The Rolling Stones - Jump Back (The Best Of The Rolling Stones 1971-1993) [Remastered] (CD 1993)

Although they made a mediocre album or two in this period 1971 - 1993, it's probably my favourite era in their career. I mean, who can dispute that Start Me Up was one of the best classic rock songs of the 80s? This hits collection is not arranged chronologically but it contains the raucous and controversial Brown Sugar and the bluesy Wild Horses from 1971, the Las Vegas-inpired Tumbling Dice of the next year, the aching ballad Angie from 1973 and the anti-journalistic dig It's Only Rock 'n Roll, recorded in 1974 after they got some bad press. Later the band moved to a more groovy sound with Hot Stuff, ladled out emotion on Fool To Cry and made a nod in the direction of disco with the entrancing Miss You. What I miss here, is the weird country song Far Away Eyes from the same album. There's also Emotional Rescue, sung in Jagger's famous falsetto. Everybody knows the gripping ballads Waiting On A Friend from 1971 and Undercover Of The Night from '83. Another sad omission, this time from the Steel Wheels album is the wonderful Blinded By Love, although Rock And A Hard Place was also a good choice. In the 60s they reinterpreted the blues and created incredible psychedelic rock. The above period saw them taking different directions again, everyone a winner. Jump Back is a brilliant showcase of the greatest band in the world's fertile middle period.