The Rolling Stones - Artist's Choice: Rolling Stones

Neat Concept

Seeing a cd with a legendary artist's favorite songs, roots and influences, and personal preferences is always something appealing to a true fan. In this case, even the casual listener can get a lot out of this cd. Not only are these tracks the Stones favorite tunes, they're all pretty much classics in their own right. After a perusal of the artists present on this cd, it is easy to perceive that it is comprised mainly of R&B and Soul, with tinges of Rock. Many important artists can be found singing their hearts out on this compilation, as they do on all their solo albums. James Brown, Al Green, Otis Redding, Muddy Waters, Sly & The Family Stone, The Beach Boys etc. Everyone is on here. Any true fan of the Stones would find this disc enlightening, but I would recommend this more to fans of R&B and Soul. This is really a pleasant gem of a cd. Give it a try. June 30, 2003

GREAT CONCEPT, UNEVEN EXECUTION

A great idea: sit down with influential, important musicians, and find out what they consider to be the most influential and important songs in their lives and make a compilation disc of the results.

Pretty much covers the artists you would hope and expect to be in the Stones own disc players (Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Otis Redding), as well as a couple of surprises (the inclusion of The Itals is great, but what is Sade doing here?), but the most welcome element is for the most part they didn't choose the most obvious songs from their favorite artists for this collection.

For instance, from Al Green we don't get "Call Me" or "L-O-V-E", but "I'm Still In Love With You", Muddy Waters you'd think "Rollin' Stone" or "Smokestack Lightnin"", but instead "You Shook Me" and the great, great "Still A Fool". Though Chuck Berry is mysteriously absent (as are Bo Diddley and the likes of Buddy Holly and Howlin' Wolf), included are tracks from Eddie Cochran, Sly & the Family Stone, and Aretha Franklin.

There are a couple of tracks that don't work and interrupt the feel of the album: The edit of James Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" is too short, Little Richard doesn't work well here, Earl Bostic is also sort of out of left-field (and though Charlie may revere the song, there's no overt reference point for the Stones in the song), and, really, who needs to hear "This Old Heart is Mine" again, other than when you're forced to on a Kraft Macaroni and Cheese commercial?

Perhaps this collection would be more cohesive had it just been Mick and Keith choosing. Wood's selections are good, but he IS (even after 25 years!) the new boy, and Charlie's tastes are so different form the rest of the band's, that it just makes this collection too incohesive to play through in one sitting.

It's a good collection, and it's kinda fun to look at the cover and say, "Oh, Keith picked that, Mick definitely picked that, that's obviously Charlie's", but overall a higher recommendation goes towards the Chess Records collection "Stone Age Blues". I don't know if the album is still in print, but it collects the original versions of songs the Stones covered in their prime, as well as tracks that were influencial on them. And as far as The Artists Choice series, the Lucinda Williams one is absolutely great. April 7, 2003

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I just purchased this CD, and must say there is not one bad song on it. The Stones picked some gems here. From James Brown's "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," to Sade's "By Your Side." If you are as big a Stones fan as I am, then you will want to hear the artists that have not only influenced them, but one's they have become fans of during their forty years of fame. Great CD. April 6, 2003

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