The Rolling Stones
Some Girls: Deluxe Edition
(Universal Republic)

In 1978 as the Sex Pistols battled Saturday Night Fever for music supremacy, the punk and disco music scene had little concern for the Rolling Stones, but the whispers of irrelevancy became just that when the band rose to the occasion with the release of Some Girls.  Now, thirty-three years later, the Stones have reissued the album with an additional bonus disk of 12 unreleased tracks of the 50 or so that were recorded in the sessions.  The reissue also includes a collection of visuals from the controversial and famous album art of the Stones in drag by designer Peter Corriston.

In addition to being the band’s best-selling album, it’s also one of the strongest, musically, with cutting, spirited hits such as “Miss You,” “Shattered,” and “When the Whip Comes Down” as well as the playful narrative “Far Away Eyes” and heartfelt classic “Beast of Burden.”  The newly released tracks are a welcome addition for every Stones fan and while none of the tunes are going to change your life, they are a solid and very eclectic group of songs often inhabiting some country twang.  The bonus tracks include a cover of Hank Williams Sr.’s “You Win Again,” a track featuring CCR’s John Fogerty  called “Tallahassee Lassie”, and Ronnie Wood’s bluesy “When You’re Gone.”  Some of these songs have been out on bootlegs, but they are now complete and reborn. As the days of the Stones are coming to a close, the reissue is an amazing reminder of why they stayed on top for so long.