Rolling Stones: Classic or Dud

Rehearsals for SNL 78 \

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-KiVKNNBBw

That was great!

You laugh, but they'll be vindicated when Mick Jagger brings out Q to sing a verse of "Start Me Up" https://t.co/j5XQMaDhz4

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 2, 2021

There's a remaster of Chicago Aragon show from September 16, 2002 that was shared recently on IORR. This was the tour where they did three shows per city: a theater show, arena show and stadium show. Just finished listening to it and it's surprisingly great because I didn't like the official releases from that tour when I heard or watched them back in the day. Charlie sounds amazing on it.

Found Jim DeRogatis's review for this show too:
http://www.jimdero.com/News2002/Sept18Stones.html

Bummer if the fans didn't get into setlist (more deep cuts than hit singles). And I guess the place didn't have air conditioning then?

while he dons an acoustic guitar (“Torn & Frayed”) or sits at the keyboards (“Worried About You”).

gah this sounds amazing

Stonesvaultlink for the fan ("CaptainAcid") remaster.

they'll be vindicated when Mick Jagger brings out Q to sing a verse

Was genuinely picturing John de Lancie for a moment

https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2022/01/the-rolling-stones-hells-angels-and-altamont-a-new-view/

Library of Congress shares 26 minutes of newly unearthed silent fan-shot footage from Altamont, including nice rare glimpses of Santana, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and CSNY. The day footage is surprisingly good-looking, as the shooter was right up by the stage. The night half w/the Stones is a bit dark and less hot, but it does look like a good bit of it is from the latter part of their set (post-murder), which wasn't documented in Gimme Shelter.

I originally mistook Gram Parsons for a hot woman wearing a very revealing crop top playing tambourine for the Flying Burrito Brothers.

Lol

I was admiring what I momentarily thought were washboard abs, when it was just heroin chic.

never got into them!

Not of interest at all, he lied:

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/rolling-stones-live-at-el-mocambo-album-release/

The Rolling Stones’ famous, secret 1977 shows at the 300-capacity Toronto club the El Mocambo are to be released for the first time on May 13. Live At The El Mocambo will be available on double CD, 4 LP black vinyl, 4 LP neon vinyl and digitally.

The releases feature the whole of the show on March 5, as well as three bonus tracks from the March 4 gig, newly mixed by Bob Clearmountain. The new album is a mouthwatering prospect for Stones fans, commemorating an unforgettable chapter in the band’s incredible history, as only four performances from the gigs have ever been officially available before. “Mannish Boy,” “Crackin’ Up,” “Little Red Rooster,” and “Around and Around” formed one side of the Love You Live double LP released in September 1977, which otherwise comprised performances from concerts in 1975 and 1976.

The full tracklist is:

1. Honky Tonk Women (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
2. All Down The Line (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
3. Hand Of Fate (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
4. Route 66 (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
5. Fool To Cry (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
6. Crazy Mama (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
7. Mannish Boy (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
8. Crackin’ Up (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
9. Dance Little Sister (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
10. Around And Around (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
11. Tumbling Dice (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
12. Hot Stuff (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
13. Star Star (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
14. Let’s Spend The Night Together (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
15. Worried Life Blues (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
16. Little Red Rooster (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
17. It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It) (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
18. Rip This Joint (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
19. Brown Sugar (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
20. Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
21. Melody (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
22. Luxury (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)
23. Worried About You (Live at the El Mocambo 1977)

:D

The Cockroaches, iirc.

They only do two songs from the 60s! Was that typical of their setlists at the time?

Two originals, that is.

Sorry, three originals. Never mind.

Yes, that's something I've noticed before, they basically dropped "Satisfaction" and any pre-1968 originals from their setlists from 1972-1977 (with odd exceptions). Setlist.fm has that data. It's as if they pretended that the band started with "Jumping' Jack Flash" for a little while.

Was that typical of their setlists at the time?

Pretty much. Part of it was because one of the guys who played on those songs was dead, and they didn't want to teach his parts to the new guys. Although iirc, Ron Wood eventually got them to add more early tracks to shows.

And another thing is that they still very much into 'promoting the new album', hence all the real estate given to Black & Blue.

Even on the Some Girls tour of 1978 it looks like they only played "Satisfaction" occasionally and no other pre-'68 originals

Also one song that wouldn't show up on record until Tattoo You.

Which was that?

"Worried About You", apparently a Black and Blue outtake!

Live at the El Mocambo sounds great!

I'll have to give it a full try. I sampled a couple of tracks that were officially uploaded on YouTube ("Hand of Fate" and "Luxury") and I was disappointed with Mick's singing. It reminded me how much I did't like Love You Live and I thought this release might be more of the same. Amazing a year later they'd film Live in Texas - I have that Blu-ray and Mick is incredible through that entire show. It may be possible his singing isn't much different and it's simply helped by the sight of him running around stage (I'm sure enunciation bothers me less when I can clearly see that the guy is doing high-level cardio throughout the entire set), but that was a great show regardless.

I've listened to some of it. The set list is mildly interesting, but the execution is...well, let's just say the world really didn't need a fake reggae version of Bo Diddley's "Crackin' Up."

- Bob Marley

The 1972 shows (the Ladies and Gentlemen film in particular) and certain 1978 shows (the Live in Texas film) are GREAT, flat out essential IMHO, but I'm surprised how much of what came in-between has been uneven or disappointing, at least to me. The 1973 shows are still good and both versions of Brussels Affair (the bootlegged KBFH broadcast and the recent official release) are great, but after that, the shows sound more and more uneven to me. Some numbers are better than others but certain parts will become disappointing like Mick's singing or Keith himself, who can still be good but not at the same level as before. (In fact, he's kind of the "weak" link in Live in Texas - compared to Ladies and Gentlemen, you can see he's physically not at the same level, but it's not a factor because he's still fine and their show's dynamics has changed, with Mick being more center stage and Ronnie having a bigger role and becoming a better fit with the Some Girls material.)

Lol, seem to recall that El Mocambo “Crackin’ Up” getting a lot of airplay at the time.

I haven't listened to the covers, but I sampled a handful of originals - paying less attention to Mick, the band does sound great. Charlie especially - he's always amazing.

I think inconsistency has kind of been the thing with the Stones throughout their career. I recall that bit Jim Dickinson talking about them recording at Muscle Shoals saying they flat out sucked for a few hours worst bar band ever getting nothing done and then out of nowhere they cut the track for "Wild Horses" as it is on the record.

I need to check out that El Mocambo show. I wish Zep, Sabbath and Floyd had as many good live recordings in the can, but it looks like they don't.

Wish they’d release that Brussels Affair show as a stand-alone thing, don’t want to buy the $100+ super deluxe Goat Heads Soup just to get it.

I got a bootleg of it. This is the one I got, it was not expensive.

https://www.amazon.com/Brussels-Affair-Rolling-Stones/dp/B0055LMEPI/ref=sr_1_2?crid=H4JNNDEXBZZD&keywords=brussels+affair+stones&qid=1652662150&sprefix=brussels+affair+stones%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-2

xp It really should get a standalone release. It's weird it hasn't since so many lesser shows were.

FWIW, it was released years ago as a lossless download, and it was reasonably priced - I think $10? - so I got it and burned it on to a CD-R, which I still have. The CD in the box set uses the exact same mastering.

xp - been keeping my eye out for that bootleg version, but it's unavailable everywhere atm.

Meanwhile, this El Mocambo release really does live up to the hype.

This new 4 part BBC series "My Life As A Rolling Stone" sometimes feels like a glorified EPK. I don't care what Lars Ulrich, Sheryl Crow or Chrissie Hynde think of The Stones (sorry?). But the old codgers are enjoyable to watch and listen to. The Ronnie Wood episode is especially good though the overall feeling is that these guys, who I love with all my heart, are the coolest of relics from a time when sex, drugs n' rock n' roll held a lot more meaning than today.

i will seek this iut

out

This is the best version of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" I've ever seen/heard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_ylZvdk3VU

That was pretty awesome! Great-looking restoration - IIRC they restored all of their short films for their 50th anniversary (partly for that Crossfire Hurricane doc as well). I kind of wish they'd put them on a Blu-ray like the Beatles did with 1+, but at least they're streaming.

The 'Micky Stardust & The Spiders From Dartford' clip!

Charlie weirdly the only one dripping with sweat and looking like he's about to pass out in that clip.

So who else sitting in adding percussion and organ?

Hmm, I guess the recording is some combination of the recorded track and ... live vocals?

Bonham was so much better at sweating and almost passing out, it's not even close.

Charlie: ("OK, just breathe ... 1,2,3,4, kick, snare, kick, snare ... breathe ... 1,2,3,4 ... gosh, are all the lights pointed right at me? ... 1,2,3,4 ... what did I have for dinner, didn't everyone eat the same thing? ... not even Mick is sweating, what is wrong with me? ... ")

I don’t think those are live vocals - for one thing, there are backing vocals but nobody else there is singing

I kind of wish they'd put them on a Blu-ray like the Beatles did with 1+, but at least they're streaming.

This probably won't happen...or if it does, it'll be an Abkco release that doesn't need the Stones' approval. Given Abkco's track record of such things (like the wan Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! box), they'll probably fuck it up somehow.