Spooky percussion and elegantly sparse piano set the pace for “Sympathy for the Devil,” which sets the stage for what is—no argument—one of The Rolling Stones’ greatest albums, Beggars Banquet. With “Sympathy,” the Stones achieved a distinctly British funkiness, but that’s not all: Beggars Banquet includes a blues morality play worth of Rev. Gary Davis (“Prodigal Son”), a ballad of dreamy resignation (“No Expectations”) and anthemic hard rock (“Street Fighting Man”). The latest edition of Beggars Banquet is elaborately packaged, reproducing both versions of the album’s cover art—the original graffiti-inspired idea as well as the plain white wrapper of its original release. The music is contained in Super Audio CD (meaning super high fidelity) and regular CD formats. Also included is a flexi disc of a 1968 conversation involving Mick Jagger in an especially witty mood.
