Forty Licks

The Rolling Stones

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Forty Licks Review

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Forty Licks, like Elvis' 30 #1 Hits, is a career-spanning compilation that wouldn't have happened without the unprecedented, blockbuster success of Beatles 1. Where Elvis' set is hurt by the simple fact that there are too many damn Elvis comps on the market, the Rolling Stones benefit greatly from the fact that there has not been any set that chronicles all their recordings from the '60s through the '90s. It also benefits that this is the concept behind the record -- it's meant to be a journey through their biggest songs, not just the number one hits. Of course, the Stones couldn't have had a CD containing just their number ones that spanned one disc, much less two, because they never topped the charts that frequently. This is a liberating thing (compare it to Elvis', which got weighed down with the number ones, resulting in some subpar selections), since it opens the door for almost every Stones song of note to feature on this collection, along with four new songs (not great, but solid songs, all). Sure, there are many great Rolling Stones moments missing, and not just fan favorites Beggars Banquet or Exile on Main St., either -- "Play With Fire," "2000 Light Years From Home," "Tell Me," "Heart of Stone," "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)," "Lady Jane," "Time Is on My Side," "Waiting on a Friend," "I'm Free," and "We Love You" are all missing in action. The thing is, as the disc is playing, you don't miss any of them, and it feels like all the hits are here. At first, the nonchronological order seems to be a mistake, but both discs flow well, especially since they're roughly divided thematically (the first is devoted largely to the '60s, with the rest on the second). Yes, the Stones made great albums that should be in any serious rock collection, but if you just want a summary of their best moments, Forty Licks is it; it does its job as well as Beatles 1 did.

Track Listing - Disc 1

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
1
Street Fighting Man
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:16 SpotifyAmazon
2
Gimme Shelter
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 04:32 SpotifyAmazon
3
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:44 SpotifyAmazon
4
The Last Time
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:42 SpotifyAmazon
5
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:43 SpotifyAmazon
6
You Can't Always Get What You Want
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 07:29 SpotifyAmazon
7
19th Nervous Breakdown
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:57 SpotifyAmazon
8
Under My Thumb
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:42 SpotifyAmazon
9
Not Fade Away
Buddy Holly / Norman Petty
The Rolling Stones 01:49 SpotifyAmazon
10
Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 02:36 SpotifyAmazon
11
Sympathy for the Devil
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 06:18 SpotifyAmazon
12
Mother's Little Helper
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 02:47 SpotifyAmazon
13
She's a Rainbow
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 04:13 SpotifyAmazon
14
Get Off of My Cloud
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 02:56 SpotifyAmazon
15
Wild Horses
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 05:45 SpotifyAmazon
16
Ruby Tuesday
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:15 SpotifyAmazon
17
Paint It Black
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:45 SpotifyAmazon
18
Honky Tonk Women
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:01 SpotifyAmazon
19
It's All Over Now
Bobby Womack / Shirley Jean Womack
The Rolling Stones 03:28 SpotifyAmazon
20
Let's Spend the Night Together
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:25 SpotifyAmazon

Track Listing - Disc 2

Title/Composer Performer Time Stream
1
Start Me Up
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:33 SpotifyAmazon
2
Brown Sugar
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:49 SpotifyAmazon
3
Miss You
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:35 SpotifyAmazon
4
Beast of Burden
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:27 SpotifyAmazon
5
Don't Stop
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:58 SpotifyAmazon
6
Happy
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:05 SpotifyAmazon
7
Angie
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 04:31 SpotifyAmazon
8
You Got Me Rocking
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:33 SpotifyAmazon
9
Shattered
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:46 SpotifyAmazon
10
Fool to Cry
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 04:07 SpotifyAmazon
11
Love Is Strong
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:48 SpotifyAmazon
12
Mixed Emotions
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 04:01 SpotifyAmazon
13
Keys to Your Love
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 04:12 SpotifyAmazon
14
Anybody Seen My Baby?
Mick Jagger / Ben Mink / Keith Richards / k.d. lang
The Rolling Stones 04:07 SpotifyAmazon
15
Stealing My Heart
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:42 SpotifyAmazon
16
Tumbling Dice
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:46 SpotifyAmazon
17
Undercover of the Night
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 04:13 SpotifyAmazon
18
Emotional Rescue
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 03:42 SpotifyAmazon
19
It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It)
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 04:10 SpotifyAmazon
20
Losing My Touch
Mick Jagger / Keith Richards
The Rolling Stones 05:05 SpotifyAmazon
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Forty Licks

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