SACD / DSD

The Rolling Stones – Sympathy For The Devil: Remix (2003)
PS3 Rip | ISO | SACD DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 38:11 minutes | Scans included | 2,54 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | 38:07 mins | Scans included | 828 MB
Features 2.0 Stereo and 5.1 multichannel surround sound

As a means of promoting a DVD reissue of Jean-Luc Godard’s 1970 film Sympathy for the Devil (which depicts the 1968 recording session that produced the Rolling Stones’ song), ABCKO Records has released this seven-track CD single, running over 38 minutes, which contains remixes of “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Neptunes, Fatboy Slim, and Full Phatt (each presented in a “Radio Remix” and a “Full Length Remix”), plus the original Stones track. Since the song has a distinctive percussion part played by Stones drummer Charlie Watts and conga player Rocky Dijon, it’s interesting that all the remixers begin by eliminating that part. But then, that’s in the nature of the “remix” business, which tends to involve newly recorded rhythm tracks. the Neptunes retain Mick Jagger’s vocal and Keith Richards’ guitar solos, their new underlying track at first having an Indian flavor complete with sitar licks. Halfway through, a backing of acoustic guitar and string-like sounds replaces the Indian track. Fatboy Slim likes Nicky Hopkins’ piano part and keeps it along with the vocal, laying in a characteristic stop-and-start electronica percussion part. Full Phatt is also fond of the original piano, and his percussion track has a more bass-heavy feel. Of course, when the original recording comes on at the end, it wipes the floor with the remixers.

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The Rolling Stones – Singles Collection: The London Years (1989) [ABKCO Remaster 2002]
PS3 Rip | ISO | SACD DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 185:18 minutes | Scans included | 7,48 GB
or FLAC 2.0 (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 2,69 GB

The three-disc box set Singles Collection: The London Years contains every single the Rolling Stones released during the ’60s, including both the A- and B-sides. It is the first Stones compilation that tries to be comprehensive and logical — for all their attributes, the two Hot Rocks sets and the two Big Hits collections didn’t present the singles in chronological order. In essence, the previous compilations were excellent samplers, where Singles Collection tells most of the story (certain albums, like Aftermath, Beggars Banquet, and Let It Bleed, fill in the gaps left by the singles). the Rolling Stones made genuine albums — even their early R&B/blues albums were impeccably paced — but their singles had a power all their own, which is quite clearly illustrated by the Singles Collection. By presenting the singles in chronological order, the set takes on a relentless, exhilarating pace with each hit and neglected B-side piling on top of each other, adding a new dimension to the group; it has a power it wouldn’t have had if it tried to sample from the albums. Although it cheats near the end, adding singles from the Metamorphosis outtakes collection and two singles from Sticky Fingers, this captures the essence of the ’60s Stones as well as any compilation could. Casual fans might want to stick with the Hot Rocks sets, since they just have the hits, but for those that want a little bit more, the Singles Collection is absolutely essential.

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The Rolling Stones – Dirty Work (1986) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011 # UIGY-9074]
PS3 Rip | ISO | SACD DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 39:48 minutes | Scans included | 1,61 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 820 MB

Uses the 2011 DSD master based on UK original analog tape. Reissue features the high-fidelity SHM-SACD format (fully compatible with standard SACD player, but it does not play on standard CD players). DSD Transferred by Mick McKenna & Richard Whittaker.

Reuniting after three years and one solo album from Mick Jagger, the Rolling Stones attempted to settle their differences and craft a comeback with Dirty Work, but the tensions remained too great for the group. Designed as a return to their rock & roll roots after several years of vague dance experiments, Dirty Work is hampered by uneven songs and undistinguished performances, as well as a slick, lightly synthesized production that instantly dates the album to the mid-’80s. Jagger often sounds like he’s saving his best work for his solo records, but a handful of songs have a spry, vigorous attack — “One Hit (To the Body)” is a classic, and “Winning Ugly” and “Had It With You” have a similar aggression. Still, most of Dirty Work sounds as forced as the cover of Bob & Earl’s uptown soul obscurity “Harlem Shuffle,” leaving the album as one of the group’s most undistinguished efforts.

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The Rolling Stones – Undercover (1983) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2012 # UIGY-9084]
PS3 Rip | ISO | SACD DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 44:21 minutes | Scans included | 1,79 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 963 MB

Uses the 2011 DSD master based on UK original analog tape. Reissue features the high-fidelity SHM-SACD format (fully compatible with standard SACD player, but it does not play on standard CD players). DSD Transferred by Mick McKenna & Richard Whittaker.

As the Rolling Stones’ most ambitious album since Some Girls, Undercover is a weird, wild mix of hard rock, new wave pop, reggae, dub, and soul. Even with all the careening musical eclecticism, what distinguishes Undercover is its bleak, nihilistic attitude — it’s teeming with sickness, with violence, kinky sex, and loathing dripping from almost every song. “Undercover of the Night” slams with echoing guitars and rubbery basslines, as Jagger gives a feverish litany of sex, corruption, and suicide. It set the tone for the rest of the album, whether it’s the runaway nymphomaniac of “She Was Hot” or the ridiculous slasher imagery of “Too Much Blood.” Only Keith’s “Wanna Hold You” offers a reprieve from the carnage, and its relentless bloodletting makes the album a singularly fascinating listen. For some observers, that mixture was nearly too difficult to stomach, but for others, it’s a fascinating record, particularly since much of its nastiness feels as if the Stones, and Jagger and Richards in particular, are running out of patience with each other.

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