Time really was on their side with this one.

When The Rolling Stones released Exile on Main St. in 1972, it was not universally beloved. Mostly (and infamously) recorded in the basement of Keith Richards’ rented French chateau Nellcote, where the Stones had gathered after fleeing the British taxman, the sprawling, drug-fuelled double album divided critics and fans. Some hailed the four freewheeling sides of rock, country, blues, soul and gospel as a raw, risky masterpiece. Others heard something as murky and impenetrable as its dank, subterranean birthplace. And while it topped the charts for months, spawning the hits Tumblin’ Dice and Happy in the process, it wasn’t viewed as a high-water mark at the time.

Now, of course, everyone has come around. The publications that drubbed it have dubbed it a milestone. It is No. 7 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Even Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots — a guy who knows from dark, dangerous, drug-fuelled rock — told me Exile “epitifies the best of the Stones.”

So it’s no surprise the much-mythologized disc has just been given the full-blown reissue treatment. There are two editions around: A two-disc set with all 18 original tracks, plus 10 much-heralded bonus cuts; and a massive Super Deluxe Limited Version box with all that and plenty more. Going big? Here’s what you get for your $140:

Original Album

All 18 tracks — including Rocks Off, Rip This Joint, Tumblin’ Dice, Sweet Virginia, Torn and Frayed, Happy, Ventilator Blues, Loving Cup, All Down the Line and Shine a Light — in remastered CD form. I honestly can’t tell this version from the 2005 remaster, but it’s a step up from your dad’s LPs. (Or is it? See below.)

Bonus Cuts

Great as Exile is, this is the big selling point: Recently unearthed (and in some cases, newly completed) leftovers. More than half the 10 cuts are strong: Pass the Wine (Sophia Loren) cooks up a funky jam; Plundered My Soul works the sweet spot between rock and soul; I’m Not Signifying shuffles to a sloppy blues; Following the River is a piano-gospel ballad; Dancing in the Light bounces to a country-blues twang; and a Soul Survivor demo features Keith on the mic. Lesser offerings include So Divine (Aladdin Story), which recycles Paint It, Black; a sluggish version of Loving Cup; the Tumblin’ Dice knockoff Good Time Women; and the 107-second surf-rock instrumental Title 5.

Vinyl

Purists swear you must listen to Exile on vinyl to fully appreciate the warmth and depth of Jimmy Miller’s production. I think the real key is a great stereo. But if you buy into the vinyl solution, these audiophile-grade LPs — they feel like 180-gram vinyl — are the way to go. All the original artwork is reproduced in a double-gatefold cover. Too bad bonus tracks aren’t included.

DVD

The box claims the DVD contains Stones in Exile, C***sucker Blues and Ladies and Gentlemen ... The Rolling Stones. Awesome — if it were true. Instead, you only get about 10 minutes of each. It’s understandable the band would balk at including all of the notorious CS Blues (a long-suppressed 1972 doc that captures their debauchery on the road) and the 1974 live movie Ladies and Gentlemen (slated for DVD release this fall). But not including the full Exile doc — which has already aired on TV — is a flat-out ripoff.

Book

A stylish 64-page hardcover tome with an essay on the album and photos from the recording sessions, along with pics from the band’s 1972 tour and reproductions of posters, ads, souvenirs, press releases, backstage passes and more. It beats the heck out of the wee booklet in the smaller edition.

Postcards

The original album included a dozen postcards with pics of the band dressed up like gangsters. Four are reproduced here; the rest are pictured in the book.