More Hot Rocks: Big Hits & Fazed Cookies

The Rolling Stones

When you're anthologizing the Rolling Stones, one of the first things you must accept is that you're doomed to failure. No one album can possibly tell the story of the band that's explored so many different musical avenues and recorded so many memorable songs. Still, the double-disc best of HOT ROCKS, and this, its sequel, come perilously close. This set wisely doesn't attempt to be comprehensive. Instead, it just picks out various gems from different points in the band's development.

Their R&B/roots period is well-represented by covers of "It's All Over Now" and "Not Fade Away." "She's A Rainbow" and "2000 Light Years From Home" are monuments to the band's psychedelic phase. "No Expectations" and "Let It Bleed" are bluesy tunes that cut to the quick, emphasizing the Stones' gift for visceral compositions and the sound that defined what was--arguably--their greatest period (the late '60s). Though HOT ROCKS is the place to turn for a comprehensive cross section of the band's biggest and most essential hits, MORE HOT ROCKS is an excellent companion piece, bringing together some of the Stones' lesser known but equally satisfying work.