I think most collectors would agree that the Stones Decca catalogue is in desparate need of some TLC. When I first saw this (expensive) box set I thought someone had finally put some thought into doing just that. Unfortunately, not so. I purchased the original L.P. size set with large 72 page booklet and sat down to some serious listening. Surprisingly, the first disc containing the groups earliest recordings has the best sound quality, clear and clean with great presence. From then on things disintergrate and by the time I reached that last disc I realised I had pretty well wasted my money. Later tracks have ill defined stereo and tape hiss and sound nowhere near as good as the Mobile Fidelity remastering on "Hot Rocks". Surely there are stereo mixes of tracks from 1965 onwards, especially those recorded in America, which could have been used. I know this is the "singles" set but surely the way to go is to remaster the entire DECCA catalogue and reissue it as a 5 CD set. Hopefully rare tracks like "fortune teller" and the long take of "everybody needs somebody to love" (which I have on a single in stereo) could be included. This material needs to be given to Bill Inglot from Rhino who I am sure could work his usual magic and give us the stones in pristine sound. My advice to anyone contemplating buying this set is to wait and hopefully a DECENT DECCA ANTHOLOGY will be not too long in coming

This is a nice introductory set to the Stones despite the missing pieces mentioned by others (such as Gimme Shelter, Let It Bleed, Midnight Rambler). It contains a number of more recognisable songs that help you get acquainted to the music of the Stones such as GET NO SATISFACTION, PAINT IT BLACK (One of my all time favourite songs), JUMPIN JACK FLASH and WILD HORSES. But what is really good about this collection are the lesser songs not often mentioned when talking about the Stones. Such as the rolling Stones version of NOT FADE AWAY, a lively upbeat copy to the original but it's still great to hear Jagger get his mouth around such a classic. As a general overview:

DISC 1 : Great collection of the early work, which those who had not listened to the Stones would have great diffuclty recognising tracks from but still contains fantastic songs you should get to know such as PLAY WITH FIRE, RED ROOSTER, TIME IS ON MY SIDE (classic! as sung numerous times by Azazel in Fallen), GET OFF MY CLOUD. These songs are mainly pop numbers but still hold a lot of charm.

DISC 2 : Probably my favourite of the discs as it contains the maginificent PAINT IT BLACK, HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR MOTHER, LETS SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER (amazingly emotional despite being a quick paced one) amongst it's numbers. The start isn't fantastic until you get to about PAINT IT BLACK when it carries on astoundingly strong through to the end with a large of love songs of different approaches; SHES A RAINBOW (upbeat adoration), DANDELION (gentle musings), LETS SPEND A NIGHT TOGETHER (pacy declaration).

DISC 3 : Only just falls short of being the better disc due to it's smaller content and brief low points, but still holds strong. Opens with the fantastically brooding STREET FIGHTING MAN and closes just as well with the happy-go-lucky tale of the devil in SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL. Other exceptional entries: HONKY TONK WOMAN, YOU CANT ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT, BROWN SUGAR, the fantastic comeback tune WILD HORSES and the amazingly haunting cover I DONT KNOW WHY I LOVE YOU.

A fantastic hybrid of the pop/rock/jive/dance/soul/emotional/love songs of the Rolling Stones which is often bliss to listen to.

This is the best collection of early Stones songs available -- and the best bang for the buck. There are a couple of omissions -- namely "Under My Thumb" and "Gimme Shelter" -- but that is because those songs weren't released as singles. Also, the version of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" included in this collection is the original 7" version that was released several months before the "Let It Bleed" version that featured a chior singing the intro and outro. The mastering of these three discs is also superior than any of the groups other Abkco releases, including both "Hot Rocks" collections. Mick and Keith unfortunately signed away control of their pre-1970 catalog and one result has been that consumers are stuck with poor quality CD's (at very high prices) of their early songs. In contrast, the mastering of the Stones' CD's from 1971 on (starting with "Sticky Fingers") is much better. Some reviewers seem to prefer "Hot Rocks"/"More Hot Rocks" over this but "The Singles Collection" includes songs like "Stoned", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Little Red Rooster", and "The Spider and the Fly" that are not found on either "Hot Rocks" set. Since Disc 3 contains fewer songs than Discs 1 and 2, I would have liked to see some extra material included, such as the British "5x5" EP from 1964, but this is a minor inconvenience.

This Box Set is the best collection available today in the market of early stones. Other collection like Hot Rocks I & II fall short as they leave many key tracks out. What you get the complete (or almost complete) singles A and B sides with a booklet that contains lyrics for each song. The set is not very fancy as the CD and book do not contain any additional information beside the track listing and the lyrics. Nevertheless, this does not alter the fact that this is probably one of the most important songs catalog in rock & roll history. Also, the set provides a perspective on how the Stones sound evolved from a Chuck Berry influenced band to a more sophisticated one that continued to evolve during the following years.

And this is just a slice of the band's earliest stuff, singles and B-sides from 1963 to 1971. Makes it seem like the poor lads have spent half their lives in recording studios. At any rate, this early "Singles" collection is not without its lame songs, but taken as a whole, you can't help but enjoy it. The first disc is loaded with more lightweight pop jingles, spirited tunes like "Come On," "I Want to be Loved" and "Not Fade Away." Of particular note in the first 10 minutes is the Lennon-/McCartney-penned tune, "I Wanna Be Your Man." Tellingly, even the B-sides of these early Stones singles are enjoyable. From 1963-64, there's a lot of tapped youthful energy, hot guitar licks, buzzing harmonica, timely drums and vague lyrics concerning Mick's lust. All in all, it's a good time from the Rolling Stones, nonchalant and innocent stuff that is less known than the hit monsters they released later on. Several collaborations and cover songs take up about a third of disc one, very blues-influenced music that's down to earth and meaty. As time progressed, these guys got better and better. Early Stones music just has more of a muffled, unspectacular sound that doesn't match up to later albums. The band's songwriting talent starts to peak on the single "Heart of Stone," and continues through the rest of disc one. Some of the best songs come toward the end: the bluesy "What a Shame;" the poppy guitar lick of "The Last Time;" the somber "Play With Fire;" the well-known "Satisfaction." The cream of the crop from disc one, in my opinion, are the songs "Get Off of My Cloud" and the strikingly solemn "As Tears Go By."

By discs two and three, the hits roll out in waves: "19th Nervous Breakdown," "Paint it Black," "Mother's Little Helper," "Let's Spend the Night Together," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Street Fighting Man," "Honkey Tonk Women," "Brown Sugar"...the list goes on and on with these guys. Many songs are lively and focused on guitar hooks and bad-boy lyrics. Keith Richards' ability to pepper songs with his wiley guitar licks is unrivaled, while Jagger sings commanding, often astute lyrics with an observational and jaded eye. Meanwhile, Charlie Watts plays perfect and unobtrusive drums in the background. Don't miss McCartney and Lennon doing backing vocals for "We Love You," an unfriendly nod to the British legal system from Mick, Keith and Brian Jones. Another interesting aspect to disc two is the '60s psychadelic experiment from the Stones a la the Beatles and Pink Floyd. Jagger sounds downright kingly on the uncharacteristically tight tune "Lady Jane," a song given an otherworldly effect thanks to Jones' dulcimer work. Other psychadelic tunes include "Dandelion," "2000 Light Years From Home" and especially the Syd-Barrett influenced "In Another Land," sung with reverb effects by Bill Wyman. The band even veers off into a childlike aura on "She's a Rainbow." It's hard to say if this psychadelic experiment suited these rough-and-tumble rockers, but you've got to give them credit for trying new music, even if it did lag behind the band's usual stellar output. "Child of the Moon" is a great song to close out disc two.

Disc three may represent the best of the Stones stuff. The guys had really hit their stride in these years. Disc three is a bit shorter, so comes off as a tad more succinct, with less weak spots. Every song on disc three -- hit or not -- is a Stones classic. Standouts include one of the band's first country-type songs in "No Expectations." And from the classic movie GoodFellas, check out Ry Cooder's snakey slide guitar work on the groovin' "Memo from Turner." Another excellent experiment came via the song "Don't Know Why I Love You," co-penned with Stevie Wonder. Also noteworthy is the the amazingly groovin' tune -- perhaps one you've never heard -- "Jiving Sister Fanny."

The Rolling Stones have always been about loose collaboration and sharing their music. For all the covers the band did in its early years, the guys' influences, popularity and legend has made them one of a kind. For all their influence, though, the Stones have always been unafraid of hiring top-notch musicians to do piano or saxaphone parts within songs, realizing the value of beefing up guitar-, bass- and drum-based tunes with other instrumentation. They've demonstrated that sense of musical community and committment all throughout their illustrious careers, never holding back. These three discs are a huge and growing part of essential Rolling Stones history, occasional wart and all.