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Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


If you ever wondered what was next for the Rolling Stones, here's your answer. Hackney Diamonds is their forthcoming 26th studio album; the first studio album of original material by the band in 18 years and the final album to feature the drumming of rhythmic fixture Charlie Watts. Kicking off with its first promotional single 'Angry' - a song on which Jagger and Richards implore us not to get angry with them, perhaps owing to the frosty reception the Stones have sometimes received from squarer audiences over the years - the song sets the tone for what is sure to be a Stones completist's favourite and a welcome, high-energy return to blistering blues-rock form.

Review: The Rolling Stones are arguably one not only the most iconic rock bands of all time but also considered legendary performers as well. One of their most well-recorded performances (as noted by fans often) is their 2002 performance at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, with a track listing full of 70s classics and spread over three albums to get the best possible fidelity from the medium.

Review: Punctuation aside, The Rolling Stones set a precedent with Get Yer Ya Ya's Out. At the time, concert albums were still something of a novel ideal, but when the iconic British rock 'n' rollers unleashed this it proved to the industry just how much people wanted on-stage magic captured for posterity. The first live record to hit number one in the UK charts, it was recorded at shows in New York City and Baltimore in 1969, just ahead of the landmark Let It Bleed LP arriving. It also proves the power of a bootleg, with an unofficial record, Live'r Then You'll Ever Be, reportedly persuading the band's then-label, Decca, to cash in on the clear demand for the group's exceptional live show, on vinyl. Captured on their first tour with Mick Taylor, Brian Jones having left, it presents the outfit as they sounded at the very top of their game - energetic, rule breaking, and packed with the soul of blues six stringers.

Review: If any other band decided to open what's essentially Greatest Hits Vol.2 with a track like 'Paint It Black' you'd probably worry the album was destined for a sharp decline, and wonder how such a powerhouse piece of music didn't wind up on Greatest Hits Vol I. Not so with The Rolling Stones, a band that had already put out more than enough incredible tunes to fill five volumes by the time this collection came along (1969). Representing the first seven years of the seminal English rock group, after the first juggernaut spirals off into semi-psychedelic mania we're treated to several more reminders of exactly why these guys were so good during their early days. 'Ruby Tuesdays', 'Dandelion' and 'Let's Spend the Night Together' reveal stunning pop sensibilities, while fare such as 'Honkey Tonk Woman', 'Jumpin' Jack Flash', and 'Street Fighting Man' celebrating the predominantly Black-made blues they looked to for so much inspiration.