Odd compilation that contains great music finally remastered

The number of Rolling Stones compilation albums is staggering, and this album is an oddity among them: not a greatest hits album, not a rarities album, it is a little bit of both, and some more. Originally issued on vinyl in 1981, it had been long out of print on CD, but now it is finally reissued, and in great remastered sound.



"Sucking in the Seventies" (10 tracks, 41 min.) starts off with a blistering "Shattered". The sequencing of songs has no rhyme or reason. From a reggae-flavored "Hot Stuff" (from the "Black and Blue" album) we go back to the 1974 ballad "Time Waits for No One". "Fool to Cry" is one of the few true greatest hits on here, which is followed by 2 obscure live tracks (the bluesy "Mannish Boy" and the terrific "When the Whip Comes Down"). We then get the outtake "If I Was a Dancer (Dance Pt. 2)" (from the "Emotional Rescue" recording sessions), and my favorite track here. The album closes with the great rocker "Crazy Mama" and the ballad "Beast of Burden".



Regretfully this reissue comes without any liner notes or credits whatsoever, what is up with that? Also, while the original vinyl album was constrained in length, there are no additional songs (why not include "Miss You" or other obscure live tracks?). Nevertheless, despite its flaws, "Sucking in the Seventies" contains a lot of great music, some of which you can't find on any other Stones albums.

The sought after Stones collection back in print FINALLY!

The Rolling Stones' compilation album Sucking In the Seventies was released in March of 1981.

This collection is not yet another greatest hits. It is made up of deep album cuts, a few singles, a b-side, an alternate version and a live track from a tour with no official live release up to that point. It is very listenable and the rarities stuff make it a must by.

The songs that were singles on here are Fool to Cry and the Top 10 hit Beast of Burden.

Album tracks include Shattered from Some Girls, Hot Stuff, Time Waits For No One, Mannish Boy(from Love You Live) and Crazy Mama.

The rarities on here are the 1978 B-side to Shattered called Everything Is Turning To Gold which is an energetic Mick Jagger/Keith Richard/Ron Wood penned funk rocker that the band should have had on Some Girls but time constraints prevented it. Great track. Next is a rare live reading of the Some Girls album track When The Whip Comes Down recorded on the band's 1978 Some Girls Tour, which was not documented by an official live release until 2004's Live Licks. This version will make you want to rock.

Wish I Was a Dancer(Dance Part 2) is a continuation of the song Dance from 1980's Emotional Rescue with different lyrics than part one of Dance.

This collection initially went into the US Top 20 and Gold status and this new edition is remastered(done superbly by Bob Ludwig who has done every remaster of The Stones' back catalog from 1964's debut to 1991's Flashpoint) and sounds better than the cheesy sounding 1980s CBS CD issue.

Highly recommended!

Very Odd But Very Cool Compilation

This Odds and Sods recording is unlike anything else in the official Stones catalog and I have often wondered what the impetus was to put it out.



This is not exclusively a rarities collection nor is it a greatest hits. It is made up of deep album cuts (non-single rock radio favorites), a b-side, an unreleased alternate version and a live track from a tour with no official live release. It is very listenable and the rarities stuff make it a must by. The highlights:



1. Everything Is Turning To Gold is an energetic Ronnie Wood penned funk rocker that the band should dust off for their live shows. Great track.



2. When The Whip Comes Down is a savage, quasi-punk rock live version from the '78 tour, which amazingly has never been documented by an official live release. This version will make you want to holler and break stuff



3. Time Waits For No One is the IORR version but remember this is the greatest song Mick Taylor ever crafted and did not get credit for.



Two major complaints:



1. I bought this on vinyl, I bought the original CD release and now they are trying to sell me a "Re-Mastered" version that is not even in the SACD format that they made such a big deal about when the ABKO-era stuff was dusted off a few years ago



2. Why Lord, why won't The Greediest Rock And Roll Band In The World load something like this up with additional b-sides, rarities and live stuff from the era? Bowie does it. The Who do it. The Beatles even opened the vaults with the Anthology discs for heavens sake!

For Completists Only

Good album, noteworthy for a good live version of "When the whip comes down" and a cool B-side, "Everything's turning to gold". Also, the continuation of "Dance Pt. 1" as "If I were a dancer". This album is only essential if you must have everything.