Grrr! (Greatest Hits 2CD Edition)

I am very impressed with the ease of use and high quality performance of this "Blu-ray Audio" of The Rolling Stones 50 track 50th anniversary 2 track stereo compilation "Grrr!". Over 3 hours of non stop musical history. The single screen menu could not be more simple and easy to navigate. Each track number is listed in a grid which can be navigated using the remote cursor (though it's very hard to see the highlight change from white to pale blue), the current track number is separately clearly displayed, and which of the 3 high definition audio choices is currently in use is highlighted by flashing between white and pale blue. Audio format choices are PCM, DTS HD Master or Dolby True HD - all are in 96kHz 24bit stereo - that is "2.0" (no subwoofer signal). I compared each of the three audio formats and with my Sony amp set to "2 channel" mode (using only the left and right front speakers) and I could not tell them apart - they all sound magnificent. I am using a toslink audio connection to my pre-HDMI amp - and if I put it into "AFD" mode, the Dolby True HD and PCM signals will allow the subwoofer to work as well (which is good because my 6.5inch 2-way Tannoy 605's need a little help on the bottom end), but the DTS signal allows only the left and right speakers. So my first listen to the whole disc today was using the PCM signal with the amp in AFD mode (and benefiting from the subwoofer's added bass). The disc works just as easily in my ASUS laptop's HP Blu-ray/DVD/CD drive - and when using PowerDVD you can see a readout of the amount of data being processed. The PCM track is a constant 4,608kps, the DTS HD Master varying around 3,500kps and the Dolby True HD varying around 3,000 (which is still more than twice the data rate of the CD format). It's a little surprising that there's no information on or in the packaging to explain the benefits of this wonderfully effective new high definition audio format. An online search using keywords "pure audio grrr stevehoffman" will offer you a forum thread in which contributors discuss the source of these particular edits, the reason why it's not on sale in the USA, and the fact that this disc is not the same Blu-ray Audio format developed by "pureaudio-bluray" even though the front packaging includes the words "High Fidelity Blu-ray Disc Pure Audio" and the onscreen menu lists the audio format choices under the heading "Pure Audio". Still, this Blu-ray Audio disc is certainly as easy to use as a CD (easier in fact since it has its own onscreen menu), it sounds vastly superior to CD, and it is playable all around the world and on every Blu-ray player (no upgrades are required). If this happens to be the format which will be the standard for Blu-ray Audio, then the future of high definition audio is looking rosy. I'll still need to keep my Yamaha DVD player which is capable of playing back my 40 or so DVD-Audio and SACD discs. BTW: in regard to musical content on "Grrr!" - I reckon it's well worth the price for even 30 of the tracks (especially their golden era of the late 60's / early 70's).

I'm giving this disc an unreserved 5 stars because it's an exceptional bargain and the audio quality through a blu-ray player (I used PCM audio) is exceptional. Even the early 4 track recordings sound detailed and amazing. I can easily hear instruments and voices that I'd never noticed before in the background and even complex mixes like 'Sympathy' are open and easy to resolve. This truly is how music should be heard and as far away from mp3 as a Starship is from a goose! HOWEVER: the user interface is dire. One page contains all the tracks (numerically) and the audio options. The user can use their cursor keys to navigate the tracks and options but (on my player at least) the flashing icon indicating where you are on the screen is almost identical in colour to the text and literally can't be seen under most circumstances. It really is bad! If the audio wasn't sublime then I'd have knocked a star off for the UI but the audio IS sublime so 5 stars. Oh, and the cover image is, well, unimaginative at best.

A brilliant collection of the Stones throughout the years. If you missed out you may have been too young. Grreat.

50 superb tracks (including 2, very good, brand new ones). What's not to love? Well ... there is one BIG gorilla sized thing - if you are coming to The Stones as a fairly new listener/buyer (otherwise you'd quite possibly already own most of this stuff on their original albums) you'd hope that you'd get some history and backgroud about the songs. Nope! You are left - for example - to assume, but it is never made clear, that the songs are presented in chronological order.The booklet is pointless. It contains no info about the band or the songs (even the publishing dates for the songs show things like 2004 and 2010 which has to be incorrect ... considering the album is tracks dating from 1962!) and no clue as to which albums they were originally on. Great music, lots of it - and all in one place, well 3 discs - but for all the benefit you get from the CD box and booklet you might as well just download all the (amazing) tunes. Do buy, but with caution (perhaps wait until it is available cheap!).

This is an excellent collection and better value than paying £400 pounds for a ticket to go and watch the best rock 'n' roll band in the world. Although I recognise that Mick and Keith need to keep the cash rolling in so they can buy another island or two, I can't help noticing that I already own all of these tracks but one on other albums so, in legalistic terms, I am already licensed to play them. If they were a piece of software, I would expect to buy an upgrade at a cheaper price and since most people listen to music digitally these days - even if they buy the CD - that would be a nice service to offer. I have owned Neil Young's After The Goldrush on vinyl, cassette (a mistake) and on CD twice (a divorce). The second CD has deteriorated into a strange bronze colour after starting off silver so so poor old Neil is probably being oxidised slowly and turned, he would like this, to rust! I will, of course, buy the remastered and lossless additions in due course as part of the Neil Young obituary set unless I die first! Since the music business is going down the pan anyway there might be some clever options in selling people upgrades rather than trying to bounce them grumpily into buying a new product. I'm also looking forward to seeing Neil Young on tour this year - it would be neat if my ticket allowed me to download a concert recording and good for him and Crazy Horse who will be viewed countless times on fuzzy shaky video taken by mobile phones. Anyway, I digress. The Stones CD is very good in a summative way. If I wanted to introduce the band to my grandchildren, I would give them the Shine a Light DVD.

Excellent album brings back memories of the sixtys with early songs nice one

Grrrrreat triple album bursting with all the Stones classics! Love it! Item arrived vacuum packed in original plastic protective cover. Product is pristine and will definitely buy from this seller again.

I've never held with the view that The Stones are the greatest rock and roll band ever. Good for sure but far from being the greatest. Music is entirely subjective and very personal and for me their early work was by far their best. However this album is superb. Covering all areas of their career few could argue against the impact the band have made on British and world music. Of course as with any compilation some particular favourites might be missing but as a general retrospective this hits the mark on all levels. It's super to know that they're still out there entertaining folks and long may that continue. Just for the record (sorry about the pun) yes I have seen them live a couple of times, including once in the smallish Edinburgh Playhouse mid eighties period, and they rocked.

Muy bueno.

I won't go into all the bruhaha about 'another' Greatest Hits compilation. I will only say this, the 3 cd's that make up the non-deluxe version have 50 tracks. All of the material is remastered, some again since maybe the last time you bought a hits set. What IS good about this set, is the quality and the new tracks. The audio is the best yet in my humble opinion. I listened to all 3 discs in my truck today and they sound excellent! Of course if you are a Stones fan, you will recognize this and you will also recognize a few tracks that have not been included on any previous hits compilation. There is a little booklet included which has a few new or different photos that you may or may not have seen previously as well as the usual track listing, nothing much here to justify the booklet. Now for the good part. The really good part! If you have not heard the new material which consists of two songs...Gloom and Doom and One More Shot, then I would say buy this set for those only if no other reason, they are that good! Mick sounds like he is singing back in the 70's, his voice is great! I mean really great. The rest of the boys sound good too. Gloom and Doom is my favorite it is a solid rocker and is a hit, as it would have been back in the day even! I know it sounds crazy to pay 22.95 or so for two songs, but if you like classic rock and still like the music, then it is well worth it. And, you get the bonus of a lot of their best material sounding better than it ever has. Now what is NOT to like about that! I will take what I can get and this is freaking great! I just hope that there were more songs recorded in the session that they did the new material and we will get those at some later date. If they are anywhere near as good as these two then I am smiling!

おなじみの曲が勢ぞろいで 聴いてるだけでテンションが上がります。 she's a rainbow が入ってたらな～ って思っても 減点なし！

I was leary of trying out these 'relatively new' Blu Ray Pure Audio discs. I lean towards DVD DTS 5.1 Audio, Blu Ray 5.1 Audio, SACD multi-channels, and SHM-CD's. I was pleasantly surprised at the audio quality on this. I am running an Onkyo NR-818 through 4 ohm Martin Logans, Soundstage Monitors, and Infinity Reference monitors, with two Velodyne 15" subs. True 7.2 audio. The EXACT available formats on this disc are this: 2.0 PCM 24-bit/96Khz. 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio 24 bit/96Kz. ( I use this one), and 2.0 Dolby TrueHD 24 bit/96Khz. The DTS Master Audio is the best if your amp will convert it. I am also using an OPPO for playback. I've listened to ALL the other remasters available for "The Stones" out there, and some are VERY GOOD. THIS ONE.........is exceptional. And I'm fussy as hell on my audio. It's cheap. Pick it up. FIFTY FRICKEN SONGS. I usually run it at reference volume through the Onkyo at 82. It won't make your ears bleed, but it will break glass, and give you a good massage in your audio chair with two subs. SUPER CLEAR. No high end boosting that so many idiot companies are doing. This is crystal audiophile material. You won't find better, in my opinion. IF YOU DO - LET ME KNOW AND I WILL BUY IT. The only BETTER quality discs I have are Roxy Music Avalon SACD multi channel. (yeah, try and find that one!). The Onkyo 'matrixes' the 2.0 signal to a full 7.2 on my system. Sure you're not going to have the fancy surround effects that Roxy has, but The Stones weren't designed for that. This is straight on rock and roll, and it rocks. High marks on this one.

Viene todo lo mejor, se extraña shattered