The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks, 1964-1971

This two-LP/two-CD set is both a lot more and a bit less than what it seems. It is seven years' worth of mostly very high-charting -- and all influential and important -- songs, leaving out some singles in favor of well-known album tracks, and in the process, giving an overview not just of the Rolling Stones' hits but of their evolving image. One hears them change from loud r&b-inspired rockers covering others' songs ("Time Is on My Side") into originators in their own right ("Satisfaction"); then into tastemakers and style-setters with a particularly decadent air ("Get Off of My Cloud," "19th Nervous Breakdown"); and finally into self-actualized rebel-poets ("Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Midnight Rambler") and Shaman-like symbols of chaos. On its initial release, Hot Rocks sold well, not only as a unique compilation but also as a panorama of the 1960s. The only flaw was that it didn't give a good look at the Stones' full musical history, ignoring their early blues period and the psychedelic era. There are also some anomalies in Hot Rocks' history for the collector -- the very first pressings included an outtake of "Brown Sugar" featuring Eric Clapton that was promptly replaced; and the original European CD version, issued as two separate discs on the Decca label, was also different from its American counterpart, featuring a version of "Satisfaction" mastered in stereo and putting the guitars on separate channels for the first time. Those musicologist concerns aside, this is still an exciting assembly of material. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Name Credits Andrew Loog Oldham Producer, Audio Production Bill Wyman Bass, Synthesizer, Keyboards, Vocals Bob Ludwig Mastering Brian Jones Vocals (Background), Keyboards, Vocals, Guitar Charlie Watts Drums Glyn Johns Audio Production, Producer Gus Skinas Engineer Iris Keitel Repackaging Art Direction Jimmy Miller Audio Production, Producer Jody Klein Restoration Supervision Jon Astley Analog Transfer Keith Richards Vocals, Vocals (Background), Keyboards, Guitar Lenne Allik Concept Michael Gross Design Mick Jagger Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards, Vocals Mick McKenna Archive Research Mick Taylor Guitar Nicky Hopkins Piano Paschal Byrne Analog Transfer Ron Rafaelli Cover Photo Steve Rosenthal Archives Coordinator, Restoration The Rolling Stones Audio Production, Producer