Singles Collection: The London Years by The Rolling Stones (Compilation, Rock): Reviews, Ratings, Credits, Song list - Rate Your Music
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Singles Collection: The London Years
By The Rolling Stones
..........
ArtistThe Rolling Stones
TypeCompilation
Released15 August 1989
RYM Rating 4.37 / 5.00.5 from 1,271 ratings
Ranked#1 for 1989, #13 overall
Genres
Descriptors
rebellious, sexual, energetic, male vocalist, raw, passionate
Language English

Track listing

  • 1.1 Come On 1:50
  • 1.2 I Want to Be Loved 1:51
  • 1.3 I Wanna Be Your Man 1:42
  • 1.4 Stoned 2:08
  • 1.5 Not Fade Away 1:48
  • 1.6 Little by Little 2:37
  • 1.7 It's All Over Now 3:26
  • 1.8 Good Times, Bad Times 2:32
  • 1.9 Tell Me 2:46
  • 1.10 I Just Want to Make Love to You 2:16
  • 1.11 Time Is on My Side [Regent Studios version] 2:58
  • 1.12 Congratulations 2:27
  • 1.13 Little Red Rooster 3:03
  • 1.14 Off the Hook 2:33
  • 1.15 Heart of Stone 2:43
  • 1.16 What a Shame 3:02
  • 1.17 The Last Time 3:39
  • 1.18 Play With Fire 2:11
  • 1.19 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 3:46
  • 1.20 The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man 3:20
  • 1.21 The Spider and the Fly 3:38
  • 1.22 Get Off of My Cloud 2:54
  • 1.23 I'm Free 2:24
  • 1.24 The Singer Not the Song 2:26
  • 1.25 As Tears Go By 2:43
  • 2.1 Gotta Get Away 2:10
  • 2.2 19th Nervous Breakdown 3:57
  • 2.3 Sad Day 3:01
  • 2.4 Paint It, Black 3:45
  • 2.5 Stupid Girl 2:55
  • 2.6 Long Long While 3:00
  • 2.7 Mother's Little Helper 2:46
  • 2.8 Lady Jane 3:10
  • 2.9 Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow? 2:33
  • 2.10 Who's Driving Your Plane 3:12
  • 2.11 Let's Spend the Night Together 3:27
  • 2.12 Ruby Tuesday 3:11
  • 2.13 We Love You 4:36
  • 2.14 Dandelion 3:47
  • 2.15 She's a Rainbow 4:09
  • 2.16 2000 Light Years From Home 4:42
  • 2.17 In Another Land 2:54
  • 2.18 The Lantern 4:24
  • 2.19 Jumpin' Jack Flash 3:40
  • 2.20 Child of the Moon (Remake) 3:10
  • 3.1 Street Fighting Man 3:19
  • 3.2 No Expectations 4:00
  • 3.3 Surprise, Surprise 2:29
  • 3.4 Honky Tonk Women 3:02
  • 3.5 You Can't Always Get What You Want 4:52
  • 3.6 Memo From Turner 4:06
  • 3.7 Brown Sugar 3:48
  • 3.8 Wild Horses 5:40
  • 3.9 I Don't Know Why (a.k.a. Don't Know Why I Love You) 3:02
  • 3.10 Try a Little Harder 2:17
  • 3.11 Out of Time 3:21
  • 3.12 Jiving Sister Fanny 3:20
  • 3.13 Sympathy for the Devil 6:24
  • Total length: 184:52
Previous
Next
Previous in discography: 4: Игра с огнем (Play With Fire)
4: Игра с огнем (Play With Fire)
19 Нервных Песен (19th Nervous Songs)
Next in discography: 4: Игра с огнем (Play With Fire)

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Issues

15 Issues

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15 Issues

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49 Reviews

Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 >>
▼ 5.00 stars
  • 4.50 stars 1.1 Come On
  • 4.00 stars 1.2 I Want to Be Loved
  • 5.00 stars 1.3 I Wanna Be Your Man
  • 4.00 stars 1.4 Stoned
  • 5.00 stars 1.5 Not Fade Away
  • 4.50 stars 1.6 Little by Little
  • 5.00 stars 1.7 It's All Over Now
  • 4.00 stars 1.8 Good Times, Bad Times
  • 4.00 stars 1.9 Tell Me
  • 5.00 stars 1.10 I Just Want to Make Love to You
  • 4.50 stars 1.11 Time Is on My Side [Regent Studios version]
  • 4.00 stars 1.12 Congratulations
  • 4.50 stars 1.13 Little Red Rooster
  • 4.00 stars 1.14 Off the Hook
  • 4.50 stars 1.15 Heart of Stone
  • 4.50 stars 1.16 What a Shame
  • 5.00 stars 1.17 The Last Time
  • 4.50 stars 1.18 Play With Fire
  • 5.00 stars 1.19 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
  • 4.50 stars 1.20 The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man
  • 4.50 stars 1.21 The Spider and the Fly
  • 5.00 stars 1.22 Get Off of My Cloud
  • 4.50 stars 1.23 I'm Free
  • 4.50 stars 1.24 The Singer Not the Song
  • 4.00 stars 1.25 As Tears Go By
  • 4.50 stars 2.1 Gotta Get Away
  • 5.00 stars 2.2 19th Nervous Breakdown
  • 4.50 stars 2.3 Sad Day
  • 5.00 stars 2.4 Paint It, Black
  • 4.50 stars 2.5 Stupid Girl
  • 4.50 stars 2.6 Long Long While
  • 5.00 stars 2.7 Mother's Little Helper
  • 4.50 stars 2.8 Lady Jane
  • 5.00 stars 2.9 Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?
  • 4.50 stars 2.10 Who's Driving Your Plane
  • 5.00 stars 2.11 Let's Spend the Night Together
  • 5.00 stars 2.12 Ruby Tuesday
  • 5.00 stars 2.13 We Love You
  • 5.00 stars 2.14 Dandelion
  • 5.00 stars 2.15 She's a Rainbow
  • 4.50 stars 2.16 2000 Light Years From Home
  • 4.50 stars 2.17 In Another Land
  • 4.50 stars 2.18 The Lantern
  • 5.00 stars 2.19 Jumpin' Jack Flash
  • 4.50 stars 2.20 Child of the Moon (Remake)
  • 5.00 stars 3.1 Street Fighting Man
  • 5.00 stars 3.2 No Expectations
  • 4.50 stars 3.3 Surprise, Surprise
  • 5.00 stars 3.4 Honky Tonk Women
  • 5.00 stars 3.5 You Can't Always Get What You Want
  • 4.50 stars 3.6 Memo From Turner
  • 5.00 stars 3.7 Brown Sugar
  • 5.00 stars 3.8 Wild Horses
  • 4.50 stars 3.9 I Don't Know Why (a.k.a. Don't Know Why I Love You)
  • 4.50 stars 3.10 Try a Little Harder
  • 5.00 stars 3.11 Out of Time
  • 4.50 stars 3.12 Jiving Sister Fanny
  • 5.00 stars 3.13 Sympathy for the Devil
Quite possibly the best compilation ever. It really is stunning how many great singles the Rolling Stones recorded throughout their career. The first disc is heavy on standards, as was their early career, but the other two discs more than make up for it.
Published
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 ▼ 4.50 stars
  • 4.50 stars 1 Come On
  • 4.00 stars 2 I Want to Be Loved
  • 5.00 stars 3 I Wanna Be Your Man
  • 3.50 stars 4 Stoned
  • 4.00 stars 5 Not Fade Away
  •   6 Little by Little
  • 4.00 stars 7 It's All Over Now
  • 3.50 stars 8 Good Times, Bad Times
  •   9 Tell Me
  •   10 I Just Want to Make Love to You
  •   11 Time Is on My Side
  • 3.00 stars 12 Congratulations
  • 4.00 stars 13 Little Red Rooster
  •   14 Off the Hook
  •   15 Heart of Stone
  •   16 What a Shame
  • 4.00 stars 17 The Last Time
  • 4.00 stars 18 Play With Fire
  • 5.00 stars 19 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
  •   20 The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man
  • 4.00 stars 21 The Spider and the Fly
  • 5.00 stars 22 Get Off of My Cloud
  •   23 I'm Free
  • 4.00 stars 24 The Singer Not the Song
  •   25 As Tears Go By
  •   1 Gotta Get Away
  • 5.00 stars 2 19th Nervous Breakdown
  • 4.00 stars 3 Sad Day
  • 5.00 stars 4 Paint It, Black
  •   5 Stupid Girl
  •   6 Long Long While
  •   7 Mother's Little Helper
  •   8 Lady Jane
  •   9 Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?
  •   10 Who's Driving Your Plane?
  • 5.00 stars 11 Let's Spend the Night Together
  • 5.00 stars 12 Ruby Tuesday
  • 3.50 stars 13 We Love You
  • 4.50 stars 14 Dandelion
  • 5.00 stars 15 She's a Rainbow
  •   16 2000 Light Years From Home
  •   17 In Another Land
  •   18 The Lantern
  • 5.00 stars 19 Jumpin' Jack Flash
  • 4.00 stars 20 Child of the Moon (rmk)
  •   1 Street Fighting Man
  •   2 No Expectations
  • 3.50 stars 3 Surprise, Surprise
  • 5.00 stars 4 Honky Tonk Women
  • 4.00 stars 5 You Can't Always Get What You Want
  • 3.50 stars 6 Memo From Turner
  •   7 Brown Sugar
  •   8 Wild Horses
  •   9 I Don't Know Why (a.k.a. Don't Know Why I Love You)
  •   10 Try a Little Harder
  •   11 Out of Time
  •   12 Jiving Sister Fanny
  •   13 Sympathy for the Devil
A great purchase... For the right audience
This compilation is an interesting package. It was one of the first experiences with the Rolling Stones I had, and is highly recommended by everyone as a good starting point.

I disagree for a few reasons, in order of importance:

1. It is very light on their best years. The 1968-1971 period covered here features mostly stuff found on Metamorphosis, and "Honky Tonk Women." While these are essential, especially in the case of the latter track, it is not a good representation of that period. Actually, most of the third disc is a callback to material from the first disc. The album singles are great, but listening to them here is nothing compared to hearing them in the context of the albums. Again, this is inclined to a new listener.

2. The first disc starts to sound the same song after song, up until about "Satisfaction" on track 19. I could easily see a new listener, especially one with little knowledge of rock 'n' roll's past, getting off here.

3. The second disc contains a plethora of psychedelia. A beginner listener (like I was) is put off by the likes of the last half of the disc. Of course, there are spurts of greatness there, and some of the tracks have grown on me ("Dandelion" in particular.)

I've also had the opposite argument made, that this is the last word you need on the Rolling Stones. That is simply untrue. Sure, you get their extremely important early singles here, but a lot of excess as well. I would tell a beginner to start with something like GRRR!, and pick up their 1968-1972 albums as well. You'll get a great mix of early and late singles and their best albums.

So what exactly is the purpose of the set? It simply collects all the A and B sides that their first record label was able to release. It presents them mostly chronologically (I haven't looked that close) and does not discriminate by song quality. It truly is every single. It does lead to some redundancy, particularly if you collect the US albums, but if you are just getting into early Stones this is a great compilation. We also cannot understate its important for us purists who listen to the UK albums, then this set has 30+ tracks not available elsewhere. That makes it indispensable on that side of the Atlantic. But it does exactly what is says, and that is perfectly respectable for people who like singles.

It really is up to the listener what they deem needed. For a serious collector, there's much repetition, but for a neophyte there's a lot of tracking through tracks they might not appreciate. I wouldn't have discovered such songs like "Dandelion," "I Wanna Be Your Man," or the single version of "She's a Rainbow" without this compilation. The classic, vinyl sized box is not a bad looking thing either, and the booklet is great.

Overall, for a UK album listener, this collection contains some of their best music, and the Stones during this period consistently provide an excellent listening experience. There are plenty of essential singles, and some great hidden gems. It's a great purchase for the right audience.
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The following list are songs that are not available on the UK releases in one form or another.

Come On- The Stones debut single was a revamp of a previously unsuccessful Chuck Berry song, and they do this song some fiery justice! As the opening track to this collection, it proves that the Stones were a tight and dangerous group from day one.

I Want to Be Loved- Now we arrive into the true blues. Originally by Willie Dixon, the Stones also do this justice but not in the definitive way they did with this song's A-side. Still, it is some solid blues.

I Wanna Be Your Man- They really rub the songwriter's version in the dust with this track. Oh, and who were those writers? None other than The Beatles of course. They wrote this song for the Stones to help them out. That is some guitar!

Stoned- Nothing too crazy. An almost psychedelic mood permeates this instrumental, which is interesting. You can still tell it's a b-side.

Not Fade Away- For as wholesome as Buddy Holly seemed, I wondered what he would've thought of this version of his song. Still, this is a great track. It did not however, deserve to replace "Mona" on their US debut album.

It's All Over Now- A nice rollicking blues. They really find their groove here, both guitarists own the track, and Mick does not disappoint on his vocal.

Good Times, Bad Times- Mick was always good at acoustic blues, as a matter of fact I'm surprised they aren't known for that more. That's the case here, this is an excellent little single, and Jone's has a great 12-string guitar sound. Not something we hear in remakes of blues songs enough.

Congratulations- Surprisingly good for a Stones' song at this time. It does have nice reverb that just gives the slightest hint of a trippy vibe.

Little Red Rooster- Some great slide guitar aside, I am not impressed by this song. The Stones occasionally get too close to doing the exact same thing blues artists had been doing better for ages.

The Last Time- Though this is song is excellent as is, it's also impressive to know that this was their first UK single written by the band. They basically ripped off an old gospel song sung by The Staple Singers, though it was traditional so no copyright issues arose.

Play With Fire- A solid blues number. It does have a great undertone and impressive quality for a B-side.

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction- "It was the song that really made the Rolling Stones, changed us from just another band into a huge, monster band... It has a very catchy title. It has a very catchy guitar riff. It has a great guitar sound, which was original at that time. And it captures a spirit of the times, which is very important in those kinds of songs ... Which was alienation."
-Mick Jagger

Doesn't everyone know the story to this? Keith Richards woke up in the middle of night, recorded this riff, and went back to sleep with no idea that he did it. Jagger's lyrics fit the song perfectly into what may be the most representative of what the Rolling Stones were in the 60's. Not only that, but it is probably the most famous rock song of all time. What else can I say about it?

The Spider and the Fly- This is an interesting song, the title sounds like it's a psychedelic song, the lyrics are typical British pop, and the instrumentation is straight blues. It's quite an excellent song, especially (again) for a B-side.

Get Off of My Cloud- Man, the Stones are hot! They follow up their best singles of their early career with the second! Which is funny, because after the success of "Satisfaction," they wrote this song as a response to the pestering for a follow-up

The Singer Not the Song- Not necessarily something I believe in; as a matter of fact just as often it's the song, not the singer. As a matter of fact, with the song choice on their early albums they should know better.

As Tears Go By- This is a great, underrated track by the band. It starts with a great, bluesy 12-string guitar, but then grows into a fine baroque piece of music. It was later covered by Marianne Faithfull to great effect.

19th Nervous Breakdown- For whatever reason, I always link this with "Under My Thumb," and they do have a similar tone to some extent. It was heavily inspired by Brian Jones's increasingly erratic behavior towards the end of his life. It was praised for its totally new sound, which did not sound like blues, R&B, or rock 'n' roll. It is a classic rock song of the highest order.

Sad Day- Another surprising B-side, beating out many album tracks. It is still blues-based, but rocks in a way the blues don't. This is a great little track.

Paint It, Black- This is a hard thing to pull off, how often to you hear a truly evil sounding song played with this gusto and speed? I'm not sure that I would consider the use of the sitar here a rip-off of the Beatles, it's used completely differently than George Harrison used it. It's more a blues type thing... improving upon what existed already. This could easily be their best single-only song.

Long Long While- A decent piece of blues, as many of the Stones songs are.

Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?- This beats its live counterpart by a long shot. This is what I would describe as a "barn burner." If it was performed more, this song, spawned from a phrase the popped into Jagger's head, would've have been a great live staple.

Who's Driving Your Plane?- The B-Side is another question, a decent blues track again but obviously a B-side.

Let's Spend the Night Together- David Bowie be damned, the original just barely edges it out as the best. Apparently during the recording some police came inside as the door was open. Ultimately, they ended up being fans and used their batons for a percussion sound. What a story!

Ruby Tuesday- One of Mick's favorites, and deservedly so. It's interesting really, he has nothing to do with it, so it's his favorite. Even the legends get self-conscious. Richards wrote this about his girlfriend at the time. Psychedelic bliss.

We Love You- Time for the real questions: Why was this the A-Side over "Dandelion?" The meaning of the song has long since been lost, and though it's good, it's really not worth further diving.

Dandelion- This is a little slice of psychedelia that I love. It does sounds very... twee for the band, but it works out amazingly. This should have been a hit single! It really is in the same ballpark as "She's a Rainbow." John Lennon and Paul McCartney also do background vocals on this track.

She's a Rainbow- No pointless 30 second intro like the album version? Count me in with an extra half star. Really the best of their psychedelic songs.

Jumpin' Jack Flash- Using his iconic Gibson Hummingbird, Richards started this song with its open tuning riff. Its inspiration comes from an old poem, and a groggy morning where Mick and Keith were woken up by their gardener, Jack. The opening line was also based on their births- which was during the events of WWII.

Child of the Moon (rmk)- Obviously a B-side, there is still nothing wrong with this interesting number. Almost a bridge between Their Satanic Majesties Request and Beggars Banquet.

Surprise, Surprise- Really a quite nondescript track. This is obviously early Stones, which is an old fit in this stage of the compilation.

Honky Tonk Women- Somewhat unbelievably inspired by Brazilian woman, this track also appears under the title "Country Honk" on the Let It Bleed album. It was also Jone's last recording session with the band. Mick Taylor also contributed to this rocker, really lifting it above and beyond its original incarceration as that true country tune. This is a true "barn burner," in the most destructive sense possible. Also... we need more cowbell. Couldn't resist.

You Can't Always Get What You Want- The same as the album version, but without the beautiful extended intro. It really loses something with that.

Memo from Turner (Mick Jagger solo track)- Nothing special, though there is some surprising riffage for a supposed Jagger solo track.
Published
1218-2 CD (1989)
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 4.00 stars
The material is dynamite, this is pretty much what the Stones were about. My complaint is about the digital mono sound (sacd), which I don't find enjoyable.
Published
8823072 SACD (2002)
 ▼  
  • 3.00 stars 1.1 Come On
  • 2.00 stars 1.2 I Want to Be Loved
  • 3.00 stars 1.3 I Wanna Be Your Man
  • 3.00 stars 1.4 Stoned
  • 3.50 stars 1.5 Not Fade Away
  • 3.00 stars 1.6 Little by Little
  • 3.50 stars 1.7 It's All Over Now
  • 3.50 stars 1.8 Good Times, Bad Times
  • 3.00 stars 1.9 Tell Me
  • 4.00 stars 1.10 I Just Want to Make Love to You
  • 4.00 stars 1.11 Time Is on My Side [Regent Studios version]
  • 3.00 stars 1.12 Congratulations
  • 4.00 stars 1.13 Little Red Rooster
  • 3.00 stars 1.14 Off the Hook
  • 4.00 stars 1.15 Heart of Stone
  • 3.00 stars 1.16 What a Shame
  • 4.50 stars 1.17 The Last Time
  • 4.50 stars 1.18 Play With Fire
  • 4.50 stars 1.19 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
  • 3.00 stars 1.20 The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man
  • 3.00 stars 1.21 The Spider and the Fly
  • 4.00 stars 1.22 Get Off of My Cloud
  • 2.00 stars 1.23 I'm Free
  • 2.00 stars 1.24 The Singer Not the Song
  • 3.00 stars 1.25 As Tears Go By
  • 3.00 stars 2.1 Gotta Get Away
  • 4.50 stars 2.2 19th Nervous Breakdown
  • 3.00 stars 2.3 Sad Day
  • 5.00 stars 2.4 Paint It, Black
  • 2.00 stars 2.5 Stupid Girl
  • 3.00 stars 2.6 Long Long While
  • 4.50 stars 2.7 Mother's Little Helper
  • 3.00 stars 2.8 Lady Jane
  • 3.50 stars 2.9 Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?
  • 4.00 stars 2.10 Who's Driving Your Plane
  • 5.00 stars 2.11 Let's Spend the Night Together
  • 5.00 stars 2.12 Ruby Tuesday
  • 4.50 stars 2.13 We Love You
  • 4.00 stars 2.14 Dandelion
  • 5.00 stars 2.15 She's a Rainbow
  • 4.00 stars 2.16 2000 Light Years From Home
  • 3.00 stars 2.17 In Another Land
  • 3.50 stars 2.18 The Lantern
  • 5.00 stars 2.19 Jumpin' Jack Flash
  • 4.50 stars 2.20 Child of the Moon (Remake)
  • 5.00 stars 3.1 Street Fighting Man
  • 5.00 stars 3.2 No Expectations
  • 3.50 stars 3.3 Surprise, Surprise
  • 5.00 stars 3.4 Honky Tonk Women
  • 5.00 stars 3.5 You Can't Always Get What You Want
  • 4.00 stars 3.6 Memo From Turner
  • 5.00 stars 3.7 Brown Sugar
  • 5.00 stars 3.8 Wild Horses
  • 3.00 stars 3.9 I Don't Know Why (a.k.a. Don't Know Why I Love You)
  • 3.00 stars 3.10 Try a Little Harder
  • 4.00 stars 3.11 Out of Time
  • 4.00 stars 3.12 Jiving Sister Fanny
  • 5.00 stars 3.13 Sympathy for the Devil
I bought this years and years ago because I was so lucky to find it in the used bin for $20, and, feeling like a totally awesome dude, plopped it down on the counter in anticipation of the head-pat from the graying FYE (formerly the last Harmony House in Michigan) employee who was so impressed that a kid like me knew a little bit about '60s and '70s rock. Not like the baby boomers haven't been forcing it down my throats for years...

Anyway, these a-sides? Classics of so many stripes it's unbelievable. Let us not allow ourselves to forget, these guys used to be the bomb, and the fact that their peak bombness occurred forty, fifty years ago shouldn't detract from the fun. It happens sometimes! Look, we all know these guys dragged their careers on way too long, but this gives you a real sense of development. The three discs present a handy narrative of their early days that I'm not really gonna dispute. Disc one, a blues/R&B band finds their feet and cranks out occasional classics like "Satisfaction" and "The Last Time" (monster riffs, those). Disc two presents them rather torn, sometimes putting their own stamp on the trends (that sitar on "Paint It, Black!" Jagger's vocal on the otherwise Kinks-ish "Let's Spend the Night Together!" The sheer stupid Dylanesque lunacy of "Who's Driving Your Plane!" Hell, even "She's a Rainbow," great song, has enough of the old edge to elevate itself above Beatle imitation), and other times sticking to the plan, rocking out, and sounding like a bunch of champs. Here you've got "19th Nervous Breakdown" with its bass swoops, here you've got "Jumpin' Jack Flash" with the riff, here you've got the moody "Mother's Little Helper." Then disc three rolls around and they've arrived in all their rootsy glory, pulling out country blues on "No Expectation," rocking out with all acoustic guitars on "Street Fighting Man," inviting us all to have a good cry on "Wild Horses." Plus they throw the occasional successful curveball - "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is more than "Hey Jude"-lite, "Sympathy for the Devil" has that samba groove we all know and love. It's pretty terrific, the arc of this.

But you can get that same arc on Hot Rocks, and you might've noticed that much of what I've singled out as highlights sit there. I checked this out before hearing either the Stones' patchy pre-Beggars Banquet albums (well-represented here) or their oft-lazy and embarrassing post-Exile work (not represented at all, and Exile itself isn't either), and my whole notion of the Stones as gods crashed and burned. Some of the b-sides and single-only tracks are great fun, and I'm not just talking the readily available "Honky Tonk Women" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash." "We Love You" is wonderfully disorienting, "Child of the Moon" is all cool lazy drawl (love the sax on this one), "Memo from Turner" has some serious raw slide. But I'd say for every great track there's one that's either forgettable or tedious, and to get to the good stuff, get ready for pallid blueses like "I Want to Be Loved," cheesy Beatles imitations (never really cared for "I'm Free" or "The Singer Not the Song," sorry everyone), and hookless pop - who needs such a thing? - like "Surprise, Surprise" and "Little By Little." There's something to be said for having all the singles in one place, but there's also something to be said for careful curation, and in terms of basic quality-of-listening I'd rather have 21 super-solid tracks on their own than those same 21 (give or take) as part of an inconsistent 58-track whole. So this makes an awkward middle between listening to just Hot Rocks and immersing yourself in the band's early work, which these days is available to anyone with a Spotify account. Approach with caution.
Published
4.00 stars
There's a lot of material here that was included on classic Stones albums (and other collections like "Big Hits") and some of the earliest recordings are pretty clunky (we're talking sub-"Nuggets" levels of amateurishness) but this is still an essential collection for all big Stones fans because all the non-LP tracks from the classic era are here and though it's not all gold, it's all definitely worth having.
Published
4.00 stars
Unlike most anthologies of this sort, Singles Collection actually gets better as it progresses. This set starts off promising, with the Stones stomping with nervous energy through several old blues and rock standards, including a blistering take on "I Just Want to Make Love to You." Then their pop sensibility, inspired by The Beatles perhaps, emerges. Many of these songs are tepid at best ("Play with Fire"), awful at worst ("As Tears Go By"). Disc Two is split between their blues fare ("Satisfaction," "Let's Spend the Night Together") and their feaux-Beatles missteps ("In Another Land," "Ruby Tuesday," "She's a Rainbow"). Their one truly inspired Beatles tribute would have to be "Paint It, Black," with "We Love You" coming in a distant second. Also, it is on this second disc, after their sour affair with psychedelic rock (producing two solid sides, "2000 Light Years from Home" and the Beatles-aided "We Love You"); the TRUE Stones emerge, with "Jumpin' Jack Flash." This sets the tone for disc three, opening with what can be considered a pre-punk track, "Street Fighting Man." Along with greats "Honky Tonk Women" and "Brown Sugar," this disc also includes the hot rarity "Memo From Turner" (taken from the avant-rock film Performance [1970]). This set is definitely intended for the group's more hardcore fans. Hot Rocks will definitely do, or at least Forty Licks. But if you want to see the Stones bloom in their 60's and early 70's context, this set is essential.
Published
92312 SACD (2002)
  
Excellent rock music, listening to this from start to end also gives you an idea of the evolution of what we call rock music, different styles, although everything in the end is very "Stones".
Published
4.50 stars
Of course, where I come from, this should have been called "The Decca Years". They may have sent the Beatles off to rot on the wastepile that they thought guitar groups were about to become, but they somehow managed to snap up the next best thing.
I do not buy the whole "World's Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band" monika. The Stones WERE, for sure and by a mile, the best of the harder side of the UK beat boom of the 60s. They were never as inventive as the Beatles or the Kinks, as good vocally as the Beach Boys or Hollies and were even slow to start writing songs at all in the beginning, but they were, in the years these gems come from, almost never dull, often controvertial and rough-edged in a way that only Lennon ever approached from the Beatles canon - and that only rarely.
We often hear praise for Jagger, Richards and Jones, even Charlie Watts on accasions, but seldom for the man who makes all the difference to me. Bill Wyman, the loudest and best bass player of his generation (and yes, I HAVE heard of John Entwistle) makes all the difference SO many times on these songs.
I really have little interest in the Stones after this, but this? From covering Chuck's "Come On" (at crazy speed in about a minute-forty) to "Sympathy for the Devil", they hit all the buttons, repeatedly.
THIS is the important Rolling Stones and, with the exception of a few classic album tracks from the period, everything is here. If I was allowed no other Stones records than this, I'd be content.
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Catalog

Ratings: 1,271
Cataloged: 1,371
Track rating sets:Track ratings: 49
Rating distribution
Rating trend
Page 1 2 .. 8 .. 17 .. 25 .. 34 .. 42 .. 51 .. 59 .. 68 .. 76 .. 85 >>
24 Apr 2024
nouay  4.00 stars
22 Apr 2024
link343  4.50 stars
22 Apr 2024
Pie_ Cassette5.00 stars
16 Apr 2024
MrFreedom  4.00 stars
12 Apr 2024
TheRealMrHeartache  5.00 stars
8 Apr 2024
LeninLenin1917  5.00 stars All-time Great
20 Mar 2024
NickyTBlizzad  5.00 stars Jalen Brunson
17 Mar 2024
peterjlaughlin Owned4.50 stars
9 Mar 2024
leozim1205 CD-R3.50 stars 7
9 Mar 2024
misterarchiver  5.00 stars
9 Mar 2024
Stdule CD▼5.00 stars
  • 5.00 stars 1.1 Come On
  • 4.50 stars 1.2 I Want to Be Loved
  • 4.50 stars 1.3 I Wanna Be Your Man
  •   1.4 Stoned
  • 5.00 stars 1.5 Not Fade Away
  • 5.00 stars 1.6 Little by Little
  • 5.00 stars 1.7 It's All Over Now
  • 4.50 stars 1.8 Good Times, Bad Times
  • 5.00 stars 1.9 Tell Me
  • 5.00 stars 1.10 I Just Want to Make Love to You
  • 5.00 stars 1.11 Time Is on My Side [Regent Studios version]
  • 5.00 stars 1.12 Congratulations
  • 5.00 stars 1.13 Little Red Rooster
  • 5.00 stars 1.14 Off the Hook
  • 5.00 stars 1.15 Heart of Stone
  • 4.50 stars 1.16 What a Shame
  • 5.00 stars 1.17 The Last Time
  • 5.00 stars 1.18 Play With Fire
  • 5.00 stars 1.19 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
  • 4.50 stars 1.20 The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man
  • 5.00 stars 1.21 The Spider and the Fly
  • 5.00 stars 1.22 Get Off of My Cloud
  • 5.00 stars 1.23 I'm Free
  • 5.00 stars 1.24 The Singer Not the Song
  • 5.00 stars 1.25 As Tears Go By
  • 5.00 stars 2.1 Gotta Get Away
  • 5.00 stars 2.2 19th Nervous Breakdown
  • 4.00 stars 2.3 Sad Day
  • 5.00 stars 2.4 Paint It, Black
  • 4.50 stars 2.5 Stupid Girl
  • 5.00 stars 2.6 Long Long While
  • 5.00 stars 2.7 Mother's Little Helper
  • 4.50 stars 2.8 Lady Jane
  • 5.00 stars 2.9 Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?
  • 4.00 stars 2.10 Who's Driving Your Plane
  • 5.00 stars 2.11 Let's Spend the Night Together
  • 5.00 stars 2.12 Ruby Tuesday
  •   2.13 We Love You
  • 4.50 stars 2.14 Dandelion
  • 5.00 stars 2.15 She's a Rainbow
  • 0.50 stars 2.16 2000 Light Years From Home
  •   2.17 In Another Land
  •   2.18 The Lantern
  • 5.00 stars 2.19 Jumpin' Jack Flash
  • 4.50 stars 2.20 Child of the Moon (Remake)
  •   3.1 Street Fighting Man
  •   3.2 No Expectations
  •   3.3 Surprise, Surprise
  •   3.4 Honky Tonk Women
  •   3.5 You Can't Always Get What You Want
  •   3.6 Memo From Turner
  •   3.7 Brown Sugar
  •   3.8 Wild Horses
  •   3.9 I Don't Know Why (a.k.a. Don't Know Why I Love You)
  •   3.10 Try a Little Harder
  •   3.11 Out of Time
  •   3.12 Jiving Sister Fanny
  •   3.13 Sympathy for the Devil
3 Mar 2024
erikvanderscheer  4.50 stars
6 Feb 2024
BassPlayer57 CD4.00 stars
2 Feb 2024
bleakage  4.00 stars
1 Feb 2024
CastlesBurning84  5.00 stars
Cover art for Singles Collection: The London Years by The Rolling Stones
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Previous
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Previous in discography: 4: Игра с огнем (Play With Fire)
4: Игра с огнем (Play With Fire)
19 Нервных Песен (19th Nervous Songs)
Next in discography: 4: Игра с огнем (Play With Fire)
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Track listing

  • 1.1 Come On 1:50
  • 1.2 I Want to Be Loved 1:51
  • 1.3 I Wanna Be Your Man 1:42
  • 1.4 Stoned 2:08
  • 1.5 Not Fade Away 1:48
  • 1.6 Little by Little 2:37
  • 1.7 It's All Over Now 3:26
  • 1.8 Good Times, Bad Times 2:32
  • 1.9 Tell Me 2:46
  • 1.10 I Just Want to Make Love to You 2:16
  • 1.11 Time Is on My Side [Regent Studios version] 2:58
  • 1.12 Congratulations 2:27
  • 1.13 Little Red Rooster 3:03
  • 1.14 Off the Hook 2:33
  • 1.15 Heart of Stone 2:43
  • 1.16 What a Shame 3:02
  • 1.17 The Last Time 3:39
  • 1.18 Play With Fire 2:11
  • 1.19 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 3:46
  • 1.20 The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man 3:20
  • 1.21 The Spider and the Fly 3:38
  • 1.22 Get Off of My Cloud 2:54
  • 1.23 I'm Free 2:24
  • 1.24 The Singer Not the Song 2:26
  • 1.25 As Tears Go By 2:43
  • 2.1 Gotta Get Away 2:10
  • 2.2 19th Nervous Breakdown 3:57
  • 2.3 Sad Day 3:01
  • 2.4 Paint It, Black 3:45
  • 2.5 Stupid Girl 2:55
  • 2.6 Long Long While 3:00
  • 2.7 Mother's Little Helper 2:46
  • 2.8 Lady Jane 3:10
  • 2.9 Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow? 2:33
  • 2.10 Who's Driving Your Plane 3:12
  • 2.11 Let's Spend the Night Together 3:27
  • 2.12 Ruby Tuesday 3:11
  • 2.13 We Love You 4:36
  • 2.14 Dandelion 3:47
  • 2.15 She's a Rainbow 4:09
  • 2.16 2000 Light Years From Home 4:42
  • 2.17 In Another Land 2:54
  • 2.18 The Lantern 4:24
  • 2.19 Jumpin' Jack Flash 3:40
  • 2.20 Child of the Moon (Remake) 3:10
  • 3.1 Street Fighting Man 3:19
  • 3.2 No Expectations 4:00
  • 3.3 Surprise, Surprise 2:29
  • 3.4 Honky Tonk Women 3:02
  • 3.5 You Can't Always Get What You Want 4:52
  • 3.6 Memo From Turner 4:06
  • 3.7 Brown Sugar 3:48
  • 3.8 Wild Horses 5:40
  • 3.9 I Don't Know Why (a.k.a. Don't Know Why I Love You) 3:02
  • 3.10 Try a Little Harder 2:17
  • 3.11 Out of Time 3:21
  • 3.12 Jiving Sister Fanny 3:20
  • 3.13 Sympathy for the Devil 6:24
  • Total length: 184:52

129 Lists

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Contributions

Contributors to this release: yerblues, fedderedder, snellius, fixbutte, jonathan, Grimread, hprill, holograms, [deleted], [deleted], [deleted], coldclub, grievousangelcd
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