Rock ‘n’ roll legends the Rolling Stones released its 60th album Tuesday, and it is no let down. The group is celebrating 50 years together, and to commemorate the milestone it released “Grrr!,” a greatest hits album with two newly recorded tracks, “Doom and Gloom” and “One More Shot.”
The new songs are two of the better songs that the group has released in quite some time. “Doom and Gloom” has a classic Rolling Stones feel to it, and Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards sound great on the track, especially for men of their ages, 69 and 68, respectively. “One More Shot” sounds more like many of the band’s hits from the 1980s with more of an upbeat sound.
“Grrr!” is offered in five different versions, some of which include 50 tracks to commemorate 50 years, and a special edition that offers 80 tracks.
All four versions start out with “Come On,” the band’s first hit single from 1963, which was actually a cover of a Chuck Berry song. The 50-track versions of “Grrr!” then move through the band’s career before ending with the two new tracks.
The “Super Deluxe Edition” includes an additional 30 tracks, which features edited and revamped versions of a lot of the classic songs and a recording session of demos from 1963.
“Grrr!” is far from being the first greatest hits album the Rolling Stones have released, but it is still a great listen for any classic rock fan. Just 10 years ago the group released “Forty Licks,” a greatest hits album to mark 40 years together, which featured many of the same tracks as “Grrr!” While all of these songs are still great in their own right, I would have a hard time buying an entire new anthology just to get the two new tracks. For anyone who doesn’t already own a Rolling Stones anthology, this one is just as good as the previous few.
Grade: A
