You’ve got to hand it to the Stones – from their R ‘n’ B roots (...and that’s proper R ‘n’ B by the way – not the ‘urban’ manufactured tripe), to their experiments in psychedelia, white funk, dance, country and the raunchy stadium filling rock for which they are perhaps best known, the Stones have paid their dues a thousand times over and proved themselves to be a seemingly inexhaustible well of creativity and constant innovation. Plus, they lived to tell the tale; they’re somehow still alive and still kickin’ ass –always a preferable state to find yourself in when you’re a perpetually hardworking live band. Not that they really need to work...
In Rarities the Stones showcase sixteen (allegedly..) hard-to-find live tracks, cover versions, rare b-sides and previously unreleased material, culled from the “last 35 years or so”. However, as many Stones fans have already pointed out, most – if not all – of these tracks have been available elsewhere before, whether on the acclaimed Stripped album a few years back, or simply on the huge “gray market” (presumably so called as most bootlegs are made by Stones fans for Stones fans). A cynical reviewer might suggest that this is an attempt to cash in on such a market and such fervent, loyal fans, but with the retro black, white and red packaging and detailed, informative inlay, it’s hard to be that cynical.
So, what’s on offer for the serious Stones fan? Well, straight off the bat you have the cracking 12-bar blues of ‘Fancy Man Blues’ which shuffles along in a fairly inoffensive fashion until Mick’s screeching harmonica kicks in and proceeds to own your soul. The sleazy familiarity of ‘Tumbling Dice’ reminds you why the Stones were the original scuzz-rockers, before ‘Wild Horses’ (forgivably, the brilliant Stripped version) breaks it down in truly inimitable style. A live ‘Beast of Burden’, recorded in the Stones’ dodgy early 80s period, sounds a little dated to be honest, while ‘Anyway You Look At It’ is pleasant but rather forgettable.
The whiteboy funk of ‘If I Was A Dancer (Dance Pt.2) is bolstered by its almost disco beat and subtle horn section (unlike the sax in ‘Beast of Burden’ which just sounds cack). ‘Miss You’, the Stones’ first 12-inch “dance” single, goes on for seven and a half minutes, which is about three minutes too long and makes one wonder why they opted to release a limp 12-inch in the first place. ‘Wish I’d Never Met You’, a relatively recent b-side, is a languid, bar-band blues affair, while ‘I Just Wanna Make Love To You’ is yet another fun but ultimately disappointing cut that has already appeared elsewhere (on 1998’s No Security live album). ‘Mixed Emotions’ is a below-par remix of the original comeback classic; ‘Through The Lonely Nights’ is – again – pleasant but deservedly a b-side to ‘It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll’; ‘Live With Me’ is another lazy No Security cut.
‘Let It Rock’, a Chuck Berry cover and one of the only truly “rare” tunes on offer sounds more raw, more live and exciting and therefore more interesting than most of what’s on offer. 80s single ‘Harlem Shuffle’ is another throwaway remix, as is the previously available live version of ‘Mannish Boy’ (as heavy and impromptu as it is) and ‘Thru And Thru’ – which has apparently been included because it was prominently featured on the last episode of The Sopranos.
This last factoid fittingly sums up this release: a tepid collection of not-very-rare rarities, presumably cobbled together as an interim offering to sate fans who can’t wait for next year’s inevitable live record and DVD from the new Wembley Stadium (the Stones due to be the first band to play there in August 2006). Despite the classy packaging and production job, a general feeling of over-familiarity pervades much of this record (‘Fancy Man Blues’ and ‘Let It Rock’ notwithstanding), and although punctuated by moments of genuine soul and clarity, there’s simply not enough new material on here to get excited about. Diehard fans will undoubtedly have most of the above (but will buy anyway ‘cos it’s the Stones and they’re rabid completists); casual fans will pick up the CD and seem interested, before deciding to buy Exile, Beggar’s or Let It Bleed instead; and the world at large will probably shrug a collective shrug.
|
