They are a team like John Lennon and Paul McCartney were. Unlike the Beatles,the Rolling Stones never broke up. There were personnel changes within the band though. One due to the drowning of original member Brian Jones and the death of Ian Stewart,a later member. This album like any Mick Jagger album or other Rolling Stones album might make you stick your tongue all the way out like the famous insignia found on every Mick Jagger and Rolling Stones album.

40 Licks was released worldwide on October 1, 2002. Obviously, there are 40 tracks including 4 new ones (the single Don't Stop, Stealing My Heart, Keys To Your Love, and Keith's Losing My Touch). This one is the 22nd compilation album the Stones have released. It is the 19th compilation in the UK and the 9th in the US. There are lots of opinions about what should and should have been included/left off (there are *25* single releases that were not included). Remember, if anyone ever releases the entire Stones catalog as a box set it will have to be packaged in a trunk that comes with a dolly to get it out of the store. Since everybody knows the songs anyway, how about if I list what is on it from when for you?

These songs are the most popular from the Rolling Stones Records releases. Here are the original US and UK release dates of each song (US release and re-release dates were often different during this period):

3-6-64 Not Fade Away
7-24-64 It's All Over Now
3-12-65 The Last Time
6-4-65 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
9-24-65 Get Off Of My Cloud
2-11-66 19th Nervous Breakdown
5-6-66 Paint It, Black
7-1-66 Mother's Little Helper
7-1-66 Under My Thumb (not a single, from album Aftermath)
9-23-66 Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?
1-13-67 Let's Spend The Night Together
1-13-67 Ruby Tuesday
12-22-67 She's A Rainbow
5-31-68 Jumpin' Jack Flash
8-30-68 Street Fighting Man
12-6-68 Sympathy For The Devil (not a single, from album Beggar's Banquet)
7-3-69 Honky Tonk Woman
12-5-69 Gimme Shelter (not a single, from album Let It Bleed)
12-5-69 You Can't Always Get What You Want (not a single, from album Let It Bleed)
4-16-71, 5-7-71, & 6-29-84 Brown Sugar
4-23-71 & 6-11-71 Wild Horses (on Sticky Fingers - not released as a single)
4-14-72 Tumbling Dice
5-12-72 Happy (on Exile On Main Street - not released as a single)
8-21-73 Angie
7-26-74 It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
4-16-78 Fool To Cry
11-28-78 Shattered
5-19-78 Miss You
8-29-78 & 6-1-82 Beast Of Burden
6-20-80 Emotional Rescue
8-14-81 & 2-11-83 Start Me Up
11-1-83 Undercover Of The Night
8-17-89 Mixed Emotions
7-5-94 Love Is Strong
9-94 You Got Me Rocking
97 Anybody Seen My Baby?
10-1-02 Don't Stop (new)
10-1-02 Stealing My Heart (new)
10-1-02 Keys To Your Love (new)
10-1-02 Losing My Touch (new)

Here are the *25* single releases that are NOT on the album: Saint Of Me, Out Of Contol, Like A Rolling Stone, I Go Wild, Out Of Tears, Sex Drive, Highwire, Terrifying, Almost Hear You Sigh,, One Hit (To The Body), She Was Hot, Time Is On My Side, Going To A Go Go, If I Was A Dancer, Out Of Time, I Don't Know Why, Sad Day, Hot Stuff, Respectable, Waiting On A Friend, Harlem Shuffle, Rock And A Hard Place, Heart Of Stone, As Tears Go By, Tell Me, Dandelion

This information comes from "It's Only Rock And Roll: The Ultimate Guide To The Rolling Stones" by Karnbach and Bernson and from my own collection.

This tape is worth buying just for The Who's performance of "A Quick One While He's Away", which has got to be one of the greatest live performances of a single rock song ever. Unfortunately, it's followed by Yoko Ono's impersonation of a rusty fence as well as a poor performance by the Stones. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" sounds like it's being played in slow motion, and on "Sympathy for the Devil", an obviously full-of-himself Mick Jagger seems to be more interested in mugging for the cameras then he does in actually performing the song. I've always thought the Stones were one of the most overrated live acts in rock; and after watching them follow the Who here, it's easy to see why Jagger did not want to release the tapes.

Anyway, besides The Who, there also some good performances by Jethro Tull(although I've read that their performance of "A Song for Jeffrey" is not entirely live?) and The Dirty Mac(John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards & Mitch Mitchell deliver a fine performance of "Yer Blues" before being joined by Yoko Ono and violin player Ivry Gitlis; it's amusing to watch Gitlis smirk as Yoko screeches over the top of their jamming). Marianne Faithful and Taj Mahal also perform, but frankly I found them both to be forgettable.

Aside from the performances, I think this tape is interesting as a snapshot of the time(December, 1968). You get to see a number of rock legends in their prime, and even though not all of them deliver great performances, it's still fascinating to watch.

What suprises the most is the lackluster performance of the Stones in "Rock and Roll Circus." Far more interesting is Jethro Tull's performance with Ian Anderson prefiguring the grunge look by 25 years in his long overcoat, wild hair and beard. Tull's unique jazz/blue/celtic/rock fusion has held up quite well over the years. Taj Mahal's earthy performance with his electric blues band is riveting, but future heroin causality Jesse "Ed" Davis looks pallid despite his sizzling slide and lead guitar. The Who rule the "Rock and Roll Circus" with an inspired rendition of "A Quick One" complete with a turbo charged performance by Keith Moon where he mugs it up and breaks (by my count) five or six sets of drumsticks. The Stones hit the stage to close the show and it's jarring to see a lackluster perfomance from the world's greatest rock and roll band. They all look fatigued and Brian Jones looks like he's just waiting for someone to write his obituary. This was a very bad time in Rolling Stones land. It turned out to be Brian's last performance in public with the Stones.

For over twenty years the Stones kept "Rock and Roll Circus" from being seen, apparently Mick Jagger was incensed that the Who's inspired anarchy eclipsed the Stones performance....the Who and nearly everyone else managed to outshine the phoned in performance by the Stones, except for Keith, who's rowdy guitar antics can't breathe life into the band. The following year I saw the revitalized Stones touring with Mick Taylor replacing the deceased Brian Jones on guitar. The Stones made it through the dark days of "Rock and Roll Circus" and managed to outlast the Who as the most enduring sixties band, but this performance was a pretty somber affair for the boys. My final reaction to the film was how many of the talented musicians in "Rock and Roll Circus" would be claimed tragically over the next few years. It is still hard for me to watch John Lennon's dazzling energy and often absurd brillance in the film and not shed a tear for his senseless death.

As somone who wasn't born when this was filmed it was interesting seeing them and the other 60s artists as they were at that time.

Enjoyed Dirty Mac the most (would have preferred it if they left Yoko's wailing out of the second track). The Who were good. The Stones were ok.

One for the collector.