THE ROLLING STONES - SOME GIRLS (reissue review)

The Rolling Stones released Some Girls in 1978 when I was nine years old.  I don't think I was aware of the concept that a band was releasing a new album, but I did associate certain artists with certain songs, I just had no idea if they were new or old.

But I do remember hearing "Miss You," "Beast Of Burden" and "Shattered" all over the place.  Years later, when I started really getting into the Stones, learning their history and buying their old albums (this was around '89, when they hit the road for the first time in years for Steel Wheels) I picked up Some Girls and was knocked out by how great it was.  This may be sacrilegious to say, but it quickly became my favorite Stones album. I realize that most hardcore fans choose albums from the Brian Jones or Mick Taylor eras.  Of course I love albums from both of those eras, and there are no bad albums from either era, but this is my favorite.

If you didn't know better, you would have thought that Ronnie Wood was created in a lab to join The Stones. In the history of rock, has there ever been a replacement in a major band that just fit so perfectly?

I don't think I knew too much of the context when I first got the album though. I just knew that there were three incredible singles, but in between them were a group of songs that were just as good, or better.  I knew that this came out during the punk rock era, and they seemed to nod at this without trying too hard, on songs like "Lies," "Respectable" and "When The Whip Comes Down." Their soul roots were acknowledged with their cover of The Temptations' "Just My Imagination." They nodded at their country influences (and made fun of them more than a bit) on "Far Away Eyes." "Miss You" and "Shattered" were funky as hell, and "Beast Of Burden" is one of their best pop songs ever.  Also on this album is one of my favorite Keith Richards-sung Stones tunes, "Before They Make Me Run" ("see my taillights fading, there's not a dry eye in the house"). On my Rolling Stones iPod mix, every song on this album is included. (That mix is nearly 11 hours long, but still.)

I just bought the deluxe (not super-deluxe) version of the album. It comes with a second disc of stuff that didn't make the album. Often times, this kind of thing is a curiosity, but disc 2 of Some Girls is its own great album.  I think I prefer it to their next album, Emotional Rescue! "Claudine" is a great vintage rocker.  "No Spare Parts" (featuring newly recorded parts by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood) is a lovely country-ish song.  There's actually a lot of country on disc two, including Keith singing a classic song, "We Had It All," and also a cover of Hank Williams' "You Win Again."

The super-deluxe version also contains a DVD of a live concert from the tour, but not the CD version.  So, I decided to get the deluxe version, and pick up the DVD/CD version of Some Girls - Live In Texas '78, which you can get separately (and buying both was still less expensive than the super-deluxe version). I have a lot of great live recordings by the Stones, but this might be the best one. So, if you love the Stones, particularly the Ronnie Wood era, I'd recommend doing what I did: get the deluxe version, and get the DVD/CD (or BlueRay/CD) combo of Some Girls Live.

SUPERHEAVY = MICK JAGGER + DAVE STEWART + DAMIEN MARLEY + JOSS STONE + (NOT ENOUGH) A.R. RAHMAN

When I heard that Dave Stewart had put together a "supergroup" with Mick Jagger, Damian Marley, Joss Stone and A.R. Rahman, I was intrigued. Of course, it could be a trainwreck, but it could be cool.  Stewart, of course, has worked on some good records, both as a member of The Eurythmics, but also producing other artists like Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers ("Don't Come Around Here No More"), Mick Jagger ("Old Habits Die Hard") and Stevie Nicks ("Secret Love").

But Superheavy doesn't really work for me, although it does have it's moments.  I know that the idea was to have all of these cultures coming together, but in many places it comes off as very mainstream rock with tinges of reggae and Indian music. I would have been curious to hear it if A.R. Rahman produced more of the songs.  It sounds like he sort of just added some touches to the songs, but he is an Oscar winning musician who is one of the hugest stars in India.  I would rather have heard an album co-produced by Stewart and Rahman.

Still, if they ever do another album I would check it out, the record shows lots of potential.

YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: MICK JAGGER AND RAPHAEL SAADIQ

I happened upon this by accident when I was looking to see if Mick Jagger's new group Super Heavy had any songs on iTunes. It's Mick's cover of Solomon Burke's "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love," backed by Raphael Saadiq and his band, at this year's Grammy Awards. It was one of the highlights of the show, in my opinion. I didn't realize that the performance was released on iTunes, so I figured I'd share the news.

By the way, Mick's group Super Heavy also features Indian composer and pop star A.R. Rahman (famous in the U.S. for scoring Slumdog Millionaire), Joss Stone, Damien Marley and Dave Stewart. I think they're using Marley's backing band on the album.   I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more of this. But it would have been cool if Mick and Raphael worked together after the Grammys.  Raphael's Stone Rollin' is a one of the best albums of the year.

P.S. I got the image from this blog.

MICK JAGGER AND KEITH RICHARDS RECORDING...

... uh, well... they *are* recording.  The rub: they are recording separately.  The new issue of Rolling Stone (not the one pictured here, the new one with Lady Gaga on the cover) has two separate blurbs about upcoming projects from Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Both mention a rumored 2012 tour.

A small feature on page 18 discusses Mick's new project, a supergroup of sorts that features Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics, Joss Stone, Damien Marley and Oscar winning composer A.R. Rahman. Mick has worked with Dave before in his solo career, notably on songs to the soundtrack of the 2004 film Alfie ("Old Habits Die Hard" is one of his best non-Stones moments). Joss and Mick did a duet on that soundtrack as well.

Mick has always expressed a bit of boredom with doing things the same way with The Stones, but his attempts to do different music projects outside of the band haven't done well.  His last full length solo album, 2001's Goddess In The Doorway, got a five star review in Rolling Stone, which only called attention to the fact that it was far from being a five star album.  (It did have one of his finest moments: his excellent collaboration with Lenny Kravitz, "God Gave Me Everything"). Anyway, it didn't sell well and I remember it being laughed at in the press (and by Keith). I guess his new "super-group" is an interesting project to him.  I have to admit, I'm interested to hear it. In the article, Mick says he doesn't have any Stones plans to announce at the moment.

Meanwhile, an "In The News" item on page 20 says that Keith is finally working again with his former backing band, The X-Pensive Winos. Unlike Mick, Keith seems to love working in the Stones' blues/country/R&B/rock style, which the Winos did so well.  So it's surprising to me that he hasn't done a real solo project in nearly 20 years. I saw the Winos twice (once on each tour) and they kicked ass.

So who knows what this means for The Rolling Stones. They can't wait too much longer to do another album and tour, can they?

Anyway: I know that conventional wisdom says that Keith's solo career is better than Mick's, but I'm planning (planning!) on writing about both men's careers outside of the Stones this week.  Feel free to weigh in, right here in the comments section.

BEN WATERS' TRIBUTE TO IAN STEWART - BOOGIE 4 STU

You'll want to check this album out if you like pre-rock and roll boogie woogie. Or if you are a Rolling Stones fan. Or if you like PJ Harvey.

Rock and roll fans know Ian Stewart: he was the original piano player of The Rollling Stones. Their original manager, Andrew Loog Oldham (who currently is a host on Little Steven's Underground Garage) deemed him surplus to requirements to the Stones. He was demoted to road manager, and also studio and touring piano player. But yet, he stuck with the Stones for the rest of his life until he passed away in 1985.

Ben Waters' parents were friends with Stewart, and when young Ben saw him play piano at their house, he decided he wanted to be a piano player also. These days, he's a pretty popular musician on the roots music scene in the U.K., and he also plays in Charlie Watts' band, The ABCandD of Boogie Woogie.

Watts plays drums on most of the album, most of which was recorded in Jools Holland's studio (appropriately, as Stewart was likely an influence on Holland's style). But the album took on a life of it's own, with Keith Richards, Ron Wood and even ex-Stone Bill Wyman making multiple contributions. On one song - a cover of Bob Dylan's "Watching The River Flow" features Charlie, Keith, Ron, Bill and Mick Jagger. (Apparently, Stewart considered it the only good song Dylan ever wrote!) Although they all recorded their parts separately, and it isn't billed as a Stones tune per se, it's the first new recording by the band in six years, and the first recording with Wyman in 20 years.  There's also a Keith/Ronnie duet on "Worried Life Blues."

The other big guest is Waters' cousin, Polly Jean Harvey.  They recorded "Lonely Avenue" in her parents' living room, on a piano that Stewart once owned. It's an interesting contrast to her very British new album, Let England Shake.

The album is a great reminder of how much fun pre-rock and roll boogie woogie music is, and also has some great blues moments. If you're a Stones fan, you gotta have it, but it's worth checking out for anyone interested in the roots of rock and roll music. By his own admission, Stewart was a limited piano player: to progress with their music, they had to leave him behind (and he hated some of their more "progressive" material like "Sympathy For The Devil"), but this album offers an interesting glimpse of what the Stones would have sounded like if Loog hadn't canned him.

THE ROLLING STONES ON THE TAMI SHOW

A couple of days ago, I was digging listening to The Rolling Stones' early 1970s-era stuff via the Exile On Main Street reissue and the Stones In Exile documentary DVD. They were a very different band from a few years earlier, when they were still up-and-coming and featured Brian Jones as the guitarist (replaced in the Exile-era by Mick Taylor). You get a glimpse of the band on the recently released TAMI Show DVD, where they performed at a concert that also featured James Brown, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Chuck Berry and The Beach Boys, among others. The Stones' performance is pretty incredible (although they got blown away by James Brown, who performed before them - Keith Richards said going on after him was the biggest mistake the band ever made). But check it out, here's The Stones from the TAMI show doing "It's All Over Now."

STONES IN EXILE DVD

I've got to say, I've really been digging listening to The Rolling Stones' classic Exile On Main Street over and over since the reissue came out. Tonight I watched Stones In Exile, the documentary about the album.

The doc was pretty cool, it was interesting to see footage of the era.  But you know Mick Jagger really isn't too into talking about it (in a recent interview he said he didn't know the point of it, other than getting paid, or something like that), and Charlie Watts really really isn't into talking about it. Keith Richards is cool with talking about whatever, but he didn't have any incredible insight, nor did former members Mick Taylor and Bill Wyman, although it was cool to see and hear them in the doc. My favorite parts were the interview segments with Bobby Keys, who played sax on the album (and still plays on their records and tours today). But I enjoyed the doc.

What I loved about the DVD though, was a bonus feature with extended interviews with "Exile fans": Jack White, Sheryl Crow, Liz Phair, will.i.am and Caleb Followill from Kings Of Leon, as well as Martin Scorsese and Don Was.   I used to do interviews with rock stars, and I often was more interested in talking about things other than themselves - especially music that really, really meant a lot to them. Whoever did these interviews, I was definitely envious of, because these were the types of conversations I loved, back in the day. It was fascinating to see what Exile meant to these folks: to Jack White, it was an album that could confound rock critics, they could no longer box the Stones in. To Sheryl Crow, it was how they looked at the place where she was from, the south. will.i.am is one of the most proudly modern and commercial artists - but he likes the fact that it is an entire body of work, and part of a greater continuum of work, and one that isn't reliant on having hit singles.  It's the "cool" album to like, because it isn't as well known. Followill, the son of a preacher man, thought it sounded like the devil's music, and loved it. Don Was, an artist and producer (who has produced The Stones' records of the past 15 years) can't figure out what is on the essence of the album (which I'm sure some critics will have field day with).  And Liz Phair, as her fans know, has a pretty complex relationship with this particular record. Maybe the doc will get some Stones fans to pick up her debut, the classic Exile In Guyville. I know Mick, Keith and Charlie exec-produced the doc, but I would think that they might be weirded out by all of the things that everybody said about the album - not just Liz (but especially Liz!).

A cynic could say that they selected the artists they interviewed for marketing purposes, but I take a different point of view.  Through these interviews, you really see why the album, and the band is so relevant today. I give the main doc a B but this feature an A.

TOMORROW ON OUTQ: ROCK AND ROLL! (THE STONES, BLACK KEYS, HOLE)

For those of you who are new to No Expiration, every Wednesday morning at 9 am ET I go on the SIRIUS XM channel OutQ. I am a weekly contributor to The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick. Tomorrow I will earn my title (given by Larry) of "rock reporter."

First, I'll be talking about The Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street reissue, which I love. The Stones have never really been too interested in adding bonus tracks to their catalog releases, but I'm glad they did for this one. Actually some of the songs are kind of like collaborations between the Stones of the late '60s/early '70s and today, as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and even Mick Taylor have added some new parts to some of the bonus tracks (which were unfinished and sitting in the vaults for decades). Of course, even without any extra stuff, Exile is a classic album and perfect for the summer.

I recently wrote about how much I like The Black Keys' Brothers. I'm excited to play them for people who aren't familiar with them.

Likewise, I'm excited to play The Len Price 3 for people. They are an awesome garage rock band who I doubt I would be familiar with, were it not for Little Steven's Underground Garage. They remind me of The Who or The Kinks from the early '60s.

Finally, the new Hole album, Nobody's Daughter. I think it is weird that Courtney Love is using the Hole name, since none of the other members used to be in the band. But I guess Hole has always been about her. I don't know if I love the album, but "Skinny Little Bitch" is pretty classic.

Hey, if you're around a computer or radio at 9 am ET, tune in and let me know what you think!

GET THE "NEW" ROLLING STONES SONG ON iTUNES

The first of the "unearthed" songs from The Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street resissue, "Plundered My Soul," is now out on iTunes. Of course I'm going to buy the deluxe reissue, but I couldn't wait to hear this.

"Follow The River" is another "unearthed" track.  It's known that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards added bits of guitar and vocals to the track. It's also known that Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman didn't add anything to the original track. But what's interesting is the other rumor: that Mick Taylor also added some guitar parts. A while ago, England's Daily Mail reported that Taylor was living in a small apartment and was going to sue The Stones for not paying him for his term in the band (which many would consider their greatest era, as it included Exile and also Sticky Fingers). His manager called the NME to say that that was just not true at all. Now, maybe that was because Taylor was actually speaking with the Stones, and was hoping to either get paid or to actually rejoin and he didn't want to screw things up.  Or maybe he was 100% telling the truth.

But another rumor is that the Stones are getting tired of Ron Wood's antics. If they got rid of him, even though he is the "new guy" in the band (having only been a member for three decades or so) it would make the band look less legit. But if they replaced him with the guy he replaced, Mick Taylor, then it seems a bit more OK. Since Taylor played on Exile, it would make even more sense if they did a tour where they focused on that album.  Another cool option is having Mick rejoin and have him and Ron switch off at guitar and bass (they both play bass as well).

At any rate, it's great to hear a "new" Stones song - they have never been the best at putting out interesting reissues - and here's hoping it isn't the last we hear from them.

THE ROLLING STONES EXILE REISSUE. CAN. NOT. WAIT.

I love The Rolling Stones, but they never do their catalog justice.  They've reissued thier albums twice, and never include anything extra (other than the recent Get Your Ya-Ya's Out box set). So, I'm really excited to hear ten unreleased songs on the upcoming deluxe version of Exile On Main Street, which is coming out May 18 according to their website. Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone that some of the songs weren't complete, and he added some vocals to some, and wrote and sang new lyrics to "Follow The River." Keith Richards added a bit of guitar stuff, but mostly they left the original recordings alone. Now that they are in Stones mode, I wonder if the guys will do any new music.  If the rumors of them working with Jack White are true... well, that would be awesome.

JOHNNY DEPP TO DIRECT KEITH RICHARDS DOC

I'm surprised that hasn't happened already!  I read in The Playlist, a blog about the crossection of music and film, that Johnny Depp will be directing a doc on Keith Richards. I'm just surprised he hasn't directed a Keith doc already.  I wonder if he'll get Mick Jagger to participate. Or Ron Wood - especially if The Rolling Stones fire him, as has been rumored.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GET KEITH RICHARDS TO STOP DRINKING?

According to British tabloid The Sun, Ronnie Wood. Keith Richards has been drinking forever, but after seeing how Ron has gone off the rails (and there are rumors that Mick Jagger is going to fire him from The Rolling Stones), he has decided to lay off the sauce. I don't even know what to say about that! Here's hoping that both Keith and Ronnie do what they need to, to stay healthy.

LITTLE STEVEN'S END-OF-DECADE CHARTS

Little Steven has just posted his top albums and songs of the decade on his website. Some really great stuff there: I immeadiately made a rockin' ipod mix based on his songs list. Well, a slightly altered version, but "best of" lists are subjective, right?  And, sorry, Kelly Osbourne didn't have one of the best garage rock songs of the decade. Aerosmith may have: but it wasn't "Girls Of Summer."

The coolest song of the decade?  Joey Ramone's "Maria Bartiromo." Good pick. Rounding out the top ten: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's "My Lucky Day" (great underappreciated song from Working On A Dream), Oasis' "Lyla" (really underrated, I'd only heard it on Underground Garage) and at number 4, Mick Jagger's "Too Many Cooks (Spoil The Soup)," produced by John Lennon. I would call foul on that one, as it was obviously not recorded this decade, but in the '70s.  But it was only released on the 2007 The Very Best Of Mick Jagger collection, so OK. At #5, one of my personal favorites, Foxboro Hot Tubs with "Stop, Drop and Roll." At #6 is Locksley, one of those bands I would never ever ever have heard of if it wasn't for Little Steven.  Cool band: the song he choose was "There's A Love." At #7 is another personal favorite of mine, The Cocktail Slippers with "Don't Ever Leave Me" from my second favorite album of 2009, Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. And that's another band that I would never have heard if not for Steven. Thank you Little Steven! The top ten was rounded out by Cheap Trick's "If It Takes A Lifetime," Primal Scream's "Dolls" and Tinted Windows' "Nothing To Me" (Bun E. Carlos makes the top 10 twice!). I don't know if I would have choose that Cheap Trick song, or even Tinted Windows, but that's what I'm talking about!

Other entries included legends: Aerosmith, Iggy Pop (a collaboration with Sum 41!), The Pretty Things, Steve Earle, Ray Davies, Neil Young, one-time Underground Garage DJ Joan Jett, Les Paul with Jeff Beck and Sam Cooke, John Fogerty, The New York Dolls, Pearl Jam, The Go-Go's, The Dictators (featuring Underground Garage DJ Handsome Dick Manitoba), The Buzzcocks, U2 and The Rolling Stones.  But there's also younger acts too: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Tegan & Sara, Noisettes, The Breakers, The Grip Weeds, The Red Button, The Catholic Girls, The Urges, The Forty-Fives, The Hives, The Len Price 3 and The White Stripes.

The albums chart was a bit rigged. Well, not rigged, but The Beatles In Mono box set was the #1 "album." Not fair. Then at #2 was the Nuggets II box set.  Come on, that's tough to compete with! So the best album that actually contained music that was new during the past decade was Bruce Springsteen's Magic. which is one of my favorite albums of the decade as well. Some people may complain about Bruce placing so high in both charts when Little Steven is a member of the band, but hey, in the Underground Garage, Steven is the boss! #4: The Chesterfield Kings with Psychadelic Sunrise #5: Primal Scream's Riot City Blues #6: Tinted Windows #7: Foxboro Hot Tubs' Stop Drop and Roll!!! #8: The Cocktail Slippers' Saint Valentine's Day Massacre #9:  Iggy Pop's Skull Ring and at #10: Ray Davies' Other People's Lives. Most of the same bands on the singles chart were on the albums chart, which also featured the One Kiss Can Lead To Another box set, of classic girl groups music.

I always check out the year and decade end charts in all the magazines, but I like Steven's the best, even when I disagree with them. (Where was King Khan & The Shrines???)

RON DON'T GO: HAVE THE ROLLING STONES FIRED RON WOOD?

As you know, I don't write about rock star gossip, and it's been hard to avoid it in Ronnie Wood's case. The short version is he was in rehab (again), bailed, went to a bar, hooked up with a very young waitress, left his wife for her, and has seemingly been on a bender since then.

Without getting too into the details, England's Daily Mail is reporting that Mick Jagger may have had enough of Ronnie's nonsense and may fire him from The Rolling Stones. I think the Mail is a gossip publication, but they are reporting that Ronnie's wife Jo has always been like his caretaker, and without her he's out of control, and Mick doesn't want to deal with it (which is understandable). Realistically speaking, the Stones can't have many tours left in them, and probably just one. And I don't think Mick wants to stress through the tour wondering what is up with Ron. While I would never go and see the Stones if, say, Charlie Watts quit (as he was rumored to have done earlier this year), I could accept the Stones without Ronnie, although it would be a shame.

I wonder if this is why Rod Stewart has avoided reuniting with The Faces: at this point in his career, he probably doesn't want to deal with someone who doesn't work for him, especially if that person  is out of control.

I should stress, again, that The Daily Mail is (I believe) a very gossipy publication, but its no secret that Ron has been erratic lately, and if Mick wants to do a Stones tour in 2010, it's not hard to imagine that he'd be willing to cut Ronnie if he can't get his shit together. Ronnie missed out on some of the sessions for the last Stones album, A Bigger Bang, because of an earlier stint in rehab.

EXILE ON MAIN STREET: WHAT WILL BE ON THE REISSUE?

I've written about The Rolling Stones' upcoming Exile On Main Street reissue, and I know that lots of people are interested in it. We know it is going to be an "expanded" reissue (unlike the rest of the reissues in the post-'60s catalog, which didn't really feature any "extras"). What I want to know is, what else will it include other than the entire (double) album?

The Rolling Stones official website is rarely active when the band is about to release an album or on tour, and hasn't really mentioned the Exile On Main Street reissue since announcing the re-release of the post '60s catalog in April. It's Only Rock and Roll is a fan site that has been around forever, and that's the one I check in with more often to find out about Stones news.

Keith Richards wasn't specific in a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine, but did say that he and Mick Jagger have been going through tapes from the era. I find it hard to believe -- Mick has never shown much interest in that kind of thing, and often acts bored with the band's catalog (although he certainly monetizes it quite well!). I cannot find any other info on the reissue anywhere online, it's kind of annoying! Of course, for now you can dig into the Stones' other expanded reissue, the Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out box set that just came out.

Some stuff that I have heard rumored, though - and this is just rumors - is that other than outakes, the Exile On Main Street reissue will have a full live concert recorded during the era. I just feel like, if they were interested in putting out that kind of archival stuff, they would have done it by now. Mick pretty much doesn't work on projects like this unless (a) he thinks there is a good amount of money in it (in his case, the money he would make from an archival live set probably doesn't register much on his bank account) (b) he has to (as with his solo best of, which I think he owed to his label, he went and found some cool unreleased and rare solo stuff to fill out the set) or (c) he finds it artistically satisfying. The other thing could be that, Universal offered a lot of money for the right to distribute the Stones' catalog, so an expanded Exile On Main Street was included in the deal. Also, Mick may think that, due to the fact that it is the favorite album of many a Stones fan (Mick himself has always expressed disinterest with the album), it may make a good centerpiece to a new Stones tour - which would let him off the hook from having to record an entire album. (Or maybe allow the band to just record a few tracks with Jack White). Whatever the case may be, it looks like 2010 will be a good year for Stones fans - now there's rumors that they will be headlining Glastonbury.

THE ROLLING STONES NEW REISSUE: WORTH YOUR YA-YA'S

The Rolling Stones are one of my favorite bands of all time. Unlike other bands like The Who, they don't seem very interested in doing cool things with their catalog. Most of the compilation albums (other than 40 Licks) seem thrown-together, their reissues are not exciting (the first wave of reissues with remastered sound was definitely necessary, but they never include bonus tracks or liner notes or anything). I think that's because Mick Jagger tends to run this stuff, and he never seems interested in exploring the band's archives, wheras Pete Townshend can get himself lost for years doing that with The Who's archives. That's what makes the Get Your Ya-Ya's Out expanded edition so cool.

So, what's the deal with this reissue? It is a expanded version of the band's live album that was recorded at Madison Square Garden in 1969, when they were in full swagger (this was during the era that Mick Taylor was in the band). The box set contains five tracks that weren't on the original album, as well as the full sets by opening acts Ike & Tina Turner and B.B. King. And a DVD of performances and backstage footage. There's a "super-deluxe" version that also includes all the music on vinyl as well.

Who is it for? Obviously Rolling Stones freaks will want this: so will B.B. and Tina's fans. But I don't think it would be alienating for new fans. The band played lots of hits, like "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Sympathy For The Devil" and "Street Fighting Man," and the bonus tracks include "Under My Thumb" and "Satisfaction." The album also features the definitive version of "Minight Rambler." There are also very cool lesser-known songs like "Live With Me," "I'm Free" and a slowed down version of "Stray Cat Blues." It also spotlights some of the band's influences: B.B. King and Ike & Tina, as well as some of the artists who they covered: Chuck Berry's "Carol" and Robert Johnson's "Love In Vain."

One of the reasons that this box came out the way it did is because it is from their ABKCO catalog, which they don't control. But next year, they are supposedly releasing an expanded version of their 1972 classic double album, Exile On Main Street. I found that surprising, as that album is on Rolling Stones Records, the part of the catalog that the band does control. Long a critical favorite, Jagger has expressed surprise in interviews that people make such a big deal over the album, as it didn't yield many radio hits. I imagine that when the Stones took their catalog from Virgin to Universal, one of Universal's demands was an expanded Exile. And next year, I'm sure we'll all be grateful for that. I wonder if it will be the centerpiece of their rumored tour: with so many other "heritage" artists doing full-album performances, and the fact that the Stones have toured so much in the past two decades, and the fact the Mick stays on top of every trend that could possibly affect his bottom line, it wouldn't surprise me. It would probably be easier to just skip making an album (although if they entered the studio with Jack White, as has been rumored, just for a few songs, that would be awesome).

9/11 MUSIC PART 2: THE CONCERT FOR NEW YORK CITY

On October 20, 2001 - just over a month after 9/11 - VH1 organized The Concert For New York City. I had just started working at VH1, and I gotta say, I was really proud to work there at that moment. I wasn't involved in the concert, but I knew people who did: I watched from home with my girlfriend (now my wife). 

There were a lot of really good sets: David Bowie opened with a really interesting version of Simon & Garfunkel's "America" and then did his own classic"Heroes"; Eric Clapton played with Buddy Guy; Billy Joel played with his band, Elton John played solo and they did a duo thing also; Mick Jagger and Keith Richards performed together, John Mellencamp played and was joined by Kid Rock; James Taylor played, and Paul McCartney headlined. 

But everyone knows what the highlights of the show were: Adam Sandler's set as "Operaman," and, of course, The Who's performance. I listened to both today, actually. Sandler's set shows the healing power of laughter. It must be one of the greatest comedy performances of all time. And The Who. Wow. Since they started reuniting in 1989, they've been approximating their old greatness, and sometimes hitting it. It's not really realistic for anyone to think that they can exceed the heights they achieved when Keith Moon was alive. And yet, on this night, they did. I've seen it rated as one of their best performances ever, and was the only post-Moon performance to be included on that list. 

I remember an exec at VH1 saying that they should have had more "modern" bands, although The Goo Goo Dolls, The Backstreet Boys, Destiny's Child, Five For Fighting and Jay-Z were on the bill (Jay-Z in particular was so lame I was embarrassed for him).  This guy has great instincts and has become even more successful since then. But how wrong he was: adding Sugar Ray and matchbox twenty wouldn't have really worked. The crowd needed larger than life artists and larger than life songs to lift them up and help them mourn. They needed music by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who, not Smash Mouth. 

NOT INTIMIDATED BY BUDDY GUY: MICK JAGGER

Most rock stars have a sense of reverence about legendary blues artists. These are the people who laid the foundation of the music that changed the world. You could be more crass about it and say that the early blues guys got exploited and later waves of rock stars got rich by commercializing what had come before them. 

But whatever, Mick Jagger doesn't play the reverence game. In the new issue of Rolling Stone, Mick is on the cover with Keith Richards and Jack White. (interestingly, Keith and Jack are interviewed together, Mick alone). 

The interviewer asked him if he was intimidated by playing on stage with Buddy Guy in the Shine A LIght flick, and Mick said, "I'm not intimidated. I might have been when I was twenty." But then added, "Well, not even then." The followup question was if he would be intimidated by anyone onstage? "No (laughs)." 

On one hand, I find it annoying that this guy - even though he is the singer from The Rolling Stones - doesn't bow to Buddy Guy (and Keith Richards would probably agree with me on that one). On the other, here's a guy who isn't what you would call a great singer in the technical sense, who is a good but not great musician (Keith would be much harsher than that in assessing his chops) and yet he is intimidated by exactly no one.  You've got to admire that kind of confidence, that kind of swagger. I wonder how many rock stars there will ever be with that kind of confidence (who aren't totally full of shit). 

GREAT SONGS FROM 2007 - part 1

So, I've already written about my favorite albums of 2007, but there are a lot of songs that I love that were one-offs, or just come from albums that didn't make my list (I don't get albums for free as much as I used to, and I can't buy everything!).

Kanye West, Nas, KRS-One and Rakim: "Classic (Better Than I've Ever Been)" This song was actually comissioned by Nike to celebrate their anniversary. But to me, it's about how age ain't nothin' but a number. I don't know what new MCs are considered hot, but I doubt many of them would hold a candle to KRS or Rakim. The original version of this song, by the way, was produced by Rick Rubin, and didn't feature Rakim. But the version I like is the remix, done by the legendary DJ Premier. I love Rick, but Premier killed it. Premier is one of the great producers ever, and hip-hop heads know it, but since he doesn't throw his name into every song he works on, and he doesn't show up in videos, he doesn't really get his due. But he was a member of Gang Starr, and also produced Rakim, KRS-One, Nas and lots of other great hip-hop artists. He expanded into pop recently by working on Christina Aguilera's album, cooking up some really cool tracks for that one.

Mick Jagger: "Too Many Cooks (Spoil The Soup)" I wrote about this one last year: it's a lost track from the '70s, was produced by John Lennon, and features Jack Bruce of Cream on bass. Kind of unfair to even rate anything from 2007 against a Jagger/Lennon collab. It's a great, funky song.

Rilo Kiley: "Silver Lining" I wrote a bit about this one also: great song. I've read some writers compare them to Fleetwood Mac, due to the fact that the singer has had a relationship with someone in the band? That doesn't sound as tangled as the Mac, it's more like No Doubt. Whatever, I really like this song, and I'm also digging the rest of the album, Under The Blacklight.

Prince - "F.U.N.K." This was a one-off single he released on iTunes. One of his funkiest, most rocking jams in years. I think it was a dis to his fansites. Prince also released a pretty good album, Planet Earth, which had at least two cool songs: "Guitar" and "Chelsea Rogers." Prince also gets points for his cover of "A Case Of You" from a Joni Mitchell tribute that came out in '07.

Patti Scialfa - "Town Called Heartbreak" From her latest, Play It As It Lays, her best yet. This song is so good, Bruce Springsteen added it to his sets on this tour (which he hadn't done with any of the songs on her previous two albums).

I've got more songs to write about - from Green Day, Rush, The Dropkick Murphys, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Wyclef Jean, Social Distortion, Ray Davies, The Hives, The Arctic Monkeys and more.

THE VERY BEST OF MICK JAGGER (seriously...)

Here's a few things that should never go on an album with the words "very best of" in the title:

1. If a song features Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend and Bono, and it's still awful, it doesn't belong on a "best of." Sorry, "Joy" should never have made the cut.

2. Some unreleased songs should stay unreleased. Others fit on rarities collections. The remix of the previously unreleased "Charmed Life" certainly falls into one of those two categories.

3. Mick Jagger's "Let's Work" does not belong on any "best of" collection. I've been trying to forget about that one ever since I heard it. It's been nearly two decades, it still makes me wince.

OK, I'm being a bit too snarky. Someone told me that I gotta do it on occasion, or I lose my blog union card.

But really, a few clunkers aside, The Very Best Of Mick Jagger has some incredble moments. There's a few tracks from his 1993 Rick Rubin-produced album, Wandering Spirit , an album that I love (and the only solo Mick album I would really recommend owning). Mick's duet with the late, great Peter Tosh on "(You Got To Walk And) Don't Look Back" (a Tempations cover) is worth the price of admission. Ditto for 1970's "Memo From Turner," which he actually co-wrote with Keith Richards: the song was from the film Performance, which Mick starred in. A collaboration with L.A. blues band The Red Devils from the Wandering Spirit sessions, a cover of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Checkin' Up On My Baby" makes a great argument for releasing all of the Jagger/Red Devils sessions. The real gem, of course, is 1973's "Too Many Cooks (Spoil The Soup)," was produced by John Lennon and featured ex-Cream guy Jack Bruce on bass.

Like Paul McCartney, Mick ends up looking like the second coolest guy in his band, partially he actually has decent business sense (often seen as "uncool" in rock and roll), and partially because of his naff solo albums (which is his own fault). With a few really bad missteps, this compilation makes a great case that Mick can create cool music without the Stones.

And like Sir Paul, I doubt that Mick loses much sleep over this anyway. But if you're reading this, Mick, sorry to be snarky at your expense. But I don't want to lose my licence to blog. And don't worry, I'm working on a post about the new Rolling Stones DVD box set. Which will be totally positive.