Why don't The Rolling Stones have a "Past Masters" ?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Classicolin, Apr 21, 2013.

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  1. Classicolin

    Classicolin ‘60s/‘70s Rock Fanatic/Crown Kingdom Guitarist Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ohio
    I have the great 1964-1969 box set and all their albums on both record and SACD. My one complaint with Abcko has been that they haven't canonized the Stones catalog like The Beatles have done. Although I do think that the US albums should remain available, I ultimately feel that the UK Stones albums represent their true 1960s discography and should be the go-to releases. The recent vinyl box set seems to demonstrate this attitude (?).

    Anyway, it greatly bothers me that I paid a lot of money for this vinyl set and had to basically buy two copies of 'Lady Jane", two copies of "You Better Move On". etc, when they could have made it all a lot better by, well, doing what they once did quite well: copying The Beatles.

    I would love a Rolling Stones Past Masters set. With this vinyl box, I didn't get "Child of the Moon", "Surprise Surprise", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Blue Turns to Grey", the mono single versions of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" or "Street Fighting Man" and a multitude of other songs.

    I'm well aware of the London Years CD collection, but, again, that forces the Stones fan to re-buy tons of studio tracks. EMI does not force this upon Beatles fans!!

    I hope I'm not alone, but no one here has mentioned it!!!

    What would you like the tracklisting/title/art to be?
     
  2. hogger129

    hogger129 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Madison, Wisconsin
    I thought they had Hot Rocks, Jump Back and The London Years?
     
  3. Classicolin

    Classicolin ‘60s/‘70s Rock Fanatic/Crown Kingdom Guitarist Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ohio
    Yes, but those are greatest hits/singles collections with a lot of overlap with the albums. The Beatles' Past Masters features what isn't on the albums and what isn't on the albums only and "completes" the Beatles catalog with all of their officially released songs.
     
    primoridal_ooze likes this.
  4. Chuckee

    Chuckee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Upstate, NY, USA
    I remember enjoying More Hot Rocks because it had a lot of songs not easy to get in the USA.
     
  5. andy75

    andy75 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    I've made my own companion to their brittish albums of the 60's. Would love a release like this to be released!
     
  6. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Yeah, that makes sense, and I agree that it'd be nice to have - the tracks are still really scattered, so you are left to buy a lot of product to get everything.

    I suspect they've not creates a "Past Masters" package because they don't think there'll be the demand - the fans who really care will spend the money to get the various different releases so ABKCO makes more money that way.

    A complete "odds and ends" set would be nicer for the 1971-date material, IMO, because that's even MORE scattered!
     
    primoridal_ooze likes this.
  7. Trainspotting

    Trainspotting Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I'm not so sure the British Stones albums are the 'true' versions anyway, it's not like the Stones programmed the sequencing on them or anything. And unlike the Beatles, those songs weren't all recorded in the same studios. The band would travel to America to record in Hollywood or at Chess and those tracks are great. 12x5 was released before Rolling Stones #2, the US Out of Our Heads was out before the UK one, etc. Also, unlike the Beatles, I don't think there's any evidence of any Stone ever mentioning a preference for the UK LPs over their US counterparts. You really do need to have them all (with obvious exceptions-the US Between the Buttons is unnecesary if you've got a compilation with "Ruby Tuesday" and "Let's Spend the Night Together" on it).
     
  8. jdlaw

    jdlaw Forum Resident

    Location:
    Michigan
    I forgot which thread it was, but I remember somebody posted a list of the 20 or so tracks that didn't make their 60's UK albums. Would LOVE to have a 'Past Masters' style LP that featured them to go along with my 1964-1969 vinyl box.
     
  9. Classicolin

    Classicolin ‘60s/‘70s Rock Fanatic/Crown Kingdom Guitarist Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ohio
    Yes you have to buy almost all the UK and US albums just to have all the tracks. I'm concerned for the fan in between being casual and extreme: He or she is not going to buy every US and UK Album and 5 different compilations just to get all of their '60s material, they'll probably just buy all the UK or US albums alone...yet will miss out on so many tracks!!
     
    musicore77 likes this.
  10. drbryant

    drbryant Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    ABKCO has never been known as a consumer friendly enterprise. They did one thing right, though - the 2002 DSD masters of the catalog through 1969 are great.
     
  11. Helmut

    Helmut Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Germany
    Actually there was a vinyl box called "The rest of the best"- The Rolling Stones (Single tracks and Rarities from the Decca Period) - I think that comes pretty close to "Past Masters"
     
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  12. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    The whole 1964-69 catalog is such a missed opportunity.

    Unlike the Beatles, I don't see the Stones' early LP's as 'sacred cows' in regards to tracklisting, as the haphazard nature of them (and inclusion of so many cover versions) weren't done with the kind of attention to detail as early Beatles LP's. So a 'combined' US/UK release of each album + non-LP b-sides kind of makes sense. I don't know if ABKCO is lazy, or just hates making money, but it's frustrating as a stones fan.
     
    Hep Alien and musicore77 like this.
  13. notesfrom

    notesfrom Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC USA
    They should call it 'Past Bastards'...


    [​IMG]
     
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  14. Classicolin

    Classicolin ‘60s/‘70s Rock Fanatic/Crown Kingdom Guitarist Thread Starter

    Location:
    Ohio
    That would be a great title and cover. Genius!!
     
  15. Tomek

    Tomek Senior Member

    Location:
    Krakow, Poland
    Beacuse A. Klein wanted You to pay him more than once for the same stuff on different CDs SACDs!
     
    Larry Geller likes this.
  16. Tomek

    Tomek Senior Member

    Location:
    Krakow, Poland
    THERE is a 4LP box "The Rest of the Best" made in Germany. http://www.musicstack.com/item/3828221

    But one also needs to have a LP titles "Around and Around" http://rateyourmusic.com/release/comp/the_rolling_stones/around_and_around_f1/ to get a complete set , along with UK released albums from the 1960s.

    Full tracklisting http://www.flickr.com/photos/khiltscher/sets/72157625730968916/
     
    Hep Alien likes this.
  17. dlokazip

    dlokazip Forum Transient

    Location:
    Austin, TX, USA
    I think a better question is "Why don't The Beatles have a Singles Collection?".
     
  18. PNeski@aol.com

    [email protected] Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    you said it!!
     
  19. hominy

    hominy Digital Drifter

    Location:
    Seattle-ish
    I agree that the Stones current Decca catalog is a total confusing mess. I've completely reorganized everything on iTunes so it makes some kind of sense.

    And then there's all the unreleased material from that period that we'll probably never see an official release of like the Chess sessions, which were some of their best. And don't even think about deluxe editions of their UK albums.
     
    primoridal_ooze likes this.
  20. Well that's kind of what the Red and Blue albums are although hardly definitive.
     
  21. walrus

    walrus Staring into nothing

    Location:
    Nashville
    They do. It's called Past Masters?
     
  22. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    There was a Japanese double album called A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss which collected all the Decca/London tracks that weren't on the original Japanese LPs. It almost works for Australia except they got December's Children and we didn't

    [​IMG]
     
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  23. Schoolmaster Bones

    Schoolmaster Bones Poe's Lawyer

    Location:
    ‎The Midwest
    This is what I was going to post. I hate Past Masters. It's just an arbitrary collection of tracks with no sense of context. There's no cohesive quality to it. I bought it when it was first released, but never listen to it.

    The Rolling Stones Singles Collection gets it right. It takes care of the stray tracks, but also does the neat trick of entertaining the listener with a comprehensive rundown of the band's singles. It's a great listen.
     
    primoridal_ooze likes this.
  24. reddyempower

    reddyempower Forum Resident

    Location:
    columbus, oh, usa
    Gotta agree here. I made an mp3 disc for the car of the SC for a road trip. It's great the hear the progression of the band as you go from one great song to the next. Even towards the end of the set, when things get a little weird, the flow is there.

    Past Masters, on the other hand, is literally just storage. You have it just to have the songs.
     
  25. Easy-E

    Easy-E Forum Resident

    There was also that Decca compilation Rolled Gold which has a lot of the A sides
     
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