This is the first taste of real rarities yet as we get to hear
renditions of eight songs that never made it onto the Stones’ proper LPs or
singles and versions of popular faves with more pronounced differences than a
mere shift from the familiar to stereo to the slightly less familiar mono. The
chance to hear the Stones’ takes on gems such as Buster Brown’s “Fannie Mae”
(which they’d later rip for “their own” “Under Assistant West Coast Promotion
Man”), Tommy Tucker’s “High Heel Sneakers”, Bo Diddley’s “Cops and Robbers” and
“Crackin’ Up”, Jimmy Reed’s “Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby”, and a whole mess of
Chuck Berry tunes will probably provoke the most purchases. The other stuff may
not be quite as valuable, but it’s still very cool to hear things like “Cry to Me”
and “I’m Moving On” with greater clarity than the more familiar versions.
Sometimes the greater clarity is not really an asset as it
demystifies the murky alchemy of “Satisfaction”, “Mercy Mercy” (complete with
way out-front falsetto by, I believe, Bill Wyman, who was no John Entwistle in
the falsetto-singing bassist department), and “The Last Time”, but it’s always
fun and interesting to hear such well-worn material in any different light. In at least
one instance, hearing a lack of difference is actually fascinating. I’ve always
marveled at the fluid, effortlessness of Keith Richards’ playing on “Down the
Road Apiece” and surmised it was something our sloppy hero could never
recreate. The fiery rendition of that number recorded he recorded for the Top Gear program proves me wrong in the
most wonderful way.
